AT 


^"' 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

GIFT  OF 

MRS.   MARY  WOLFSOHN 

IN    MEMORY   OF 

HENRY  WOLFSOHN 


ixsxjs: 


[ 


AURORA  BOREALIS.— Page  684. 

This  is  an  extraordinary  appearance  of  the  Aurora  Borealis,  observed  by  Captain  Parry 
in  liis  expedition  to  the  Arctic  regions. 


AURORA  ROREALIS.— Page  084. 
This  is  an  aspect  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  sometimes  observed  in  Scotland.     The  view  embraces 
a  [MMtitin  (if  Loch  I,even,  with  the  island  and  the  castle  in  which  the  unfortunate  Mary  Queen 
of  Scots  was  imprisoned. 


ENCYCLOPEDIA 

or 

NATURAL   AND    ARTIFICIAL 

Wonders  and  Curiosities, 

INCLUDING 
A  FULL  AND  A  UTHENTIC  DESCRIPTION  OF 

Kcmarkable  aui  ^stomsljing  places, 

BEINGS,    ANIMALS,    CUSTOMS,    EXPERIMENTS, 
PHENOMENA,    Etc., 

OP  BOTH 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  TIMES,  IN  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE  GLOBE; 

COMPKISING   CORRECT  ACCOUNTS   Or  THE  MOST 

WONDERFUL  FREAKS   OF  NATURE  AND   ARTS  OF  MAN. 
By  Rev.   I.   PLATTS. 


Illustrated  with    Many  Engravings. 


NEW  YOEK: 
THE    WORLD    PUBLISHING    HOUSE, 

139   EIGHTH    STREET. 

1875. 


hQ^r- 


CONTENTS. 


~»>0O»***~ 


AbderiteSj  or  inhabitants  of  Abdera,  curious 

account  of,  45 
Abstinence,  wonders  of,  67 
Act  of  faith,  638 

Adansonia  ;  or,  African  calabash  tree,  378 
Agnesi,  Maria  Gaetana,  account  of,  120 
A>(rigentuni,  in  Sicily,  ruins  of,  5-10 
Air,  its  pressure  and  elasticity,  839 
Alarm  bird,  -^ii 

Alexandria,  buildings  and  library  of,  549 
Alhambra,  559 
Alligators,  104 

American  natural  history,  182 
Anagrams,  450 
Andes,  415 
Androides,  701 

Anger,  surprising  elTects  of,  82 
Animalcules,  357 
Animal   generation,  curiosities  respecting, 

139 
Animals,  formation  of,  142 
Animi's,  preservation  of,  144 
Animals,  destruction  of.  150 
Animal  reproductions,  154 
Animals  and  plants,  winter  sleep  nf,  808 
Animals,   remarkable  strength   of  affection 

in,  184 
Animals,   surprising  instances  of  sociality 

in,  185 
Animals,  unaccountable  faculties  possessed 

by  some,  187 
Animals,   remarkable   instances   of  fasting 

in,  189 
Animal  llowcr,  392 

Anthropophagi, or  men-eaters,  account  of,75 
Ants,  curiosities  of,  290 
Ants,  green,  31 1 
Ants,  white,  or  termites,  301 
Ant,  lion,  312 
Ants,  visiting,  312 
Aphis,  curiosities  respecting,  331 
Aqueducts,  remarkable,  795 
Arc,  Joan  of,  927 
Ark  of  Noiili,  582 
Artificer,  unfortunate,  745 
Artificial  lig'ire  to  light  a  candle,  830 
Asbestos,  402 
Atlins,  mount,  423 
Attraction,  examples  of,  837 
Augsburg,  curiosities  of,  57G 
Aurora  boi      is,  684 
Automaton,  description  of,  700 

B 
Babylon,  557 
Bacon  Hitch,  custom  at  Dunmow,  Essex, 

605 
Balbeck,  ancient  ruins  of,  538 
Bannian  tree,  374 


Baptism,  a  curious  one,  642 

Baratier,  John  Philip,  premature  genias  of, 

125 
Barometer,   rules  for  predicting  the  wea- 
ther by  it,  864 
Beards,  remarks  concerning,  31 
Beaver,  description  of,  156 
Beavers,  habitations  of  the,  158 
Bee,  the  honey,  265 

Bees,  wild,  curiosities  of,   Clothier  Bee, 
Carpenter  Bee,    Mason   Bee,  Uphol- 
sterer  Bee,     Leaf-cutter    Bee,    277, 
278,  279, 280 
Bees,  account  of  an  idiot-boy  and,  283 
Bees,   iMr.  Wildman's  cuiious  exhiliitions 

of,  explained,  283 
Bells,  baptism  of,  639 
Benefit  of  clergy,  origin  and  history  of,  623 
Bird  of  Paradise,  230 
Bird,  singul-ar  account  of  one  inhabiting  a 

volcano  in  Guadalope,  246 
Bird-catching  fish,  196 
Bird-calching,  curions  method  of,  260 
Birds,  method  of  preserving,  865 
Birds,  hydraulic,  713 
Birds,  song  of,  261 
Birds'  nests,  251 

Bisset,  Samuel,   the  noted  animal  instruc- 
tor, 124 
Bletonism,  95 

Blind  clergyman  of  Wales,  903 
Blind  persons,  astonishing  acquisitions  made 

by  some,  46 
Blind  Jack  of  Knaresborough,  900 
Blood,  circulation  of,  24  , 
Blunders,  book  of,  761 
Boa  Constrictor,  217 
Boat-fly.  342 

Body,  human,  curiosities  of  the,  IS 
Bolea,  Moute,  418 
Books,  curious  account  of  the  scarcity  of, 

757 
Borrowdale,  458 
Bottles,  to  uncork,  836 
Boverick's  curiosities,  713 
Bowthorpe  oak,  382 
Bread-fruit  tree,  372 
Bread,  old,  curious  account  of,  807 
Brine,  to  ascertain  the  strength  of,  839 
Brown,   Simon,  and  his  curious  dedication 

to  queen  Caroline,  108 
Bunzlau  curiosities,  714 
Buonaparte,  principal  events  in  the  life  of, 

126 
Burning  spring  in  Kentucky,  493 
Burning  and  hot  springs,  491, 495, 496,  49' 
Burning,  extraordinary  cures  by,  792 
Buraing-glasses,  717 


CONTENTS. 


Bustard,  the  great,  243 

Butterflies,  b'  autv  and  diversities  of,  344 

Butterflies,   to  take  an  impression  of  their 

wings,  8CG 

C 
C;iinera  obscura,  to  make.  830 
Cmidiac,  John  Lewis,  account  of,  113 
Caiidlemas-dav,  ti32 
Catinon,  extraordinary,  807 
Cards,  origin  of,  7G7 
Carrier,  or  courier  pigeon,  244 
Cartilage,  ancient  grandeur  of,  542 
Case,  John,  celebrated  quack  doctor,  113 
Catching  a  bare,  curious  custom  respect- 
ing, COl 
Caterpillar,  219 
Caterpillar-eaters,  220 
Cave  of  Fingal,  452 
Cave  near  Mexico,  457 
Centaurs  and  L;tpiliiie,  785 
Chameleon,  particulars  respecting,  175 
Changealile  llower,  387 
Cheese-mile,  curiosities  respecting,  358 
Chemical  illuminations,  844 
Chick,  formation  of  in  the  egg,  249 
Child,  extraordinary  arithmetical   powers 

of  a,  88 
Chiltern  hundreds,  G34 
China,  great  wall  of,  579 
Chinese,  funeral  ceremonies  of  the,  CIO 
Christmas-boxes,  origin  of,  G33 
Cinchona,  or  Peruvian  bark,  curious  edects 

of,  3'JO 
Clepsydra,  70G 

Clock-work,  extraordinary  pieces  of,  704 
Clouds,  electrified,  terrible  efl'ecls  of,  G5G 
Coal-pit,  visit  to  one,  4G9 
Cocoa-nut  tree,  371 
Coins  of  the  kings  of  England,  814 
Cold,  surprising  eflects  of  extreme,  C59 
Colossus,  570 

Colours,  experiments  on,  867 
Colours,  incapacity  of  distinguishing,  5G 
Combustion    of  the    human    body    by    the 

immoderate  use  of  spirits,  1)7 
Common  house-fly,  curiosities  of  the,  337 
Company   of  Stationers,    singular   custom 

annually  observed  by  the,  7()G 
Conscience,  instances  of  the  power  of,  84 
Cormorant,  242 
Coruscations,  artificial,  849 
Cotton  wool,  curious  particulars  of  a  pound 

weight  of,  391 
Countenance,  human,  curiosities  of  the,  18 
Cromwell,  A.  IM.  of  Hammersmith,  a  rich 

miser,  897 
Creeds  of  the  Jews,  775 
Crichlon,  the  admirable,  911 
Crichup  Linn,  797 
Crocodile,  l()3 

Crocodile,  fossil,  curiosity  of,  1C5 
(Cuckoo,  curiosities  respecting,  240 
Curfew  bell,  why  so  called,  G35 
Curious  historical  fact,  744 


D 

Dancer,  Daniel,  account  of,  104 

Dajak,  inhabitants  of  Borneo,  curious  fa* 

neral  ceremonies  of,  G12 
Deaf,  to  make  the,  perceive  sounds,  828 
Deaths,  poetical,  grammatical,  and  scien* 

tific,  73 
Death-watch,  347 
Diamond  mine,  on  the  river  TigitonhoDha, 

in  the  Brazilian  territory,  4G0 
Diamond,  wonderful,  405 
Diana,  temple  of,  at  Ephesus,  554 
Dictionary,  modern,  950 
Dimensions,   &c.  of   some  of   the  largest 

trees  growing  in  England,  382 
Diseases  peculiar  to  particular  countrict, 

789 
Dismal  swiinip,  798 
Dog,  remarkable,  194 
Dug,  curious  anecdotes  of  a,  195 
Dogs,  sagacity  of,  193 
Dreams,  instances  of  extraordinarj,  70 
Dwarfs,  extraordinary,  40 

E 
Eagle,  the  golden,  237 
Ear,  curious  sti  ucture  of  the,  22 
Earl  of  Pembroke,  curious  extracts  frtm 

the  will  of  an,  773 
Earth-eaters,  908 
Earthquakes,  and  their  causes,  499 
Eating,  singularities  of  diflerent  nalioai  id, 

595 
Eclipses,  G7G 
Eddystone  rocks,  797 
Egg,  to  soften  an,  851 
Electricity,  illumination  by,  793 
Electrical  experiments,  841 
Elephant,  account  of  an,  1C8 
Eli'phant,  docility  of  the,  170 
Elwes,  John,  account  of,  104 
English  ladies  turned  Hottentots,  744 
Ephemeral  Hies,  343 
Ephesus,  temple  of  Diana  at,  554 
Escurial,  577 
Etna,  443 

Extraordinary  custom,  GOl 
Eye,  curious  formation  of  the,  20 

F 
Fact,  the  most  extraordinary  on  record,  744 
Fairy  rings,  C07 
Falling  stars,  G81 
Faquirs,  travelling,  940 
Fasting,  extraordinary  instances  of, C5 
Fata  RIorgana,  CG5 
Feasts,  among  the  ancients  of  varioi\s  Dt- 

tions,  G14 
Female  beauty  and  ornaments,  596 
Fiery  fountain,  844 
Fire-balls,  G55 
Fire  of  London,  748 
Fire,  perpetual,  80G 
Fisher,  Miss  Clara,  905 
Fishes,  air  bladder  in,  201 
Fishes,  respiration  in,  202 


CONTENTS. 


Fisbes,  sliower  of.  203 

Flea,  account  of  a,  325 

Flea,  on  llie  duration  of  llie  life  of  a,  328 

Florence  statues,  579 

Fiv,  the  common  bouse,  337 

Flv,  tlie  Hessian,  336 

FIv,  the  May,  340 

Fly,  the  ve-relablc,  341 

Fly,  the  boat,  342 

Flying,  artificial,  710 

Fountain  trees,  375 

Freezing  mixture,  to  form,  859 

Free/.ins;,  astonishing  expansive  force  of, 

eoi 

Fribur;;^  cariosities  of,  575 

Friendship,  curious  demonstrations  of,  594 

Friendship,  true  Roman,  recipe  for  estab- 
lisliin^,  951 

Fright,  or  terror,  remarkable  eflects  of,  82 

Frog,  the  common,  100 

Frog-fish,  190 

Frosts,  remarkable,  533 

Flower,  the  animal,  392 

Fruits,  injuries  from  swallowing  the  stones 
of,  791 

Funeral  ceremonies  of  the  ancient  Ethio- 
pians, 009 

Fungi,  395 

6 

Galley  of  Hiero,  584 

Galvanism,  089 

Gardens,  lloating,  580 

Gardens,  hanging,  558 

Garter,  origin  of  the  order  of  the,  023 

Gas  lights,  miniature,  836 

Gauts,  or  Indian  Appenines,  421 

Giants,  curious  account  of,  39 

Giant's  causeway,  590 

Gipsies,  732 

Glaciers,  529 

Glass,  ductility  of,  720 

Glass,  to  cut,  without  a  diamond,  833 

Glass,  to  write  on,  by  the  sun's  rays,  858 

Gluttony,  instances  of  extraordinary,  0-1 

Gold,  remarkable  ductility  and  extensibi- 
lity of,  721 

Graham,  the  celebrated  Dr.  909 

Gravity,  experiments  respecting  the,  838 

Great  events  from  little  causes,  746 

Grosbeak,  the  social,  234 

Grosbeak,  the  Bengal,  235 

Grotto  in  South  America,  445 

Grotto  del  Cani,  440 

Grolto  of  Antiparos,  447 

Grotto  of  Guacharo,  450 

Growth, extraordinary  instances  of  rapid,  37 

Guinea,  explanation  of  all  the  letters  on  a, 
708 

Gulf  stream,  490 

H 

Hagamnre,  Rev.  3Ir.  a  most  singular  cha- 
racter, 8!1() 

Hail,  surprising  showers  of,  518 

Hair  of  ihe  head,  account  of,  28 


Hair,  instances  of  the  ii  ternal  growth  of,  30 
Hair,  ancient  and  niode'n  opinions  respect- 
ing the,  29 
Halo,  or  corona,  and  similar  appearances, 

080 
Hand-fasting,  009 
Harmattan,  511 
Harrison,  a  singular  instance  of  parsiraoEj , 

903 
Heat,  diminished  by  evaporation,  839 
Hecia,  442 
Heidelberg  clock,  705 
Hf  inecken,  ChristianHenry,  account  of,  1 14 
Hell,  opinions  respecting,  812 
Henderson,  John,  the  Irish  Cricliton,  883 
Henry,  John,  singular  character  of,  107 
Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  536 
Herschel's  grand  telescope,  713 
Hessian  fly,  339 
Hobnails,  origin  of  the  sherilT's  counting, 

022 
Holland,  North,  curious  practice  id,  030 
Honour,  extraordinary  instances  of,  80 
Horse,  remarkable  instances  of  sagacity  in 

a,  192 
Human  heart,  structure  of  the,  24 
Humming  bird,  230 
Huntingdon,  William,  eccentric  character 

of,  134 
Hurricane,  carious   particulars  respecting 

n,  511 
Husband  long  absent,  returned,  741 
Hydra,  or  polvpes,  account  of,  359 

I 
Ice,  Greenland  or  polar,  525 
Ice,  tremendous  concussions  of  fields  of,  528 
Ice,  showers  of,  533 
Ignis  Fatuus,  044 
Improvement  of  the  learned,  705 
Incubus,  or  nightmare,  941 
Indian  jugglers,  897 
Individuation,  780 
Indulgences,  Romish,  030 
Ingratitude,  shocking  instances  of,  78 
Ink's,  various  sympathetic,  853  to  857 
Insects,  metamorphoses  of:  the  butterfly, 

the  common  fly,  the  grey-coated  gnat, 

the  sliardhurn  beetle,  345 
Insects  blown  from  the  nose,  — 
Integrity,  sti  iking  instances  of,  77 
Inverlochy  castle,  574 
Island,  new,  starting  from  the  sea,  401 

J 
Jew's  harp,  795 
John  Bull,  origin  of  the  ternj  of,  034 

K 
Killarney,  the  lake  of,  487 
Kimos,  singular  nation  of  dwarfs,  43 
Knout,  804 
Kraken,210 

L 
Labrador  stone,  402 
Lady  of  the  La)nb,  001 
Lama,  81U 


CONTENTS. 


Laiiibei't,  Daniel,  account  of,  887 

Laiii|i!>,  ruiiiaikiililc,  805 

Lamp,  [iliosplioiic,  844 

LiinifiiiN,  rt;i>i  of,  G21 

Laoconn,  iiioiiiiirient  of,  55G 

Leiivcs,  to  tiike  an  iin|)ression  of  tlieni,  8G6 

Letter,  curious,  from  I'oniare,  Itiiig  of  Oln- 

licile,  to  the  iMissfouarv  Societv,  773 
Libraries,  colebrated,  7G0 
Lij;lit  produced  under  water,  850 
Lightning,    extraordinary    properties    and 

ellects  of,  G.>1 
LiglUnini;,  to  pro,  uce  artificial,  844 
Liquids,   to  produce  changeable-coloured, 

858 
Liquids,  to  exchange  two  in  difl'erent  bot- 
tles, 872 
liitcrarv  luboiir  and  perseverance,  75G 
Li/.ard,  imbedded  in  coal,  225 
Locusts,  and  their  uses  in  the  creation,  349 
London,  compendious  description  of,  813 
London,  intellectual  improvement  in,  7GI 
Longevitv,  extraordinary  instances  of,  'JG 
Louse,  328 

Love-letter,  and  answer,  curious    774 
Luminous  insects,  319 
31 
31'Avoy,  Jliss  Margaret,  919 
Maelstrom,  489 
Mi'gdaleu's  hermitage,  575 
.Ma',;ic  oracle,  845 
Magic:il  bottle,  851 
IMagica!  drum,  80G 
IMagnelism,  G93 
lV!a<,rneti(;  experiments,  848 
Magnify,  to,  small  objects,  882 
McdioiiK^tan  paradise,  811 
Maiden,  599 
rilaminnlh,   or   Fossil    Elephant,    found   in 

Siberia,  170 
Man  with  the  iron  mask,  727 
I*Iandrake,  387 
^lurmot,   or  the  Mountain  Rat  of  Swit/.er- 

lai]d,  1G7 
Marriage  custom  of  the  Japanese,  G04 
Alarria:;e  ceremonies,  curious,  in  dilVerent 

nations,  G02 
Masons,  five  and  accepted,  737 
Malhematical  talent,  curious  instance  of, 93 
IMalrimonial  ring,  G08 
IMaller,  divisibility  of,  793 
May-lly,340 

May  poles  and  garlands,  the  origin  of,  G29 
Memnon,  palace  of,  552 
Memory,  remarkable  instance  of,  80 
Metals,  dilVerent,  to  discover,  828 
Metals,  mixed,  to  detect,  871 
Mitcalf,  John,  alias  Blind  Jack  of  Knares- 

borou-h,  900 
Microscopic  ex])erimeiits,  859 
Migration  of  birds,  253 
Mills,  remarkable,  799 
Mint  of  .Se;;ovia,  799 
Miraculous  vesSel,  852 


Mirage,  account  of,  521 

Miners,  curious  effects  of,  833 

Mite,  tl;e  cheese,  curiosities  respecting,  338 

Mock  suns,  G73 

blocking  bird  of  America,  233 

Mole,  the  comi:i<)n,  159 

Money,  test  of  good  or  bad,  834 

Jlonkey,  sagacity  of  a,  192 

INloiisoons,  or  tiade  winds,  512 

M.)iister,  777 

Montague,  Edward  Wortley,  110 

IMont  Blanc,  in  Switzerland,  427 

I\loon,  account  of  three  volcanoes  in  tlie,G82 

Morland,  George,  account  of,  114 

jMoscdw,  great  bell  of,  72G 

Mosquitoes,  and  their  uses,  355 

Mourniiig,  ancient  modes  of,  G13 

MouMlaiiis,  natural  descriptions  of,  40G 

31ountHins  Written,  Mourjtains  of  Inscrip- 
lion,  or  Jibbel  El  Mokalteb,  422 

i\lountSnowilen,  excursion  to  the  top  of,  412 

Mud  and  Sail,  volcanic  eruptions  of,  in  the 
island  of  Java,  4G7 

Murdering  statue,  801 

jMuseum,  5GG 

Mushroom,  395 

Mushroom-stone,  402 
N 

Names,  curious,  adopted  in  ihe  civil  war,772 

Na))hlha  springs,  492 

National  debt,  singular  calculation  respect- 
ing, 81G 

Natural   productions,   resembling   artificial 
compositions,  804 

Natural  history,  curious  facts  in,  247 

Nautilus,  197 

Navigation,  perfection  of,  481 

Needles,  722 

Needle's  eye,  459 

News,  origin  of  the  word,  7C2 

News[)npers,  origin  of,  7G2 

New  studies  in  old  age,  instances  of,  763 

New  year's  gifts,  origin  of,  G33 

Niagara,  and  its  falls,  485 

Nicholas  I'esce,  117 

Nitre  caves  of  iNlissonri,  457 

Nokes,  Edward,  a  miser,  888 

Numbers,  remarkable  instance  of  skill  in,  80 

Numbers,  curious  arrangements  of,  8G8,  87  I 

Nuns,  particulars  respecting,  811 

Nuovo,  Mont€,  419 

O 

Oak-tree,  remarkable  account  of,  380 

Oakham,  custom  at,  G30 

Obelisk,  remarkable,  near  Forres,  in  Scot 
land,  573 

Okey  Hole,  458. 

Orang-Outang,  178 

Origin  of 'That's  a  Bull,'  €35 

Origin  of  the  old  adage  respecting  St.  Swi- 
lliin,  and  rainy  weather,  035 

Ornithorlivnchus  para<loxus,  IGG 

Ostrich,  curiosities  of  the,  231 

Owl,  adventure  of  an,  247 


CONTENTS. 


i 


P 

Pauailippo,  419 

Peacock,  the  common,  226 

I'eak  in  Derbyshire,  description  of,  409 

Peeping  Tom  of  Coventry,  740 

Peg,  to  make  a,  to  fit  three  ditlerently  shaped 
holes,  872 

Pelican,  the  great,  229 

Penance,  curious  account  of  a,  043 

Performances  of  a  female,  blind  almost 
from  her  infancy,  63 

Persons  bcrn  defective  in  their  limbs,  won- 
derful instances  of  adroitness  of,  54 

Peruke,  783 

Peru,  mines  of,  4G5 

Pesce,  Nicholas,  extraordinary  character 
of,  117 

Pharos  of  Alexandria,  549 

Piiosplioric  iire,  sheet  of,  G69 

Phospliorns,  G70 

Pichinca,  415 

Pico,  422 

Pigeon,  wild,  its  multiplj'ing  power,  245 

Pigeon,  carrier,  or  courier,  244 

Pin-making,  721 

Pilch-wells,  4U8 

Plague,  dreadful  instances  of  the,  in  Eu- 
rope, 747 

Plant,  curious,  386 

Plants,  curious  dissemination  of,  366 

Plants  upon  the  earth,  prodigious  number 
of,  367 

Plough-Monday,  origin  of,  632 

Poison-eater,  remarkable  account  of,  94 

Pompey's  pillar,  547 

Pope  Joan,  931 

Portland  vase,  800 

Praxiteles'  Venus,  712 

Praviii^  fliHoliiiies  of  Kalmuck,  642 

Price,  Charles,  the  renowned  swindler, 
88!) 

Prince  Rupert's  drops,  853 

Prolificness,  extraordinary  instances  of,  37 

Psalmanazar,  Geon;e,  noted  impostor,  112 

Pulpit,  curious,  801 

Pyramids  of  Egypt,  544 

Q 

Quaint  lines.  772 

Queen  Charlotte,  curious  address  to,  709 
Queen,  a  blacksmith's  wife  become  a,  749 
Queen  Eli/al)eth's  dinner,   curious  account 

of  the  ceremonies  at,  749 
Queen  Elizabeth,  quaint  lines  on,  772 

R 
Recreations,  amusing,  in  optics,  &c.  873  to 

882 
Recreations,  amusing,  with  nnmbers,  820 

to  827 
Keligion,  celebrated  speech  on,  944 
Reproduction,  7Hl 
Repulsion,  examples  of,  837 
Respiration,  interesting  facts  concerning, 26 
Revivified  rose,  858 
Rliinoceros,  102 


Rings,  on  the  origin  of,  606 
Rosin  bubbles,  85i 
Royal  progenitors,  744 
Ruin  at  Siwa  in  Egypt,  534 

S 
Salutation,  various  modes  of,  598 
Sand-lloods,  account  of,  521 
Savage,   Richard,  extraordinary  character 

of,  128 
Scaliot's  lock,  712 
Scarron,  Paul,  account  of,  119 
Schurrman,  Anna  Maria,  123 
Scorpion,  213 
Sea,  curiosities  of  the,  471 
Sea,  on  the  saltness  of,  476 
Sea,  to  measure  the  depth  of  the,  829 
Sea  serpent,  American,  218 
Seal,  common  account  of,  180 
Seal,  ursine,  181 
Seeds,  germination  of,  365 
Sensibility  of  plants,  308 
.Sensitive  plant,  369 
.Seraglio,  504 

Serpents,  fascinating  power  of,  219 
Sexes,  difl'erence  between  the,  34 
Sexes  at  birth,coniparative  number  of  the, 36 
Shark,  198 
Sheep,    extraordinary  adventures  of  one, 

190 
Shelton  oak,  description  of,  382 
Ship  worm,  224 

Ship  at  sea,  to  find  the  burden  of  a,  829 
Shoes,  curiosities  respecting,  724 
Shoe-makers,  literary,  764 
Shower  of  >;ossamers,  curious  phenomenon 

of  a,  523 
Shrovetide,  630 
Silk-mill  at  Derby,  800 
Silk  stockings,  electricity  of,  842 
Silkworm,  220 
Singular  curiosity,  405 
Skiddaw,  414 
Sleep-walker,  09 
Sleeping  woman  of  Dunninald,  70 
Smeaton,  John,  113 
Sneezing,  curious  observations  on,  33 
Snow  grotto,  451 
Solfatara,  the  lake  of,  488 
Sound,  experiments  on,  840 
Spectacle  of  a  sea-fight  at  Rome,  711 
.Spectacles,  a  substitute  for,  807 
Spectre  of  the  Broken,  420 
.Spider,  curiosities  of  the,  314 
Spider,  tamed,  316 
Spider,  ingenuity  of  a,  310 
Spider,  curious  anecdote  of  a,  318 
Spirits  of  wine,  to  ascertain  tlie  strength  of, 

839 
Spontaneous  inflammations,  786 
Sports,  Look  of,  706 
'Squire,  old  English,  925 
Stalk,  animated,  392 
.Star,  filling  or  shooting,  401 
Si  j.benson,  the  eccentric,  895 


tiii 


CONTENTS. 


Steel,  to  melt,  8S0 

Stick,  to  break  a,  on  two  wine-glasses,  871 

Stone,  the  meteoric,  401 

Stone,  the  Labrador,  402 

Stone,  the  changeable,  404 

Stone-eater,  remarkable  account  of,  94 

Stoneheiige,  592 

Storks,  221) 

Storm,  singular  effects  of  a,  519 

Strasburg  clock,  705 

Sugar,  anliqiiit)'  of,  390 

Sulphur  mountains,  424 

Sun,  diminution  of  the,  G73 

Sun,  spots  in  the,  671 — to  shew  ditto,  852 

Surgical  operation,  extraordinarj,  791 

Swine's  concert,  750 

Sword-swallowing,  G2 

Sympathetic  inks,  853  to  857 

T 
Tallow-tree,  378 
Tantalus'  cup,  852 
Tape-worm,  222 

Tea,  Chinese  method  of  preparing,  388 
Telegraph,  708 

Temple  of  Tentira,  in  Egypt,  550 
Tenures,  curious,  G28 
Therraometrical  experiments,  863 
Thermometer,  moral  and  physical,  817 
Thread  burnt,  not  broken,  844 
Thunder  powder,  836 
Thunder  rod,  654 
Tides,  479 
Titles  of  books,  755 
Toad,  common,  description  of,  161 
Topham,  Thomas,  character  of,  115 
Tornado,  description  of  a,  510 
Torpedo,  200 
Tortoise,  the  common,  176 
Tree  of  Diaua,  852 

Trees,  account  of  a  country,  in  which  the 
inhabitants  reside  in,  45 

U 
Unbeliever's  creed,  776 
Unfortunate  artificer,  745 
Unicorn,  179 
Upas,  or  poison  tree,  383 

V 
Valeutine's-day,  origin  of,  632 


Van  Butchcll,    Sirs,  preservation   of  ber 

corpse,  902 
Vegetable  kingdom,  curiosities  in  the,  363 
Vegetables,  number  of  known,  367 
Vegetable  lly,  341 
Velocity  of  the  wind,  517 
Ventriloquism,  58 
Vesuvius,  434,  947 
Vicar  of  Bray,  748 
Voltaic  pile,  to  make  «  cheap,  847 
Vulture,  Egyptian,  228 
Vulture,  secretary,  228 
W 
Wasp,  curiosities  respecting  the,  285 
Watch,  the  mysterious,  835 
Watches,  invention  of,  707 
Water,  to  boil  without  heat,  835 
Water,  to  weigh,  834 
Water,  to  retain,  in  an  inverted  glass,  835 
Waterspout,  6(J3 
Waves  stilled  by  oil,  480 
Weaving  engine,  712 
Whale,  great  northern,  or  Greenland,  204 
Whale  lishery,  208 
Whig  and  Tory,  explanation  of  the  terms, 

776 
Whirlpool  near  Sudero,  489 
Whirlwinds  of  Egypt,  509 
Whispering    j)laces,     and    extraordinary 

echoes,  802 
Whitehead's  ship,  712 
Whittington,  Sir  Richard,  932 
Wild  man,  account  of  a,  76 
Wind,  velocity  of,  517 
Winds,  remarkable,  in  Egypt,  507 
Wine  cellar,  curious,  799 
Winter  in  Russia,  524 
Wolbv,  Henry,  extraordinary  character  of, 

105 
Women  with  beards,  curious  account  of,  32 
Wooden  eagle,  and  iron  fly,  711 
Writing,  origin  of  the  materials  of,  751 
Writing,  minute,  753 
X 
Xerxes'  bridge  of  boat*  over  the  Hellec* 

pont,  586 

Z 
Zenxis,  celebrated  painter,  116 


INTRODUCTION. 


"  Ye  curious  minds,  who  roam  abroad, 
And  trace  Creation's  wonders  o'er ! 
Confess  the  footsteps  of  the  God, 
And  bow  before  him,  and  adore." 


It  was  well  observed  by  Lord  Bacon,  that  "  It  would  much 
conduce  to  the  magnanimity  and  honour  of  man,  if  a  collec- 
tion were  made  of  the  extraordinaries  of  human  nature,  prin- 
cipally out  of  the  reports  of  history ;  that  is,  what  is  the  last 
and  highest  pitch  to  which  man's  nature,  of  itself,  hath  ever 
reached,  in  all  the  perfection  of  mind  and  body.  If  the  won- 
ders of  human  nature,  and  virtues  as  well  of  mind  as  of  body, 
were  collected  into  a  volume,  they  might  serve  as  a  calendar 
of  human  triumphs." 

The  present  work  not  only  embraces  the  Curiosities  of  hu- 
man nature,  but  of  Nature  and  Art  in  general,  as  well  as 
Science  and  Literature.  Surrounded  with  wonders,  and  lost 
in  admirati-on,  the  inquisitive  mind  of  man  is  ever  anxious  to 
know  the  hidden  springs  that  put  these  wonders  in  motion  •,  he 
eagerly  inquires  for  some  one  to  take  him  by  the  hand,  and 
explain  to  him  the  curiosities  of  the  universe.  And  though 
the  works  of  the  Lord,  like  his  nature  and  attributes,  are 
great,  and  past  finding  out,  and  we  cannot  arrive  at  the  per- 
fection of  science,  nor  discover  the  secret  impulses  which  na- 
ture obeys,  yet  can  we  by  reading,  study,  and  investigation, 
dissipate  much  of  the  darkness  in  which  we  are  enveloped, 
and  dive  far  beyond  the  surface  of  this  multifarious  scene  oi 
things  — The  noblest  employment  of  the  human  understand- 

1  B 


X  !  XT  110  DUCT  I  ox. 

ing  IS,  to  conterapiate  the  works  of  the  great  Creator  of  the 
boundless  universe*  and  to  trace  the  marks  of  infinite  wisdom, 
power,  and  goodness,  throughout  the  whole.  This  is  the 
foundation  of  all  religious  worship  and  obedience;  and  an. 
essential  preparative  for  properly  understanding,  and  cordially- 
receiving,  the  sublime  discoveries  and  important  truths  of 
divine  revelation.  "  Every  man,"  says  our  Saviour,  "  that 
hath  heard,  and  hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh  unto  me  " 
And  no  man  can  come  properly  to  Christ,  or,  in  other  words, 
embrace  the  christian  religion,  so  as  to  form  consistent  views 
of  it,  and  enter  into  its  true  spirit,  unless  he  is  thus  drawn  by 
the  Father  through  a  contemplation  of  his  works.  Such  is 
the  inseparable  connection  between  nature  and  grace. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  following  pages  is  devoted  to 
Curiosities  in  the  works  of  Nature,  or,  more  properly,  the  workfe 
of  God,  for, 

"  Nature  is  but  an  effect,  and  God  the  cause." 

The  Deity  is  the 

"  Father  of  all  that  is,  or  heard,  or  hears  ! 
Father  of  all  that  is,  or  seen,  or  sees! 
Father  of  all  that  is,  or  shall  arise! 
Father  of  this  immeasurable  mass 
Of  matter  multiform;  or  dense,  or  rare; 
Opaque,  or  lucid;  rapid,  or  at  rest; 
Minute,  or  passinpf  bound  !     In  each  extreme 
Of  like  amaze,  and  mystery,  to  man." 

The  invisible  God  is  seen  in  all  his  w'orks. 

"  God  is  a  spirit,  spirit  cannot  strike 

These  gross  material  organs:  God  by  man 

As  much  is  seen,  as  man  a  God  can  see. 

In  these  astonishing  exploits  of  power 

What  order,  beauty,  motion,  distance,  size ! 

Concertion  of  design,  how  exquisite! 

How  complicate,  in  their  divine  police! 

Apt  means!  great  ends!  consent  to  general  good!" 


INTROntCTIOX.  XI 

This  work  also  presents  to  the  reader,  a  view  of  the  great 
achievements  of  the  human  intellect,  in  the  discoveries  of 
science;  and  the  wonderful  operations  of  the  skill,  power, 
and  industry  of  man  in  the  invention  and  improvement  of  the 
arts,  in  the  construction  of  machines,  and  in  the  buildings 
and  other  ornaments  the  earth  exhibits,  as  trophies  to  the 
glory  of  the  human  race. 

But  we  shall  now  give  the  reader  a  short  sketch  of  what  !< 
provided  for  him  in  the  following  pages.  The  work  is  di- 
vided into  eighty-seven  chapters.  The  Curiosities  respecting 
Man  occupy  eleven  chapters.  The  next  four  chapters  are  de- 
voted to  Animals  ;  then  two  to  Fishes  ;  one  to  Serpents  and 
Worms;  three  to  Birds;  eleven  to  Insects;  six  to  Vege- 
tables; three  to  Mountains;  two  to  Grottos,  Caves,  &c. ;  one 
to  Mines;  two  to  the  Sea;  one  to  Lakes,  Whirlpools,  &:c.  ; 
one  to  Burning  Springs  ;  one  to  Earthquakes  ;  one  to  lle- 
markable  Winds  ;  one  to  Showers,  Storms,  &c. ;  one  to  Ice  ; 
one  to  Ruins  ;  four  to  Buildings,  Temples,  and  other  Monu- 
ments of  Antiquity;  and  one  to  Basaltic  and  Rocky  Curiosi- 
ties. The  fifty-eighth  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  Ark  of  Noah 
— the  Galley  of  Hiero — and  the  Bridge  of  Xerxes.  The  next 
six  chapteis  detail  at  length  the  various  Customs  of  Mankind 
in  different  parts  of  the  World,  and  also  explain  many  Old 
Adages  and  Sayings.  The  next  five  chapters  exhibit  a  va- 
riety of  curious  phenomena  in  nature,  svich  as  the  Ignis 
Fatuus;  Thunder  and  Lightning;  Fire  Balls;  Water  Spouts; 
Fairy  Rings;  Spots  in  the  Sun;  Volcanoes  in  the  Moon; 
Eclipses;  Shooting  Stars;  Aurora  Borealis,  or  Northern 
Lights ;  &.C.  &c.  The  seventieth  chapter  is  on  Galvanism. 
The  seventy-first  on  Magnetism.  The  next  three  chapters  de- 
lineate the  principal  Curiosities  respecting  the  Arts.  Then 
follow  five  chapters  on  some  of  the  principal  Curiosities  in 
History ;  three  on  the  Curiosities  of  Literature  ;  and  five  on 
Miscellaneous  Curiosities.  An  Appendix  is  added,  contain- 
ing a  number  of  easy,  innocent,  amusing  Experiments  and 
Recreations. 


INTRODUCTION, 

This  is  "  A  ]New  Compilation.'  inasmuch  as  not  one  arfici* 
is  taken  from  any  book  bearing  the  title  of  Beauties,  Wonders, 
or  Curiosities.  The  Compiler  trusts  the  work  will  afford  both 
entertainment  and  instruction  for  the  leisure  hour,  of  the 
Philoso'pher  or  the  Labourer,  the  Gentleman  or  the  Mechanic. 
In  short,  all  classes  may  find  in  the  present  work  soraethino- 
conducive  to  their  pleasure  and  improvement,  in  their  hours  o1 
seriousness,  as  well  as  those  of  gaiety ;  and  it  will  afford  a 
constant  source  of  subjects  for  interesting  and  ao-reeabU 
conversation 


THE 


BOOK  OP  CURIOSITIES. 


CHAP.  1. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

The  Human  Body — the  Counteiiatice — the  Ej/e — the  Ear — the 
Heart — the  Circulation  of  the  Blood — Respiration — the  Haii 
of  the  Head — the  Beard — Wonie)i  with  Beards — Sneezing. 

"  Come,  gentle  reader,  leave  all  meaner  things 
To  low  ambition,  and  the  pride  of  kings. 
Let  us,  since  life  can  little  more  supply 
Than  just  to  look  about  us,  and  to  die; 
Expatiate  free  o'er  all  this  scene  of  Man, 
A  miglity  maze  I  but  not  without  a  plan. 
A  wild,  where  weeds  and  tlow'rs  promiscuous  shoot; 
Or  garden,  tempting  with  forbidden  fruit. 
Together  let  us  beat  this  ample  field. 
Try  wi)at  the  open,  what  the  covert  yield; 
The  latent  tracts,  the  giddy  heights,  explore, 
Of  all  who  blindly  creep,  or  sightless  soar: 
Eye  nature's  wo  Iks,  shoot  folly  as  it  flies, 
And  catch  the  manners  living  as  they  rise; 
Laugh  where  we  must,  be  candid  where  we  can. 
But  vindicate  the  ways  of  God  to  man." 

We  shall,  in  the  first  place,  enter  on  the  consideration  oi 
The  Curiosities  of  the  Human  Body. — The  following 
account  is  abridged  from  the  works  of  the  late  Drs.  Hunter 
and  Paley. 

Dr.  Hunter  shows  that  all  the  parts  of  the  human  frame  are 
requisite  to  the  wants  and  well-being  of  such  a  creature  as 
man.  He  observes,  that,  first  the  mind,  the  thinking  inuna- 
tcrial  agent,  must  be  provided  with  a  place  of  immediate  resi- 
dence, which  shall  have  all  the  requisites  for  the  union  of 
spirit  and  body ;  accordingly,  she  is  provided  with  the  brain, 
where  she  dwells  as  governor  and  superintendant  of  the  whole 
fabric. 

In  the  next  place,  as  she  is  to  hold  a  correspondent^e  with 
all  the  material  beings  around  her,  she  must  be  supplied  with 
organs  fitted  to  receive  the  different  kinds  of  impression  which 


14  cLUiosrriEs  respecting   man. 

they  will  make.  In  fact,  therefore,  we  see  that  she  is  pro- 
vided with  the  organs  of  sense,  as  we  call  them:  the  eye  is 
adapted  to  light ;  the  ear  to  sound  ;  the  nose  to  smell ;  the 
mouth  to  taste  ;  and  the  skin  to  touch. 

Further,  she  must  be  furnished  with  organs  of  commniiication 
between  herself  in  the  brain,  and  those  organs  of  sense  ;  to 
give  her  information  of  all  the  impressions  that  are  made  upon 
them;  and  she  must  have  organs  between  herself  in  the  brain, 
and  every  other  part  of  the  body,  fitted  to  convey  her  com- 
mands and  influence  over  the  whole.  For  these  purposes  the 
nerves  are  actually  given.  They  are  soft  white  chords  which 
rise  from  the  brain,  the  immediate  residence  of  the  mind,  and 
disperse  themselves  in  Ijranches  through  all  parts  of  the  body. 
They  convey  all  the  ditl'erent  kinds  of  sensations  to  the  mind 
in  the  brain;  and  likewise  carry  out  from  thence  all  her  com- 
mands to  the  other  parts  of  the  body.  They  are  intended  to 
be  occasional  monitors  against  all  such  impressions  as  might 
endanger  the  well-being  of  the  whole,  or  of  any  particular 
part;  which  vindicates  tlie  Creator  of  all  things,  in  having  ac- 
tually subjected  us  to  those  many  disagreeable  and  painful 
sensations  which  we  are  exposed  to  from  a  thousand  accidents 
in  life. 

Moreover,  the  mind,  in  this  corporeal  system,  must  be  en- 
dued with  the  power  of  moving  from  place  to  place;  that  she 
may  have  intercourse  with  a  variety  of  objects;  that  she  may 
fly  from  such  as  are  disagreeable,  dangerous,  or  hurtful;  and 
pursue  such  as  are  pleasant  and  useful  to  her.  And  accord- 
ingly she  is  furnished  with  limbs,  with  muscles  and  tendons. 
the  instruments  of  motion,  which  are  found  in  every  part  of 
the   fabric  where  motion  is   necessary. 

But  to  support,  to  give  fiirmness  and  shape  to  the  fabric; 
to  keep  the  softer  parts  in  their  proper  places;  to  give  fixed 
points  for,  and  the  proper  directions  to  its  motions,  as  well  as 
to  protect  some  of  the  more  important  and  tender  organs  from 
external  injuries,  there  must  be  some  firm  prop-work  inter- 
woven through  the  whole.  And  in  i'act,  for  such  purposes 
the  bones  are  given. 

The  prop-work  is  not  made  with  one  rigid  fabric,  for  that 
would  prevent  motion.    Therefore  there  are  a  number  of  bones. 

These  pieces  must  all  be  firmly  bound  together,  to  prevent 
their  dislocation.  And  this  end  is  perfectly  well  answered  by 
the  ligaments. 

The  extremities  of  these  bony  pieces,  where  they  move  and 
rub  u))on  one  another,  must  have  smooth  and  slippery  sur- 
faces ior  easy  motion.  This  is  most  hapj)ilv  provided  for,  by 
the  cartilages  and  nincas  of  the  joints. 

The  interstices  of  ail  tliese  parts  must  be  filled  up  with 
some  soft  and  ductile  matter,  which   shall  keep  them  in  their 


THE    III' MAN     BODY.  15 

places,  unite  them,  and  at  the  same  time  allow  them  to  move 
a  little  upon  one  another;  these  purposes  are  answered  by  the 
cellular  membrane,  or  edipose  substance. 

There  must  be  an  outward  covering  over  the  whole  appa- 
ratus, both  to  give  it  compactness,  and  to  defend  it  from  a 
thousand  injuries;  which,  in  fact,  are  the  very  purposes  of 
the  skin  and  other  integuments. 

Say,  what  the  various  bones  so  wisely  wrou<;ht  ? 
How  was  their  frame  to  such  perfection  brought? 
What  did  their  figures  for  their  uses  lit, 
Tlieir  numbers  fix,  and  joints  adapted  knit; 
And  made  them  all  in  that  just  order  stand. 
Which  motion,  strength,  and  ornament,  demand? 

Blachmore. 

Lastly,  the  mind  being  formed  for  society  and  intercourse 
with  beino's  of  her  own  kind,  she  must  be  endued  with  powers 
of  expressing  and  communicating  her  thoughts  by  some 
sible  marks  or  signs,  which  shall  be  both  easy  to  herself, 
admit  of  great  variety.  And  accordingly  she  is  provided  "with 
the  organs  and  faculty  of  speech,  by  which  she  can  throw  out 
signs  with  amazing  facility,  and  vary  them  without  end. 

Thus  we  have  built  up  an  animal  body,  which  would  seem 
to  be  pretty  complete ;  but  as  it  is  the  nature  of  matter  to  be 
altered  and  worked  upon  by  matter,  so  in  a  very  little  time 
such  a  living  creature  must  be  destroyed,  if  there  is  no  pro- 
vision for  repairing  the  injuries  which  she  must  commit  upon 
herself,  and  those  which  she  must  be  exposed  to  from  without. 
Therefore  a  treasure  of  blood  is  actually  provided  in  the  heart 
and  vascular  system,  full  of  nutritious  and  healing  particles  ; 
fluid  enough  to  penetrate  into  the  minutest  parts  of  the  ani- 
mal; impelled  by  the  heart,  and  conveyed  by  the  arteries,  it 
washes  every  part,  builds  up  what  was  broken  down,  and 
sweeps  away  the  old  and  useless  materials.  Hence  we  see 
the  necessity  or  advantage  of  the  heart  and  arterial  sijstern. 

What  more  there  was  of  the  blood  than  enough  to  repair 
the  present  damages  of  the  machine,  must  not  be  lost,  but 
should  be  returned  again  to  the  heart;  and  for  this  purpose 
the  venous  system  is  provided.  These  requisites  in  the  animal 
explain  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  a  priori."^ 

All  this  provision,  however,  would  not  be  sufficient;  for 
the  store  of  blood  would  soon  be  consumed,  and  the  fabric 
would  break  down,  if  there  was  not  a  provision  made  by  fresh 
su])pl'es.  Thesf ,  wt  observe,  in  fact,  are  profusely  scattered 
round  he  in  the  ,^nimal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  ;  and  she  is 
furnished  with  hands,  the  fittest  instruments  that  could  be  con- 
trived for  gathering  them,  and  for  preparing  them  in  their 
varieties  for  the  mouth. 

*  This  subject  will  be  more  fully  explained  hereafter. 


IG  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     MAN. 

But  these  supplies,  which  we  call  food,  must  be  considera- 
bly changed;  they  must  be  converted  into  blood.  Therefore 
she  is  provided  with  teeth  for  cutting  and  bruising  the  food, 
and  with  a  stomach  for  melting  it  down;  in  short,  with  all 
the  organs  .subservient  to  digestion  :  the  finer  parts  cCthe  ali- 
ments only  can  be  useful  in  the  constitution;  these  must  be 
taken  up  and  conveyed  into  the  blood,  and  the  dregs  must  be 
♦,hrown  off.  With  this  view,  the  intestinal  canal  is  provided. 
it  separates  the  nutritious  parts,  which  we  call  chyle,  to  be 
conveyed  into  the  blood  by  the  system  of  the  absorbent  ves- 
sels; and  tlie  coarser  parts  pass  downwards  to  be  ejected. 

We  have  now  got  our  animal  not  only  furnished  with  what 
is  wanting  for  immediate  existence,  but  also  with  powers  of 
protracting  that  existence  to  an  indefinite  length  of  time. 
But  its  duration,  we  may  presume,  must  necessaril}"^  be  li- 
mited; for  as  it  is  nourished,  grows,  and  is  raised  up  to  its 
full  strength  and  utmost  perfection;  so  it  must  in  time,  in 
common  with  all  material  beings,  begin  to  decay,  and  then 
hurry  on  into  final  ruin. 

Thus  we  see,  by  the  imperfect  survey  which  human  reason 
is  able  to  take  of  this  subject,  that  the  animal  man  must 
necessarily  be  complex  in  his  corporeal  system,  and  iu  its 
operations. 

He  must  have  one  great  and  general  system,  the  vascular, 
branching  through  the  whole  circulation :  another,  the  ner- 
vous, with  its  appendages — the  organs  of  sense,  for  every 
kind  of  feelino-:  and  a  third,  for  the  union  and  connection  of 
all  these  parts. 

Besides  these  primary  and  general  systems,  he  require* 
others,  which  may  be  more  local  or  confined :  one,  for  strength, 
support,  and  protection, — the  bony  compages  :  another,  for 
the  requisite  motions  of  the  parts  among  themselves,  as  well 
as  for  moving  from  place  to  place, — the  muscular  system:  an- 
other to  prepare  nourishment  for  the  daily  recruit  of  the  body, 
■ — the  dio'estive  organs. 

Dr.  Paley  observes,  that,  of  all  the  different  systems  in  the 
human  body,  the  use  and  necessity  are  not  more  apparent, 
tlian  the  wisdom  and  contrivance  which  have  been  exerted,  in 
putting  ilicin  all  into  the  most  compact  and  convenient  form: 
in  disposing  them  so,  that  they  shall  mutually  receive  from,  and 
give  helps  to  one  another:  and  that  all,  or  many  of  the  parts, 
shall  not  only  answer  their  principal  end  or  purpose,  but 
operate  successfully  and  usefully  in  a  variety  of  secondary 
ways.  If  we  consider  the  whole  animal  machine  in  this  light, 
and  compare  it  with  any  machine  in  which  human  art  has 
exerted  its  utmost,  we  shall  be  convinced,  beyond  the  possi- 
bility of  doubt,  that  there  are  intelligence  and  power  far  sur- 
])assing  what  humanity  can  boast  of. 


THE    HUMAN    BODY.  17 

One  superiority  in  the  natural  machine  is  peculiarly  striking, 
—In  machines  of  human  contrivance  or  art,  there  is  no  inter- 
nal power,  no  principle  in  the  machine  itself,  by  which  it  can 
alter  and  acconimodateitself  to  injury  which  it  may  suffer,  or 
make  up  any  injury  which  admits  of  repair.  But  in  the  na- 
tural machine,  the  animal  body,  this  is  most  wonderfully  pro- 
vided for,  by  internal  powers  in  the  machine  itself;  many  of 
which  are  not  more  certain  and  obvious  in  their  effects,  than 
they  are  above  all  human  comprehension  as  to  the  manner 
and  means  of  their  operation.  Thus,  a  wound  heals  up  of 
itself;  a  broken  bone  is  made  firm  again  by  a  callus;  a  dead 
part  is  separated  and  thrown  off;  noxious  juices  are  driven  out 
by  some  of  the  emunctories ;  a  redundancy  is  removed  by 
some  spontaneous  bleeding;  a  bleeding  naturally  stops  of 
itself;  and  the  loss  is  in  a  measure  compensated,  by  a  contract- 
ing power  in  the  vascular  system,  which  accommodates  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  vessels  to  the  quantity  contained.  The  stomach 
gives  intimation  when  the  supplies  have  been  expended  ;  repre- 
sents, with  great  exactness,  the  quantity  and  quality,  of  what 
is  wanted  in  the  present  state  of  the  machine  ;  and  in  propor- 
tion as  she  meets  with  neglect,  rises  in  her  demand,  urges  her 
petition  in  a  louder  tone,  and  with  more  forcible  arguments. 
For  its  protection,  an  animal  body  resists  heat  and  cold  in  a 
very  wonderful  manner,  and  preserves  an  equal  temperature 
in  a  burning  and  in  a  freezing  atmosphere. 

A  farther  excellence  or  superiority  in  the  natural  machine, 
if  possible,  still  more  astonishing,  more  beyond  all  human 
comprehension,  than  what  we  have  been  speaking  of,  is  the 
distinction  of  sexes,  and  the  effects  of  their  united  powers. 
Besides  those  internal  powers  of  self-preservation  in  each  in- 
dividual, when  two  of  them,  of  differeut  sexes,  unite,  they  are 
endued  with  powers  of  producing  other  animals  or  machines 
like  themselves,  which  again  are  possessed  of  the  same  powers 
of  producing  others,  and  so  of  multiplying  the  species  without 
end.  These  are  powers  which  mock  all  human  invention  or 
imitation.  They  are  characteristics  of  the  Divine  Architect. — 
Thus  far  Paley. 

Galen  takes  notice,  that  there  are  in  the  human  body  above 
600  muscles,  in  each  of  which  there  are,  at  least,  10  several 
intentions,  or  due  qualifications,  to  be  observed ;  so  that, 
about  the  muscles  alone,  no  less  than  6000  ends  and  aims  are 
to  be  attended  to!  The  bones  are  reckoned  to  be  284;  and 
the  distinct  scopes  or  intentions  of  these  are  above  40 — in  all, 
about  12,000  !  and  thus  it  is,  in  some  proportion,  with  all  the 
other  parts,  the  skin,  ligaments,  vessels,  and  humours;  but  more 
especially  with  the  several  vessels,  which  do,  in  regard  to 
their  great  variety,  and  multitude  of  their  several  intentions 
very  much  exceed  the  homogeneous  parts. 


18  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 


-How  august, 


How  complicate,  how  wonderful,  is  man  ! 

How  passings  wonder  He  who  made  him  such  !— 

From  diflerent  natures  marvellously  mixt ; — 

Though  sully'd  and  dishonour  d,  still  divine  !  Younf 

"  Come  !  all  ye  nations  !  bless  the  Lord, 
To  him  your  grateful  homage  pay: 
Your  voices  raise  with  one  accord, 
Jehovah's  praises  to  display. 

From  clay  our  complex  frames  he  moulds. 

And  succours  us  in  time  of  need  : 
Like  sheep  when  wandering  from  their  folds. 

He  calls  us  back,  and  does  us  feed. 

Then  thro'  the  world  let's  shout  his  praise. 
Ten  thousand  million  tongues  should  join, 

To  heav'n  their  thankful  incense  raise. 
And  sound  their  Maker's  love  divine. 

When  rolling  years  have  ceas'd  their  rounds, 

Yet  shall  his  goodness  onward  tend ; 
For  his  great  mercy  has  no  bounds. 

His  truth  and  love  shall  never  end !" 

So  curious  is  the  texture  or  form  of  the  human  body  in 
every  part,  and  withal  so  "  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made," 
that  even  atheists,  after  having  carefully  surveyed  the  frame 
of  it,  and  viewed  the  fitness  and  usefulness  of  its  various 
parts,  and  their  several  intentions,  have  been  struck  with 
wonder,  and  their  souls  kindled  into  devotion  towards  the 
all-wise  Maker  of  such  a  beautiful  frame.  And  so  convinced 
was  Galen  of  the  excellency  of  this  piece  of  divine  workman- 
ship, that  he  is  said  to  have  allowed  Epicurus  a  hundred  years 
to  find  out  a  more  commodious  shape,  situation,  or  texture, 
for  any  one  part  of  the  human  body !  Indeed,  no  understand- 
ing can  be  so  low  and  mean,  no  heart  so  stupid  and  insensible, 
as  not  plainly  to  see,  that  nothing  but  Infinite  Wisdom  could, 
in  so  wonderful  a  manner,  have  fashioned  the  body  of  man, 
and  inspired  into  it  a  being  of  superior  faculties,  whereby  He 
teacheth  us  more  than  the  b*^^sts  of  the  field,  and  maketh  ua 
wiser  than  the  fowls  of  the  heaven. 

-Thrice  happy  men. 


And  sons  of  men,  whom  God  hath  thus  advanc'd ; 
Created  in  his  image,  here  to  dwell,  » 

And  worship  him;  and,  in  return,  to  rule 
O'er  all  his  works.  Milton. 

We  now  proceed  to  consider  The  Curiosities  of  thb 
Human  Countenance. — On  this  subject  we  shall  derive 
considerable  assistance  from  the  same  German  philosopher 
that  was  quoted  in  the  last  section.  Indeed,  we  shall  make  a 
liberal  use  of  Sturm's  Reflections  in  our  delineations  of  th« 
Curiosities  of  the  human  frame. 


THE     COUNTENANCE.  19 

Thp  exterior  of  the  human  body  at  once  declares  the  su- 
periority of  man  over  all  living  creatures.  His  Face,  directed 
towards  the  heavens,  prepares  us  to  expect  that  dignified  ex- 
pression which  is  so  legibly  inscribed  upon  his  features  ;  and 
irom  the  countenance  of  man  we  may  judge  of  his  important 
destination,  and  high  prerogatives.  When  the  soul  rests  in 
undisturbed  tranquillity,  the  features  of  the  face  are  calm  and 
composed  ;  but  when  agitated  by  emotions,  and  tossed  by 
contending  passions,  the  countenance  becomes  a  living  pic- 
ture, in  which  every  sensation  is  depicted  with  equal  force 
and  delicacy.  Each  afiection  of  the  mind  has  its  particular 
impression,  and  every  change  of  countenance  denotes  some 
secret  emotion  of  the  heart.  The  Ei/e  may,  in  particular,  be 
regarded  as  the  immediate  organ  of  the  soul;  as  a  mirror,  in 
which  the  wildest  passions  and  the  softest  affections  are 
reflected  without  disguise.  Hence  it  may  be  called  with 
propriety,  the  true  interpreter  of  the  soul,  and  organ  of  the 
understanding.  The  colour  and  motions  of  the  eye  contribute 
much  to  mark  the  character  of  the  countenance.  The  human 
eyes  are,  in  proportion,  nearer  to  one  another  than  those  of 
any  other  living  creatures  ;  the  space  between  the  eyes  of 
most  of  them  being  so  great,  as  to  prevent  their  seeing  an 
object  with  both  their  eyes  at  the  same  time,  unless  it  is 
placed  at  a  great  distance.  Next  to  the  eyes,  the  eye-brows 
tend  to  fix  the  character  of  the  countenance.  Their  colour 
renders  them  particularly  striking;  they  form  the  shade  of 
the  picture,  which  thus  acquires  greater  force  of  colouring. 
The  eye-lashes,  when  long  and  thick,  give  beauty  and  ad-^ 
ditional  charms  to  the  eye.  No  animals,  but  men  and  mon- 
keys, have  both  eye-lids  ornamented  with  eye-lashes ;  other 
creatures  having  them  only  on  the  lower  eye-lid.  The  eye- 
brows are  elevated,  depressed,  and  contracted,  by  means  of 
the  muscles  upon  the  forehead,  which  forms  a  very  consider- 
able part  of  the  face,  and  adds  much  to  its  beauty  when  well 
formed:  it  should  neither  project  much,  nor  be  quite  flat; 
neither  very  large,  nor  small ;  beautiful  hair  adds  much  to  its 
appearance.  The  Nose  is  the  most  prominent,  and  least 
moveable  part  of  the  face  ;  hence  it  adds  more  to  the  beauty 
than  the  expression  of  the  countenance.  The  Mouth  and  Lips 
are,  on  the  contrary,  extremely  susceptible  of  changes ;  and, 
if  the  eyes  express  the  passions  of  the  soul,  the  mouth  seems 
more  peculiarly  to  correspond  with  the  emotions  of  the 
heart.  The  rosy  bloom  of  the  lips,  and  the  ivory  white  of 
the  teeth,  complete  the  charms  of  the  human  face  divine. 

Another  Curiosity  on  this  subject  is,  the  wonderful  diver- 
sity of  traits  in  the  human  countenance.  It  is  an  evident 
proof  of  the  admirable  wisdom  of  God,  that  though  the  bodies 
of  men  are  so  similar  to  each  ether  in   their  essential  parts. 


20  CURIOSITIES    RESPKCTING    MAN. 

there  is  yet  such  a  diversity  in  their  exterior,  that  they 
can  be  readily  distinguished  without  the  liability  of  error. 
Amongst  the  many  millions  of  men  existing  in  the  universe, 
there  are  no  two  that  are  perfectly  similar  to  each  other 
Each  one  has  some  peculiarity  pourtrayed  in  his  countenance, 
or  remarkable  in  his  speech;  and  this  diversity  of  counte- 
nance is  the  more  singular,  because  the  parts  which  compose 
it  are  very  few,  and  in  each  person  are  disposed  according  to 
the  sanje  plan.  If  all  things  had  been  produced  by  blind 
chance,  the  countenances  ol'  men  might  have  resembled  one 
another  as  nearly  as  balls  cast  in  the  same  mould,  or  drops  of 
water  out  of  the  same  bucket:  but  as  that  is  not  the  case,  we 
must  admire  the  infinite  wisdom  of  the  Creator,  which,  in  thus 
diversifying  the  traits  of  the  human  countenance,  has  mani- 
festly had  in  view  the  happiness  of  men  ;  for  if  they  resembled 
each  other  perfectly,  they  could  not  be  distinguished  from 
one  another,  to  the  utter  confusion  and  detriment  of  society. 
We  should  never  be  certain  of  life,  nor  of  the  peaceable  pos- 
session of  our  property ;  thieves  and  robbers  would  run  littlo 
risk  of  detection,  for  they  could  neither  be  distinguished  by 
the  traits  of  their  countenance,  nor  the  sound  of  their  voice. 
Adultery,  and  every  crime  that  stains  humanity,  might  be 
practised  with  impunity,  since  the  guilty  would  rarely  be  dis- 
covered ;  and  we  should  be  continually  exposed  to  the  ma- 
chinations of  the  villain,  and  the  malignity  of  the  coward: 
we  could  not  shelter  ourselves  from  the  confusion  of  the  mis 
take,  nor  from  the  treachery  and  fraud  of  the  deceitful;  all 
the  efforts  of  justice  would  be  useless,  and  commerce  would 
be  the  prey  of  error  and  uncertainty:  in  short,  the  uniformity 
and  perfect  similarity  of  faces  would  deprive  society  of  its 
most  endearing  charms,  and  destroy  the  pleasure  and  sweet 
gratification  of  individual  friendship. 

We  may  well  exclaim  with  a  celebrated  writer, — 

"  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man!  how  noble  in  reason!  how  infinite  in 
faculties!  in  form,  and  moving;,  how  express  and  admirable!  inaction, 
how  like  an  angel!  in  apprehension,  how  like  a  god!" 

The  next  subject  is.  The  Curious  Formation  of  thi 
Eye. — The  Eye  infinitely  surpasses  all  the  works  of  man's 
industry.  Its  structure  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  things 
the  human  understanding  can  become  acquainted  with;  tlie 
most  skilful  artist  cannot  devise  any  machine  of  this  kind 
which  is  not  infinitely  inferior  to  the  eye;  whatever  ability, 
industry,  and  attention  he  may  devote  to  it,  he  will  not  be 
able  to  produce  a  work  that  does  not  abound  with  the  imper- 
fections incident  to  the  works  of  men.  It  is  true,  we  cannot 
perfectly  become  acquainted  with  all  the  art  the  Divine  Wis- 


THE    EYE.  21 

doni  has  displayed  in  the  structure  of  this  beautiful  organ; 
but  the  little  that  we  know  suffices  to  convince  us  of  the  ad- 
mirable intelligence,  goodness,  and  power  of  the  Creator.     In 
the  first  place,  how  fine  is  the  disposition  of  the  exterior  parts 
of  the  eye,  how  admirably  it  is  defended  !     Placed  in  durable 
orbits  of  bone,  at  a  certain  depth  in  the  skull,  they  cannot 
easily  suffer  any  injury;  the  over-arching  eye-brows  contri- 
bute much  to   the  beauty  and  preservation  of  this  exquisite 
organ;  and  the  eye-lids  more  immediately  shelter  it  from  the 
glare  of  light,   and  other  things  which  might  be  prejudicial; 
inserted  in  these  are  the  eye-lashes,  which  also  much  co4itri- 
bute  to  the  above  efl'ect,  and  also  prevent  small  particles  of 
dust,  and  other  substances,  striking  against  the  eye.*     The 
internal  structure  is  still  more  admirable.     The  globe  of  the 
eye  is  composed   of  tunics,  humours,  muscles,  and  vessels ; 
the  coats   are   the   cornea,   or  exterior  membrane,   which  is 
transparent  anteriorly,   and   opake   posteriorly ;  the   charoid, 
which  is  extremely  vascular;  the  uvea,  with  the  iris,  which 
being  of  various  colours,  gives  the  appearance  of  differently 
coloured  eyes;   and  being  perforated,  with  the  power  of  con- 
traction and  dilatation,  forms  the  pupil;  and,  lastly,  the  re- 
tina, being  a  fine  expansion  of  the  optic  nerve,  upon  it  the 
impressions    of  objects    are    made.      The    humours    are    the 
aqueous,  lying  in  the  forepart  of  the  globe,  immediately  un- 
der the  cornea;  it  is  thin,  liquid,  and  transparent;  the  crys- 
talline, which  lies  next  to  the  aqueous,  behind  the  uvea,  op- 
posite to  the  pupil,  it  is  the  least  of  the  humours,  of  great 
solidity,  and  on  both  sides  convex  ;  the  vitreous,  resembling 
the  white  of  an  egg,  fills  all  the  hind  part  of  the  cavity  of  the 
globe,  and  gives  the  spherical  figure  to  the  eye.     The  muscles 
of  the  eye  are  six,  and  by  the  excellence  of  their  arrangement 
it  is  enabled   to  move  in  all  directions.     Vision  is  performed 
by  the  rays  of  light  falling  on  the  pellucid  and  convex  cornea 
of  the  eye,   by  the  density  and  convexity  of  which  they  are 
united    into    a   focus,  which   passes    the    aqueous   humours, 
and  pupil  of  the  eye,  to  be  more  condensed  by  the  crystal- 
line  lens.     The    rays  of  light  thus  concentrated,   penetrate 
the  vitreous  humour,  and  stimulate  the   retina  upon  which 
the  images  of  objects,  painted   in  an  inverse  direction,  are 
represented  to  the  mind  through  the  medium  of  the   optic 
nerves. 

*  Besides  these,  amongst  the  internal  parts  are  enumerated, — the  la- 
chrymal s'^"d,  which  secretes  the  tears;  the  lachrymal  caruncle,  a 
small  lleshy  substance  at  the  inner  angle  of  the  eye;  the  puncta  lachry- 
malia,  two  small  openi-ngs  on  the  nasal  extremity  of  each  eye-lasli ;  the 
lachrymal  duct,  formed  by  the  union  of  the  ducts  leading  from  the 
puncta  lachrymalia,  and  conveying  the  tears  into  the  nose;  the  lachry- 
mal sac,  a  dilatation  of  the  lachrymal  canal. 


^  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 


-The  visual  orbs 


Remark,  how  aptly  station'd  for  their  task  ; 

Rais'd  to  ih'  imperial  head's  high  citadel, 

A  wide  extended  prospect  to  command. 

See  the  arch'd  outworks  of  impending  lids, 

With  hairs,  as  palisadoes  fenc'd  around 

To  wa7-d  annoyance  from  without.  £alfy. 

Again  : — 

Who  form'd  the  curious  organ  of  the  ei/e. 

And  cloth'd  it  with  its  various  tunicles. 

Of  texture  exquisite  ;  with  crystal  juice 

Supply'd  it,  to  transmit  the  rays  of  light; 

Then  plac'd  it  in  its  station  eminent, 

WellyiencV/  and  (jnarded,  as  a  vcntinel 

To  watch  abroad,  and  needful  caution  give?  Needier. 

The  next  subject  is.  The  Curious  Structure  of  thb 

pAR. 

The  channel'd  ear,  with  many  a  winding  maze, 

How  artfully  perplex'd,  to  catch  the  sound. 

And  from  her  repercussive  caves  augment !  Bally. 

Dark  night,  that  from  the  eye  his  function  takes. 

The  ear  more  quick  of  apprehension  makes; 

Wherein  it  doth  impair  the  seeing  sense. 

It  pays  the  Hearing — double  recompense.  Shakspeare. 

Although  the  ear,  with  regard  to  beauty,  yields  to  the  eye, 
its  conformation  is  not  less  perfect,  nor  less  worthy  of  the 
Creator.  The  position  of  the  ear  bespeaks  much  wisdom; 
for  it  is  placed  in  the  most  convenient  part  of  the  body,  near 
to  the  brain,  the  common  seat  of  all  the  senses.  The  exterior 
form  of  the  ear  merits  considerable  attention;  its  substance 
is  between  the  flexible  softness  of  flesh,  and  the  firmness  of 
bone,  which  prevents  the  inconvenience  that  must  arise  from 
its  being  either  entirely  muscular  or  wholly  formed  of  solid 
bone.  It  is  therefore  cartilaginous,  possessing  firmness,  folds, 
and  smoothness,  so  adapted  as  to  reflect  sound;  for  the  chief 
use  of  the  external  part  is  to  collect  the  vibrations  of  the  air, 
and  transmit  them  to  the  orifice  of  the  ear.  The  internal 
structure  of  this  organ  is  still  more  remarkable.  Within  the 
cavity  of  the  ear  is  an  opening,  called  the  meatus  auditorius, 
or  auditory  canal,  the  entrance  to  which  is  defended  by  small 
hairs,  which  prevent  insects  and  small  particles  of  extraneous 
matter  penetrating  into  it;  for  which  purpose  there  js  also 
secreted  a  bitter  ceruminous  matter,  called  ear-wax.  The 
auditory  canal  is  terminated  obliquely  by  a  membrane,  gene- 
rally known  by  the  name  of  drum,  which  instrument  it  in 
some  degree  resembles;  for  within  the  cavity  of  the  auditory 
canal  is  a  kind  of  bony  ring,  over  which  the  membrana  tym- 
pani  is  stretched.  In  contact  with  this  membrane,  on  the 
inner  side,  is  a  small  bone  (malleus)  against  which  it  strike* 


THR    tAK.  23 

when  agitated  by  the  vibrations  of  sound.  Connected  with 
these  are  two  small  muscles :  one,  by  stretching  the  mem- 
brane, adapts  it  to  be  more  easily  acted  upon  by  soft  and  low 
sQunds ;  the  other,  by  relaxing,  prepares  it  for  those  which 
are  very  loud.  Besides  the  malleus,  there  are  some  other 
very  small  and  remarkable  bones,  called  incus,  or  the  anvil, 
as  orbiculare,  or  orbicular  bone,  and  the  stapes,  or  stirrup  : 
their  use  is,  to  assist  in  conveying  the  sounds  received  upon 
the  membrana  tympani.  Behind  the  cavity  of  the  drum,  is 
an  opening,  called  the  Eustachian  tube,  which  begins  at  the 
back  part  of  the  mouth  with  an  orifice,  which  diminishes  in 
size  as  the  tube  passes  towards  the  ear,  where  it  becomes 
bony;  by  this  means,  sounds  may  be  conveyed  to  the  ear 
through  the  mouth,  and  it  facilitates  the  vibrations  of  the 
membrane  by  the  admission  of  air.  We  may  next  observe  the 
cochlea,  which  somewhat  resembles  the  shell  of  a  snail, 
whence  its  name;  its  cavity  winds  in  a  spiral  direction,  and 
is  divided  into  two  by  a  thin  spiral  lamina  :  and  lastly  is  the 
r-uditory  nerve,  which  terminates  in  the  brain.  The  faculty 
of  hearing  is  worthy  of  the  utmost  admiration  and  attention  : 
by  putting  in  motion  a  very  small  portion  of  air,  withou*^.  even 
being  conscious  of  its  moving,  we  have  the  power  of  commu- 
nicating to  each  other  our  thoughts,  desires,  and  conceptions. 
But  to  render  the  action  of  air  in  the  propagation  of  sound 
more  intelligible,  we  must  recollect  that  the  air  is  not  a  soli  J, 
but  a  fluid  body.  Throw  a  stone  into  a  smooth  stream  of 
water,  and  there  will  take  place  undulations,  which  will  be 
extended  more  or  less  according  to  the  degree  of  force  with 
which  the  stone  was  impelled.  Conceive  then,  that  when  a 
word  is  uttered  in  the  air,  a  similar  effect  takes  place  in  that 
element,  as  is  produced  by  the  stone  in  the  water.  During 
the  action  of  speaking,  the  air  is  expelled  from  the  mouth 
with  more  or  less  force;  this  communicates  to  the  external 
air  which  it  meets,  an  undulatory  motion;  and  these  undu- 
lations of  the  air  entering  the  cavity  of  the  ear,  the  external 
parts  of  which  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  receive  them,  strike 
upon  the  membrane,  or  drum,  by  which  means  it  is  shaken, 
and  receives  a  trembling  motion  :  the  vibration  is  communi- 
^ted  to  the  malleus,  the  bone  immediately  in  contact  with 
the  membrane,  and  from  it  to  the  other  bones  ;  the  last  of 
which,  the  stapes  or  stirrup,  adhering  to  the  fenestra  ovalis, 
or  oval  orifice,  causes  it  to  vibrate;  the  trembling  of  which  is 
communicated  to  a  portion  of  water  contained  in  the  cavity 
called  the  vestibulum,  and  in  the  semicircular  canals,  causing 
a  oentle  tremor  in  the  nervous  expansion  contained  therein, 
which  is  transmitted  to  the  brain  ;  and  the  mind  is  thus  in- 
foimed  of  the  presence  of  sound,  and  feels  a  sensation  pro- 
portioned to  the  force  or  to  the  weakness  of  the  impression 


2^4 


CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 


that  is  made.  Let  us  rejoice  that  we  possess  the  faculty  of 
hearing ;  for  without  it,  our  state  would  be  most  wretched 
and  deplorable;  in  some  respects,  more  sorrowful  than  the 
loss  of  sight;  had  we  been  born  deaf,  we  could  not  have  ac- 
quired knowledge  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  pursue  any  art 
or  science.  Let  us  never  behold  those  who  have  the  misfor- 
tune to  be  deaf,  without  endeavouring  better  to  estimate  the 
gift  of  which  they  are  deprived,  and  which  we  enjoy;  or 
without  praising  the  goodness  of  God,  which  has  granted  it 
to  us  :  and  the  best  way  we  can  testify  our  gratitude  is,  to 
make  a  proper  use  of  this  important  blessing. 

We  now  proceed  to  a  more  particular  description  of  The 
Curiosities  of  the  Human  Heart;  and  the  Circu- 
lation OF  THE  Blood. 

-Thougjh  no  shininji^  sun,  nor  twinkling  star 


Bsdeck'd  the  crimson  curtains  of  the  sky  ; 

Though  neither  vegetable,  beast,  nor  bird, 

Were  extant  on  the  surface  of  this  ball. 

Nor  lurking  gem  beneath ;  though  the  great  sea 

Slept  in  profound  stagnation,  and  the  air 

Had  left  no  thunder  to  pronounce  its  Maker : 

Yet  Man  at  home,  tvithin  himself  mi^ht  find 

The  Deity  immense,  and  in  that  frame 

Sofearfulbf,  so  wonder f till ij  made! 

See  and  adore  his  providence  and  power.  Smart. 

With  what  admirable  skill  and  inimitable  structure  is 
formed  that  muscular  body,  situated  within  the  cavity  of  tho 
chest,  and  called  the  human  heart !  Its  figure  is  somewhat 
conical,  and  it  is  externally  divided  into  two  parts  :  the  base, 
which  is  uppermost,  and  attached  to  vessels ;  and  the  apex, 
which  is  loose  and  pointino;  to  the  left  side,  aoainst  which  iJ 
seems  to  beat.  Its  substance  is  muscular,  being  composed 
of  fleshy  fibres,  interwoven  with  each  other.  It  is  divided 
internally  into  cavities,  called  auricles  and  ventricles ;  froip 
which  vessels  proceed  to  convey  the  blood  to  the  different 
parts  of  the  body.  The  ventricles  are  situated  in  the  sub- 
stance of  the  heart,  and  are  separated  from  each  other  by  a 
thick  muscular  substance ;  they  are  divided  into  riglit  and 
left,  and  each  communicates  with  its  adjoining  auricle,  one 
of  which  is  situated  on  each  side  the  base  of  the  heart.  The 
right  auricle  receives  the  blood  from  the  head  and  superior 
Darts  of  the  body,  by  means  of  a  large  vein;  and  in  the  same 
manner  the  blood  is  returned  to  it  from  the  inferior  parts,  by 
all  the  veins  emptying  their  stores  into  one,  which  terminates 
m  this  cavity  ;  which,  having  received  a  sufficient  portion  ot 
blood,  contracts,  and  by  this  motion  empties  itself  into  the 
ri{jht  ventricle,  which  also  contracting,  propels  the  blood  into 
an  artery,  which  immediately  conveys  it  into  the  lungs,  where 


HUMAN     HEART — ClUCULATION    OF    THE    BLOOD.         25 

it  undergoes  certain  changes,  and  then  passes  through  veins 
into  the  left  auricle  of  the  heart,  thence  into  the  left  ventricle, 
by  the  contraction  of  which  it  is  forced  into  an  artery,  through 
whose  ramifications  it  is  dispersed  to  all  parts  of  the  body, 
from  which  it  is  again  returned  to  the  right  auricle ;  thus 
keeping  up  a  perpetual  circulation,  for,  whikt  life  remains, 
the  action  of  the  heart  never  ceases.  In  a  state  of  health  the 
heart  contracts  about  seventy  times  in  a  minute,  and  is  sup- 
posed, at  each  contraction,  to  propel  about  two  ounces  of 
blood;  to  do  which,  the  force  it  exerts  is  very  consider- 
able, though  neither  the  quantity  of  force  exerted,  nor  of 
blood  propelled,  is  accurately  determined.  The  heart  com- 
prises within  itself  a  world  of  wonders,  and  whilst  we  admire 
its  admirable  structure  and  properties,  we  are  naturally  led  to 
consider  the  wisdom  and  power  of  Him  who  formed  it,  from 
whom  first  proceeded  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  the 
pulsations  of  the  heart;  who  commands  it  to  be  still,  and 
the  functions  instantly  cease  to  act. 

This  important  secret  of  the  circulation  of  blood  in  the  hu- 
man body  was  brought  to  light  by  William  Harvey,  an  Eng- 
lish physician,  a  little  before  the  year  1600 :  and  when  it  is 
considered  thoroughly,  it  will  appear  to  be  one  of  the  most 
stupendous  works  of  Omnipotence. 

The  blood,  the  fountain  whence  the  spirits  flow. 
The  generous  stream  that  waters  evory  part, 
And  motion,  vigour,  and  warm  life  cmveys 
To  every  particle  that  moves  or  lives, 

through  unnumber'd  tube. 

Povrd  bfi  the  heart,  and  to  the  heart  again 

Refunded. Armstrong, 

Who  in  the  dark  the  vital  flame  illum'd. 
And  from  th'  impulsive  engine  caused  to  flow 
Th'  ejaculated  streams  through  many  a  pipe 
Arterial  with  meand'ring  lapse,  then  bring 
Refluent  their  purple  tribute  to  their  fount: 
Who  spun  the  sineivs'  branchy  thread,  and  twin'd 
The  azure  veins  in  spiral  knots,  to  waft 
Life's  tepid  waves  all  o'er;  or,  who  with  bones 
Compacted,  and  with  nerves  the  fabric  strung: 
Their  specious  form,  their  fitness,  which  results 
From  ligure  and  arrangement,  all  declare 
Th' Artilicer  Divine!  Bally, 

Again: — 

The  nerves,  with  equal  wisdom  made. 

Arising  from  the  tender  brain,  pervade 

And  secret  pass  in  pairs  the  channel'd  bone. 

And  thence  advance  tlirough  paths  and  roads  unknown. 

Form'd  of  the  finest  complicated  thread, 

The  num'rous  cords  are  through  tlie  body  spread. 

These  subtle  channels,  such  is  every  nerve, 

For  vital  functions,  sense,  and  motion  serve  ;-'- 

They  help  to  labour  and  concoct  i\\&  food, 

Keline  the  chyle,  and  animate  the  blood.  Blachmorg, 

D 


\t^ 


26  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

We  now  proceed  to  some  Curious  and  Interesting 
Facts  concerning  Respiration,  or  the  Act  of 
Breathing. 

Anatomists  have,  not  unaptly,  compared  the  lungs  to  a 
sponge  ;  containing,  like  it,  a  great  number  of  small  cavities, 
and  being  also  capable  of  considerable  compression  and  ex- 
pansion. The  air  cells  of  the  lungs  open  into  the  windpipe, 
by  which  they  communicate  with  the  external  atmosphere : 
the  whole  internal  structure  of  the  lungs  is  lined  by  a  trans- 
paient  membrane,  estimated  by  Haller  at  only  the  thousandth 
part  of  an  inch  in  thickness;  but  whose  surface,  from  its  va- 
rious convolutions,  measures  fifteen  square  feet,  which  is 
equal  to  the  external  surface  of  the  body.  On  this  extensive 
and  thin  membrane  innumerable  branches  of  veins  and  ar- 
teries are  distributed,  some  of  them  finer  than  hairs  ;  and 
through  these  vessels  all  the  blood  in  the  system  is  succes- 
sively propelled,  by  an  extremely  curious  and  beautiful  me- 
chanism, which  will  be  described  in  some  future  article. 

The  capacity  of  the  lungs  varies  considerably  in  dift'erent  in- 
dividuals.* On  a  general  average,  they  may  be  said  to  contain 
about  280  cubic  inches,  or  nearly  five  quarts  of  air.  By  each 
inspiration  about  forty  cubic  inches  of  air  are  received  into 
the  lungs,  and  at  each  expiration  the  same  quantity  is  dis- 
charged. If,  therefore,  we  calculate  that  twenty  respirations 
take  place  in  a  minute,  and  forty  cubic  inches  to  be  the  amount 
of  each  inspiration,  it  follows,  that  in  one  minute,  we  inhale 
800  cubic  inches  ;  in  an  hour,  the  quantity  of  air  inspired  will 
be  48,000  cubic  inches;  and  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  it  will 
amount  to  1,152,000  cubic  inches.  This  quantity  of  air  will 
almost  fill  78  wine  hogsheads,  and  would  weigh  nearly  53 
pounds.  From  this  admirable  provision  of  nature,  by  which 
the  blood  is  made  to  pass  in  review,  as  it  were,  of  this  im- 
mense quantity  of  air,  and  over  so  extensive  a  surface,  it 
seems  obvious,  that  these  two  fluids  are  destined  to  exert 
some  very  important  influence  on  each  other;  and  it  has  been 
proved,  by  a  very  decisive  experiment  of  Dr.  Priestley's,  that 
the  extremely  thin  membrane,  which  is  alone  interposed,  does 
not  prevent  the  exercise  of  the  chemical  aflinity  which  pre- 
vails between  the  air  which  is  received  in  the  lungs,  and  the 
blood  which  is  incessantly  circulating  through  them.  It 
must  surely,  therefore,  be  of  the  first  importance  to  health, 
that  the  fluid  of  which  we  hourly  inhale,  at  least,  three  hogs- 
heads, should  not  be  contaminated  by  the  suspension  of 
noxious  eflluvia. 

•  An  instrument,  called  the  Pulmometer,  has  been  invented,  which 
enables  us  to  measure  the  capacity  of  the  hin^s,  and  which  may  com- 
municate information  to  the  physician,  of  some  importance,  in  diseases 
of  tlii^  organ. 


RESPIRATION.  27 

The  purity  of  the  atmosphere  may  be  impaired  either  by 
the  operation  of  what  some  denominate  natural  causes,  or  by 
the  infi mince  of  circumstances  resulting  from  our  social  con- 
dition. Its  chemical  constitution  is  changed  by  respiration; 
the  vital  principle  is  destroyed,  and  its  place  supplied  by  a 
highly  poisonous  gas. 

The  emanations  from  the  surface  of  our  bodies  contribute, 
in  a  still  greater  degree,  to  vitiate  the  atmosphere,  and  to 
render  it  less  fit  for  the  healthful  support  of  life.  Many  of 
the  organs  which  compose  our  wonderfully  complicated  frame 
are  engaged  in  discharging  the  constituent  parts  of  our  bodies, 
which,  by  the  exercise  of  the  various  animal  functions,  are 
become  useless,  and,  if  retained,  would  become  noxious. 
Physiologists  ha-ve  instituted  a  variety  of  experiments,  to  as- 
certain the  amount  of  the  exhalations  from  the  surface  of  the 
body.  Sanctorius,  an  eminent  Italian  physician,  from  a  series 
of  experiments  performed  during  a  period  of  thirty  years, 
estimates  it  as  greater  than  the  aggregate  of  all  our  other  dis- 
charges. From  his  calculations  it  would  appear,  that  if  we 
take  of  liquid  and  solid  food  eight  pounds  in  the  twenty-four 
hours,  that  five  pounds  are  discharged  by  perspiration  alone, 
within  that  period ;  and  of  this,  the  greater  part  is  what  has 
been  denominated  insensible  perspiration,  from  its  not  being 
cognizable  to  the  senses.  We  may  estimate  the  discharge 
from  the  surface  of  the  body,  by  sensible  and  insensible  per- 
spiration, as  from  half  an  ounce  to  four  ounces  per  hour. 

The  exhalations  from  the  lungs  and  the  skin  are,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  offensive  even  in  the  most  healthy  individuals ; 
but  when  proceeding  from  those  labouring  under  disease, 
they  are  in  a  state  very  little  removed  from  putrefaction. 

Animal  miasmata,  like  all  other  poison,  become  more  active 
in  proportion  to  the  quantity  which  we  imbibe.  When,  there- 
fore, the  air  is  stagnant,  and  when  many  individuals  contri- 
bute their  respective  supplies  of  effluvia  to  vitiate  it,  the  at- 
mosphere necessarily  becomes  satured  with  the  poison;  and 
when  inhaled,  conveys  it  in  a  more  virulent  and  concentrated 
state  to  the  extensive  and  delicate  surface  of  the  lungs. 

The  collection  of  animal  effluvia  in  confined  places,  is  the 
source  of  the  generation  and  diffusion  of  febrile  infection: 
but  when  the  miasmata  are  respired,  in  a  diluted  state,  the 
ill  eti'ects  which  they  produce,  though  slower  in  their  opera- 
tion, are  equally  certain.  They,  to  a  certain  extent,  pollute 
the  fountain  of  life,  and  ultimately  break  down  the  vigour  of 
the  most  robust  frame;  impairing  the  action  of  the  digestive 
organs,  engendering  the  whole  train  of  nervous  disorders,  and 
rendering  the  body  more  susceptible  of  disease. 

The  lungs  and  the  skin  may  equally  become  the  means  of 
introducing  poisonous  or  infectious  matter  into  the  coustitu- 


28  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

tion.  The  venom  of  a  poisonous  animal,  the  matter  of  small- 
pox, and  many  other  contagions,  produce  their  influence 
through  the  medium  of  the  skin.  Infectious  diseases  are 
communicated  by  the  reception  of  air  in  our  lungs,  impreg- 
nated with  contagious  matter.  The  influence  of  the  constant 
respiration  of  air  in  any  degree  impure,  is  fully  evinced  in  thf 
pallid  countenances  and  languid  frames  of  those  who  live  in 
confined  and  ill-ventilated  places;  and  the  health  of  all  classes 
of  society  suffers  precisely  in  proportion  to  the  susceptibility 
of  their  constitutions,  and  according  to  the  greater  or  less 
impurities  of  the  air  which  they  habitually  respire. 

Of  the  offensive  nature  of  animal  efiluvia,  the  senses  of 
every  one  who  enters  a  crowded  assembly,  must  immediately 
convince  him.  When,  therefore,  we  reflect  on  the  state  of 
the  air  which  we  breathe  in  churches,  theatres,  schools,  and 
all  crowded  assemblies  ;  and  when  we  consider  the  amount 
of  the  exhalations  emitted  by  each  individual,  and  the  very 
offensive  nature  of  those  emitted  by  many ;  and  when,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  take  into  consideration  the  importance  of  air 
to  life,  and  the  great  quantity  of  this  fluid  which  we  daily 
respire,  we  must  be  naturally  led  to  the  adoption  of  such 
measures  as  would  secure  in  our  private  dwellings,  as  well  as 
in  our  public  buildings,  a  full  and  unintermitting  supply  of 
fresh  atmospheric  air. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  the  influence  of  habit,  in  reconcil- 
ing us  to  many  practices  which  would  otherwise  be  considered 
in  the  highest  degree  offensive.  Thus,  while,  with  a  fastidious 
delicacy,  we  avoid  drinking  from  a  cup  which  has  been  al- 
ready pressed  to  the  lips  of  our  friends,  we  feel  no  hesitation 
in  receiving  into  our  lungs  an  atmosphere  contaminated  by 
the  breath  and  exhalations  of  every  promiscuous  assembly. 

"  Were  once  the  energy  of  air  deny'd. 

The  heart  would  cease  to  pour  its  purple  tide 
The  purple  tide  forget  its  wonted  play, 
Nor  back  again  pursue  its  curious  way." 

The  next  Subject  of  Curiosity  we  shall  consider,  is,  Thk 
Hair  of  the  Head. 

If  we  consider  the  curious  structure,  and  different  uses  of 
the  hair  of  our  heads,  we  shall  find  them  very  well  worth  our 
attention,  and  discover  in  them  proofs  of  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  God. 

In  each  entire  hair  we  perceive  with  the  naked  eye,  an  ob- 
long slender  filament,  and  a  bulb  at  the  extremity  thicker  and 
more  transparent  than  the  rest  of  the  hair.  The  filament 
forms  the  body  of  the  hair,  and  the  bulb  the  root.  The  large 
hairs  have  their  root,  and  even  part  of  the  filament,  enclosed 
in  a  small  membraneous  vessel  or  capsule.     The  size  of  this 


THE    HAIR    OF    THE    HEAD.  29 

sheath  is  proportionate  to  the  size  of  the  root,  being  always 
rather  larger,  that  the  root  may  not  be  too  much  confined, 
and  that  some  space  may  remain  between  it  and  the  capsule. 
The  root  or  bulb  has  two  parts,  the  one  external,  the  other 
internal.  The  external  is  a  pellicle  composed  of  small  la- 
minas ;  the  internal  is  a  glutinous  fluid,  in  which  some  fibres 
are  united  ;  it  is  the  marrow  of  the  root.  From  the  external 
part  of  the  bulb  proceed  five,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely, 
six  small  white  threads,  very  delicate  and  transparent,  and 
often  twice  as  long  as  the  root.  Besides  these  threads,  small 
knots  are  seen  rising  in  different  places;  they  are  viscous, 
and  easily  dissolved  by  heat.  From  the  interior  part  of  the 
bulb  proceeds  the  body  of  the  hair,  composed  of  three  parts; 
the  external  sheath,  the  interior  tubes,  and  the  marrow. 

When  the  hair  has  arrived  at  the  pore  of  the  skin  through 
which  it  is  to  pass,  it  is  strongly  enveloped  by  the  pellicle  of 
the  root,  which  forms  here  a  very  small  tube.  The  hair  then 
pushes  the  cuticle  before  it,  and  makes  of  it  an  external 
sheath,  which  defends  it  at  the  time  when  it  is  still  very  soft. 
The  rest  of  the  covering  of  the  hair,  is  a  peculiar  substance, 
and  particularly  transparent  at  the  point.  In  a  young  hair 
this  sheath  is  very  soft,  but  in  time  becomes  so  hard  and 
elastic,  that  it  springs  back  with  some  noise  when  it  is  cut. 
It  preserves  the  hair  a  long  time.  Immediately  beneath  the 
sheath  are  several  small  fibres,  which  extend  themselves  alono- 
the  hair  from  the  root  to  the  extremity.  These  are  united 
amongst  themselves,  and  with  the  sheath  that  is  common  to 
them,  by  several  elastic  threads;  and  these  bundles  of  fibres 
form  together  a  tube  filled  with  two  substances  ;  the  one  fluid, 
the  other  solid ;  and  these  constitute  the  marrow  of  the  hair. 

The  wonders  of  creating  power  are  seen  in  every  thing, 
even  in  the  hair  that  adorns  our  surface. 

All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole, 

Whose  body  Nature  is,  and  God  the  soul. 

That,  chan^'d  thro'  all,  and  yet  in  all  the  same; 

Great  in  the  earth,  as  in  th'  ethereal  frame ; 

Warms  in  the  sun,  refreshes  in  the  breeze, 

Glows  in  the  stars,  and  blossoms  in  the  trees, 

Lives  thro'  all  life,  extends  thro'  all  extent, 

Spreads  undivided,  operates  unspent; 

Breathes  in  our  soul,  informs  our  mortal  part, 

As  full,  as  perfect,  in  a  hair  as  heart; 

As  full,  as  perfect,  in  vile  Man  that  mourns, 

As  the  rapt  seraph  that  adores  and  burns : 

To  him  no  hig^h,  no  low,  no  ^reat,  no  small ; 

He  fills,  he  bounds,  connects,  and  equals  all.  Pope, 

We  shall  now  introduce  to  our  readers  some  Ancient  and 
Modern  Opinions  respecting  the  Hair. 

The  ancients  held  the  hair  a  sort  of  excrement,  fed  only 


30  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

with  oxcrementitious  matters,  and  no  proper  part  of  a  living 
body.  They  supposed  it  generated  of  the  fuliginous  parts  of 
the  blood,  exhaled  by  the  heat  of  the  body  to  the  surface,  and 
then  condensed  in  passing  through  the  pores.  Their  chief 
reasons  were,  that  the  hair  being  cut,  will  grow  again,  even 
in  extreme  old  age,  and  when  life  is  very  low  ;  that  in  hectic 
and  consumptive  people,  where  the  rest  of  the  body  is  con- 
tinually emaciating,  the  hair  thrives;  nay,  that  it  will  even 
grow  again  in  dead  carcases.  They  added,  that  hair  does  not 
feed  and  grow  like  the  other  parts,  by  introsusception,  i.  e.  by 
a  juice  circulating  within  it,  but,  like  the  nails,  by  juxtapo- 
sition. But  the  moderns  are  agreed,  that  every  hair  properly 
and  truly  lives,  and  receives  nutriment  to  fill  it,  like  the  other 
parts ;  which  they  prove  hence,  that  the  roots  do  not  turn 
grey  in  aged  persons  sooner  than  the  extremities,  but  the 
whole  changes  colour  at  once;  which  shews  that  there  is  a 
direct  communication,  and  that  all  the  parts  are  affected  alike. 
In  strict  propriety,  however,  it  must  be  allowed,  that  the  life 
and  growth  of  hairs  is  of  a  different  kind  from  that  of  the  rest 
of  the  body,  and  is  not  immediately  derived  therefrom,  or 
reciprocated  therewith.  It  is  rather  of  the  nature  of  vege 
tation.  They  grow  as  plants  do,  or  as  some  plants  shoot 
from  the  parts  of  others;  from  which,  though  they  draw  their 
nourishment,  yet  each  has,  as  it  were,  its  distinct  life  and 
economy.  They  derive  their  food  from  some  juices  in  the 
body,  but  not  from  the  nutritious  juices  of  the  body  ;  whence 
they  may  live,  though  the  body  be  starved.  Wulferus,  in  the 
Fhiiosophical  Collections,  gives  an  account  of  a  woman  buried 
at  Nurenberg,  whose  grave  being  opened  forty-three  years 
after  her  death,  hair  was  found  issuing  forth  plentifully  through 
the  clefts  of  the  coffin.  The  cover  being  removed,  the  whole 
corpse  appeared  in  its  perfect  shape;  but,  from  the  crown  of 
the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot,  covered  over  with  thick-set 
hair,  long  and  curled.  The  sexton  going  to  handle  the  upper 
part  of  the  head  with  his  fingers,  the  whole  fell  at  once,  leav- 
ing nothing  in  his  hand  but  a  handful  of  hair:  there  was 
neither  skull  nor  any  other  bone  left:  yet  the  hair  was  solid 
and  strong.  Mr.  Arnold,  in  the  same  collection,  gives  a  re- 
lation of  a  man  hanged  for  theft,  who,  in  a  little  time,  while 
he  yet  hung  upon  the  gallows,  had  his  body  strangely  covered 
over  with  hair. 

Before  we  dismiss  this  subject,  we  shall  give  the  following 
curious   Instances   of  the  Internal  Growth  of  Hair. 

Though  the  external  surface  of  the  body  is  the  natural 
place  for  hairs,  we  have  many  well-attested  instances  of  their 
being  found  also  on  the  internal  surface.  Amatus  Lusitanus 
mentions  a  person  who  had  hair  upon  his  tongue.  Pliny  and 
Valerius  Maximus  say,  that  the    heart   of  Aristomenes  the 


THE    BEARD.  31 

Messenian,  was  hairy.  Caellus  Rhodiginus  relates  the  same 
of  Hermogenes  the  rhetorician ;  and  Plutarch,  of  Leonidas 
king  of  Sparta.  Hairs  are  said  to  have  been  found  in  the 
breasts  of  women,  and  to  have  occasioned  the  distemper 
called  trichiasis ;  but  some  authors  are  of  opinion,  that  these 
are  small  worms,  and  not  hairs.  There  have  been,  however, 
various  and  indisputable  evidences  of  hairs  found  in  the  kid- 
neys, and  voided  by  natural  discharge.  Hippocrates  says,  that 
the  glandular  parts  are  the  most  subject  to  hair;  but  bundles 
of  hair  have  been  found  in  the  muscular  parts  of  beef,  and  in 
parts  of  the  human  body  equally  firm.  Hair  has  been  often 
found  in  abscesses  and  imposthumations.  Schultetus,  open 
ing  the  abdomen  of  a  human  body,  found  twelve  pints  of  water, 
and  a  large  lock  of  hair  swimming  loosely  in  it.  It  has,  how- 
ever, been  found  on  examination,  that  some  of  the  internal 
parts  of  the  body  are  more  subject  to  an  unnatural  growth  of 
hair  than  others.  This  has  long  been  known  to  anatomists; 
and  many  memorable  instances  have  been  recorded  by  Dr. 
Tyson,  and  others.  In  some  animals,  hairs  of  a  considerable 
length  have  been  discovered  growing  in  the  internal  parts  ; 
and  on  several  occasions,  they  have  been  found  lying  loosely 
in  the  cavities  of  the  veins.  There  are  instances  of  mankind 
being  affected  in  the  same  manner.  Cardan  relates,  that  he 
found  hair  in  the  blood  of  a  Spaniard  ;  Slonatius,  in  that  of  a 
gentle\\oman  of  Cracovia ;  and  Schultetus  declares,  from  his 
own  observation,  that  those  people,  who  are  afflicted  with 
the  plica  polonica,  have  very  often  hair  in  their  blood. 

We  shall,  in  the  next  place,  call  the  reader's  attention  to 
some  Curious  Remarks  concerning  the  Beard. 

A  beard  gives  to  the  countenance  a  rough  and  fierce  air, 
suited  to  the  manners  of  a  rough  and  fierce  people.  The 
same  face  without  a  beard  appears  milder;  for  which  reason, 
a  beard  becomes  unfashionable  in  a  polished  nation.  De- 
mosthenes, the  orator,  lived  in  the  same  period  with  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  at  which  time  the  Greeks  be2:an  to  leave  off 
beards.  A  bust,  however,  of  that  orator,  found  in  Hercula- 
neum,  has  a  beard,  which  must  either  have  been  done  for  him 
when  he  was  young,  or  from  reluctance  in  an  old  man  to  a 
new  fashion.  Barbers  were  brought  to  Rome  from  Sicily,  the 
434th  year  after  the  building  of  Rome.  And  it  must  relate 
to  a  time  after  that  period,  what  Aulus  Gellius  says,  that 
people  accused  of  any  crime  were  prohibited  to  shave  their 
beards  till  they  were  absolved.  From  Hadrian  downward,  the 
Roman  emperors  wore  beards.  Julius  Capitolinus  reproaches 
the  Emperor  Verus  for  cutting  his  beard  at  the  instigation  of 
a  concubine.  All  the  Roman  generals  wore  beards  in  Jus- 
tinian's time.     The  pope  shaved  his  befj-d,  which  was  held  a 


32  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

manifest  apostasy  by  the  Greek  churph,  because  Moses,  Jesus 
Christ,  and  even  God  the  Father,  were  always  drawn  with 
beards  by  the  Greek  and  Latin  painters.  Upon  the  dawn  of 
smooth  manners  in  France,  the  beaus  cut  the  beards  into 
shapes,  and  curled  the  whiskers.  That  fashion  produced  a 
whimsical  effect :  men  of  gravity  left  off"  beards  altogether. 
A  beard,  in  its  natural  shape,  was  too  fierce  even  for  them  ; 
and  they  could  not,  for  shame,  copy  after  the  beaus.  This 
accounts  for  a  regulation,  anno  1534,  of  the  University  of 
Paris,  forbidding  the  professors  to  wear  a  beard. 

Now  follows,  A  curious  accouut  o/"  Women  ivith  Beards. 

Of  women  remarkably  bearded  we  have  several  instances. 
In  the  cabinet  of  curiosities  at  Stutgard,  in  Germany,  there 
is  the  portrait  of  a  young  woman,  called  Bartel  Graetje,  whose 
chin  is  covered  with  a  very  large  beard.  She  was  drawn  in 
1787,  at  which  time  she  was  but  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
There  is  likewise,  in  another  cabinet,  the  same  portrait  of  her 
when  she  was  more  advanced  in  life,  but  likewise  with  a 
beard.  It  is  said-,  that  the  Duke  of  Saxony  had  the  portrait 
of  a  poor  Swiss  woman  taken,  remarkable  for  her  long  bushy 
beard;  and  those  who  were  at  the  carnival  of  Venice  in  1726, 
saw  a  female  dancer  astonish  the  spectators,  not  more  by  her 
talents,  than  by  her  chin  covered  with  a  black  bushy  beard. 
Charles  XII.  had  in  his  army  a  female  grenadier,  who  wanted 
neither  courage  nor  a  beard  to  be  a  man.  She  was  taken  at 
the  battle  of  Pultowa,  and  carried  to  Petersburg,  where  she 
was  presented  to  the  czar,  in  1724:  her  beard  measured  a 
yard  and  a  half.  We  read  in  the  Trevoux  Dictionary,  that 
there  was  a  woman  seen  at  Paris,  who  had  not  only  a  bushy 
beard  on  her  face,  but  her  body  likewise  covered  all  over  with 
hair.  Among  a  number  of  other  examples  of  this  nature,  that 
of  the  great  Margaret,  the  governess  of  the  Netherlands,  is 
very  remarkable.  She  had  a  very  long  stiff'  beard,  which  she 
prided  herself  on  :  and  being  persuaded  that  it  contributed  to 
give  her  an  air  of  majesty,  she  took  care  not  to  lose  a  hair  of 
it.  It  is  said,  that  the  Lombard  women,  when  they  were  at 
war,  made  themselves  beards  with  the  hair  of  their  heads, 
which  they  ingeniously  arranged  on  their  cheeks,  that  the 
enemy,  deceived  by  the  likeness,  might  take  them  for  men. 
It  is  asserted,  after  Suidas,  that  in  a  similar  case  the  Athe- 
nian women  did  as  much.  These  women  were  more  men  fhan 
our  Jemmy-Tcssarni/  countrymen.  About  a  century  ago,  the 
French  ladies  adopted  a  mode  of  dressing  their  hair  in  sue  h  a 
manner,  that  curls  hung  down  their  cheeks  as  far  as  tlieir 
bosom.  These  curls  went  by  the  name  of  whiskers.  This 
custom,  undoubtedly,  was  not  invented  after  the  exampl ;  of 
the  Lombard  women,  to  fight  men. 


SNEEZING.  »J3 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  some  curious  observationg 
ON  Sneezing. 

The  practice  of  salutins:  the  person  who  sneezed  existed  in 
Africa,  among-  nations  unknown  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans. 
Strada,  in  his  Account  oj' Mouomolapa ,  informs  us,  (Prol.  Acad.) 
that  when  the  prince  sneezes,  all  his  subjects  in  the  capital 
are  advertised  of  it,  that  they  may  offer  up  prayers  for  his 
safety.  The  author  of  the  conquest  of  Peru  assures  us,  that 
the  cacique  of  Gachoia  having  sneezed  in  the  presence  of  the 
Spaniards,  the  Indians  of  his  train  fell  prostrate  before  hiui, 
stretched  forth  their  hands,  and  displayed  to  him  the  accus- 
tomed marks  of  respect,  while  they  invoked  the  sun  to  en- 
lighten him,  to  defend  him,  and  to  be  his  constant  guard. 
The  ancient  Romans  saluted  each  other  on  these  occasions: 
and  Pliny  relates,  that  Tiberius  exacted  these  signs  of  homage 
when  drawn  in  his  chariot.  Superstition,  whose  influence  de- 
bases every  thing,  had  degraded  this  custom  for  several  ages, 
by  attaching  favourable  or  unfavourable  omens  to  sneezing, 
according  to  the  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  according  to  the 
signs  of  the  zodiac,  according  as  a  work  was  more  or  less  ad- 
vanced, or  according  as  one  had  sneezed  to  the  right  or  to  the 
left.  If  a  man  sneezed  at  rising  from  table,  or  from  his  bed, 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  sit  or  lie  down  again.  '  You  are 
struck  with  astonishment,'  said  Tiniotheus  to  the  Athenians, 
who  wished  to  return  into  the  liarbour  with  their  fleet,  be- 
cause he  had  sneezed  ;  '  you  are  struck  with  astonishment, 
because  among  t6n  thousand  there  is  one  man  whose  brain  is 
moist.'  It  is  singular  enough,  that  so  many  ridiculous,  con- 
tradictory, and  superstitious  opinions,  have  not  abolished  those 
customary  civilities  which  are  still  preserved  equally  among 
high  and  low.  The  reason  is  obvious  :  they  are  preserved, 
because  they  are  esteemed  civilities,  and  because  they  cost 
nothing.  Among  the  Greeks,  sneezing  was  almost  always  a 
good  omen.  It  excited  marks  of  tenderness,  of  respect,  and 
attachment.  The  young  Parthenis,  hurried  on  by  her  passion, 
resolved  to  write  to  Sarpedon  an  avowal  of  her  love  ;  she 
sneezes  in  the  most  tender  and  impassioned  part  of  her  letter: 
this  is  sufficient  for  her;  this  incident  supplies  the  place  of 
an  answer,  and  persuades  her  that  Sarped.n  is  her  lover. 
Penelope,  harassed  by  the  vexatious  courtship  of  her  suitors, 
begins  to  curse  them  all,  and  to  pour  forth  vows  for  the  return 
of  Ulysses.  Her  son  Telemachus  interrupts  her  by  a  loud 
sneeze.  She  instantly  exults  with  joy,  and  regards  this  sign 
as  an  assurance  of  the  ap|)roaching  return  of  her  husband. 
(Horn.  0(/i/ss.  lib.  xvii.J.  Xenophon  was  haranguing  his 
troops;  a  soldier  sneezed  in  the  moment  when  he  was  exhort- 
ing them  to  embrace  a  dangerous  but  necessary  resolutionr 
The  whole  army,   moved  by  this  presage,  determined  to  pV 

2.  E 


34  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

sue  the  project  of  their  general;  and  Xenophon  orders  sacri- 
fices to  Jupiter  the  preserver.  This  superstitious  reverence 
for  sneezing,  so  ancient,  and  so  universal  even  in  the  times  of 
Homer,  excited  the  curiosity  of  the  Greek  philosophers,  and 
of  the  rabbins.  These  last  have  a  most  absurd  tradition  re- 
specting it.  Aristotle  remounts  likewise  to  the  sources  of  na- 
tural religion,  because  the  brain  is  the  origin  of  the  nerves,  of 
our  sentiments,  sensations,  &.c.  Such  were  the  opinions  of 
the  most  ancient  and  sagacious  philosophers  of  Greece;  and 
mythoiogists  affirmed,  that  the  first  sign  of  life  Prometheus's 
artificial  man  gave,  was  by  sternutation. 


CHAP.  II. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

Difference  betiveen  the  Sexes — Comparative  Number  of  the  Sexes 
at  a  Birth — Extraordinari/  Prolijication — Extraordinary  In- 
stances of  Rapid  Growth — Giants — Dwarfs — Kimos — Curious 
Account  of  the  Abderites — Account  of  a  Country  in  which  the 
hihabitatUs  reside  in  Trees. 

Difference  between  ThE  Sexes. 

O  woman,  lovely  woman!  Nature  made  you 

To  temper  man! 

Aii^cls  are  painted  fair  to  look  like  you. 

Tliere's  in  yon  all  that  we  believe  of  heav'n, 

Amazinp;  brightness,  purity,  and  truth, 

Eternal  joy,  and  everlasting  love!  Otway' 

Under  his  forming  hands  a  creature  grew; 

adorn'd 

With  what  all  earth  or  heaven  could  bestow, 

To  make  her  amiable.- 

Grace  was  in  all  her  steps,  heav'n  in  her  eye, 

In  every  gesture  dignity  and  love.  Milton. 

Lavater  has  drawn  the  following  characteristic  distinc- 
tions between  the  male  and  female  of  the  human  species. 
The  primary  matter  of  which  women  are  constituted,  appears 
to  be  more  fiexilde,  inital>le,  and  elastic,  than  that  of  man. 
They  are  formed  to  maternal  mildness  and  aHection ;  all  their 
organs  are  tender,  yielding,  easily  wounded,  sensible,  and 
receptible.  Among  a  thovisar.d  females,  there  is  scarcely  one 
without  the  generic  feminine  signs, — the  flexible,  the  circular, 
and  the   irritable.     They  are  the  counterpart  of  man,   taken 


DIFFEUENCE    BETWEEN    THE    SEXES.  35 

out  of  man,  to  be  subject  to  man ;  to  comfort  him  like  angels; 
and  to  lighten  his  cares.  This  tenderness,  this  sensibility, 
this  liiiht  texture  of  their  fibres  and  organs,  this  volatility  of 
feeling,  render  them  so  easy  to  conduct  and  to  tempt,  so  ready 
of  submission  to  the  enterprise  and  power  of  the  man ;  but 
more  powerful,  through  the  aid  of  their  charms,  than  man  wilh 
all  his  strength.  The  female  thinks  not  profoundly  ;  profound 
thought  is  the  power  of  the  man.  Women  feel  more.  Sen- 
sibility is  the  power  of  woman:  they  often  rule  more  effectu- 
ally, more  sovereignly,  than  man.  They  rule  with  tender  looks, 
tears,  and  sighs,  but  not  with  passion  and  threats;  for  if,  or 
when,  they  so  rule,  they  are  no  longer  tvomen  but  abortions. 
They  are  capable  of  the  sweetest  sensibility,  the  most  pro- 
found emotion,  the  utmost  humility,  and  the  excess  of  entliu- 
siasm.  In  their  countenance  are  the  signs  of  sanctity  and 
inviolability,  which  every  feeling  man  honours,  and  the  effects 
of  which  are  often  miraculous.  Therefore,  by  the  irritability 
of  their  nerves,  their  incapacity  for  deep  inquiry  and  firm  de- 
cision, they  may  easily,  from  their  extreme  sensibility,  become 
the  most  irreclaimable,  the  most  rapturous  enthusiasts.  Their 
love,  strong  and  rooted  as  it  is,  is  very  changeable  ;  their 
hatred  almost  incurab'  3.  Men  are  most  profound  ;  women 
are  more  sublime.  Man  hears  the  bursting-  thunder,  views 
the  destructive  bolt  with  serene  aspect,  and  stands  erect 
amidst  the  fearful  majesty  of  the  streaming  clouds;  woman 
trembles  at  the  lightning,  and  the  voice  of  distant  thunder ; 
and  sinks  into  the  arms  of  man.  Woman  is  in  anguish  when 
man  weeps,  and  in  despair  when  man  is  in  anguish ;  yet  has 
she  often  more  faith  than  man.  Man,  without  religion,  is  a 
diseased  creature,  who  would  persuade  himself  he  is  well,  and 
needs  not  a  physician ;  but  women  without  religion  are 
monstrous.  A  woman  with  a  beard  is  not  so  disgusting  as  a 
woman  who  is  a  free-thinker ;  her  sex  is  formed  to  piety  and 
religion:  to  them  Christ  first  appeared.  The  whole  world  is 
forgotten  in  the  emotion  caused  by  the  presence  and  proximity 
of  him  they  love.  They  sink  into  the  most  incurable  melan- 
choly, as  they  also  rise  to  the  most  enraptured  heights.  Male 
sensations  is  more  imagination,  female  more  heart.  When 
communicative,  they  are  more  communicative  than  man; 
when  secret,  more  secret.  In  general  they  are  more  patient, 
long-suffering,  credulous,  benevolent,  and  modest.  They 
differ  also  in  their  interior  form  and  appearance.  Man  is  the 
most  firm ;  woman  is  the  most  flexible.  Man  is  the  straight- 
est;  woman  the  most  bending.  Man  is  serious;  woman  is 
gay.  Man  is  the  tallest  and  broadest;  woman  the  smallest 
and  weakest.  Man  is  rough  and  hard  ;  woman  smooth  and 
soft.  Man  \s  brown;  woman  is  fair.  Man  is  wrinkly;  wo- 
man is  not.     The  hair  of  man  is  more  strong  and  short;  of 


86  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

woman  more  long  and  pliant.  The  eye-brows  of  man  are 
compressed ;  and  of  woman  less  frowning.  Man  has  most 
convex  lines;  woman  most  concave.  Man  has  most  straight 
lines;  woman  most  curved.  The  countenance  of  man,  taken 
in  profile,  is  more  seldom  perpendicular  than  that  of  woman. 
Man  is  most  angular;  woman  most  round. 

In  determining  the  comparative  merit  of  the  two  sexes,  if 
it  should  be  found  (what  is  indeed  the  fact)  that  women  fill 
up  their  appointed  circle  of  action  with  greater  regularity 
than  men,  the  claim  of  preference  must  decide  in  their  favour. 
In  the  prudential  and  economical  parts  of  life,  they  rise  far 
above  us. 

The  following  is  a  very  curious  calculation  of  The  Com- 
parative Number  of  the  Sexes  at  a  Birth. 

The  celebrated  M.  Hufeland,  of  Berlin,  has  inserted  in  his 
Journal  of  Practical  Medicine,  some  interesting  observations 
in  illustration  of  the  comparative  numbers  of  the  sexes  at  a 
birth.  The  number  of  males  born,  to  that  of  females,  observes 
the  learned  Professor,  seems  to  be  21  to  20  over  the  whole 
earth ;  and  before  they  reach  the  age  of  p-uberty,  the  propor- 
tion of  the  sexes  is  reduced  to  perfect  equality  ;  more  boys 
than  girls  die  before  they  are  fourteen.  After  extending  his 
interesting  comparison  over  animated  nature  in  general.  Pro- 
fessor Hufeland  enters  into  an  inquiry,  peculiar  to  himself,  in 
endeavouring  to  ascertain  the  principles  and  commencement 
of  the  equality  of  the  sexes.  In  some  families,  says  he, 
equality  evidently  does  not  hold.  In  some,  the  children  are 
all  boys;  in  others,  all  girls.  He  next  proceeds  to  take  se- 
veral families,  as  20,  30,  40,  or  50,  in  one  place,  in  conjunc- 
tion; or  small  villages  of  150  or  300  inhabitants.  But  even 
then,  the  just  proportion  was  not  yet  established.  In  some 
years,  only  boys,  in  others  only  girls  were  born;  nay,  this 
disproportion  continued  for  a  series  of  a  year  or  two ;  but  by 
uniting  ten  or  fifteen  years  together,  the  regular  equality  ap- 
peared. He  next  considered,  that  what  took  place  in  small 
populations  must  take  place  every  year  in  larger  societies ; 
and  he  accordingly  found  it  confirmed  by  actual  enumeration. 
He  went  so  far  as,  by  the  aid  of  the  minister  of  state,  Schack- 
man,  to  ascertain  the  comparative  number  of  boys  and  girls 
born  in  one  day  over  the  whole  Prussian  dominions,  and  the 
result  corresponded  with  his  anticipations.  The  general  con- 
clusions arrived  at  by  M.  Hufeland,  are  as  follow: — 

1st.  There  is  an  equal  number  of  males  and  females  born 
in  the  human  race.—  ^d.  The  equality  occurs  every  day  in  a 
population  of  ten  millions. — 3d.  Every  week  in  100,000. — 
4th.  Every  month  in  50,000. — 5th.  Every  year  in  10,000. — 
6th.  And    in  small  societies   of  several    families,  every  ten 


PROLIFICATION — tlAPID    GROWTH.  37 

or  fifteen  years. — 7th.  That  it  does  not  occur  in  individual 
families. 

The  reader  will  be  amused  by  the  following  instances  of 
Extraordinary  Prolification. 

The  prolific  powers  of  some  individuals  among  mankind  are 
very  extraordinary.  Instances  have  been  found  where  chil- 
dren, to  the  number  of  six,  seven,  eight,  nine,  and  some- 
times sixteen,  have  been  brought  forth  at  one  birth.  The 
wife  of  Emmanuel  Gago,  a  labourer  near  Valladolid,  was  de 
livered,  the  14th  of  June,  1799,  of  five  girls.  The  celebrated 
Tarsin  was  brought  to  bed  in  the  seventh  month,  at  Argenteuil 
near  Paris,  17th  of  July,  1779,  of  three  boys,  each  fourteen 
inches  and  a  half  long,  and  of  a  girl  thirteen  inches :  they 
were  all  baptized,  but  did  not  live  twenty-four  hours.  In 
June,  1799,  one  IMaria  Ruiz,  of  Lucena  in  Andalusia,  was 
successively  delivered  of  sixteen  boys,  without  any  girls: 
seven  of  them  were  alive  on  the  17th  of  Auoust  followinor 
In  1535,  a  Muscovite  peasant,  named  James  Kyrloff,  and  his 
wife,  were  presented  to  the  Empress  of  Russia.  This  peasant 
had  been  twice  married,  and  was  then  seventy  years  of  age. 
His  first  wife  was  brought  to  bed  twenty-one  times  ;  namely, 
four  times  of  four  children  each  time,  seven  times  of  three, 
and  ten  times  of  two ;  making  in  all  fifty-seven  children,  who 
were  then  alive.  His  second  wife,  who  accompanied  him, 
had  been  delivered  seven  times,  once  of  three  children,  and 
six  times  of  twins.  Thus  he  had  seventy-two  children  by  his 
two  marriages. 

We  now  proceed  to  narrate  some  Extraordinary  In- 
stances OF  Rapid  Growth. 

A  remarkable  instance  of  rapid  growth  in  the  human  species 
was  noticed  in  France,  in  1729,  by  the  Academy  of  Sciences. 
It  was  a  lad,  then  only  seven  years  old,  who  measured  four 
feet  eight  inches  and  four  lines  high,  without  his  shoes.  His 
mother  observed  his  extraordinary  growth  and  strength  at 
two  years  old,  which  continued  to  increase  with  such  rapidity, 
that  he  soon  arrived  at  the  usual  standard.  At  four  years  old 
he  M'as  able  to  lift  and  throw  the  common  bundles  of  hay  in 
stables  into  the  horses'  racks;  and  at  six  years  old,  he  could 
lift  as  much  as  a  sturdy  fellow  of  twenty.  But  although  he 
thus  increased  in  bodily  strength,  his  understanding  was  no 
greater  than  is  usual  with  children  of  his  age;  and  their  [jlay- 
things  were  also  his  favourite  amusements. 

Another  boy,  a  native  of  Bouzanquet,  in  the  diocese  oi 
Alais,  though  of  a  strong  constitution,  appeared  to  be  knit 
and  stifiin  his  joints,  till  he  was  about  four  years  and  a  half 
Did.     During  this  time,  nothing  farther  was  remarkable  re- 


3S  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

spe  *-ting  him,  than  an  extraordinary  appetite,  which  nothing 
could  satisfy,  but  an  abundance  of  the  common  aliments  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  consisting  of  rye  bread,  ches- 
nuts,  bacon,  and  water.  His  limbs,  however,  soon  becoming 
supple  and  pliable,  and  his  body  beginning  to  expand  itself, 
he  grew  up  in  such  an  extraordinary  manner,  that  at  the  age 
of  five  years  he  measured  four  feet  three  inches.  Some 
months  after,  he  was  four  feet  eleven  inches  ;  and  at  six,  five 
feet,  and  bulky  in  proportion.  His  growth  was  so  rapid,  that 
every  month  his  clothes  required  to  be  made  longer  and  wider; 
yet  it  was  not  preceded  by  any  sickness,  nor  accompanied 
with  any  pain.  At  the  age  of  five  years  his  voice  changed, 
his  beard  began  to  appear ;  and  at  six,  he  had  as  much  as  a 
man  of  thirty ;  in  short,  all  the  unquestionable  marks  of  ma- 
turity were  visible  in  him.  Though  his  wit  was  riper  than  is 
commonly  observable  at  the  age  of  five  or  six,  yet  its  progress 
was  not  in  proportion  to  that  of  his  body.  His  air  and  man- 
ner still  retained  something  childish,  though  by  his  bulk  and 
stature  he  resembled  a  complete  man,  which  at  first  sight 
produced  a  very  singular  contrast.  His  voice  was  strong  and 
manly,  and  his  great  strength  rendered  him  already  fit  for  the 
labours  of  the  country.  At  five,  he  could  carry  to  a  great 
distance,  three  measures  of  rye,  weighing  eighty-four  pounds; 
when  turned  of  six,  he  could  lift  up  easily  to  his  shoulders, 
and  carry  loads  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  weight  to  a 
great  distance  ;  and  these  exercises  were  exhibited  by  him  as 
often  as  the  curious  engaged  him  thereto  by  some  liberality. 
Such  beginnings  made  people  think  that  he  should  soon  shoot 
up  into  a  giant.  A  mountebank  was  already  soliciting  his 
parents  for  him,  and  flattering  them  with  hopes  of  putting  him 
in  a  way  of  making  a  great  fortune.  But  all  these  hopes  sud- 
denly vanished.  His  legs  became  crooked,  his  body  shrunk, 
his  strength  diminished,  his  voice  grew  sensibly  weaker,  and 
he  at  last  sinik  into  a  total  imbecility; — thus  his  rapid  ma- 
turity was  followed  by  as  swift  decay. 

In  the  Paris  Memoirs,  there  is  an  account  of  a  girl,  who, 
when  four  years  old,  was  four  feet  six  inches  in  height,  and 
had  her  limbs  well  proportioned,  and  her  breasts  fully  ex 
panded,  like  those  of  a  girl  of  eighteen.  These  things  are  more 
singular  and  marvellous  in  the  northern  than  in  the  southern 
climates,  where  females  come  sooner  to  maturity.  In  some 
places  of  the  East  Indies,  they  have  children  at  nine  years 
of  age.  It  seems  at  first  view  astonishing,  that  children  of 
such  early  and  prodigious  growth  do  not  become  giants;  but 
it  appears  evident,  that  the  whole  is  only  a  premature  expan- 
sion of  the  parts;  and  accordingly,  such  children,  instead  of 
becoming  giants,  always  decay  and  die  apparently  of  old  age, 
long;  before  the  natural  term  of  human  life. 


GIANTS  35) 

As  it  is  cdT  intention  in  this  work  to  keep  as  close  as  pos- 
sible to  facts,  we  shall  not,  knowingly,  deal  in  fiction  or  fable. 
It  is  from  a  most  respectable  source  that  we  have  derived  the 
following  Curious  Account  of  Giants. 

M.  Le  Cat,  in  a  memoir  read  before  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
at  Rouen,  oives  the  followingr  account  of  oiants  that  are  said 
to  have  existed  in  different  ages.  Profane  historians  have 
given  seven  feet  of  height  to  Hercules,  their  first  hero  ;  and 
in  our  days  we  have  seen  men  eight  feet  high.  The  giant, 
who  was  shown  in  Rouen,  in  1735,  measured  eight  feet  some 
inches.  The  emperor  Maximin  was  of  that  size.  Shenkins 
and  Platerus,  physicians  of  the  last  century,  saw  several  of 
that  stature;  and  Goropius  saw  a  girl  who  was  ten  feet  high. 
The  body  of  Orestes,  according  to  the  Greeks,  was  eleven 
feet  and  a  half;  the  giant  Galbara,  brought  from  Arabia  to 
Rome,  under  Claudius  Caesar,  was  near  ten  feet ;  and  the  bones 
of  Secondilla  and  Pusio,  keepers  of  the  gardens  of  Sallust, 
were  but  six  inches  shorter.  Funnam,  a  Scotsman,  who  lived 
in  the  time  of  Eugene  II.  kingj  of  Scotland,  measured  eleven 
feet  and  a  half;  and  Jacob  Le  Maire,  in  his  voyage  to  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  reports,  that  on  the  17th  of  December, 
1615,  they  found  at  Port  Desire,  several  graves  covered  with 
stones  ;  and  having  the  curiosity  to  remove  the  stones,  they 
discovered  human  skeletons  often  and  eleven  feet  long.  The 
Chevalier  Scory,  in  his  voyage  to  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe,  says, 
that  they  found,  in  one  of  the  sepulchral  caverns  of  that 
mountain,  the  head  of  a  gaunche,  which  had  eighty  teeth, 
and  that  the  body  was  not  less  than  fifteen  feet  long.  The 
giant  Ferragus,  slain  by  Orlando,  nephew  of  Charlemagne, 
ivas  eighteen  feet  high.  Rioland,  a  celebrated  anatomist, 
who  wrote  in  1614,  says,  that  some  years  before,  there  was  to 
be  seen,  in  the  suburbs  of  St.  Germain,  the  tomb  of  the  great 
giant  Isoret,  who  was  twenty  feet  high.  In  Rouen,  in  1509, 
in  digging  in  the  ditches  near  the  Dominicans,  they  found  a 
stone  tomb,  containing  a  skeleton  whose  skull  held  a  bushel 
of  corn,  and  whose  shin  bone  reached  up  to  the  girdle  of  the 
tallest  man  there,  being  about  four  feet  long  ;  and,  conse- 
quently, the  body  must  have  been  seventeen  or  eighteen  feet 
high.  Upon  the  tomb  was  a  plate  of  copper,  whereon  was 
engraved,  "  In  this  tomb  lies  the  noble  and  puissant  lord,  the 
Chevalier  Ricon  De  Vallemont,  and  his  bones."  Platerus,  a 
famous  physician,  declares,  that  he  saw  at  Lucerne,  the  true 
human  body  of  a  subject  which  must  have  been  at  least 
nineteen  feet  high.  Valence,  in  Dauphine,  boasts  of  pos- 
sessing the  bones  of  the  giant  Bucart,  tyrant  of  the  Vivarias, 
who  was  slain  with  an  arrow  by  the  Count  De  Cabillon,  his 
vassal.  The  Dominicans  had  a  part  of  the  shin  bone,  with 
the  articulation  of  his  knee,  and  his  figure  painted  in  fresco. 


40  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

with  an  inscription,  showing  "  that  this  giant  was  twenty-two 
feet  and  a  half  high,  and  that  his  bones  were  found  in  1705, 
near  the  banks  of  the  Morderi,  a  little  river  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  of  Crusal,  upon  which  (tradition  says)  the  giant 
dwelt."  M.  Le  Cat  adds,  that  skeletons  have  been  discovered 
of  giants,  of  a  still  more  incredible  height,  viz.  of  Theutobo- 
chus,  king  of  the  Teutones,  found  on  the  11th  of  January^ 
1613,  twenty-five  feet  and  a  half  high;  of  a  giant  near  Ma- 
zarino,  in  Sicily,  in  1516,  thirty  feet;  of  another,  in  1548, 
near  Palermo,  thirty  feet ;  of  another,  in  1550,  of  thirty-three 
feet;  of  two  found  near  Athens,  thirty-three  and  thirty-six 
feet;  and  of  one  at  Tuto,  in  Bohemia,  in  1758,  whose  leg 
bones  alone  measured  twenty-six  feet!  But  whether  these 
accounts  are  credited  or  not,  we  are  certain  that  the  stature  of 
the  human  body  is  by  no  means  fixed.  We  are  ourselves  a 
kind  of  giants,  in  comparison  of  the  Laplanders;  nor  are  these 
the  most  diminutive  people  to  be  found  upon  the  earth. 

The  Abbe  La  Chappe,  in  his  journey  into  Siberia,  to  ob- 
serve the  last  transit  of  Venus,  passed  through  a  village  in- 
habited by  people  called  Wotiacks,  who  were  not  above  four 
feet  high.  The  accounts  of  the  Patagonians  likewise,  which 
cannot  be  entirely  discredited,  render  it  very  probable,  that 
somewhere  in  South  America  there  is  a  race  of  people  very 
considerably  exceeding  the  common  size  of  mankind  ;  and 
consequently  that  we  cannot  altogether  discredit  the  relations 
of  giants,  handed  down  to  us  by  ancient  authors,  though  what 
degree  of  credit  we  ought  to  give  them,  is  not  easy  to  be  de- 
termined. 

No  less  true  than  remarkable  is  the  following  Curious 
Account  of  Dwakfs. 

Jefiery  Hudson,  the  famous  English  dwarf,  was  born  at 
Oakham  in  Rutlandshire,  in  1619;  and  about  the  age  of  seven 
or  eight,  being  then  but  eighteen  inches  high,  was  retained  in 
the  service  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  who  resided  at  Bur- 
•eigh  on  the  Hill.  Soon  after  the  marriage  of  Charles  1.  the 
king  and  queen  being  entertained  at  Burleigh,  little  Jeffrey 
was  served  up  to  table  in  a  cold  pie,  and  presented  by  the 
duchess  to  the  queen,  who  kept  him  as  her  dwarf.  From 
seven  years  till  thirty,  he  never  grew  taller;  but  after  thirty 
he  shot  up  to  three  feet  nine  inches,  and  there  fixed.  Jei- 
fery  became  a  considerable  part  of  the  entertainment  of  the 
court.  Sir  William  Davenant  wrote  a  poem  called  Jejfieidos, 
on  a  battle  between  him  and  a  turkey  cock;  and  in  1638  was 
published  a  very  small  book,  called  the  Neiv  Year's  Gift,  pre- 
sented at  court  by  the  Lady  Parvula  to  the  Lord  Miniums, 
(commonly  called  Little  Jeff  en/,)  her  majesty's  servant,  written 
by  Microphilus,  with  a  little  print  of  Jefferv  prefixed.     Before 


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DWARFS.  41 

this  period,  Jeffery  was  employed  on  a  negociation  cf  great 
importance:  he  was  sent  to  France  to  fetch  a  midwife  for  th& 
queen  ;  and  on  his  return  with  this  gentlewoman,  and  her  ma- 
jesty's dancing-master,  and  many  rich  presents  to  the  cjueen 
from  her  mother  Mary  de  Medicis,  he  was  taken  by  the  Dun- 
kirkers.  Jeffery,  thus  made  of  consequence,  grew  to  think 
himself  really  so.  He  had  borne  with  little  temper  the  teazing 
of  the  courtiers  and  domestics,  and  had  many  squabbles  with 
the  king's  gigantic  porter.  At  last,  being  provoked  by  Mr. 
Crofts,  a  young  gentleman  of  family,  a  challenge  ensued: 
and  Mr.  Crofts  coming  to  the  rendezvous  armed  only  with 
a  squirt,  the  little  creature  was  so  enraged,  that  a  real  duel 
ensued ;  and  the  appointment  being  on  horseback,  with  pistols, 
to  put  them  more  on  a  level,  Jeffery,  at  the  first  fire,  shot  his 
antagonist  dead.  This  happened  in  France,  whither  he  had 
attended  his  mistress  during  the  troubles.  He  was  again 
taken  prisoner  by  a  Turkish  rover,  and  sold  into  Barbary. 
He  probably  did  not  remain  long  in  slavery,  for,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  civil  war,  he  was  made  a  captain  in  the  royal 
army;  and  in  1644,  attended  the  queen  to  France,  where  he 
remained  till  the  Restoration.  At  last,  upon  suspicion  of  his 
being  privy  to  the  Popish  plot,  he  was  taken  up  in  1682,  and 
confined  in  the  Gate-house  of  Westminster,  where  he  ended 
his  life  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age. 

In  the  memoirs  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences,  a  rela- 
tion is  given  by  the  Count  de  Tressau,  of  a  dwarf,  called 
Bebe,  kept  by  Stanislaus  III.  king  of  Poland;  who  died  in 
1764,  aged  twenty-three,  when  he  measured  only  thirty-three 
inches.  At  his  birth,  he  measured  only  between  eight  and 
nine  inches.  Diminutive  as  were  his  dimensions,  his  reason- 
ing faculties  were  not  less  scanty  ;  appearing  indeed  not  to 
have  been  superior  to  those  of  a  well-taught  pointer:  but, 
that  the  size  and  strength  of  the  intellectual  powers  are  not 
affected  by  the  diminutiveness  or  tenuity  of  the  corporeal  or- 
gans, is  evident  from  a  still  more  striking  instance  of  little- 
ness, given  us  by  the  same  nobleman,  in  the  person  of  Mon- 
sieur Borulawski,  a  Polish  gentleman,  whom  he  saw  at 
Luneville,  whence  he  visited  Paris,  and  who,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two,  measured  only  twenty-eight  inches.  This 
miniature  of  a  man,  considering  him  only  as  to  his  bodily 
dimensions,  appears  a  giant  with  regard  to  his  mental  powers 
and  attainments.  He  is  described  by  the  count  as  |i:)ssessing 
all  the  graces  of  wit,  united  with  a  sound  judgment  and  an 
excellent  memory;  so  that  we  may  with  justice  say  of  M. 
Borulawski,  in  the  words  of  Seneca,  and  nearly  in  the  order 
in  which  he  has  used  them,  "  Posse  ingetiium,  fortissimum  ac 
heatissimum,  sub  quolibct  corpiiscuh  latere."  Epist.  66.  Count 
Borulawski  was  the  son  of  a  Polish  nobleman  atta  hed  to  tiie 

2.  F 


42  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

fortunes  of  King-  Stanislaus,  who  lost  his  property  in  conse- 
quence of  that  attachment,  and  who  had  six  children  ;  three 
dwarfs,  and  three  well  grown.  What  is  singular  enough,  they 
were  born  alternately,  a  big  one  and  a  little  one,  though  both 
parents  were  of  the  common  size.  The  little  count's  youngest 
sister  was  much  less  than  him,  but  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three.  The  count  continued  to  grow  till  he  was  about  thirty, 
when  he  had  attained  the  height  of  three  feet  two  inches  :  he 
lived  to  see  his  fifty-first  year.  He  never  experienced  any 
sickness,  but  lived  in  a  polite  and  affluent  manner,  under  the 
patronage  of  a  lady,  a  friend  of  the  family,  till  love,  at  the 
age  of  forty-one,  intruded  into  his  little  peaceful  bosom,  and 
involved  him  in  matrimony,  care,  and  perplexity.  The  lady 
he  chose  was  of  his  own  country,  but  of  French  extraction, 
and  the  middle  size.  They  had  three  children,  all  girls,  and 
none  of  them  likely  to  be  dwarfs.  To  provide  for  a  family 
now  became  an  object  big  with  difficulty,  requiring  all  the 
exertion  of  his  powers  (which  could  promise  but  little)  and 
his  talents,  o^  which  music  alone  afforded  any  view  of  profit. 
He  played  extremely  well  upon  the  guitar ;  and  by  having 
concerts  in  several  of  the  principal  cities  in  Germany,  he 
raised  temporary  supplies.  At  Vienna  he  was  persuaded  to 
turn  his  thoughts  to  England,  where,  it  was  believed,  the  pub- 
lic curiosity  might  in  a  little  time  benefit  him  sufficiently  to 
enable  him  to  live  independent  in  so  cheap  a  country  as  Po- 
land. He  was  furnished  by  very  respectable  friends  with  re- 
commendations to  several  of  the  most  distinguished  characters 
in  this  kingdom,  as  the  Duchess  of  Devonshire,  Rutland,  &c. 
whose  kind  patronage  he  was  not  backward  to  acknowledge. 
He  was  advised  to  let  himself  be  seen  as  a  curiosity,  and  the 
price  of  admission  was  fixed  at  a  guinea.  The  number  of  his 
visitors,  of  course,  was  not  very  great.  After  a  pretty  long 
stay  in  London,  he  went  to  Bath  and  Bristol;  visited  Dublin, 
and  some  other  parts  of  Ireland ;  whence  he  returned  by  way 
of  Liverpool,  Manchester,  and  Birmingham,  to  London.  He 
also  visited  Edinburgh,  and  some  other  towns  in  Scotland. 
In  every  place  he  acquired  a  number  of  friends.  In  reality, 
the  ease  and  politeness  of  his  manners  and  address  pleased  no 
less  than  the  diminutive  yet  elegant  proportions  of  his  figure, 
astonished  those  who  visited  him.  His  person  was  pleasing  and 
graceful,  and  his  look  manly  and  noble.  He  spoke  French 
fluently,  and  English  tolerably.  He  was  remarkably  lively 
and  cheerful,  though  fitted  for  the  most  serious  and  rational 
conversation.  Such  was  this  wonderful  little  man — an  object 
of  curiosity  really  worthy  the  attention  of  the  philosopher, 
the  man  of  taste,  and  the  anatomist.  His  life  has  been  pub- 
lished, written  by  himself. 


THE    KIMOS.  43 

The  following  account  of  a  singular  nation  of  dwarfs,  is 
taken  from  the  Monthly  Review  for  1792,  being  Vol.  7,  of  the 
new  series.  The  subject  is  a  review  of  "  A  Voyage  to  Ma- 
dagascar;    by   the   Abbe    Rochon."     They  are   called   The 

KlMOS. 

The  Kimos  are  a  nation  of  pigmies,  said  to  inhabit  the 
mountains  in  the  interior  part  of  the  island  of  Madagascar,  of 
whom  tradition  has  long  encouraged  the  belief: — but  Flacourt, 
in  the  last  century,  treated  the  stories  then  in  circulation  with 
great  contempt.  The  Abbe  Rochon,  however,  has  revived 
them;  and  has  not  only  given  them  the  sanction  of  his  own 
belief,  but  that  of  M.  Comtnerson,  and  of  M.  de  Modave,  the 
late  Governor  of  Fort  Dauphin.  As  their  opinions  are  of 
weight,  and  as  the  subject  is  curious,  we  shall  present  our 
readers  with  an  epitome  of  the  memoirs  which  these  gentle- 
men drew  up  concerning  the  Kimos,  and  which  our  author 
has  inserted  entire  in  the  body  of  his  work. 

"  Lovers  of  the  marvellous,  (says  M.  Commersori,)  who  would 
be  sorry  to  have  the  pretended  size  of  the  Patagonian  giants 
reduced  to  six  feet,  will  perhaps  be  made  some  amends  by  a 
race  of  pigmies,  who  are  wonderful  in  the  contrary  extreme. 
I  mean  those  half  men,  who  inhabit  the  interior  part  of  the 
great  island  of  Madagascar,  and  form  a  distinct  nation,  called, 
in  the  language  of  the  country,  Kimos.  These  little  men  are 
of  a  paler  colour  than  the  rest  of  the  natives,  who  are  in  ge- 
neral black.  Their  arms  are  so  long,  that  when  stretched 
out,  they  reach  to  the  knees,  without  stooping.  The  women 
have  scarcely  breasts  sufficient  to  mark  their  sex,  except  at 
the  time  of  lying-in  ;  and  even  then  they  are  obliged  to  have 
recourse  to  cow's  milk,  to  feed  their  children. 

"The  intellectual  faculties  of  this  diminutive  race  are  equal 
to  those  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  island,  who  are  by  no 
means  deficient  in  understanding,  though  extremely  indolent. 
Indeed,  the  Kimos  are  said  to  be  much  more  active  and  war- 
like, so  that  their  courage  being  in  a  duplicate  ratio  of  their 
size,  they  have  never  suti'ered  themselves  to  be  oppressed  and 
subdued  by  their  neighbours,  who  have  often  attempted  it. 
It  is  astonishing,  that  all  we  know  of  this  nation  is  from  the 
neighbouring  people;  and  that  neither  the  governors  of  the 
Isle  of  France,  of  Bourbon,  nor  the  commanders  of  our  forts 
on  the  coast  of  Madagascar,  have  ever  endeavoured  to  pene- 
trate into  this  country.  It  has  indeed  been  lately  attempted, 
but  without  success. 

"  I  shall  however  attest,  as  an  eye-witness,  that  in  a  voyage 
which  1  made  in  1770  to  Fort  Dauphin,  M.  de  Modave,  the 
last  governor,  gratified  my  curiosity,  by  shewing  me,  among 
his  slaves,  a  female  of  the  Kimos  tribe,  about  thirty  years  of 
age,  and  three  feet  seven  inches  high.     She  was  of  a  much 


44  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

paler  colour  than  any  other  natives  of  Madagascar  that  I  hi^d 
t,,;en,  was  well-made,  and  did  not  appear  misshapen,  nor 
stinted  in  her  growth,  as  accidental  dwarfs  usually  are.  Her 
arms  were  indeed  too  long,  in  proportion  to  her  heioht,  and 
her  hair  was  short  and  woolly  :  but  her  countenance  was 
good,  and  rather  resembled  that  of  an  European  than  an 
African.  She  had  a  natural  habitual  smile  on  her  face,  was 
good-humoured,  and  seemed,  by  her  behaviour,  to  possess  a 
good  understanding.  No  appearance  of  breasts  was  observ- 
able, except  nipples:  but  this  single  instance  is  not  sufficient 
to  establish  an  exception  so  contrary  to  the  general  law  of 
nature.  A  little  before  our  departure  from  Madagascar,  the 
desire  of  recovering  her  liberty,  joined  to  the  fear  of  being 
carried  into  France,  stimulated  this  little  slave  to  run  away 
into  the  woods. 

"  On  the  whole,  I  conclude,  in  firmly  believing  the  existence 
of  this  diminutive  race  of  human  beings,  who  have  a  character 
and  manners  peculiar  to  themselves.  The  Laplanders  seem 
to  be  the  medium  between  men  of  the  common  size  and  these 
dwarfs.  Both  inhabit  the  coldest  countries  and  the  highest 
mountains  upon  the  earth.  These  of  Madagascar,  on  which 
the  Kirnos  reside,  are  sixteen  or  seventeen  hundred  toises,  or 
fathoms,  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  plants  and  vegetables 
which  grow  on  these  heights,  are  naturally  dwarfs." 

M.  de  Modave  says, — "When  I  arrived  at  Fort  Dauphin,  in 
1768,  I  had  a  memoir  put  into  my  hands,  which  was  ill  drawn 
up,  giving  an  account  of  a  pigmy  race  of  people,  called  Kimos, 
who  inhabit  the  middle  region  of  Madagascar,  in  latitude  22°. 
I  tried  to  verify  the  fact,  by  preparing  for  an  expedition  into 
the  country  which  is  said  to  be  thus  inhabited  :  but  by  the 
infidelity  and  cowardice  of  the  guides,  my  scheme  failed. 
Yet  I  had  such  indisputable  information  of  this  extraordinary 
fact,  that  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  of  the  existence  of  such 
a  nation.  The  common  size  of  the  men  is  three  feet  five 
•'nches.  They  wear  long  round  beards.  The  women  are  some 
inches  shorter  than  the  men,  who  are  thick  and  stout.  Their 
colour  is  less  black  and  swarthy  than  that  of  the  natives; 
their  hair  is  short  and  cottony.  They  forge  iron  and  steel,  of 
which  they  make  their  lances  and  darts ;  the  only  weapons 
that  they  u»e.  The  situation  of  their  country  is  about  sixty 
leagues  to  the  north-west  of  Fort  Dauphin.  I  procured  a 
female  of  this  nation,  but  she  was  said  to  be  much  taller  than 
usual  among  the  Kimos,  for  she  was  three  feet  seven  inches 
in  height.  She  was  very  thin,  and  had  no  more  appearance 
of  breasts  than  the  leanest  man.'* 

To  these  relations,  the  Abbe  Rochon  says,  he  might  add  that 
of  an  officer  who  had  procured  a  Kimos  man,  and  would  have 
brought  him  to  Europe,  but  M.  de  Surville,  who  commanded 


ABDERITF.S — MOUSES   BUILT   IN    fRKES.  45 

the  vessel   in  which   he  was  to   embark,  refused  to  grant  his 
permission. 

Respectable  historians  have  presented  us  with  the  fol- 
lowing curious  account  of  the  Abderites,  or  Inhabitants 
OF  Abdeua. 

It  is  reported,  that  in  the  reign  of  Cassander,  king  of  Ma- 
cedon,  they  were  so  pestered  with  frogs  and  rats,  that  they 
were  obliged  to  desert  their  city  for  some  time:  and  Lucian 
tells  us,  that  in  the  reign  of  Lysimachus,  they  were  for  some, 
months  afflicted  with  a  fever  of  a  most  extraordinary  nature, 
whose  crisis  was  always  on  the  seventh  day,  and  then  it  left 
them;  but  it  so  distracted  their  imaginations,  that  they  fancied 
themselves  players.  After  this,  they  were  ever  repeating 
verses  from  some  tragedy,  and  particularly  out  of  the  Andro- 
meda of  Euripides,  as  if  they  had  been  upon  the  stage;  so 
that  many  of  these  pale,  meagre  actors,  were  pouring  forth 
tragic  exclamations  in  every  street.  This  delirium  continued 
till  the  winter  following;  which  was  a  very  cold  one,  and 
therefore  fitter  to  remove  it.  Lucian,  who  has  described  this 
disease,  endeavours  to  account  for  it  in  this  way:—  Archelaus, 
an  excellent  player,  acted  the  Andromeda  of  Euripides  before 
the  Abderites,  in  the  height  of  a  very  hot  summer.  Several 
had  a  fever  at  their  coming  out  of  the  theatre,  and  as  their 
imaginations  were  full  of  the  tragedy,  the  delirium,  which  the 
fever  raised,  perpetually  represented  Andromeda,  Perseus, 
Medusa,  Sec.  and  the  several  dramatic  incidents,  and  called 
up  the  ideas  of  those  objects,  and  the  pleasure  of  the  repre- 
sentation, so  strongly,  that  they  could  not  forbear  imitating 
Archelaus'  action  and  declamation :  and  from  these  the  fever 
spread  to  others  by  infection. 

A  most  respectable  writer  (Madame  De  Genlis)  has  given 
us  the   following  curious  account   of  a  Country,  the    In 

HABITANTS   OF  WHICH*  RESIDE   IN   TrKES. 

A  young  Spanish  adventurer,  of  the  name  of  Vasco  Nugnez, 
whom  a  handsome  figure,  united  to  a  natural  wit  and  courage, 
advanced  to  the  highest  eminence  of  glory  and  fortune;  pur- 
suing- his  researches  over  the  Darien,  a  reoion  abounding  in 
lakes  and  marshes,  arrived  in  a  coimtry  where  the  houses 
were  of  a  very  sinoular  contrivance,  being  built  in  the  largest 
trees,  the  branches  of  which  enveloped  the  sides,  and  formed 
the  roof.  They  contained  chambers  and  closets  of  a  tolerable 
construction.  Each  family  was  separately  lodged.  Every 
house  had  two  ladders,  one  of  which  reached  from  the  foot  to 
the  middle  of  the  tree,  and  the  other  from  thence  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  highest  chamber:  they  were  composed  of  cane, 
and  so  light  as  to  be  easily  lifted  up,  which  was  done  every 


4C  CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING    MAN. 

night,  and  formed  a  security  from  the  attacks  of  tigers  and 
other  wild  beasts,  with  which  this  province  abounds.  The 
«hief  of  the  country  was  in  his  palace,  that  is  to  say — his  tree, 
when  the  Castilians  came  among  them.  On  seeing  the 
strangers,  he  hastened  to  draw  up  his  ladders,  while  the 
Spaniards  called  to  him  aloud  to  descend  without  fear.  He 
replied,  that  being  unconscious  of  having  ofiended  any  one, 
and  having  no  concern  with  strangers,  he  begged  he  might 
be  suffered  to  remain  undisturbed  in  his  habitation.  On  this 
they  threatened  to  cut  down  or  set  fire  to  his  tree,  and  at 
length  obliged  him  to  descend  with  his  two  sons.  To  their 
inquiries,  *  if  he  had  any  gold,'  he  replied,  that  he  had  none 
there,  because  it  was  of  no  use  to  him ;  but,  if  they  would 
suffer  him  to  go,  he  would  fetch  them  some  from  a  neighbour- 
ing mountain.  The  Castilians  the  more  readily  believed  the 
promise,  as  he  consented  to  leave  with  them  his  wife  and 
children.  But  after  having  waited  some  days  for  his  return, 
they  discovered  that  this  pretence  was  only  a  stratagem  to 
withdraw  himself  from  their  hands ;  that  their  hostages  like- 
wise, during  the  night,  had  found  an  opportunity  of  escaping 
by  means  of  their  ladders,  and  that  the  inhabitants  of  every 
neighbouring  tree  had,  in  the  same  manner,  fled. 


CHAP.  III. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. (CoTltinUed.) 

Astonishi/ig  Acquisitions  made  hi/  Blind  Persons — Wonderful 
Performances  of  a  Female,  blind  almost  from  Infancy — Ti'on- 
derful  Instances  of  Adroitness  of  Persons  born  defective  in 
their  Limbs — Curious  Account  of  Incapaciti/  of  distinguish- 
ing Colours —  Ventriloquism — Sword-stvallowing. 

Astonishing  Acquisitions  made  by  Blind  Persons. 

We  find  various  recompenses  for  blindness,  or  substitutes 
for  the  use  of  the  eyes,  in  the  wonderful  sagacity  of  many 
blind  persons,  recited  by  Zahnius,  in  his  *  Oculus  Artificialis,* 
and  others.  In  some,  the  defect  has  been  supplied  by  a  most 
excellent  gift  of  remembering  what  they  had  seen;  in  others, 
by  a  delicate  nose,  or  the  sense  of  smelling;  in  others,  by  an 
exquisite  touch,  or  a  sense  of  feeling,  which  they  have  had  in 
such  perfection,  that,  as  it  has  been  said  of  some,  they  learned 
to  hear  with  their  eyes,  so  it  may  be  said  of  these,  that  they 
taught  themselves  to  see  with  their  hands.  Some  have  been 
enabled  to  perform  all  sorts  of  curious  and  subtle  works  in 


^^^^:"-   ACQUISITIONS    MADE    BY    BLIND    PERSONS.  47 

the  nicest  and  most  dexterous  manner. — Aldiovanus  speaks 
of  a  sculptor  who  became  blind  at  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
yet,  ten  years  after,  made  a  perfect  marble  statue  of  Cosmo  II. 
de  Medicis  ;  and  another  of  clay,  like  Urban  VIII.  Bartholin 
tells  us  of  a  blind  sculptor  in  Denmark,  who  distinguished 
perfectly  well,  by  mere  touch,  not  only  all  kinds  of  wood 
but  all  the  colours  ;  and  F.  Grimaldi  gives  an  instance  of  the 
like  kind;  besides  the  blind  organist,  living  in  Paris,  who  is 
said  to  have  done  the  same.  The  most  extraordinary  of  all 
is  a  blind  guide,  who,  according  to  the  report  of  good  writers, 
used  to  conduct  the  merchants  through  tne  sands  and  deserts 
of  Arabia. 

James  Bernouilli  contrived  a  method  of  teaching  blind 
persons  to  write.  An  instance,  no  less  extraordinary,  is  men- 
tioned by  Dr.  Bew,  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the  Manchester 
Society."  It  is  that  of  a  person,  whose  name  is  John  Met- 
calf,  a  native  of  the  neighbourhood  of  Manchester,  who  be- 
came blind  at  so  early  an  age  as  to  be  altogether  unconscious 
of  light,  and  its  various  effects.  His  employment  in  the 
younger  period  of  his  life  was  that  of  a  waggoner,  and  oc- 
casionally as  a  guide  in  intricate  roads  during  the  night,  or 
when  the  common  tracks  were  covered  with  snow.  After- 
wards he  became  a  projector  and  surveyor  of  highways  iri 
difficult  and  mountainous  parts  ;  and,  in  this  capacity,  with 
the  assistance  merely  of  a  long  staff",  he  traverses  the  roads, 
ascends  precipices,  explores  valleys,  and  investigates  their 
several  extents,  forms,  and  situations,  so  as  to  answer  his  pur- 
pose in  the  best  manner.  His  plans  are  designed,  and  his 
estimates  formed,  with  such  ability  and  accuracy,  that  he  has 
been  employed  in  altering  most  of  the  roads  over  the  Peak  in 
Derbyshire,  particularly  those  in  the  vicinity  of  Buxton  ;  and 
in  constructing  a  new  one  between  Wilmslow  and  Congleton, 
so  as  to  form  a  communication  between  the  great  London 
road,  without  beino-  obliged  to  pass  over  the  mountain. 

Although  blind  persons  have  occasion,  m  a  variety  oi  re- 
spects, to  deplore  their  infelicity,  their  misery  is  in  a  con- 
siderable degree  alleviated  by  advantages  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. They  are  capable  of  a  more  fixed  and  steady  atten- 
tion to  the  objects  of  their  mental  contemplation,  than  those 
who  are  distracted  by  the  view  of  a  variety  of  external  scenes. 
Their  want  of  sight  naturally  leads  them  to  avail  themstlves 
of  their  other  organs  of  corporeal  sensation,  and  with  this 
view  to  cultivate  and  improve  them  as  much  as  possible.  Ac- 
cordingly, they  derive  relief  and  assistance  from  the  quick- 
ness of  their  hearing,  the  acuteness  of  their  smell,  and  the 
sensibility  of  their  touch,  which  persons  who  see  are  apt  to 
disregard. 

Many  contrivances  have  also  been  devised  by  the  ingenious. 


48  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

for  supplying  the  want  of  sight,  and  for  facilitating  those 
analytical  or  mechanical  operations,  which  would  otherwise 
perplex  the  most  vigorous  mind,  and  the  most  retentive  me- 
mory. By  means  of  these,  they  have  become  eminent  pro- 
ficients in  various  departments  of  science.  Indeed,  there  are 
few  sciences  in  which,  with  or  without  mechanical  helps,  the  ' 
blind  have  not  distinguished  themselves.  The  case  of  Pro- 
fessor Saunderson  at  Cambridge,  is  well  known.  His  attain- 
ments and  performances  in  the  languages,  and  also  as  a 
learner  and  teacher  in  the  abstract  mathematics,  in  philo- 
sophy, and  in  music,  have  been  truly  astonishing ;  and  the 
account  of  them  appears  to  be  almost  incredible,  if  it  were 
not  amply  attested  and  confirmed  by  many  other  instances  of 
a  similar  kind,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times. 

Cicero  mentions  it  as  a  fact  scarcely  credible,  with  respect 
to  his  master  in  philosophy,  Diodotus,  that  "  he  exercised 
himself  in  it  with  greater  assiduity  after  he  became  blind  ; 
and,  which  he  thought  next  to  impossible  to  be  performed 
without  sight,  that  he  professed  geometry,  and  described  his 
diagrams  so  accurately  to  his  scholars,  as  to  enable  them  to 
draw  every  line  in  its  proper  direction." 

Jerome  relates  a  more  remarkable  instance  of  Didymus  in 
Alexandria,  who  "  though  blind  from  his  infancy,  and  there- 
fore ignorant  of  the  letters,  appeared  so  great  a  miracle  to  the 
world,  as  not  only  to  learn  logic,  but  geometry  also  to  per- 
fection; which  seems  (he  adds)  the  most  of  any  thing  to  re- 
quire the  help  of  sight." 

Professor  Saunderson,  who  was  deprived  of  his  sight  by 
the  small-pox  when  he  was  only  twelve  months  old,  seems  to 
have  acquired  most  of  his  ideas  by  the  sense  of  feeling;  and 
though  he  could  not  distinguish  colours  by  that  sense,  which, 
after  repeated  trials,  he  said  was  pretending  to  impossibilities, 
yet  he  was  able,  with  the  greatest  exactness,  to  discriminate 
the  minutest  ditierence  between  rough  and  smooth  on  a  sur- 
face, or  the  least  defect  of  polish.  In  a  set  of  Roman  medals, 
he  could  distinguish  the  genuine  from  the  false,  though  they 
had  been  counterfeited  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deceive  a 
connoisseur,  who  judged  of  them  by  the  eye.  His  sense  of 
feeling  was  so  acute,  that  he  could  perceive  the  least  variation 
in  the  state  of  the  air;  and,  it  is  said,  that  in  a  garden  where 
observations  were  made  on  the  sun,  he  took  notice  of  every 
cloud  that  interrupted  the  observation,  almost  as  justly  as 
those  who  could  see  it.  He  could  tell  when  any  thing  was 
held  near  his  face,  or  when  he  passed  by  a  tree  at  no  great 
distance,  provided  the  air  was  calm,  and  there  was  little  or 
no  wind  ;  this  he  did  by  the  diflerent  pulse  of  air  upon  his 
lace.  He  possessed  a  sensibility  of  hearing  to  such  a  degree, 
that  he  could  distinguish  even  the  fifth  part  of  a  note;  and. 


ACQUISITIONS    MADE    BY    BLIND    PERSONS.  49 

by  the  quickness  of  this  sense,  he  not  only  discriminated 
persons  with  whom  he  had  once  conversed  so  long  as  to  fix  in 
nis  memory  the  sound  of  their  voice,  but  he  could  jud<ie  of 
the  size  of  a  room  into  which  he  was  introduced,  and  of  his 
distance  from  the  wall  ;  and  if  he  had  ever  walked  over  a 
pavement  in  courts,  piazzas,  &.c.  which  reflected  a  sound,  and 
was  afterwards  conducted  thither  again,  he  could  exactly  tell 
in  what  part  of  the  walk  he  was  placed,  merely  by  the  note 
which  it  sounded. 

Sculpture  and  painting  are  arts  which,  one  would  imagine, 
are  of  very  difficult  and  almost  impracticable  attainment  to 
blind  persons  ;  and  yet  instances  occur,  which  shew,  that  they 
are  not  excluded  from  the  pleasing,  creative,  and  extensive 
regions  of  fancy. 

De  Piles  mentions  a  blind  sculptor,  who  thus  took  the 
likeness  of  the  Duke  de  Bracciano  in  a  dark  cellar,  and  made 
a  marble  statue  of  King  Charles  I.  with  great  justness  and 
elegance.  However  unaccountable  it  may  appear  to  the  ab- 
stract philosopher,  yet  nothing  is  more  certain  in  fact,  than 
that  a  blind  man  may,  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Muses,  or 
rather  by  the  efforts  of  a  cultivated  genius,  exhibit  in  poetry 
the  most  natural  images  and  animated  descriptions  even  of 
visible  objects,  without  deservedly  incurring  the  charge  of 
plagiarism.  We  need  not  recur  to  Homer  and  Milton  for 
attestations  to  this  fact;  they  had  probably  been  long  ac- 
quainted with  the  visible  world  before  they  had  lost  their 
sight,  and  their  descriptions  might  be  animated  with  all  the 
rapture  and  enthusiasm  which  originally  fired  their  bosoms, 
when  the  grand  and  delightful  objects  delineated  by  them 
were  innnediately  beheld.  We  are  furnished  with  instances 
in  which  a  similar  energy  and  transport  of  description,  at 
least  in  a  very  considerable  degree,  have  been  exhibited  by 
those  on  whose  minds  visible  objects  were  never  impressed, 
or  have  been  entirely  obliterated. 

Dr.  Blacklock  affords  a  surprising  instance  of  this  kind  ; 
who,  though  he  had  lost  his  sight  before  he  was  six  months 
old,  not  only  made  himself  master  of  various  languages, 
Creek,  Latin,  Italian,  and  French;  but  acquired  the  reputa- 
tion of  an  excellent  poet,  whose  performances  abound  with 
appropriate  imagoes  and  animated  descriptions. 

Dr.  Nicholas  Bacon,  a  blind  gentleman,  descended  from 
the  same  family  with  the  celebrated  Lord  Verulam,  was,  in 
the  city  of  Brussels,  with  high  approbation  created  LL.  D. 
He  was  deprived  of  sight  at  nine  years  of  age  by  an  arrow 
from  a  cross-bow,  whilst  he  was  attempting  to  shoot  it. 
When  he  had  recovered  his  health,  which  had  suffered  by 
the  shock,  he  pursued  the  same  plan  of  education  in  which 
he  had   been   engaged;  and  having  heard  that  one  Nicasius 

2.  G    * 


50  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN 

de  Vourde,  born  blind,  who  lived  towards  the  end  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  after  having  distinouished  himself  by  his 
studies  in  the  university  of  Louvain,  took  his  degree  as  D.  D. 
in  that  of  Cologne,  he  resolved  to  make  the  same  attempt. 
After  continuing  his  studies  in  learning  philosophy  and  law 
a  sufficient  time,  he  took  his  degree,  commenced  pleading  as 
counsellor  or  advocate  in  the  council  of  Brabant,  and  has  had 
the  pleasure  of  terminatini^-  almost  every  suit  in  which  he  has 
been  engaged  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  clients. 

Another  instance,  which  deserves  being  recorded,  is  that  of 
Dr.  Henry  Moyes,  in  our  own  country  ;  who,  though  blind 
from  his  infancy,  by  the  ardour  and  assiduity  of  his  applica- 
tion, and  by  the  energy  of  native  genius,  not  only  made  in- 
credible advances  in  mechanical  operations,  in  music,  and  in 
the  languages  ;  but  acquired  an  extensive  acquaintance  with 
geometry,  optics,  algebra,  astronomy,  chemistry, and  all  other 
branches  of  natural  philosophy. 

From  the  account  of  Dr.  Moyes,  who  occasionally  read 
lectures  on  philosophical  chemistry  at  Manchester,  delivered 
to  the  Manchester  Society  by  Dr.  Bew,  it  appears,  that  me- 
chanical exercises  were  the  favourite  employment  of  his  in- 
fant years  :  and  that  at  a  very  early  age  he  was  so  well  ac- 
quainted witli  the  use  of  edge-tools,  as  to  be  able  to  construct 
little  windmills,  and  even  a  loom.  By  the  sound,  and  the 
ditierent  voices  of  the  persons  that  were  present,  he  was  di- 
rected in  his  jud^^ment  of  the  dimensions  of  the  room  in  which 
they  were  assembled  ;  and  in  this  respect  he  determined  with 
such  a  degree  of  accuracy,  as  seldom  to  be  mistaken.  His 
memory  was  singularly  retentive  ;  so  that  he  was  capable  ol 
recognizing  a  person  on  his  first  speaking,  though  he  had  not 
been  in  company  with  him  for  two  years.  He  determined 
with  surprising  exactness  the  stature  of  those  with  whom  he 
conversed,  by  the  direction  of  their  voices;  and  he  made 
tolerable  conjectures  concerning  their  dispositions,  by  the 
manner  in  which  they  conducted  their  conversation.  His 
eyes,  though  he  never  recollected  having  seen,  were  not 
totally  insensible  to  intense  light :  but  the  rays  refracted 
through  a  prism,  when  sufficiently  vivid,  produced  distinguish- 
able efiects  upon  them.  The  red  produced  a  disagreeable 
sensation,  which  he  compared  to  the  touch  of  a  saw.  As  the 
colours  declined  in  violence,  the  harshness  lessened,  until  the 
green  afforded  a  sensation  that  was  highly  pleasing  to  liim, 
and  which  he  described  as  conveying  an  idea  similar  to  that 
which  he  gained  by  running  his  hand  over  smooth  polished 
surfaces.  Such  surfaces,  meandering  streams,  and  gentle  de- 
clivities, were  the  figures  by  which  he  expressed  his  ideas  of 
beauty;  rugged  rocks,  irregular  points,  and  boisterous  ele- 
ments, furnished  him  with  expressions  for  terror  and  disgust. 


ACQUISITIONS    MADE    BY    BLIND    PERSONS.  51 

He  excelled  In  the  charms  of  conversation  ;  was  happy  in  his 
allusions  to  visual  objects,  and  discoursed  on  the  nature, 
composition,  and  beauty  of  colours,  with  pertinence  and  pre- 
cision. 

This  instance,  and  some  others  which  have  occurred,  seem 
to  furnish  a  presumption,  ^^^^nt  the  feeling  or  touch  of  blind 
persons  may  be  so  improved  as  to  enable  them  to  perceive 
that  texture  and  disposition  of  coloured  surfaces  by  which 
some  rays  of  light  are  reflected,  and  others  absorbed;  and  in 
this  manner  to  distinguish  colours 

In  music,  there  are  at  present  living  instances  of  how  far 
the  blind  may  proceed.  In  former  periods  we  shall  find  illus- 
trious exam])les,  how  amply  nature  has  capacitated  the  blind 
to  excel,  both  in  the  scientific  and  practical  departments  of 
music. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the  progress  of  improve 
mentboth  in  melody  and  harmony  was  rapid  and  conspicuous, 
Francis  Salinas  was  eminently  distinguished.  lie  was 
born  A.  D.  1513,  at  Burgos  in  Spain;  and  was  son  to  the 
treasurer  of  that  city.  Though  afflicted  with  incurable  blind- 
ness, he  was  profoundly  skilled  both  in  the  theory  and  prac- 
tice of  music.  As  a  performer,  he  is  celebrated  by  his  con- 
temporaries with  the  highest  encomiums.  As  a  theorist,  Sir 
John  Hawkins  says,  his  book  is  equal  in  value  to  any  novw 
extant  in  any  language.  Though  he  was  deprived  of  sight  in 
his  earliest  infancy,  he  did  not  content  himself  to  delineate 
the  various  phenomena  in  music,  but  the  principles  from 
whence  they  result,  the  relations  of  sound,  the  nature  of 
arithmetical,  geometrical,  and  harmonical  ratios,  which  were 
fhen  esteemed  essential  to  the  theory  of  music,  with  a  degree 
of  intelligence  which  would  have  deserved  admiration,  though 
he  had  been  in  full  possession  of  every  sense  requisite  for 
these  disquisitions.  He  was  taken  to  Rome  in  the  retinue  of 
Petrus  Sarmentus,  archbishop  of  Compostella,  and  having 
passed  twenty  years  in  Italy,  he  returned  to  Salamanca,  where 
he  obtained  the  professorship  of  music,  an  office  at  that  time 
equally  respectable  and  lucrative.  Having  discharged  it  with 
reputation  and  success  for  some  time,  he  died  at  the  venerable 
age  of  seventy-seven. 

In  the  same  period  flourished  Caspar  Crumbhom,  blind 
from  the  third  year  of  his  age ;  yet  he  composed  several 
pieces  in  many  parts  with  so  much  success,  and  performed 
both  upon  the  flute  and  violin  so  exquisitely,  that  he  was  dis- 
tinguished by  Augustus,  elector  of  Saxony.  But  preferring 
his  native  country,  Silesia,  to  every  other,  he  returned  to  it, 
and  was  appoir  ted  organist  of  the  church  of  St.  Peter  and 
Paul  in  Lignitz  where  he  had  often  the  direction  of  the  mu- 
sical college,  and  died  June  11,  1621. 


62  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING      MAN. 

To  these  might  be  added  Martin  Pesenti  of  Venice,  d 
composer  of  vocal  and  instrumental  music  almost  of  all  kinds, 
though  blind  from  his  nativity  ;  with  other  examples  equally 
worthy  of  public  attention.  But  if  vulgar  prejudice  is  capable 
of  blushing  at  its  own  contemptible  character,  or  of  yielding 
to  conviction,  those  already  quoted  are  more  than  sufficient 
to  shew  the  musical  jugglers  of  our  time  that  their  art  is  no 
monopoly,  with  which  those  alone  who  see  are  invested,  by 
the  irrevocable  decree  of  heaven. 

In  the  Annual  I{eo;ister  for  1762,  the  followino-  narrative  of 
the  surprismg  acquisitions  of  a  blind  lady  is  inserted.  "  A 
young  gentlewoman  of  a  good  family  in  France,  now  in  her 
eighteenth  year,  lost  her  sight  when  only  two  years  old,  her 
mother  having  been  advised  to  lay  some  pigeon's  blood  on 
her  eyes,  to  preserve  them  in  the  small-pox  ;  whereas,  so  far 
from  answering  the  end,  it  eat  into  them.  Nature,  however, 
may  be  said  to  have  compensated  for  the  unhappy  mistake, 
by  beauty  of  person,  sweetness  of  temper,  vivacity  of  genius, 
quickness  of  conception,  and  many  talents  which  certainly 
much  alleviate  her  misfortune.  She  plays  at  cards  v;ith  the 
same  readiness  as  others  of  the  party.  She  first  prepares  the 
pack  allotted  to  her,  by  pricking  them  in  several  parts;  yet 
so  imperceptibly,  that  the  closest  inspection  can  scarce  dis- 
cern her  indexes  :  she  sorts  the  suits,  and  arranges  the  cards 
in  their  proper  sequence,  with  the  same  precision,  and  nearly 
the  same  facility,  as  they  who  have  their  sight.  All  she  re- 
quires of  those  who  play  with  her,  is  to  name  every  card  as  it 
is  played  ;  and  these  she  retains  so  exactly,  that  she  frequently 
performs  some  notable  strokes,  such  as  shew  a  great  combina- 
tion and  strong  memory.  The  most  wonderful  circumstance 
is,  that  she  should  have  learned  to  read  and  write ;  but  even 
this  is  readily  believed  on  knowing  her  method.  In  writing 
to  her,  no  ink  is  used,  but  the  letters  are  pricked  down  on 
the  paper,  and  by  the  delicacy  of  her  touch,  feeling  each  letter, 
she  follows  them  successively,  and  reads  every  word  with  her 
finger  ends.  She  herself  in  writing  makes  use  of  a  pencil,  as 
she  could  not  know  when  her  pen  was  dry ;  her  guide  on  the 
paper  is  a  small  thin  ruler,  and  of  the  breadth  of  the  writing. 
On  finishing  a  letter,  she  wets  it,  so  as  to  fix  the  traces  of  her 
pencil,  that  they  are  not  obscured  or  effaced;  then  proceeds 
to  fold  and  seal  it,  and  write  the  direction  ;  all  by  her  own 
address,  and  without  the  assistance  of  any  other  person.  Her 
writing  is  very  straight,  well  cut,  and  the  spelling  no  less 
correct.  To  reach  this  singular  mechanism,  the  indefatigable 
cares  of  her  affectionate  mother  were  long  employed,  who  ac- 
customed her  daughter  to  feel  letters  cut  in  cards  of  paste- 
board, brought  her  to  distinguish  an  A  from  a  B,  and  thus 
the  whole  alphabet,  and  afterwards  to  spell  words;  then,  by 


PERFORMANCES    OF    A    BLIND    FEMALE.  53 

the  remembrance  of  the  shape  of  the  letters,  to  delineate  them 
on  paper;  and,  lastly,  to  arrange  them  so  as  to  form  words 
and  sentences.  She  has  learned  to  play  on  the  guitar,  and 
has  even  contrived  a  way  of  pricking  down  the  tunes,  as  an 
assistance  to  her  memory.  So  delicate  are  her  organs,  that 
in  singing  a  tune,  though  new  to  her,  she  is  able  to  name  the 
notes.  In  figured  dances  she  acquits  herself  extremely  well, 
and  in  a  minuet,  with  inimitable  ease  and  gracefulness.  As 
for  the  works  of  her  sex,  she  has  a  masterly  hand ;  she 
sews  and  hems  perfectly  well ;  and  in  all  her  works  she 
threads  her  needles  for  herself,  however  small.  By  the 
watch  her  touch  never  fails  telling  her  exactly  the  hour  and 
minute. 

Diderot  gives  a  very  curious  account  of  a  blind  lady.  It 
is  so  remarkable,  that  we  shall  distinguish  it  by  the  separate 
title  of  Wonderful  Performances  of  a  Female,  Blind 

ALMOST   from    InFANCY. 

The  name  of  this  remarkable  person  was.  Mademoiselle 
Melanie  de  Salignac,  a  young  lady,  who  had  been  blind  al- 
most from  her  birth.  Her  feeling,  hearing,  and  smell,  were 
exquisite.  She  could  distinguish,  by  the  impression  of  the 
air,  whether  it  was  fine  or  cloudy,  whether  she  was  in  an 
open  place  or  a  street,  and  whether  the  street  was  open  at 
the  end; — also,  whether  she  was  in  a  room  or  not,  and  of  what 
size  it  was.  Having  once  gone  over  a  house,  she  became  so 
well  acquainted  with  the  ditrerent  parts,  as  to  be  able  to  warn 
others  of  any  danger  they  were  exposed  to,  by  the  existence 
of  a  step,  or  the  lowness  of  a  door.  She  could  thread  the 
smallest  needle,  with  the  greatest  dexterity;  and  could  ex- 
ecute every  sort  of  needle-work.  She  played  very  well  at 
many  games  at  cards,  which  she  distinguished  by  some  little 
mark,  known  to  herself  by  the  touch,  but  imperceptible  to 
the  sight  of  any  other  person.  She  had  learnt,  and  under- 
stood very  well,  music,  geography,  geometry,  and  dancing. 
She  was,  indeed,  extremely  clever;  what  made  her  more  in- 
teresting, she  was  modest,  mild,  cheerful,  and  affectionate. 
She  wrote  with  a  pin,  by  pricking  a  sheet  of  paper,  stretched 
on  a  frame,  and  read  what  she  had  written,  by  feeling  the  pin- 
marks  on  the  other  side  of  the  paper.  She  could  read  a 
book,  printed  on  one  side  only;  some  were  printed  expressly 
for  her,  in  this  manner.  In  a  piece  of  twelve  or  fifteen  lines, 
if  the  number  of  letters  in  each  word,  together  with  the  letter 
which  it  began  with,  was  given  her,  she  could  tell  every  word, 
however  oddly  composed.  "  This  fact,"  says  Diderot,  "  was 
attested  by  every  one  of  her  family,  by  myself,  and  twenty 
other  persons,  still  alive.  She  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Madame  de  Blacy,  a  woman  distin- 


54  CURIOSITIES    KESPECTING    MAN. 

guished  fen  the  eminence  of  her  moral  qualities,"  and  moving 
•'n  a  respectable  sphere  of  life. — See  Grimns  Memoirs. 

We  now  proceed  to  detail  the  following  Wonderful  In- 
stances OF  Adroitness  of  Persons  born  defective  in 
THEIR  Limbs. 

Several  instances  of  such  births  have  occurred,  and  the 
wonderful  acquirements  of  persons  thus  maimed  by  nature 
have  often  been  the  subject  of  public  astonishment,  and 
proved  a  source  of  gain  to  themselves  or  their  relations. 

Giraldus  Cambriensis  speaks  of  a  young  woman  born  with- 
out arms,  whom  he  saw  at  Chester,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  IL 
He  mentions  her  working  very  dexterously  with  her  needle.  ■ 

Stowe  gives  an  account  of  a  Dutchman  born  without  arms, 
who  in  1581,  exhibited  surprising  feats  of  activity  in  London; 
such  as  flourishing  with  a  rapier,  shooting  an  arrow  near  a 
mark,  8tc. 

Buiwer,  iii  his  Artificial  Changeling,  speaks  of  John 
Simons,  a  native  of  Berkshire,  born  without  arms  or  hands, 
who  could  write  with  his  mouth;  thread  a  needle  ;  tie  a  knot; 
shuffle,  cut,  and  deal  a  pack  of  cards,  &c.  He  was  shewn  in 
public  in  1653. 

John  Sear,  a  Spaniard,  born  without  arms,  was  shewn  in 
London  in  King  William's  reign,  who  could  comb  and  shave 
himself,  fill  a  glass,  thread  a  needle,  embroider,  write  six 
sorts  of  hands,  and  play  on  several  instruments  of  music. 

Matthew  Buckinger,  a  German,  born  without  arms  or  legs, 
who  came  to  England,  wrote  a  good  hand,  (many  specimens 
of  which  are  extant,)  and  performed  several  wonderful  feats 
He  died  in  1722,  aged  forty-eight.  ^iJ    iy.jii.ini< 

Thomas  Pinnington,  a  native  of  Liverpool,  born:- without 
legs  or  arms,  performed  much  the  same  feats  as  Sear,  in  1744, 
and  several  years  ensuing;  since  which,  a  Miss  Hawtin,  from 
Coventry,  born  without  arms,  and  others  whose  names  have 
not  been  mentioned,  have  exhibited  themselves  at  Bartho- 
lomew Fair  and  other  places. 

Thomas  Inglefield,  born  without  arms  or  legs,  at  Hook,  in 
Hampshire,  (anno  1769)  died  a  few  years  ago  in  London.  He 
was  not  publicly  shewn,  but  got  his  bread  by  writing  and 
drawing.  There  are  two  portraits  of  him,  one  of  which  was 
etched  by  himself. 

There  was,  a  short  time  since,  a  farmer  living  at  Ditch-heat 
in  Somersetshire,  born  without  arms, — William  Kingston,  of 
whom  frequent  mention  has  been  made  in  tiie  public  papers. 
He  surpasses,  according  to  accounts  which  seem  very  well 
attested,  all  that  have  been  yet  spoken  of. 

The  following  account  was  given  a  few  years  since,  in  the 
papers,  by  a  person  who  visited  him.     *'  In  order  to  give  the 


ADROITNESS    OF    PERSONS    BORN    LAME.  55 

public  a  satisfactory  account  of  William  Kingston,"  says  thu 
writer,  "  1  went  to  Ditcheat,  and  the  next  morning  got  him  to 
breakfast  with  me  at  Mrs.  Goodfellow's,  and  had  ocular  proof 
of  his  dexterity.  He  highly  entertained  us  at  breakfast,  by 
putting  his  half-naked  feet  upon  the  table  as  he  sat,  and  car- 
ryino-  his  tea  and  toast  between  his  great  and  second  toe  to 
his  mouth,  with  as  much  facility  as  if  his  foot  had  been  a  hand, 
and  his  toes  fingers.  I  put  half  a  sheet  of  paper  upon  the 
floor,  with  a  pen  and  ink-horn.  He  threw  off  his  shoes  as  he 
sat,  took  the  ink-horn  in  the  toes  of  his  left  foot,  and  held  the 
pen  in  those  of  his  right.  He  then  wrote  three  lines  as  well 
as  most  ordinary  writers,  and  as  swiftly.  He  writes  all  his 
own  bills  and  other  accounts.  He  then  shewed  me  how  he 
shaves  himself  with  the  razor  in  his  toes  ;  and  he  can  comb 
his  own  hair.  He  can  dress  and  undress  himself,  except  but- 
toning his  clothes.  He  feeds  himself,  and  can  bring  both  his 
meat  or  his  broth  to  his  mouth,  by  holding  the  fork  or  spoon 
in  his  toes.  He  cleans  his  own  shoes,  lights  the  fire,  and 
does  almost  any  domestic  business  as  well  as  any  other  man. 
He  can  make  hen-coops.  He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  can  milk  his  cows  with  his  toes,  and  cuts  his  own  hay, 
binds  it  up  in  bundles,  and  carries  it  about  the  field  for  his 
cattle.  Last  winter  he  had  eight  heifers  constantly  to  fodder. 
The  last  summer  he  made  all  his  hay-ricks.  He  can  do  all  the 
business  of  the  hay-field  (except  mowing)  as  fast  and  as  well 
with  his  feet  as  others  can  with  rakes  and  forks.  He  goes  to 
the  field,  and  catches  his  horse.  He  saddles  and  bridles  him 
with  his  teeth  and  toes.  If  he  has  a  sheep  among  his  flock 
that  ails  any  thing,  he  can  separate  it  from  the  rest,  and  drive 
it  into  a  corner  when  nobody  else  can :  he  then  examines  it, 
and  applies  a  remedy  to  it.  He  is  so  strong  in  his  teeth,  that 
he  can  lift  ten  pecks  of  beans  with  them.  He  can  throw  a 
gre-at  sledge-hammer  as  far  with  his  feet,  as  other  men  can 
with  their  hands.  In  a  word,  he  can  nearly  do  as  much  with- 
out as  others  can  with  their  arms. 

"He  began  the  world  with  a  hen  and  chickens.  With  the 
profit  on  these  he  procured  a  ewe  The  sale  of  these  pro- 
cured a  ragged  colt  (as  he  termed  it)  and  a  sheep,  and  he 
now  occupies  a  small  farm." 

"  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention."  This  proverb  was 
never  n.ore  fully  exemplified  than  in  the  cases  above  men- 
tioned Habit,  early  acquired  and  long  practised,  may  render 
the  toes  almost  as  useful  as  the  fingers :  the  lips  are  also  en- 
dued with  acute  feeling  and  great  flexibility,  and  may  become 
powerful  tssistants  where  the  hands  are  wanting.  One  lesson, 
at  least,  may  be  taught  by  this  maimed  tribe  : — that  few 
things  are  so  diflScult,  that  they  cannot  be  acquired  by  per- 
severance end  application. 


«>0  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MA>f 

While  some  persons  are  noted  for  their  extraordinary  and 
wonderfid  faculties,  others  are  remarkable  for  defects  in  na- 
tural capacities.  The  reader  will  feel  interested  in  the  follow- 
ing Curious  Account  of  Incapacity  of  distinguishing 
Colours. 

Of  this  extraordinary  defect  in  vision,  Ave  have  the  following 
instances  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  1777.  One  of 
the  persons  lived  at  Maryport  in  Cumberland.  The  account 
was  communicated  by  Mr.  Huddart  to  Dr.  Priestley;  and  is 
as  follows: — "His  name  was  Harris;  by  trade  a  shoe-maker. 
I  had  often  heard  from  others  that  he  could  discern  the  form 
and  magnitude  of  all  objects  very  distinctly,  but  could  not 
distinguish  colours.  This  report  had  excited  my  curiosity  ;  I 
conversed  with  him  frequently  on  the  subject.  The  account 
he  gave  was  this  :  That  he  had  reason  to  believe  other  persons 
saw  something  in  objects  which  he  could  not  see  :  that  their 
language  seemed  to  mark  qualities  with  precision  and  con- 
fidence, which  he  could  only  guess  at  with  hesitation,  and 
frequently  with  error.  His  first  suspicion  of  this  arose  when 
he  was  about  four  years  old.  Having  by  accident  found  in 
the  street,  a  child's  stockino-,  he  carried  it  to  a  neii>hbourino; 
house  to  inquire  for  the  owner:  he  observed  the  people  called 
it  a  red  stockino-  thouoh  he  did  not  understand  why  thev 
gave  it  that  denomination,  as  he  himself  thought  it  completely 
described  by  being  called  a  stocking.  This  circumstance, 
however,  remained  in  his  memory,  and  together  with  subse- 
quent observations,  led  him  to  the  knowledge  of  this  defect. 
He  also  observed,  that  when  young,  other  children  could  dis- 
cern cherries  on  a  tree  by  some  pretended  difi'erence  of  colour, 
though  he  could  only  distinguish  them  from  the  leaves,  by  the 
difi'erence  of  their  size  and  shape.  He  observed  also,  that  by 
means  of  this  difi'erence  of  colour  they  could  see  the  cherries 
atapreater  distance  than  he  could,  thou<rh  he  could  see  other 
objects  at  as  great  a  distance  as  they,  that  is,  where  the  sight 
was  not  assisted  by  the  colour.  Large  objects  he  could  see 
as  well  as  other  persons;  and  even  the  smaller  ones,  if  they 
were  not  enveloped  in  other  things,  as  in  the  case  of  cherries 
among  the  leaves.  I  believe  he  could  never  do  more  than 
guess  the  name  of  any  colour  ;  yet  he  could  distinguish  white 
from  black,  or  black  from  any  light  or  bright  colour.  Dove 
or  straw  colour  he  called  ichite,  and  diff'erent  colours  he  fre- 
quently called  by  the  same  name;  yet  he  could  discern  a  dif- 
ference between  them  when  placed  together.  In  general, 
colours  of  an  equal  degree  of  brightness,  however  they  might 
otherwise  differ,  he  confounded  together.  Yet  a  striped 
ribbon  he  could  distinguish  from  a  plain  one  ;  but  he  could 
not  tell  what  the  colours  were  with  any  tolerable  fxactness 
Dark  colours,  in  general,  he  often  mistook  for  black ;  bui 


INCAPACITY    OF    DISTINGUISHING    COLOURS.  57 

never  imagined  white  to  be  a  dark  colour,  nor  dark  to  be  a 
white  colour.  He  was  an  intelligent  man,  and  very  desirous 
of  understanding;  the  nature  of  lioht  and  colours,  for  which 
end  he  had  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in  natural  philosophy. 
He  had  two  brothers  in  the  same  circumstances  as  to  sight ; 
and  two  others  (brothers  and  sisters)  who,  as  well  as  their 
parents,  had  nothing  of  this  defect.  One  of  the  first  men- 
tioned brothers,  who  is  now  living,  I  met  with  at  Dublin,  and 
wished  to  try  his  capacity  to  distinguish  the  colours  in  a 
prism ;  but  not  having  one  by  me,  I  asked  him,  whether  he 
had  ever  seen  a  rainbow?  he  replied,  he  had  often;  and  could 
distinguish  the  different  colours ;  meaning  only,  that  it  was 
composed  of  different  colours,  for  he  could  not  tell  what  they 
were.  I  then  procured,  and  shewed  him  a  piece  of  ribbon: 
he  immediately,  and  without  any  difficulty,  pronounced  it  a 
striped,  and  not  a  plain,  ribbon.  He  then  attempted  to  name 
the  diiierent  stripes  :  the  several  stripes  of  white  he  uniformly, 
and  without  hesitation,  called  white  :  the  four  black  stripes 
he  was  deceived  in ;  for  three  of  them  he  thought  brown, 
though  they  were  exactly  of  the  same  shade  with  the  other, 
which  he  properly  called  black.  He  spoke,  however,  with 
diffidence,  as  to  all  those  stripes;  and  it  must  be  owned,  that 
tlie  black  was  not  very  distinct :  the  light  green  he  called 
yellow;  but  he  was  not  very  positive:  he  said,  "  I  think  this 
wiiat  you  call  yellow."  The  middle  stripe,  which  had  a  slight 
tinge  of  red,  he  called  a  sort  of  blue.  But  he  was  most  of  all 
deceived  by  the  orange  colour:  of  this  he  spoke  very  con- 
fidently, saying,  "  This  is  the  colour  of  grass,  this  is  green." 
I  also  shewed  him  a  great  variety  of  ribbons,  the  colour  of 
which  he  sometimes  named  rightly,  and  sometimes  as  dif- 
ferently as  possible  from  the  true  colour.  I  asked  him,  whe- 
ther he  imagined  it  possible  for  all  the  various  colours  he  saw 
to  be  mere  difference  of  light  and  shade;  and  that  all  colours 
could  be  composed  of  these  two  mixtures  only  ?  With  some 
hesitation  he  replied.  No,  he  did  imagine  there  v/as  some 
other  difference.  It  is  proper  to  add,  that  the  experiment  of 
the  striped  ribbon  was  made  in  the  day-time,  and  in  a  good 
light." 

Incredible  as  the  above  phenomena  may  appear,  we  can 
add  the  following  fact  in  confirmation  of  them,  from  personal 
inowledge.  There  is  a  gentleman  now  living  in  Edinburgh, 
whose  optical  nerves  have  laboured  under  a  defect  perfectly 
similar,  since  his  infancy;  but  whose  powers  of  vision  are  in 
other  respects  so  much  superior  to  those  of  most  other  people, 
that  he  draws  the  most  striking  likenesses,  being  a  limner  by 
profession,  and  requires  for  this  purpose  only  once  to  see  the 
person  whose  portrait  is  intended  to  be  drawn,  scarcely  de- 
siring a  single  sitting,  much  less  repeated  visiting;.     And  what 

3.  H 


68  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

is  still  more  extraordinary,  he  can,  from  such  a  momentar* 
glance,  retain  the  idea  of  the  features,  and  even  the  gait  and 
manner  of  the  person,  for  years  afterwards,  so  exactly  as  to 
be  able  to  finish  either  a  miniature  head,  or  full  portrait,  at 
that  distant  period,  as  well  as  if  the  person  were  present. 
His  friends,  incredulous  of  this  phenomenon,  have,  by  placing 
his  colours  out  of  the  order  in  which  he  keeps  them,  some- 
times made  him  give  a  gentleman  a  green  beard,  and  paint  a 
beautiful  young  lady  with  a  pair  of  biue  cheeks. 

We  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  a  very  remarkable 
acquirement  of  man,  called  Ventriloquism. 

This  is  an  art  of  speaking,  by  means  of  which  the  human 
voice  and  other  sounds  are  rendered  audible,  as  if  they  pro- 
ceeded from  several  ditferent  places;  though  the  utt.erer  does 
not  change  his  place,  and  in  many  instances  does  not  appear 
to  speak.  It  has  been  supposed  to  be  a  natural  peculiarity; 
because  few,  if  any  persons,  have  learned  it  by  being  taught, 
and  we  have  had  no  rules  laid  down  for  acquiring  it.  It 
seems  to  have  been  in  consequence  of  this  notion,  that  the 
name  '  Ventriloquism'  has  been  applied  to  it,  from  a  suppo- 
sition that  the  voice  proceeds  from  the  thorax  or  chest.  It 
has  seldom  been  practised  but  by  persons  of  the  lower  classes 
of  society;  and  as  it  does  not  seem  to  present  any  advantages 
beyond  that  of  causing  surprise  and  entertainment,  and  can- 
not be  exhibited  on  an  extended  theatre,  the  probability  is, 
that  it  will  continue  amongst  them. 

Mr.  Gouo;h,  in  his  Manchester  Memoirs,  and  in  various 
parts  of  Nicholson's  Journal,  has  entertained  the  opinion  that 
the  voice  of  ventriloquists  is  made  to  proceed,  in  appearance, 
from  different  parts  of  a  room,  by  the  management  of  an  echo. 
But  the  facts  themselves  do  not  support  this  hypothesis,  as  a 
great  and  sudden  variety  and  change  of  echoes  would  be 
required;  and  his  own  judicious  remarks,  in  the  same  work, 
on  the  facility  with  which  we  are  deceived  as  to  the  direction 
of  sound,  are  adverse  to  his  theory.  From  numerous  atten- 
tive observations,  it  appears  manifest  that  the  art  is  not  pecu- 
liar to  certain  individuals,  but  may  with  facility  be  acquired 
by  any  person  of  accurate  observation.  It  consists  merely  in 
an  imitation  of  sounds,  as  they  occur  in  nature,  accompanied 
with  appropriate  action,  of  such  a  description  as  may  best 
concur  in  leading-  the  minds  of  the  observers  to  favour  the 
deception. 

Any  one  who  shall  try,  will  be  a  little  surprised  to  find  how 
easy  it  is  to  imitate  the  noise  made  by  a  saw,  or  by  a  snuff- 
box when  opened  and  shut,  or  by  a  large  hand-bell,  or  cork- 
cutter's  knife,  a  watch  while  going,  and  numberless  other 
inanimate  objects;  or  the  voices  of  animals,  in  their  various 


VENTRILOQUISM  50 

situations  and  necessities,  such  as  a  cat,  a  dog,  or  an  hen 
enraged,  intimidated,  confined,  Sec;  or  to  vary  the  charactei 
of  the  human  voice  by  shrillness  or  depth  of  tone,  rapidity  oi 
drawling  of  execution,  and  distinctness  or  imperfection  of 
articulation,  which  may  be  instantly  changed  by  holding  the 
mouth  a  little  more  opened  or  more  closed  than  usual,  altering 
the  position  of  the  jaw,  keeping  the  tongue  in  any  determinate 
situation,  &c.  And  every  one  of  the  imitations  of  the  ven- 
triloquist will  be  rendered  more  perfect  by  practising  them  at 
the  very  time  the  sounds  are  heard,  instead  of  depending  on 
the  memory.  The  leading  condition  of  performance  is,  that 
the  voices  and  sounds  of  the  dramatic  dialogue  to  be  ex- 
hibited, should  succeed  each  other  so  rapidly  that  the  audience 
should  lose  sight  of  the  probability  that  one  actor  gives 
effect  to  the  whole,  and  that  where  the  business  is  simple, 
the  aid  of  scenery  or  local  circumstance  should  be  called  in. 

We  have  seen  an  eminent  philosopher  of  our  own  time, 
who  had  no  previous  practice  of  this  art,  but  when  speaking 
on  the  subject  In  a  mixed  company,  took  up  a  hat,  and  folding 
the  flaps  together,  said,  by  way  of  example,  "  Suppose  I  had 
a  small  monkey  in  this  hat ;"  and  then  cautiously  putting  his 
hand  in,  as  if  to  catch  it,  he  imitated  the  chatter  of  the  sup 
posed  struoolino-  animal,  at  the  same  time  that  his  own  efforts 
to  secure  it  had  a  momentary  mipression  on  the  spectators, 
which  left  no  time  to  question  whether  there  was  a  monkey  in 
it  or  not:  this  impression  was  completed  when,  the  instant 
afterwards,  he  pulled  out  his  hand  as  if  hurt,  and  exclaimed, 
"  He  has  bit  me  !"  It  was  not  till  then  that  the  impression  of 
the  reality  gave  way  to  the  diversion  arising  from  the  mimic 
art;  and  one  of  the  company,  even  then,  cried  out,  "  Is  there 
really  a  monkey  in  the  hat?" 

•  In  this  manner  it  was  that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, the  famous  Tom  King,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  man  who  delivered  public  lectures  on  experimental  phi- 
losophy in  the  country,  was  attended  by  the  whole  fashion- 
able world,  for  a  succession  of  many  nights,  to  hear  him 
"  kill  a  calf."  This  performance  was  done  in  a  separated 
part  of  the  place  of  exhibition,  into  which  the  exhibiter  re- 
tired alone ;  and  the  imagination  of  his  polite  hearers  was 
taved  to  supply  the  calf  and  three  butchers,  besides  a  dog 
who  sometimes  raised  his  voice,  and  was  checked  for  his  un- 
necessary exertions.  It  appears,  from  traditional  narrative, 
th;it  the  calf  was  heard  to  be  dragged  in,  not  without  some 
eftbrts  and  conversation  on  the-  part  of  the  butchers,  and 
noisy  resistance  from  the  calf;  that  they  conversed  on  the 
qualities  of  the  animal,  and  the  profits  to  be  expected  from 
the  veal;  and  that,  as  they  proceeded,  all  the  noises  of  knife 
and  steel,  of  suspending  the  creature,  and  of  the  last  fatal 


GO  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

catastrophe,  were  heard  in  rapid  succession,  to  the  never- 
failing  satisfaction  of  the  attendants;  who,  upon  the  rise  of 
the  curtain,  saw  that  all  these  imaginary  personages  had  van- 
ished, and  Tom  King  alone  remained  to  claim  the  applause. 

A  similar  fact  may  be  quoted  in  the  person  of  that  facetious 
gentleman,  who  has  assumed  and  given  celebrity  to  the  name 
of  Peter  Pindar.  This  great  poet,  laughing  at  the  proverbial 
poverty  of  his  profession,  is  sometimes  pleased  to  entertain 
his  friends  with  singular  effusions  of  the  art  we  speak  of. 
One  of  these  is  managed  by  a  messenger  announcing  to  the 
Doctor  (in  the  midst  of  company)  that  a  person  wants  to 
speak  with  him:  he  accordingly  goes  out,  leaving  the  door 
a-jar,  and  immediately  a  female  voice  is  heard,  which,  from 
the  nature  of  the  subject,  appears  to  be  that  of  the  Poet's 
laundress,  who  complains  of  her  pressing  wants,  disappointed 
claims,  and  of  broken  promises  no  longer  to  be  borne  with 
patience.  It  is  more  easy  to  imagine  than  describe  the 
mixed  emotions  of  the  audience.  The  scene,  however,  goes 
on  by  the  Doctor's  reply;  who  remonstrates,  promises,  and  is 
rather  angry  at  the  time  and  place  of  this  unwelcome  visit. 
His  antagonist  unfortunately  is  neither  mollified  nor  disposed 
to  quit  her  ground.  Passion  increases  on  both  sides,  and  the 
Doctor  forgets  himself  so  far  as  to  threaten  the  irritated 
female  ;  she  defies  him,  and  this  last  promise,  very  unlike  the 
former  ones,  is  followed  by  payment;  a  severe  smack  on  the 
face  is  heard  ;  the  poor  woman  falls  down  stairs,  with  horrid 
outcries;  the  company,  of  course,  rises  in  alarm,  and  the 
Doctor  is  found  in  a  state  of  perfect  tranquillity,  apparently  a 
stranger  to  the  whole  transaction. 

A  very  able  ventriloquist,  Fitz-James,  performed  in  public, 
in  Soho-square,  about  four  years  ago.  He  personated  various 
characters  by  appropriate  dresses  ;  and  by  a  command  of  the 
muscles  of  his  face  he  could  very  much  alter  his  appearance. 
He  imitated  many  inanimate  noises,  and  among  others,  a  re- 
petition of  noises  of  the  water  machine  at  Marli.  He  con- 
versed with  some  statues,  which  replied  to  him;  and  also  with 
some  persons  supposed  to  be  in  the  room  above,  and  on  the 
landing-place  ;  gave  the  watchman's  cry,  gradually  approach- 
ing, and  when  he  seemed  opposite  the  window,  Fitz-James 
opened  it  and  asked  what  the  time  was,  received  the  answer, 
and  during  his  proceeding  with  his  cry,  Fitz-James  shut  the 
window,  immediately  upon  which  the  sound  became  weaker, 
and  at  last  insensible.  In  the  whole  of  his  performance,  it 
was  clear  that  the  notions  of  the  audience  were  governed  by 
the  auxiliary  circumstances,  as  to  direction,  &c.  This  mimic 
had,  at  least,  six  different  habitual  modes  of  speaking,  which 
he  could  instantly  adapt  one  after  the  other,  and  with  so 
much  rapidity,  that  when  in  a  small  closet,  parted  off  in  the 


VENTRILOQUISM.  61 

room,  he  gave  a  long,  confused,  and  impassioned  debate  of 
democrats  (in  French,  as  almost  the  whole  of  his  performance 
was;)  it  seemed  to  proceed  from  a  multitude  of  speakers: 
and  an  inaccurate  observer  might  have  thought  that  several 
were  speaking  at  once.  A  ludicrous  scene  of  drawing  a  tooth 
was  performed  in  the  same  manner. 

These  examples,  and  many  more  which  might  be  added, 
are  sufficient,  in  proof  that  ventriloquism  is  the  art  of  mi- 
micry, an  imitation  applied  to  sounds  of  every  description, 
and  attended  with  circumstances  which  produce  an  entertain- 
ing deception,  and  lead  the  hearers  to  imagine  that  the  voice 
proceeds  from  different  situations.  When  distant  low  voices 
are  to  be  imitated,  the  articulation  may  be  given  with  suffi- 
cient distinctness,  without  moving  the  lips,  or  altering  the 
countenance.  It  was  by  a  supposed  supernatural  voice  of 
this  kind,  from  a  ventriloquist,  that  the  famous  musical  small- 
coal  man,  Thomas  Britton,  received  a  warning  of  his  death, 
which  so  greatly  afiected  him,  that  he  did  not  survive  the 
atiright. 

The  following  quotation  from  Richerand's  Physiology  will 
be  sufficient  to  give  the  reader  a  further  idea  of  the  mechanism 
of  this  singular  art.  "At  first,"  says  Richerand,  "  I  had  con 
jectured  that  a  great  portion  of  the  air  driven  out  by  expiration 
did  not  pass  out  by  the  mouth  and  nostrils,  but  was  swallow- 
ed and  carried  into  the  stomach,  reflected  in  some  part  of  the 
digestive  canal,  and  gave  rise  to  a  real  echo  ;  but  after  hav- 
ing attentively  observed  this  curious  phenomenon,  in  Mr. 
Fitz-James,  who  represents  it  in  its  greatest  perfection,  1 
was  enabled  to  convince  myself  that  the  name  ventriloquism 
is  by  no  means  applicable,  since  the  whole  of  its  mechanism 
consists  in  a  slow  gradual  expiration,  drawn  in  such  a  way 
that  the  artist  either  makes  use  of  the  influence  exerted  by 
volition  over  the  muscles  or  parietis  of  the  thorax,  or  that  he 
keeps  the  epiglottis  down  by  the  base  of  the  tongue,  the  apex 
of  which  is  not  carried  beyond  the  dental  arches. 

"He  always  makes  a  strong  inspiration  just  before  this  long 
expiration,  and  thus  conveys  a  considerable  mass  of  air  into 
the  lungs,  the  exit  of  which  he  afterwards  manages  with  such 
address.  Therefore,  repletion  of  the  stomach  greatly  incom- 
modes the  talent  of  Mr.  Fitz-James,  by  preventing  the  dia- 
phiagm  from  descending  sufficiently  to  admit  of  a  dilatation 
of  the  thorax,  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  air  that  the 
lungs  should  receive.  By  accelerating  or  retarding  the  exit 
of  the  air,  he  can  imitate  different  voices,  and  induce  his  au- 
ditors to  a  belief  that  the  interlocutors  of  a  dialogue,  which 
IS  kept  up  by  himself  alone,  are  placed  at  diff'erent  distances; 
and  this  illusion  is  the  more  complete  in  proportion  to  the 
perfection  of  his  peculiar  talent.     No  man  possesses,  to  such 


62  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

a  degree  as  Mr.  Fitz-James,  the  art  of  deceiving  persons  who 
are  least  liable  to  delusion,  he  can  carry  his  execution  to  five 
or  six  ditterent  tones,  pass  rapidly  from  one  to  another,  as  he 
does  when  representing  an  animated  dispute  in  the  midst  of  a 
popular  assembly." 

Some  persons  are  of  opinion  that  the  witch  of  Endor  was  a 
ventriloquist,  and  that  she  practised  this  art  before  King 
Saul,  and  deceived  him  in  the  resurrection  of  Samuel ;  the 
present  writer,  however,  does  not  vouch  for  this  opinion. 

Another  very  extraordinary  acquirement,  and  which  the  prc^ 
sent  writer  has  been  witness  to,  is.  Sword-swallowing. 

This  surprising  act  is  performed  by  the  Indian  Jugglers; 
the  following  account  of  which,  is  extracted  from  Forbes's 
Oriental  Memoirs. 

"  I  have  elsewhere  mentioned  some  feats  of  the  Indian  Jug- 
glers :  at  Zinore  I  saw  one  which  surpassed  every  thing  of  the 
kind  I  had  before  witnessed,  I  mean  the  swallowing  a  sword 
up  to  the  hilt.  Had  I  not  afterwards  met  with  the  same  set 
on  the  island  of  Salsette,  exhibitino-  before  the  English  chief  at 
Tannah,  I  should  have  doubted  the  evidence  of  my  senses.  I 
witnessed  the  fact  more  than  once,  and  am  convinced  there 
was  no  deception.  Finding  my  tale  generally  disbelieved  in 
Europe,  I  suppressed  it ;  but  having  since  read  a  clear  and 
satisfactory  account  of  this  extraordinary  transaction,  drawn 
up  by  Mr.  Johnson,  surgeon  in  the  navy,  who,  in  the  year 
1804,  was  an  eye-witness  of  this  performance,  and  having  de- 
scribed it  as  a  professional  man,  I  shall  transcribe  the  ac- 
count from  his  memoir  ; — 

"  'Having  been  visited  by  one  of  these  conjurers,  I  resjl/ed 
to  see  clearly  his  mode  of  performing  this  operation  ;  and  for 
that  purpose  ordered  him  to  seat  himself  on  the  floor  of  the 
veranda.  The  sword  he  intended  to  use  has  some  resem- 
blance to  a  common  spit  in  shape,  except  at  the  handle, 
which  is  merely  a  part  of  the  blade  itself,  rounded  and  elon- 
gated into  a  little  rod.  It  is  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-six 
inches  in  length,  about  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  about  one- 
fifth  of  an  inch  in  thickness ;  the  edges  and  point  are  blunt, 
being  rounded,  and  of  the  same  thickness  as  the  rest  of  the 
blade;  it  is  of  iron  or  steel,  smooth,  and  a  little  bright. 
Having  satisfied  himself  with  respect  to  the  sword,  by  at- 
tempting to  bend  it ;  and  by  striking  it  against  a  stone,  I 
firmly  grasped  it  by  the  handle,  and  ordered  him  to  proceed. 
He  first  took  a  small  phial  of  oil,  and  with  one  of  his  fingers 
rubbed  a  little  of  it  over  the  surface  of  the  instrument;  then, 
stretching  up  his  neck  as  much  as  possible,  and  bending 
himself  a  little  backwards,  he  introduced  the  point  of  it  into 
his  mouth,  and  pushed  it  gently  down  his  throat,  until  my 


SWORD-SWALLOWING.  63 

hand,  which  was  on  the  handle,  came  in  contact  with  his 
lips.  He  then  made  a  sign  to  me  with  one  of  his  hands,  to 
feel  the  point  of  the  instrument  between  his  breast  and  navel : 
which  I  could  do,  by  bending  him  a  little  more  backwards, 
and  pressing  my  fingers  on  his  stomach,  he  being  a  very  thin 
and  lean  fellow.  On  letting  go  the  handle  of  the  sword,  he 
instantly  fixed  on  it  a  little  machine  that  spun  round,  and  dis- 
engaged a  small  fire-work,  which  encircling  his  head  with  a 
blue  flame,  gave  him,  as  he  then  sat,  a  truly  diabolical  ap- 
pearance. On  withdrawing  the  instrument,  several  parts  of  its 
surface  were  covered  with  blood,  which  shewed  that  he  was 
still  oblioed  to  use  a  degree  of  violence  in  the  introduction. 

"'I  was  at  first  a  good  deal  surprised  at  this  transaction 
altogether;  but  when  I  came  to  reflect  a  little  upon  it,  there 
appeared  nothing  at  all  improbable,  much  less  impossible,  in 
the  business.  He  told  me,  on  giving  him  a  trifle,  that  he  had 
been  accustomed,  from  his  early  years,  to  introduce  at  first 
small  elastic  instruments  down  his  throat,  and  into  his  sto- 
mach ;  that  by  degrees  he  had  used  larger  ones,  until  at 
length  he  was  able  to  use  the  present  iron  sword.'  "  Oriental 
Memoirs,  vol.  ii.  pp.  515 — 517. 

Two  of  these  jugglers  have  lately  visited  England,  and  per- 
formed the  above  exploit,  with  many  others,  almost  equally 
surprising,  to  the  satisfaction  of  crowded  audiences. 

We  may  learn  from  various  instances  in  this  chapter  tho 
value  of  perseverance  ;  this  will  overcome  difficulties,  which 
at  first  appear  insuperable  ;  and  it  is  amazing  to  consider, 
how  great  and  numerous  obstacles  may  be  removed  by  a  con- 
tinual attention  to  any  particular  point.  By  such  attention 
and  perseverance,  what  may  not  man  effect!  Any  man,  unless 
he  be  an  absolute  idiot,  may  by  these  means  raise  himself  to 
excellence  in  some  branch  or  other  ;  and  what  is  best  of  all, 
by  divine  assistance,  and  by  unwearied  and  keen  application, 
he  may  resist  temptation,  conquer  the  evil  principle,  rise 
superior  to  all  the  difficulties  and  trials  of  life,  excel  in  wis- 
dom and  goodness,  and  thus  be  fitted  for  a  better  country, 
when  death  summons  him  away  from  the  present  world. 

Man  must  soar. 

An  obstinate  activity  within, 

An  insu|)pressive  springs,  will  toss  him  up, 

In  spite  of  fortune's  load.     Not  kings  alone, 

Each  villager  has  his  ambition  too; 

No  sultan  prouder  than  his  fetter'd  slave. 

Slaves  build  their  little  Babj  Ions  of  straw, 

Echo  the  proud  Assyrian,  in  their  hearts. 

And  cry — "  Behold  the  wonders  of  my  might  !" 

And  why  ?    Because  immortal  as  their  lord  ; 

And  souls  immortal  must  for  ever  heave 

At  something  great ;  the  glitter,  or  the  gold  ; 

The  praise  of  mortals,  or  the  praise  of  heav'n.  Young. 


04  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN 

CHAP.  IV 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

Instances  of  Extraordinary  Gluttony — Instances  of  Exiraordi- 
narif  Easting — Wo7iders  of  Abstinence — Sleep  Walking — 
Sleeping  Woman  of  Dunninald — Instances  of  Extraordinary 
Dreams — Poetical,  Grammatical,  and  Scientifc  Deaths — 
Anthropophagi,  or  Men- Eaters — Account  of  a  Wild  Man. 

Instances  of  Extraordinary  Gluttoky. 

Habitual  gluttons  may  be  reckoned  among  the  monsters 
of  nature,  and  even  punishable  for  endeavouring  to  bring  a 
famine  into  the  places  where  they  live.  King  James  I.  when 
a  man  was  presented  to  him  who  could  eat  a  whole  sheep  at 
one  meal,  asked,  "  What  work  could  he  do  more  than  an- 
other man  ?"  and  being  answered,  "  He  could  not  do  so 
much,"  said,  "  Hang  him,  then;  for  it  is  unfit  a  man  should 
live,  that  eats  as  much  as  twenty  men,  and  cannot  do  so  much 
as  one." 

The  emperor  Clodius  Albinus  devoured  more  than  a  bushel 
of  apples  at  once.  He  ate  500  figs  to  his  breakfast,  T'^O 
peaches,  10  melons,  201bs.  of  grapes,  100  gnat-snappers,  and 
400  oysters. 

Hardi  Canute,  the  last  of  the  Danish  kings  in  England, 
was  so  great  a  glutton,  that  an  historian  calls  him  Bocca  di 
Porco,  "  Swine's-mouth."  His  tables  were  covered  four  times 
a  day  with  the  most  costly  viands  that  either  the  air,  sea,  or 
land,  could  furnish  ;  and  as  he  lived  he  died  ;  for,  revelling 
at  a  banquet  at  Lambeth,  he  fell  down  dead. 

One  Phagon,  in  the  reign  of  Aurelianus,  at  one  meal,  ate 
a  whole  boar,  100  loaves  of  bread,  a  sheep,  and  a  pig,  and 
drank  above  three  gallons  of  wine. 

One  Mallet,  a  counsellor  at  law,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I. 
ate  at  one  time  a  dinner  provided  in  Westminster  for  30  men. 
His  practice  not  being  sufficient  to  supply  him  with  better 
meat,  he  fed  generally  on  offals,  ox  livers,  hearts,  &c.  He 
lived  to  near  60  years  of  age,  but  during  the  seven  last  years 
of  his  life  ate  as  moderately  as  other  men. 

Among  the  many  accounts  of  extraordinary  eaters,  there 
are,  perhaps,  none  that  have  exceeded  those  of  Nicholas 
Wood,  of  Harrison,  in  Kent,  related  in  Fuller's  Worthies, 
p.  86,  whose  enormous  appetite  appears  to  exceed  all  pro- 
bability. 

He  ate  at  one  meal  a  whole  sheep,  of  sixteen  shillings  price, 
raw;  at  another  time,  thirty  dozen  of  pigeons.  At  Sir  Wil- 
liam  Sidley's,  in  the  same  county,  he  ate  as  much  victuals 


EXTRAORDINARY   FASTING.  66 

as  vrould  have  sufficed  thirty  men.  At  Lord  Wottoa's 
mansion-house,  in  Kent,  he  devoured,  at  one  dinner,  84  rab- 
bits, which,  at  the  rate  of  half  a  rabbit  a  man,  woukl  have 
served  168  men.  He  ate  to  his  breakfast  18  yards  of  black- 
pudding.  He  devoured  at  one  meal  a  whole  hog;  and  after 
It,  being  accommodated  with  fruit,  he  ate  three  pecks  of 
damsons. 

Gluttony  is  a  most  degrading  vice.  Be  sober;  be  tempe- 
rate ;   be  virtuous  ;  for 

Health  consists  with  temperance  alone, 

And  peace,  O  Virtue  !  peace  is  all  thy  own.  Pope. 

We  shall,  with  the  readers  permission,  now  introduce  some 
Extraordinary  Instances  of  Fasting. 

A  full  account  of  a  very  uncommon  case  is  given  in  the 
Phil.  Trans,  vol.  Ixvii.  part  I.  Janet  M'Leod,  an  inhabitant 
in  the  parish  of  Kincardine,  in  Ross-shire,  continued  healthy 
till  she  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  she  had  a  pretty  severe 
epileptic  fit;  after  this  she  had  an  interval  of  health  for  four 
years,  and  then  another  epileptic  fit,  which  continued  a 
whole  day  and  a  night.  A  few  days  afterwards  she  was  seized 
with  a  fever,  which  continued  with  violence  several  weeks, 
and  from  which  she  did  not  perfectly  recover  for  some 
months.  At  this  time  she  lost  the  use  of  her  eyelids  ;  so  that 
she  was  under  the  necessity  of  keeping  them  open  with  the 
fingers  of  one  hand,  whenever  she  wanted  to  look  about  her. 
In  other  respects  she  continued  in  pretty  good  health  ;  only 
she  periodically  spit  up  blood  in  pretty  large  quantities,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  flowed  from  the  nose.  This  discharge 
continued  several  years  ;  but  at  last  it  ceased;  and  soon  after 
she  had  a  third  epileptic  fit,  and  after  that  a  fever,  from 
which  she  recovered  slowly.  Six  weeks  after  the  crisis,  she 
stole  out  of  the  house  unknown  to  her  parents,  who  were 
busied  in  their  harvest  work,  and  bound  the  sheaves  of  a 
ridge  before  she  was  observed.  In  the  evening  she  took  to 
her  bed,  complaining  much  of  her  heart  (probably  meaning 
her  stomach)  and  her  head.  From  that  time  she  never  rose 
for  five  years,  but  was  occasionally  lifted  out  of  bed.  She 
seldom  spoke  a  word,  and  took  so  "little  food,  that  it  seemed 
scarcely  sufficient  to  support  a  sucking  infant.  Even  this 
small  quantity  was  taken  by  compulsion ;  and  at  last,  about 
Whitsunday,  1763,  she  totally  refused  every  kind  of  food  or 
drink.  Her  jaws  now  became  so  fast  locked,  that  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  her  father  was  able  to  open  her  teeth  a 
little,  in  order  to  admit  a  small  quantity  oi  gruel  or  whey; 
but  of  this  so  much  generally  run  out  at  the  corners  of  her 
mouth,  that  they  could  not  be  sensible  any  had  been  swal- 

3  I 


66  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

fowed.  About  this  time  they  got  some  water  from  a  noted 
medical  sprin'j;  in  Brae-Mar,  some  of  which  they  attempted  to 
make  her  swallow,  but  without  effect.  They  continued  their 
trials,  however,  for  three  mornings ;  rubbing  her  throat  with 
the  water  which  ran  out  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth.  On  the 
third  morning,  during  the  operation,  she  cried  out,  "  Give 
me  more  water  ;  and  swallowed  with  ease  all  that  remained 
in  the  bottle.  She  spoke  no  more  intelligibly  for  a  year, 
though  she  continued  to  mutter  some  words,  for  14  days, 
which  her  parents  only  understood.  She  continued  to  reject 
all  kinds  of  food  and  drink  till  July,  1765.  At  this  time  her 
sister  thought,  by  some  signs  she  made,  that  she  wanted  her 
jaws  opened  ;  and  this  being  done,  not  without  violence,  she 
called  intelligibly  for  some  liquid,  and  drank  with  ease  about 
an  English  pint  of  water.  Her  father  then  asked  why  she 
would  not  make  some  signs  when  she  wanted  to  drink?  To 
which  she  answered, — why  should  she,  when  she  had  no  desire? 
It  was  now  supposed  that  she  had  regained  the  faculty  of 
speech  ;  and  her  jaws  were  kept  open  for  about  three  weeks, 
by  means  of  a  wedge.  But  in  four  or  five  days  she  became 
totally  silent,  and  the  wedge  was  removed,  because  it  made 
her  lips  sore.  She  still,  however,  continued  sensible;  and 
when  her  eyelids  were  opened,  knew  every  body.  This 
could  be  guessed  from  the  signs  she  made.  By  continuing 
their  attempts  to  force  open  her  jaws,  two  of  the  under  fore 
teeth  were  driven  out ;  and  of  this  opening  her  parents  endea- 
voured to  avail  themselves,  by  putting  some  thin  nourishing 
drink  into  her  mouth,  but  without  effect,  as  it  always  returned 
by  the  corners.  Sometimes  they  thought  of  thrusting  a  little 
dough  of  oatmeal  through  this  gap  of  the  teeth,  which  she 
would  retain  a  few  seconds,  and  then  return  with  something 
like  a  straining  to  vomit,  without  one  particle  going  down. 
Nor  were  the  family  sensible  of  any  thing  like  swallowing  for 
four  years,  excepting  the  small  draught  of  Brae-Mar  water, 
and  an  English  pint  of  common  water.  For  the  last  three 
years  she  had  no  natural  discharge,  except  that  once  or  twice 
a  week  she  passed  a  few  drops  of  water. 

In  this  situation  she  was  visited  by  Dr.  Mackenzie,  who 
communicated  the  account  to  the  Royal  Society.  He  found 
her  not  at  all  emaciated  ;  her  knees  were  bent,  and  the  ham- 
strings tight,  so  that  her  heels  were  drawn  up  behind  her 
body.  She  slept  much,  and  was  very  quiet ;  but  when  awake, 
kept  a  constant  whimpering  like  a  new-born  weakly  infant. 
She  never  cotdd  remain  a  moment  on  her  back,  but  always 
fell  to  one  side  or  another;  and  her  chin  was  drawn  close  to 
her  breast,  nor  could  it  by  any  force  be  moved  backwards. 
The  Doctor  paid  his  first  visit  in  October,  1767  ;  and  five 
years  afterwards,  viz,  in  October,    1772,  was  induced  to  pay 


WONDERS  OF   ABSTINENCE.  67 

her  a  second  visit,  by  hearinof  that  she  was  recovering,  and 
had  begun  to  eat  and  drink.  The  account  given  him  was  m  s* 
extraordinary. 

Her  parents  one  day  returning  from  their  country  labours, 
(having  left  their  daughter  fixed  to  her  bed  as  usual,)  were 
greatly  surprised  to  find  her  sitting  upon  her  hams,  in  a  part 
of  the  house  opposite  to  her  bed-place,  spinning  with  hei 
mother's  distaff".  All  the  food  she  took  at  that  time  was  only 
to  crumble  a  little  oat  or  barley  cake  in  the  palm  of  her  hand, 
as  if  to  feed  a  chicken.  She  put  little  crumbs  of  this  into  the 
gap  of  her  teeth ;  rolled  them  about  for  some  time  in  her 
mouth  ;  and  then  sucked  out  of  the  p'^bn  of  her  hand  a  little 
water,  whey,  or  milk  ;  and  this  only  once  or  twice  a  day, 
and  even  that  by  compulsion.  She  never  attempted  to  speak; 
her  jaws  were  fast  locked,  and  her  eyes  shut.  On  opening 
her  eyelids,  the  balls  were  found  to  be  turned  up  under  the 
edge  of  the  os  frontis ;  her  countenance  was  ghastly,  her 
complexion  pale,  and  her  whole  person  emaciated.  She 
seemed  sensible  and  tractable,  except  in  taking  food.  Thiy 
she  did  with  the  utmost  reluctance,  and  even  cried  before  she 
yielded.  The  great  change  of  her  looks,  Dr.  Mackenzie  attri 
buted  to  her  spinning  flax  on  the  distaff",  which  exhausted  too 
much  of  the  saliva;  and  therefore  he  recommended  to  heir 
parents  to  confine  her  totally  to  the  spinning  of  wool.  In 
1775,  she  was  visited  again,  and  found  to  be  greatly  improved 
in  her  looks  as  well  as  strength  ;  her  food  was  also  consider- 
ably increased  in  quantity;  though  even  then  she  did  not 
take  more  than  would  be  sufficient  to  sustain  an  infant  of  two 
years  of  age. 

In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  for  1789,  p.  1211,  is  recorded 
the  death  of  one  Caleb  Elliot,  a  visionary  enthusiast,  who 
meant  to  have  fasted  40  days,  and  actually  survived  16  with- 
out food,  having  obstinately  refused  sustenance  of  every 
kind. 

At  the  same  time  that  we  should  guard  against  supersti- 
tious fasting,  we  should  be  cautious  not  to  transgress  the 
bounds  of  temperance.  Occas'onal  abstinence  is  useful  and 
praiseworthy,  and  we  shall  now  give  some  instances  of  The 
Wonders  of  Abstinence. 

Many  wonders  are  related  of  the  effects  of  abstinence,  in 
the  cure  of  several  disorders,  and  in  protracting  the  term  of 
life.  The  noble  Venetian,  Cornaro,  after  all  imaginable 
means  had  proved  vain,  so  that  his  life  was  despaired  of  at 
40,  recovered,  and  lived  to  near  100,  by  mere  dint  of  absti- 
nence ;  as  he  himself  gives  account.  It  is  indeed  surprising; 
to  what  a  great  age  the  primitive  Christians  of  the  East,  who 
retired  from  the  persecutions  into  the  deserts  of  Arabia  and 


68  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

Egypt,  lived,  healthful  and  cheerful,  on  a  very  little  food. 
Cassian  assures  us,  that  the  common  rate  for  24  hours  was  12 
ounces  of  bread,  and  mere  water  ;  with  this,  St.  Anthony  lived 
105  years;  James  the  hermit,  104;  Arsenius,  tutor  of  the 
Emperor  Arcadius,  123;  S.  Epiphanius,  115;  Simeon,  the 
Stylite,  112;  and  Romauld,  130.  Indeed,  we  can  match 
these  instances  of  longevity  at  home.  Buchanan  writes,  that 
one  Lawrence  preserved  himself  to  140,  by  force  of  tempe 
ranee  and  labour ;  and  Spottiswood  mentions  one  Kentigern, 
afterwards  called  St.  Mongah,  or  Mungo,  who  lived  to  185, 
by  the  same  means.  Abstinence,  however,  is  to  be  recom- 
mended only  as  it  means  a  proper  regimen ;  for  in  general 
it  must  have  bad  consequences,  when  observed  without  a  due 
regard  to  constitution,  age,  strength,  &c. 

According  to  Dr.  Cheyne,  most  of  the  chronical  diseases, 
the  infirmities  of  old  age,  and  the  short  lives  of  Englishmen, 
are  owing  to  repletion;  and  may  be  either  cured,  prevented, 
or  remedied,  by  abstinence  :  but  then  the  kinds  of  abstinence 
which  ought  to  obtain,  either  in  sickness  or  health,  are  to  be 
deduced  from  the  laws  of  diet  and  regimen.  Among  the 
brute  creation,  we  see  extraordinary  instances  of  long  absti- 
nence. The  serpent  kind,  in  particular,  bear  abstinence  to 
a  wonderful  degree.  Rattlesnakes  are  reported  to  have  sub- 
sisted many  months  without  any  food,  yet  still  retained  their 
vigour  and  fierceness.  Dr.  Shaw  speaks  of  a  couple  of  ceras- 
tes, (a  sort  of  Egyptian  serpents,)  which  had  been  kept  five 
years  in  a  bottle  close  corked,  without  any  sort  of  food,  un- 
less a  small  quantity  of  sand,  wherein  they  coiled  themselves 
up  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  may  be  reckoned  as  such  : 
yet  when  he  saw  them,  they  had  newly  cast  their  skins,  and 
were  as  brisk  and  lively  as  if  just  taken. 

But  it  is  even  natural  for  divers  species  of  creatures  to  pass 
four,  five,  or  six  months'  every  year,  without  either  eating  or 
drinking.  Accordingly,  the  tortoise,  bear,  dormouse,  ser- 
pent, &c.  are  observed  regularly  to  retire,  at  those  seasons, 
to  their  respective  cells,  and  hide  themselves, — some  in  the 
caverns  of  rocks  or  ruins;  others  dig  holes  under  ground^ 
others  get  into  woods,  and  lay  themselves  up  in  clefts  of 
trees  ;  others  bury  themselves  under  water,  &.c.  And  yet 
these  animals  are  found  as  fat  and  fleshy  after  some  months' 
abstinence  as  before. — A  gentleman  {P/til.  Trans.  No.  194.) 
weighed  his  tortoise  several  years  successively,  at  its  going 
to  earth  in  October,  and  coming  out  again  in  March  ;  and 
found  that,  of  four  pounds  four  ounces,  it  only  used  to  lose 
about  one  ounce. — Indeed,  we  have  instances  of  men  passing 
several  months  as  strictly  abstinent  as  other  creatures.  In 
particular,  the  records  of  the  Tower  mention  a  Scotchman 
imprisoned  for  felony,  and  strictly  watched  in  that  fortress 


SLEEP-WALKING.  69 

for  six  weeks  ;  in  all  which  time  he  took  not  the  least  suste 
nance  ;  for  which  he  had  his  pardon.  Numberless  instances 
of  extraordinary  abstinence,  particularly  from  morbid  causes, 
are  to  be  found  in  the  different  periodical  Memoirs,  Transac- 
tions, Ephemerides,  Sec.  It  is  to  be  added,  that,  in  most 
instances  of  extraordinary  human  abstinence  related  hy  natu- 
ralists, there  were  said  to  have  been  apparent  marks  of  a 
texture  of  blood  and  humour,  much  like  that  of  the  animals 
above  mentioned  ;  though  it  is  not  an  improbable  opinion, 
that  the  air  itself  may  furnish  something  for  nutrition.  It  is 
certain,  there  are  substances  of  all  kinds,  animal,  vegetable, 
&c.  floating  in  the  atmosphere,  which  must  be  continually 
taken  in  by  respiration.  And  that  an  animal  body  may  be 
nourished  thereby,  is  evident  from  the  instance  of  vipers, 
which,  if  taken  when  first  brought  forth,  and  kept  from  every 
thing  but  air,  will  yet  grow  very  considerably  in  a  few  days 
The  eggs  of  lizards,  also,  are  observed  to  increase  in  bulk 
after  they  are  produced,  though  there  be  nothing  to  furnish 
the  increment  but  air  alone,  in  like  manner  as  the  eggs  or 
spawn  of  fish  orow  and  are  nourished  by  the  water.  And 
hence,  sav  some,  it  is,  that  cooks,  turnspit  dogs,  &,c.  though 
they  eat  but  little,  yet  are  usually  fat. 

We  shall  next  offer  the  reader  a  few  remarks  on  Sleep- 
walking, 

Many  instances  are  related  of  persons  who  were  addicted 
to  this  practice.  A  very  remarkable  one  has  been  published 
from  a  report  made  to  the  Physical  Society  of  Lausanne,  by 
a  committee  of  gentlemen  appointed  to  examine  a  young  man 
who  was  accustomed  to  walk  in  his  sleep. 

The  disposition  to  sleep-walking  seems,  in  the  opinion  of 
this  committee,  to  depend  on  a  particular  affection  of  the 
nerves,  which  both  seizes  and  quits  the  patient  during  sleep. 
Under  the  influence  of  this  affection,  the  imagination  repre- 
sents to  him  the  objects  that  struck  him  while  awake,  with  as 
much  force  as  if  they  really  affected  his  senses  ;  but  it  does 
not  make  him  perceive  any  of  those  that  are  actually  pre- 
sented to  his  senses,  except  in  so  far  as  they  are  connected 
with  the  dreams  which  engross  him  at  the  time.  If,  during 
this  state,  the  imagination  has  no  determined  purpose,  he 
receives  the  impression  of  objects  as  if  he  were  awake  ;  only, 
however,  when  the  imagination  is  excited  to  bend  its  atten- 
tion towards  them.  The  perceptions  obtained  in  this  state 
are  very  accurate,  and,  when  once  received,  the  imagination 
renews  them  occasionally  with  as  much  force  as  if  they  were 
again  acquired  by  means  of  the  senses.  Lastly,  these  acade- 
micians suppose,  that  the  impressions  received  during  this 
state    of  the   senses,   disappear   entirely  when    the    person 


70  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN 

awakes,  and  do  not  return  till  the  recurrence  of  the  same  dis 
position  in  the  nervous  system. 

Our  next  article  is,  A  Curious  Account  of  the  Sleep- 
ing Woman  of  Dunninald,  near  Montrose. 

The  following  narrative  was  communicated  to  the  Royal 
Society  of  Edinburgh,  by  Dr.  Brewster. 

Margaret  Lyall,  aged  21,  daughter  of  John  Lyall,  labourer 
at  Dunninald,  was  first  seized  with  a  sleeping  fit  on  the  ■27th 
of  June,  1815,  which  continued  to  the  30th  of  June;  next 
morning  she  was  again  found  in  a  deep  sleep  :  in  this  state 
she  remained  for  seven  days,  without  motion,  food,  or  the  use 
of  any  animal  function.  But  at  the  end  of  this  time,  by  the 
moving  of  her  left  hand,  and  by  plucking  at  the  coverlet  of  the 
bed  and  pointing  to  her  mouth,  a  wish  for  food  being  under- 
stood, it  was  given  her.  This  she  took;  but  still  remained 
in  her  lethargic  state  till  Tuesday  the  8th  of  August,  being 
six  weeks  from  the  time  she  was  seized  with  the  lethargy, 
without  appearing  to  be  awake,  except  on  the  afternoon  of 
Friday  the  30th  of  June.  During  the  first  two  weeks,  her 
pulse  was  generally  about  50,  the  third  week  about  60,  and 
previous  to  her  recovery,  at  70  to  72.  Though  extremely 
feeble  for  some  days  after  her  recovery,  she  gained  strength 
so  rapidly,  that  before  the  end  of  August,  she  began  to  work 
at  the  harvest,  on  the  lands  of  Mr.  Arkley,  and  continued 
without  inconvenience  to  perform  her  labour. 

The  account  is  drawn  up  by  the  clergyman  of  the  parish, 
and  is  accompanied  with  the  medical  report  of  the  surgeons 
who  attended  ;  to  whose  attestations  are  added  those  of  Mr. 
Arkley,  the  proprietor  of  Dunninald,  and  Lyall,  the  father; 
and  the  statement  is,  in  every  respect,  entitled  to  the  fullest 
credit. 

We  shaU  proceed  to  some  Instances  of  Extraordinary 
Dreams. 

The  following  account  is  by  no  means  intended  either  to 
restore  the  reign  of  superstition,  or  to  induce  the  reader  to 
put  faith  in  the  numberless  ridiculous  interpretations,  given 
by  some  pretenders  to  divination,  of  the  ordinary  run  of 
dreams.  The  absurdity  of  the  many  traditional  rules,  laid 
down  by  such  persons  ;  such  as,  that  dreaming  of  eggs  prog- 
nosticates anger;  of  the  washing  of  linens,  forebodes  Jiittirig; 
of  green  fields,  sickness;  of  hanging,  honour;  of  death,  7nar- 
riage ;  cf  fish,  children;  and  of  raw  flesh,  death,  &c.  &c.  can 
only  be  exceeded  by  the  folly  of  those  who  put  faith  in  such 
fooleries.  But  instances  have  occurred  of  particular  persons, 
whose  veracity  cannot  be  doubted,  having  dreams  of  so  sin- 
gular a  nature,  and  so  literally  and  exactly  fulfilled,  that  it 


EXTRAORDINARY    DREAMS.  71 

may  be  well  to  mention  one  or  two  of  them,  for  the  entertain- 
ment, at  least,  of  the  reader,  if  they  should  not  contribute  to 
his  improvement. — 

Mr.  Richard  Boyle,  manufacturer,  residing  in  Stirling, 
about  1781,  dreamed  that  he  saw  a  beautiful  young  woman, 
with  a  winding  sheet  over  her  arm,  whose  image  made  a  deep 
impression  on  his  mind.  Upon  telling  his  mother  the  dream, 
she  said,  you  will  probably  marry  that  woniiin,  and  if  you  do, 
she  will  bury  you.  Going  to  Glasgow  in  1788,  he  met  with 
a  young  woman  in  a  friend's  house,  exactly  resemblino-  the 
person  he  had  dreamed  of ;  and  notwithstanding  the  dis- 
heartening interpretation  he  had  got,  and  the  additional  dis- 
couraging circumstance  told  him,  that  she  was  already  en- 
gaged with  another  young  man,  was  sure  she  was  to  be  his 
wife,  and  did  not  give  up  his  pursuit  till  he  made  her  his  own. 
The  melancholy  part  of  his  dream  was  soon  fullilled.  He 
lived  only  15  months  with  her;  a  short,  but  happy  period. 
His  widow,  during  his  life,  dreamed  with  equal  exactness  of 
her  second  husband,  whom  she  did  not  see  till  three  years 
afterwards,  when  the  sight  of  him,  at  church,  in  Montrose, 
disturbed  her  devotion  so  much,  upon  recollecting  her  dream, 
that  she  hardly  knew  a  word  the  minister  said  afterwards. 
Within  less  than  two  months,  they  were  introduced  to  each 
other;  and  within  four,  were  married. — Another  young  lady 
had  dreamed  so  often,  and  so  particularly,  about  the  gentle- 
man who  afterwards  married  her,  that  at  their  first  meeting, 
fihe  started  back,  as  if  she  had  seen  a  phost. — The  editors  of 
the  Encyclopedia  Perthensis  declare  they  knew  the  parties 
concerned  in  the  foregoing  relations.  But  these  instances  of 
prophetic  dreams,  they  observe,  are  trifling,  compared  to  one 
narrated  in  the  Weekly  Minor,  printed  at  Edinburgh,  in 
1781,  and  signed  Verax ;  and  which,  they  say,  they  quote  the 
more  readily,  as  also,  from  personal  acquaintance  with  the 
parties,  they  know  the  narrative  to  be  true  : 

"  In  June,  1752,  Mr.  Robert  Aikenhead,  farmer,  in  Den- 
'■♦rath,  of  Arnhall,  in  the  Mearns,  about  5  miles  north  of 
Lrechin,  and  7  from  Montrose,  went  to  a  market  called  Tar- 
renty-fair,  where  he  had  a  large  sum  of  money  to  receive. 
His  eldest  son,  Robert,  a  boy  about  8  years  of  age,  was  sent 
to  take  care  of  the  cattle,  and,  happening  to  lie  down  upon  a 
grassy  bank  before  sun-set,  fell  fast  asleep.  Although  the 
boy  had  never  been  far  from  home,  he  was  immediately  car- 
ried in  his  imagination  to  Tarrenty  market,  where,  he  dreamed, 
that  his  father,  after  receiving  the  money,  set  out  on  his 
return  home,  and  was  followed  all  the  way  by  two  ill-looking 
fellows,  who,  when  he  had  got  to  the  western  dykes  of  Ing- 
lis-Mauldy,  (the  seat  of  the  then  Lord  Halkerton,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Kintore,)  and  little   more   than  a  mile   from  home. 


72  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

attacked  and  attempted  to  rob  him.  Whereupon  the  boy 
thought  he  ran  to  his  assistance,  and,  when  he  came  within  a 
gun-shot  of  the  place,  called  out  some  people,  who  were  just 
going  to  bed,  who  put  the  robbers  to  flight.  He  immediately 
awoke  in  a  fright,  and,  without  waiting  to  consider  whether 
it  was  a  vision  or  a  reality,  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  to  the 
place  he  had  dreamed  of,  and  had  no  sooner  reached  it,  than 
he  saw  his  father  in  the  very  spot  and  situation  he  had  seen 
in  his  dream,  defending  himself  with  his  stick  against  the 
assassins.  He  therefore  immediately  realized  his  own  part  of 
the  visionary  scene,  by  roaring  out.  Murder!  which  soon 
brought  out  the  people,  who  running  up  to  Mr.  Aikenhead's 
assistance,  found  him  victor  over  one  of  the  villains,  whom 
he  had  previously  knocked  down  with  a  stone,  after  they  had 
pulled  him  off"  his  horse  ;  but  almost  overpowered  by  the 
other,  who  repeatedly  attempted  to  stab  him  with  a  sword  , 
against  which  he  had  no  other  defence  than  his  stick  and  his 
hands,  which  were  considerably  mangled  by  grasping  the 
blade.  Upon  sight  of  the  country  people,  the  villain  who 
had  the  sword  ran  off^;  but  thr  other  not  being  able,  was 
apprehended  and  lodged  in  gaol.  Meantime  there  was  no 
small  hue  and  cry  after  young  Robert,  whose  mother  missing 
him,  and  finding  the  cattle  among  the  corn,  was  in  the  utmost 
anxiety,  concluding  that  he  had  fallen  into  some  water  or 
peat  moss.  But  her  joy  and  surprise  were  equally  great, 
when  her  husband  returned  with  the  boy,  and  told  her  how 
miraculously  both  his  money  and  life  had  been  preserved  by 
his  son's  dream ;  although  she  was  at  first  startled  at  seeing 
her  husband's  hands  bloody. 

"To  those  who  deny  the  existence  of  a  God,  (adds  the 
writer,)  or  the  superintendence  of  a  divine  providence,  the 
above  narrative  will  appear  as  fabulous  as  any  story  in  Ovid. 
To  those  who  measure  the  greatness  and  littleness  of  events 
by  the  arbitrary  rules  of  human  pride  and  vanity,  it  will  per- 
haps appear  incredible  that  such  a  miracle  should  have  been 
wrougiit  for  the  preservation  of  the  life  of  a  country  farmer. 
But  all  who  found  their  opinions  upon  the  unerring  rule  of 
right  and  truth,  which  assures  us  that  a  sparrow  cannot  fall 
to  the  ground  without  the  permission  of  our  heavenly  Father, 
(and  who  know,  that  in  the  sight  of  Him,  with  whom  there 
is  no  respect  of  persons  or  dignities,  the  life  of  the  greatest 
monarch  on  earth,  and  that  of  the  lowest  of  his  subjects,  are 
of  equal  value,)  will  laugh  at  such  silly  objections,  when 
opposed  to  well-attested  facts.  That  the  above  is  one,  could 
be  attested  upon  oath,  were  it  necessary,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Aikenhead,  from  whom  1  had  all  the  particulars  above  nar- 
rated about  15  months  ago. — Edinburgh,  March  12,  1781."-- 
Indeed,    whoever  can   persuade   himself  that   such    facts  as 


t 


POETICAL    DEATHS.  7 

are  stated  above,  can  happen  by  chance,  may  easily  adopt  the 
system  of  those  philosophers,  who  tell  us  that  the  universe  was 
formed  by  the  fortuitous  concourse  of  atoms. 

The  title  of  our  next  subject  is  curious, — Poetical,  Gram^* 

MATICAL,    and    SCIENTIFIC    DeATHS. 

The  Emperor  Adrian,  dying,  made  that  celebrated  address 
to  his  soul,  which  is  so  happily  translated  by  Pope,  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

Vital  spark  of  heav'nly  flame, 
Quit,  oh  quit  this  mortal  frame. 
Trembling,  hopin":,  ling'ring,  flying, 
Oh  the  pain,  the  bliss  of  dying  ! 
Cease,  fond  Nature,  cease  thy  strife, 
And  let  me  languish  into  life. 

Hark. !  they  whisper  ;  angels  say, 
Sister  spirit,  come  away. 
What  is  this  absorbs  me  quite? 
Steals  my  senses,  shuts  ray  sight  ? 
Drowns  my  spirits,  draws  my  breath  ? 
Tell  me,  my  soul,  can  this  be  death  ? 

The  world  recedes  ;  it  disappears  ! 
Heav'n  opens  on  my  eyes  !  my  ears 

With  sounds  seraphic  ring  : 
Lend,  lend  your  wings  !  I  mount !  I  fly  ! 
O  Grave  !  where  is  thy  victory  ? 

O  Death  !  where  is  thy  sting  ? 

Lucan,  when  he  had  his  veins  opened  by  order  of  Nero,  ex- 
pired reciting  a  passage  from  his  Pharsalia,  in  which  he  has 
described  the  wound  of  a  dying  soldier.  Petronius  did  the 
same  thing  on  the  same  occasion. 

Patris,  a  poet  of  Caen,  perceiving  himself  expiring,  com- 
posed some  verses  which  are  justly  admired.  In  this  little 
poem  he  relates  a  dream,  in  which  he  appeared  to  be  placed 
next  to  a  beggar,  when,  having  addressed  him  in  the  haughty 
strain  he  would  probably  have  employed  on  this  side  of  the 
grave,  he  received  the  following  reprimand  : 

"  Here  all  are  equal ;  now  thy  lot  is  mine  ! 
"  I  on  my  dunghill,  as  thou  art  on  thine." 

Des  Barreaux,  it  is  said,  wrote,  on  his  death-bed,  that  son- 
net which  is  well  known,  and  which  is  translated  in  tl  a 
"  Spectator." 

Margaret  of  Austria,  when  she  was  nearly  perishing  in  a 
storm  at  sea,  composed  for  herself  the  following  epitaph  in 
verse  : 

*'  Beneath  this  tomb  is  high-bom  Margaret  laid, 
"  Who  had  two  husbands,  and  yet  died  a  maid." 

She  was  betrothed  to  Charles  VIII.  of  France,  who  forsook 
her.  Being  next  intended  for  the  Spanish  Infant,  in  her  voyage 
to  Spain  she  wrote  these  lines  in  a  storm. 

3.  K 


74  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

Roscommon,  at  the  moment  he  expired,  with  an  energy  of 
voice  (says  his  biourapher)  that  expressed  the  most  fervent 
devotion,  uttered  two  lines  of  his  own  version  of  "  Dies  Ira?!" 

Waller,  in  his  last  moments,  repeated  some  lines  from  Vir- 
gil:  and  Chaucer  took  his  farewell  of  all  human  vanities  by  a 
moral  ode,  entitled,  "A  ballad  made  by  GefiVey  Chauycer 
upon  his  dethe-bedde  lying  in  his  grete  anguysse." 

"  The  muse  that  has  attended  mv  course  (says  the  dying 
Gleim,  in  a  letter  to  Klopstock*)  still  hovers  round  my  steps 
to  the  very  verge  of  the  grave."  A  collection  of  songs,  com- 
posed by  old  Gleim  on  his  death-bed,  it  is  said,  were  intend- 
ed to  be  published. 

Chatellard,  a  French  gentleman,  beheaded  in  ">cotland,  for 
having  loved  the  Queen,  and  even  for  having'  ott'-;nipted  her 
honour,  Brantome  says,  would  not  have  any  other  viaticum 
than  a  poem  of  Ronsard.  When  he  ascended  the  scaffold,  he 
took  the  hymns  of  this  poet,  and  for  his  consolation  read  that 
on  death  ;  which,  he  says,  is  well  adapted  to  conquer  its  fear. 
He  preferred  the  poems  of  Ronsard  to  either  a  prayer-book  or 
his  confessor  :  such  was  his  passion. 

The  Marquis  of  Montrose,  when  he  was  condemned  by  his 
judges  to  have  his  limbs  nailed  to  the  gates  of  four  cities,  the 
brave  soldier  said  that,  "  he  was  sorry  he  had  not  limbs 
sufficient  to  be  nailed  to  all  the  gates  of  the  cities  in  Europe, 
as  monuments  of  his  loyalty.  As  he  proceeded  to  his  execu- 
tion, he  put  this  thought  into  beautiful  verse. 

Philip  Strozzi,  when  imprisoned  by  Cosmo  the  First,  great 
Duke  of  Tuscany,  was  apprehensive  of  the  danger  to  which 
he  might  expose  his  friends,  (who  had  joined  in  his  conspiracy 
against  the  duke,)  from  the  confessions  which  the  rack  might 
extort  from  him.  Having  attempted  every  exertion  for  the  li- 
berty of  his  country,  he  considered  it  no  crime  therefore  to  die. 
He  resolved  on  suicide.  With  the  point  of  the  sword,  with 
which  he  killed  himself,  he  first  engraved  on  the  mantle-piec« 
of  the  chimney,  this  verse  of  Virgil : 

Exoriare  aliquis  nostrls  ex  ossibus  ultoi. 
Rise,  some  avenger,  from  our  blood  I 

Such  persons  realize  tluit  beautiful  fiction  of  the  ancients, 
who  represent  the  swans  of  Cayster  singing  at  their  death;  and 
have  been  compared  to  the  nightingale  singing  with  a  thorn 
on  its  breast. 

The  following  anecdotes  are  of  a  different  complexion  :  they 
may  perhaps  excite  a  smile.  We  have  given  them  the  title  oi 
Grammatical  Deaths. 

Pere  Bouhours  was  ti  French  grammarian,  who  had  been 
justly  accused  of  paying  too  scrupulous  an  attention  to  the 
*  BJopstock's  Death  iu  "  L'Allemagne ;"  vol.  i.  p.  252. 


SINGULAR    DEATHS. — ANTHROPOPHAGI.  76 

minutiae  of  letters.  He  was  more  solicitous  of  his  words  than 
his  thoughts.  It  is  said,  that  when  he  was  dying,  he  called  out 
to  his  friends  (a  correct  grammarian  to  the  last,)  "  Je  Vas,  ou 
je  Vais  tnourir :  Vun  ou  l^uutre  se  dit .'" 

When  Malherbe  was  dying,  he  reprimanded  his  nurse  for 
makino-  use  of  a  solecism  in  her  lanoua";e  !  And  when  his  con- 
fessor  represented  to  him  the  felicities  of  a  future  state  in  low 
expressions,  the  dying  critic  interrupted  him :  "  Hold  your 
tongue,"  he  said,  "  your  wretched  style  only  makes  me  out  of 
conceit  with  them!" 

Several  persons  of  science  have  died  in  a  scientific  manner. 
— Haller,  the  greatest  of  physicians,  beheld  his  end  approach 
witli  the  utmost  composure.  He  kept  feeling  his  pulse  to  the 
last  moment,  and  when  he  found  that  life  was  almost  gone, 
he  turned  to  his  brother  physician,  and  observed,  "  My  friend, 
the  artery  ceases  to  beat," — and  almost  instantly  expired. 

De  Lagny,  who  was  intended  by  his  friends  for  the  study  oi 
the  law,  havino-  fallen  on  an  Euclid,  found  it  so  conoenial  to 

'.,3  '.  C?. 

his  disposition,  that  he  devoted  himself  to  mathematics. 
In  his  last  moments,  when  he  retained  no  further  recollection 
of  the  friends  who  surrounded  his  bed,  one  of  them,  perhaps 
to  make  a  philosophical  experiment,  thought  proper  to  ask 
him  the  square  of  12  ;  the  dying  mathematician  instantly,  and 
perhaps  without  knowing  that  he  answered  it,  replied,  "  144." 
The  following  lines,  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Barbauld,  in  an 
address  to  the  Deity,  express  the  desires  and  hopes  of  a  real 
Christian  in  the  contemplation  of  death  : 

"  O  when  the  last,  the  closing  hour  draws  nigh, 
And  earth  recedes  before  my  swimming  eye ; 
When  trembling  on  the  doubtful  edge  of  fate, 
I  stand,  and  stretch  my  view  to  either  state  ; 
Teach  me  to  quit  this  transitory  scene 
With  decent  triumph  and  a  look  serene; 
Teach  me  to  fix  my  ardent  hopes  on  high. 
And,  having  liv'd  to  thee,  in  thee  to  die  !" 

The  following  article  is  not  of  a  pleasing  description,  but 
nevertheless  proper  to  be  inserted  in  "  The  Book  of  Curiosi- 
ties."    It  is  Anthropophagi,  or  Men-eaters  : 

The  Cyclops,  the  Lestrygons,  and  ScyHa,  are  all  represented 
in  Homer  as  Anthropophagi,  or  man-eaters,  and  the  female 
phantoms,  Circe  and  the  Syrens,  first  bewitched  with  a  show 
of  pleasure,  and  then  destroyed.  This,  like  the  other  parts  of 
Homer's  poetry,  had  a  foundation  in  the  manners  of  the  times 
preceding  his  own.  It  was  still  in  many  places  the  age  spoken 
of  by  Orpheus, 

"  When  men  devour'd  each  other  like  the  beasts. 
Gorging  on  haman  flesh." 


7G  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

History  gives  us  divers  instances  of  persons  driven  by  ex- 
cess of  hunger  to  eat  their  own  relations.  And  also  out  of 
revenge  and  hatred,  where  soldiers,  in  the  heat  of  battle,  have 
been  known  to  be  carried  to  such  an  excess  of  rage,  as  to  tear 
their  enemies  with  their  teeth. 

The  violence  of  love  has  sometimes  produced  the  same  effect 
as  the  excess  of  hatred. 

Among  the  Essedonian  Scythians,  when  a  man's  father  died, 
his  neighbours  brought  him  several  beasts,  which  they  killed, 
mixed  up  their  flesh  with  that  of  the  deceased,  and  made  a 
feast. 

Among  the  Massageti,  when  any  person  grew  old,  they 
killed  him,  and  ate  his  flesh  ;  but  if  the  party  died  of  sickness, 
they  buried  him,  esteeming  him  unhappy. 

Idolatry  and  superstition  have  caused  the  eating  more  hu- 
man flesh,  than  both  love  and  hatred  put  together. 

There  are  few  nations  but  have  oft'ered  human  victims  to 
their  deities  ;  and  it  was  an  established  custom  to  eat  part  of 
the  sacrifices  they  offered. 

It  appears  pretty  certain,  from  Dr.  Hawkesworth's  account 
of  the  voyages  to  the  South  Seas,  that  the  inhabitants  of  New 
Zealand  ate  the  bodies  of  their  enemies.  Mr.  Petit  has  a  learn- 
ed dissertation  on  the  nature  and  manners  of  the  Anthropopha- 
gi. Among  other  things,  he  disputes  whether  or  no  the  Anthro- 
pophagi act  contrary  to  nature?  The  philosophers,  Diogenes, 
Chrysippus,  and  Zeno,  followed  by  the  whole  body  of  Stoics, 
held  it  a  very  reasonable  thing  for  men  to  eat  each  other. 

According  to  Sextus  Empiricus,  the  first  laws  were  those 
made  to  prevent  men  from  eating  each  other,  as  had  been  done 
until  that  time. 

The  Greek  writers  represent  Anthropophagi  as  universal 
before  Orpheus. 

Leonardus  Floroventius  informs  us,  that  having  fed  a  hog 
with  hog's  flesh,  and  a  dog  with  dog's  flesh,  he  found  a  repug- 
nance in  nature  to  such  food  ;  the  former  lost  all  his  bristles ; 
the  latter  its  hair,  and  the  whole  body  broke  out  in  blotches. 

If  even  this  horrid  practice  of  eating  human  flesh  originates 
from  hunger,  still  it  must  be  perpetuated  from  revenge  :  as 
death  must  lose  much  of  its  horror  among  those  who  are  ac- 
customed to  eat  the  dead  ;  and  where  there  is  little  horror  at 
the  sight  of  death,  there  must  be  less  repugnance  to  murder. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  An  Account  of  a 
Wild  Man,  given  by  M.  Le  Roy. 

In  1774,  a  wild  man  was  discovered  in  the  neiohbourhood 
of  Yuary.  This  man,  who  inhabited  the  rocks  near  a  forest, 
was  very  tall,  covered  with  hair  like  a  bear,  very  nimble,  and 
of  a  gay  humour.     He  neither  did,  nor  seemed  to  intend,  harm 


i 


STRIKING   INSTANCES  OF  INTEGRITY.  77 

to  any  body.  He  often  visited  the  cottages,  without  ever  at- 
tempting to  carry  oif  any  thing.  He  had  no  knowledge  of  bread, 
milk,  or  cheese.  His  greatest  amusement  was  to  see  the  sheep 
running,  and  to  scatter  them;  and  he  testified  his  pleasure  at 
this  sight  by  loud  fits  of  laughter,  but  never  attempted  to  hurt 
them.  When  the  shepherds  (as  was  frequently  the  case)  let 
loose  their  dogs  at  him,  he  fled  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow, 
and  never  allowed  the  dogs  to  come  too  near  him.  One  morn- 
ing he  came  to  the  cottage  of  some  workmen,  and  one  of  them 
endeavouring  to  catch  him  by  the  leg,  he  laughed  heartily, 
and  then  made  his  escape.  He  seemed  to  be  about  thirty  years 
of  age.  As  the  forest  is  very  extensive,  and  had  a  commu 
nication  with  a  vast  wood  that  belongs  to  the  Spanish  terri- 
tories, it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  this  solitary,  but  cheerful 
creature,  had  been  lost  in  his  infancy,  and  subsisted  on  herbs 


CHAP.  V. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

Striking  Instances  of  Integrity — Shocking  Instances  of  Ingrati- 
tude— Eitroordinari/  Instances  of  Honour — Surprising  Effects 
of  Anger — Remarkable  Effects  of  Fright,  or  Terror — Notable 
Instance  of  tne  Power  of  Conscience. 

Striking  Instances  of  Integrity. 
A  MAN  of  integrity  will  never  listen  to  any  reason,  or  give 
way  to  any  measure,  or  be  misled  by  any  inducement,  against 
conscience.  The  inhabitants  of  a  great  town  offered  Mar- 
shal de  Turenne  100,000  crowns,  upon  condition  he  would 
take  another  road,  and  not  march  his  troops  their  way.  He 
answered  them,  "  As  your  town  is  not  on  the  road  I  intend 
to  march,  I  cannot  accept  the  money  you  offer  me." — The 
Earl  of  Derby,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  making  a  descent 
in  Guienne,  carried  by  storm  the  town  of  Bergerac,  and  gave 
it  up  to  be  plundered. — A  Welsh  Knight  happening  to  light 
upon  the  receiver's  office,  found  such  a  quantity  of  money, 
that  he  thought  himself  obliged  to  acquaint  his  general  with 
it,  imagining  that  so  great  a  booty  belonged  to  him.  But 
he  was  agreeably  surprised,  when  the  Earl  wished  him  joy  of 
his  good  fortune,  and  said  he  did  not  make  the  keeping  of 
his  word  depend  on  the  great  or  little  value  of  what  he  had 
promised. — In  the  siege  of  Falisci,  by  Camillus,  General 
of  the  Eomans,  the  schoolmaster  of  the  town,  wnu  had  the 
children  of  the  senators  under  his  care,  led  them  abroad,  un- 
der the  pretext  of  recreation,  and  carried  them  to  the  Roman 


78  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

camp;  saying  to  Camillus,  that,  by  this  artifice,  he  had  de 
livered  Falisci  into  his  hands.  Camillus,  abhorrincr  his 
treachery,  said,  "  That  there  were  laws  for  war  as  well  as  for 
peace ;  and  that  the  Romans  were  taught  to  make  war  with 
integrity,  not  less  than  with  courage."  He  ordered  the 
schoolmaster  to  be  stripped,  his  hands  to  be  bound  behind 
his  back,  and  to  be  delivered  to  the  boys,  to  be  lashed  back 
into  the  town.  The  Falerians,  hitherto  obstinate  in  resist- 
ance, struck  with  an  act  of  justice  so  illustrious,  delivered 
themselves  up  to  the  Romans  ;  convinced  that  they  would 
be  far  better  to  have  the  Romans  for  their  allies,  than  their 
enemies. 

Shocking  Instances  of  Ingratitude. — Herodotus  in- 
forms us,  that  when  Xerxes,  kin^  of  Persia,  was  at  Celene,  a 
city  of  Phrygia,  Pythius,  a  Lydian,  who  resided  there,  and, 
next  to  Xerxes,  was  the  most  opulent  prince  of  those  times, 
entertained  him  and  his  whole  army  with  an  incredible  magni- 
ficence, and  made  him  an  offer  of  all  his  wealth  towards  de- 
fraying the  expenses  of  his  expedition.  Xerxes,  surprised  at 
so  generous  an  offer,  inquired  to  what  sum  his  riches  amounted. 
Pythius  answered,  that  having  the  design  of  offering  them  to 
his  service,  he  had  taken  an  exact  account  of  them,  and  that 
the  silver  he  had  by  him,  amounted  to  2000  talents,  (about 
£255,000  sterling),  and  the  gold  to  3,993,000  darics  (about 
£1,700,000  sterling).  All  this  money  he  offered  him,  telling 
him,  that  his  revenue  was  sufficient  for  the  support  of  his 
household.  Xerxes  made  him  very  hearty  acknowledgments, 
and  entered  into  a  particular  friendship  with  him,  and  declined 
acceptino-  his  present.  Some  time  after  this,  Pythius  having 
desired  a  favour  of  him,  that  out  of  his  five  sons,  who  served 
in  his  army,  he  would  be  pleased  to  leave  him  the  eldest,  to 
comfort  him  in  his  old  age  ;  Xerxes  was  so  enraged  at  the 
proposal,  though  so  reasonable  in  itself,  that  he  caused  the 
eldest  son  to  be  killed  before  his  father's  eyes,  giving  the  lat- 
ter to  understand,  that  it  was  a  favour  he  spared  him  and  the 
rest  of  his  children.  Yet,  this  is  the  same  Xerxes  who  is  so 
much  admired  for  his  humane  reflection  at  the  head  of  his 
numerous  army. — The  emperor  Basilius  I.  exercised  himself 
in  hunting:  a  great  stag  running  furiously  against  him,  fasten- 
ed  one  of  the  branches  of  his  horns  in  the  emperor's  girdle, 
and,  ])ulling  him  from  his  horse,  dragged  him  a  good  distance, 
to  the  imminent  danger  of  his  life  ;  which  a  gentleman  of  his 
retinue  perceiving,  drew  his  sword,  and  cut  the  emperor's  gir- 
dle asunder,  which  disengaged  him  from  the  beast,  with  little 
or  no  hurt  to  his  person.  But,  observe  his  reward!  "  He  was 
sentenced  to  lose  his  head  for  putting  the  sword  so  near  the 
body  of  the  emperor ;  and  suffered  death  accordingly."  (  Zouor. 


SHOCKING    INSTANCES    OF    INGR ATITU  TE.  79 

Antral,  torn.  3.  p.  155.) — In  a  little  work  entitled  Friemlly  Can- 
tioHS  to  Olfkers,  the  following  atrocious  instance  is  related. 
An  opulent  city,  in  the  west  of  England,  had  a  regiment  sent 
to  be  quartered  there  :  the  principal  inhabitants,  glad  to  shew 
their  hospitality  and  attachment  to  their  sovereign,  got  ac- 
quainted with  the  officers,  invited  them  to  their  houses,  and 
shewed  them  every  civility  in  their  power.  A  merchant,  ex- 
tremely easy  in  his  circumstances,  took  so  prodigious  a  liking 
to  one  officer  in  particular,  that  he  gave  him  an  apartment  in 
his  own  house,  and  made  him  in  a  manner  master  of  it,  th 
officer's  friends  being  always  welcome  to  his  table.  The 
merchant  was  a  widower,  and  had  two  favourite  daughters  : 
the  officer  cast  his  wanton  eyes  upon  them,  and  too  fatally 
ruined  them  both.  Dreadful  return  to  the  merchant's  mis- 
placed friendship  !  The  consequence  of  this  ungenerous  action 
was,  that  all  officers  ever  after  were  shunned  as  pests  to  society ; 
nor  have  the  inhabitants  yet  conquered  their  aversion  to  a  red 
coat. — We  read  in  Rapin's  History,  that  during  Monmouth's 
rebellion,  in  the  reign  of  James  II.  a  certain  person,  knowing 
the  humane  disposition  of  one  Mrs.  Gaunt,  whose  life  was  onci 
continued  exercise  of  beneficence,  fled  to  her  house,  where  he 
was  concealed  and  maintained  for  some  time.  Hearing,  how- 
ever, of  the  proclamation,  which  promised  an  indemnity  and 
reward  to  those  who  discovered  such  as  harboured  the  rebels, 
he  betraved  his  benefactress  :  and  such  was  the  spirit  of  jus- 
tice and  equity  which  prevailed  among  the  ministry,  that  he 
was  pardoned,  and  recompensed  for  his  treachery,  while  she 
was  burnt  alive  for  her  charity  !— The  following  instance  is  also 
to  be  found  in  the  same  history.  Humphrey  Bannister  and 
his  father  were  both  servants  to,  and  raised  by,  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham  ;  who  being  driven  to  abscond  by  an  unfortunate 
accident  befalling  the  army  he  had  raised  against  the  usurper 
Richard  III.  he  retired  to  Bannister's  house  near  Shrewsbury, 
as  to  a  place  where  he  might  be  quite  safe.  Bannister,  how- 
ever, upon  the  king's  proclamation  promising  10001.  reward  to 
him  that  should  apprehend  the  duke,  betrayed  his  master  to 
John  Merton,  high  sheriff  of  Shropshire,  who  sent  him  under 
a  strong  guard  to  Salisbury,  where  the  king  then  was  ;  and 
there,  in  the  market-place,  the  duke  was  beheaded.  But  Di- 
vine vengeance  pursued  the  traitor  Bannister ;  for,  demanding^ 
the  10001.  that  was  the  price  of  his  master's  blood,  Richard 
refused  to  pay  it  him,  saying,  "  He  that  would  be  false  to  so 
good  a  master,  ought  not  to  be  encouraged."  He  was  after- 
wards hanged  for  manslaughter;  his  eldest  son  went  mad,  and 
died  in  a  hog-sty  ;  his  second  became  deformed  and  lame  ;  and 
his  third  son  was  drowned  in  a  small  puddle  of  water;  his' 
eldest  daughter  became  pregnant  by  one  of  his  carters,  and  his 
second  was  seized  with  a  leprosy  whereof  she  died.     Hist,  of 


80  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

Eng.  i.  p.  304.  Let  us  guard  against  this  odious  vice,  ingra- 
titude, being  assured  that  sooner  or  later  the  bitter  effects  of 
this,  as  well  as  of  all  other  sins,  will  find  us  out. 

Our  following  article  consists  of  some  Extraordinary 
Instances  of  Honour. 

The  Spanish  historians  relate  a  memorable  instance  of  invio- 
lable regard  to  the  principles  of  honour  and  truth.  A  Spanish 
cavalier,  in  a  sudden  quarrel,  slew  a  Moorish  gentleman,  and 
fled.  His  pursuers  soon  lost  sight  of  him,  for  he  had,  unper- 
ceived,  leaped  over  a  garden  wall.  The  owner,  a  Moor,  hap- 
pening to  be  in  his  garden,  was  addressed  by  the  Spaniard  on 
his  knees,  who  acquainted  him  with  his  case,  and  implored  con- 
cealment. "  Eat  this,"  said  the  Moor  (giving  him  half  a  peach), 
'•  you  now  know  that  you  may  confide  in  mv  protection."  He 
then  locked  him  up  in  his  garden,  telling  him,  as  soon  as  it 
was  night  he  would  provide  for  his  escape  to  a  place  of 
greater  safety.  The  Moor  then  went  into  his  house,  where  he 
had  but  just  seated  himself,  when  a  great  crowd,  with  loud 
lamentations,  came  to  his  gate,  bringing  the  corpse  of  his  son, 
who  had  just  been  killed  by  a  Spaniard.  When  the  first  shock 
of  surprise  was  a  little  over,  he  learned,  from  the  description 
given,  that  the  fatal  deed  was  done  by  the  very  person  then  in 
his  power.  He  mentioned  this  to  no  one;  but,  as  soon  as  it 
was  dark,  retired  to  his  garden,  as  if  to  grieve  alone,  giving 
orders  that  none  should  follow  him.  Then  accosting  the  Spa- 
niard, he  said,  "  Christian,  the  person  you  have  killed  is  my 
son,  his  body  is  now  in  my  house.  You  ought  to  sutler;  but 
vou  have  eaten  with  me,  and  I  have  given  you  my  faith,  which 
must  not  be  broken."  He  then  led  tlie  astonished  Spaniard  to 
his  stables,  mounted  him  on  one  of  his  fleetest  horses,  and 
said,  "  Fly  far  while  the  night  can  cover  you;  you  will  be  safe 
in  the  morning  You  are  indeed  guilty  of  my  son's  blood  ;  but 
God  is  just  and  good  ;  and  thank  him,  1  am  innocent  of  your's, 
and  that  my  faitii  given  is  preserved."  This  point  of  honour 
is  most  religiously  observed  by  the  Arabs  and  Saracens,  from 
wliom  it  was  adopted  by  the  Moors  oi"  Africa,  and  by  them 
was  brought  into  Spain. — The  following  instance  of  Spanish 
honour  may  still  be  in  the  memory  of  many  living,  and  de- 
serves to  be  handed  down  to  the  latest  posterity.  In  1746, 
when  Britain  was  at  war  with  Spain,  the  Elizabeth  of  London, 
captain  William  Edwards,  coming  through  the  gulf  from  Ja- 
maica, richly  laden,  met  with  a  most  violent  storm,  in  which 
the  ship  sprung  a  leak,  that  obliged  them  to  run  into  the  Ha- 
vannah,  a  Spanish  port,  to  save  their  lives.  The  captain  went 
on  shore,  and  directly  waited  on  the  governor,  told  the  occa- 
sion of  his  putting  in,  and  that  he  surrendered  the  ship  as  a 
prize,  and  himself  and  his  men  as  prisoners  of  war,  only  re- 


extraor:)1NAuy  instances  of  honour.  81 

questing  p-ood  quarter.     "  No,  Sir,"  replied  the  Spanish  go- 
vernor, **  if  we  had  taken  you  in  fair  war  at  sea,  or  approach- 
ing our  coast  with   hostile   intentions,  your  ship  would  tlien 
have  been  a  prize,  and  your  people  prisoners;  but  when,  dis- 
tressed by  a  tempest,  you  come  into  our  ports  for  the  safety 
of  your  lives,  we,  though  enemies, being  men,  are  bound,  as  such, 
by  the   laws  of  humanity,  to   afford  relief  to  distressed  men 
who  ask  it  of  us.     We  cannot,  even  against  our  enemies,  take 
advantage  of  an  act  of  God.     You  have  leave  therefore  to  un- 
load your  ship,  if  that  be  necessary,  and  to  stop  the  leak  ;  you 
may  refit  her  here,  and  traffic  so  far   as  shall  be  necessary  to 
pay  the  charges  ;  you  may  then  depart,  and  I  will  give  you   a 
pass  to  be  in  force  till  you  are  beyond  Bermuda  :  if  after  that 
you  are  taken,  you  will  then  be  a  lawful  prize  ;  but  now  you 
are  only  a  stranger,  and  have   a  stranger's  right  to  safety  and 
protection."     The  ship  accordingly  departed,  and  arrived  safe 
in  London. — A  remarkable  instance  of  honour  is  also  recorded 
of  an  African   negro,    in   captain   Snelgrave's  account  of  his 
voyage  to   Guinea.     A  New-England  sloop,   trading  there   in 
17o2,  left  her  second  mate, William  Murray, sick  onshore,  and 
sailed   without  him.     Murray  was  at  the   house   of  a  black, 
named  Cudjoe,  with  whom  he  had  contracted  an  acquaintance 
during  their  trade.     He  recovered  ;  and  the  sloop  being  gone, 
he  continued  with  his  black  friend  till  some  other  opportunity 
should  ofi'er  of  his  getting  home.     In  the  mean  time  a  Dutch 
ship  came  into  the  road,   and  some  of  the  blacks  coming   on 
board  her,  were  treacherously  seized  and  carried  off  as  slaves. 
The  relations  and  friends,  transported  with   sudden  rage,    ran 
to  the  house  of  Cudjoe,  to  take   revenoe    by  killing    Murray. 
Cudjoe  stopped  them  at  the  door,  and  demanded   what    they 
wanted.     "The  white  men,"  said   thev,  "  have   carried   away 
our  brothers  and  sons,  and  we  will  kill  all  white  men.     Give 
us  the  white  man  you  have  in  your  house,  for  we  will  kill  him." 
"  Nay,"  said  Cudjoe,  "  the  white  men  that  carried  away  your 
relations  are  bad  men,  kill  them  when  you  can  take  them;  but 
this  white  man  is  a  good  man,  and  you  must  not  kill  him."^ — - 
"  But  he  is  a  white  man,"  they  cried,  "  and  the  white  men  are 
all  bad  men,  we  will   kill  them  all." — "  Nay,"  says  he,  "  you 
must  not   kill  a  man  that  has   done   no   harm,   only  for  being 
white.     This  man  is  my  friend,  my  house  is  his  post,  I  am  his 
soldier,  and  must  fight  for  him  ;  you  must  kill  me  before  you 
(  an  kill  him.     \'V  hat  good  man  uill  ever  come  again  under  my 
roof,  if  1    let  my  floor  be  stained  with  a  good  man's  blood?" 
The  negroes,    seeing   his  resolution,  and  being  convinced   b) 
his  vliscourse  that  they  were  wrong,  went  away  ashamed.     In 
a  few  days  Murrny  went  abroad  again  with  his  friend  Cudjoe, 
when   several  of  them   took  him  by  the   hand,  and    told   him, 
"  they  were  glad  they  had  not  killed  him  ;  for,  as  he  was  a  good 

La 


S2  CUmoSlTlES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

man,  their  god  would  have  been  very  angry,  and  would   have 
spoiled  their  fishing." 

As  it  is  our  intention  to  record  whatever  we  meet  with,  that 
is  curious  or  wonderful,  we  hesitate  not  in  inserting  the  fol- 
lowing Surprising  Effects  OF  Anger. 

Physicians  and  naturalists  afford  instances  of  very  extraordi- 
nary effects  of  this  passion.      Borrichius  cured  a  woman  of  an 
inveterate  tertian  ague,  which  had  baffled  the  art  of  physic,  by 
putting  the  patient  in  a  furious  fit  of  anger.  Valeriola  made  use 
of  the  same   means,  with  the  like  success,  in  a  quartan  ague. 
The  same  passion  has  been  equally  salutary  to  paralytic,  gouty, 
and  even  dumb  persons;  to  which  last  it  has  sometimes  given 
the  use  of  speech.    Etmuller  gives  divers  instances  of  very  sin- 
gular cures  wrought  by  anger ;  among  others,  he  mentions  a  per- 
son laid   up  in  the  gout,  who,  being  provoked  by  his  ]ihysician, 
flew  upon  hiui,  and  was  cured.  It  is  true,  the  remedy  is  somewhat 
dangerous  in  the  application,  when  a  patient  does  not  know  how 
to  use  it  with  moderation.     We  meet  with  several  instances    of 
princes,  to  whom  it  has  proved    mortal;  e.  g.  Valentinian  I. 
wenceslaus,  Matthias  Corvinus,  king  of  Hungary,  and  others. 
There  are  also  instances  wherein  it  has  produced  the  epilepsy, 
jaundice,  cholera  morbus,  diarrhcen,  &c.     In  fact,  this  passion 
is  of  such  a  nature,  that   it  quickly  throws  the  whole  nervous 
system  into  preternatural  commotions,  by  a  violent  stiictiire 
ot"  the  nervous  and  muscular  parts  ;  and  surprisingly  augn)ents, 
not  only  the  systole  of  the  heart,  and   its  contiguous  vessels, 
but  also  the  tone  of  the  fibrous  parts   in  the  whole  body.     It 
is  also  certain,  that  this  passion,  by  the  spasmodic  stricture  it 
produces  in  the  parts,  exerts  its  power  principally  on  the  sto- 
mach and  intestines,  which  are  highly  nervous  and  membra- 
neous parts  ;  whence  the  symptoms  are  more  dangerous,    in 
proportion  to  the  greater  consent  of  the  stomach   and    intes- 
tines with  the  other  nervous  parts,  and  almost  with  the  whole 
body.     The  unhappy  influence  of  anger  likewise  on  the  biliary 
and  hepatic  ducts,  is  very   surprising;  since,  by  an   intense 
•constriction  of  these,  the  liver  is  not  only  rendered  scirrhous, 
but  stones  also  are  often  generated  in  the  gall-bladder  and  biliary 
ducts :  these  accidents  have  scarcely  any  other  origin  than  an  ob- 
struction of  the  free  motion  and  efflux  of  the  bile,  by  means  of 
this  violent  stricture.  From  such  a  strictm-e,  likewise,  proceeds 
the  jaundice,  which,  in  process  of  time,  lays  a  foundation  for 
calculous  concretions  in  the  gall-bladder.     By  increasing  the 
motion  of  the  fluid,  or  the  spasms  of  the  fibrous  parts,  by  means 
of  anger,  a  large  quantity  of  blood  is  forcibly  propelled  to  cer 
tain    parts;  whence  it   happens,  that  they  are  too  much  dis- 
tended, and  the  orifices  of  the  veins  distributed  there,  opened. 
It  is  evident,  from  experience,  that  anger  has  a  great  tendency 


EFFECTS    OF    ANGER. — FRIGHT,    OR    TERROR.  83 

to  excite  enormous  hemorrhages,  either  from  the  nose,  the 
aperture  of  the  puhuonary  artery,  &c.  The  effects  of  this  pas- 
sion are  well  described  by  Armstrong  in  the  following  lines :. 

"  But  there's  a  passion,  whose  tempestuous  sway 
Tears  up  each  virtue  planted  in  the  heart, 
And  shakes  to  ruin  proud  philosophy  : 
For  pale  and  trembling  anger  rushes  in 
With  falt'ring  speech,  and  eyes  that  wildly  stare. 
Fierce  as  the  tiger,  madder  than  the  seas, 
Desp'rate,  and  arm'd  with  more  than  human  strength  ; 
But  he  whom  anger  stings,  drops,  if  he  dies, 
At  once,  and  rushes  apoplectic  down  ; 
Or  a  fierce  fever  hurries  hira  to  hell. ' 

Now  follows  an  account  of  some  Remarkable    Effects 
OF  Fright,  ou  Terror. 

Out  of  many  instances  of  the  fatal  effects  of  fear,  the  fol- 
lowing is  selected  as  one  of  the  most  siuL^ular: — George  Gro- 
chantzy,  a  Polander,  who  had  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  king  of  Prussia,  deserted  during  the  last  war.  A 
small  party  was  sent  in  pursuit  of  him,  and,  when  he  least 
expected  it,  surprised  him  singing  and  dancing  among  a 
company  of  peasants  in  an  inn.  This  event,  so  sudden,  and  so 
dreadful  in  its  consequences,  struck  him  in  such  a  manner, 
that,  giving  a  great  cry,  he  became  altogether  stupid  and  in- 
sensible, and  was  seized  without  the  least  resistance.  They 
carried  him  away  to  Glocau,  where  he  was  brought  before  the 
council  of  war,  and  received  sentence  as  a  deserter.  He 
sutiere^i  himself  to  be  led  and  disposed  of  at  the  will  of  those 
about  him,  without  uttering  a  word,  or  giving  the  least  sign 
that  he  knew  what  had  happened  or  would  happen  to  him 
He  remained  immoveable  as  a  statue  wherever  he  was  placed, 
and  was  wholly  regardless  of  all  that  was  done  to  hini  or  about 
him.  During  all  the  time  that  he  was  in  custody,  he  neither 
ate,  nor  drank,  nor  slept,  nor  had  any  evacuation.  Some  of 
his  comrades  were  sent  to  see  him  ;  after  that,  he  was  visited 
by  some  officers  of  his  corps,  and  by  some  priests  ;  but  he 
still  continued  in  the  same  state,  without  discovering  the  least 
signs  of  sensibility.  Promises,  entreaties,  and  threaten- 
ings,  were  equally  ineffectual.  It  was  at  first  suspected 
that  these  appearances  were  feigned  ^  but  such  suspicions 
gave  way,  when  it  was  known  that  he  took  no  sustenance, 
and  that  the  involuntary  functions  of  nature  were  in  a  great 
measure  suspended.  The  phvsicians  concluded  tluit  he 
was  in  a  state  of  hopeless  idiocy  ;  and  after  some  time  they 
knocked  off  his  fetters,  and  left  him  at  liberty  to  o;o  where  he 
would.  He  received  his  liberty  with  the  same  insensibility 
that  he  had  shewn  on  other  occasions;  he  remained  fixed  and 
immoveable,  his  eyes  turned  wildly   here   and  there,  witliout 

•'^'VERS/TY 


«4 


CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     MAN 


taking  cognizance  of  any  object,  and  the  muscles  of  bis  face 
were  fallen  and  fixed,  like  those  of  a  dead  body.  He  passed 
twenty  days  in  this  condition,  without  eating,  drinking,  or 
any  evacuation,  and  died  on  the  20th  day.  He  had  been  some- 
times heard  to  fetch  deep  sighs  ;  and  once  he  rushed  with 
great  violence  on  a  soldier  who  had  a  mug  of  liquor  in  Ids 
hand,  forced  the  mug  from  him,  and  having  drank  the  liquor 
v/ith  great  eagerness,  let  the  mug  drop  to  the  ground. — Among 
the  ludicrous  effects  of  fear,  the  following  instance,  quoted 
from  a  French  author,  by  Mr.  Andrews,  in  his  volume  of  Anec- 
dotes, shews  upon  what  slight  occasions  this  passion  may  be 
sometimes  excited  in  a  very  high  degree,  and  even  in  persons 
the  most  unlikely  to  entertain  fear.  "  Charles  Gustavus  (suc- 
cessor to  Christina,  queen  of  Sweden,)  was  besiei^ing  Prague, 
when  a  boor  of  a  most  extraordinary  visage  desired  admittance 
to  his  tent ;  and  being  allowed  entrance,  oftered,  bv  way  of 
amusino-  the  kino;,  to  devour  a  whole  hoy;  of  100  weio;lit  in  his 
presence.  The  old  general,  Konigsmarc,  who  stood  by  the 
king's  side,  and  who,  soldier  as  he  was,  had  not  got  rid  of  the 
prejudices  of  his  childhood,  hinted  to  his  royal  master  that  the 
peasant  ought  to  be  burnt  as  a  sorcerer.  '  Sir,'  said  the  fel- 
low, irritated  at  the  remark,  'if  your  majesty  will  but  make 
that  old  gentleman  take  off  his  sword  and  his  spurs,  I  will  eat 
him,  before  I  begin  the  hog.'  Konigsmarc  (who  had,  at  the 
head  of  a  body  of  Swedes,  performed  wonders  against  the  Aus- 
trians,  and  who  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  bravest  men  cl 
the  age,)  could  not  stand  this  proposal  ;  especially  as  it  was 
accompanied  by  a  most  hideous  and  preternatural  expansion  of 
the  frightful  peasant's  jaws.  Without  uttering  a  word,  the 
veteran  turned  round,  ran  out  of  the  court,  nor  thought  him- 
self safe  until  he  had  arrived  at  his  quarters,  where  he  re- 
mained above  24  hours  locked  up  securely,  before  he  had  got 
rid  of  the  panic  which  had  so  severely  affected  him."  Such 
is  the  influence  of  frigiht  or  terror. 

The  following  is  a  notable  instance  of  The  Power  of 
Conscience. 

It  is  a  saying,  that  no  man  ever  offended  his  own  con- 
science, but  first  or  last  it  was  revenged  upon  him.  The  power 
of  conscience  indeed  has  been  remarked  in  all  a^es,  and 
the  examples  of  it  upon  record  are  numerous  and  striking. — 
The  following  is  related  by  Mr.  Fordyce,  in  his  Did/ogues 
on  Education,  (vol.  ii.  p.  501.)  as  a  real  occurrence,  which  hap- 
pened in  a  neighbouring  state  not  many  years  ago.  A  jewel- 
ler, a  man  of  good  character  and  considerable  wealth,  havingr 
occasion,  in  the  way  of  his  business,  to  travel  to  some  distance 
from  the  place  of  liis  abode,  took  along  with  him  a  servant, 
in  order  to  take  care  of  his  portmanteau.     He  had  with  him 


THE   POWER   OF  CONSCIENCE.  85 

some  of  his  best  jewels,  and  a  lame  sum  of  money,  to  which 
his  servant  was  likewise  privy.  Tlie  master  having  occasion 
to  dismount  on  the  road,  the  servant  watching  his  opportu- 
nity, took  a  pistol  from  his  master's  saddle,  and  shot  him  dead 
on  the  spot;  then  rifled  him  of  his  jewels  and  money,  and, 
hanirino-  a  large  stone  to  his  neck,  threw  him  into  the 
nearest  canal.  With  his  booty  he  made  off  to  a  distant  part 
of  the  country,  where  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  neither 
he  nor  his  master  were  known.  There  he  began  to  trade  in  a 
very  low  way  at  first,  that  his  obscurity  might  sci'een  him  from 
observation,  and  in  the  course  of  a  good  many  years  seemed 
to  rise,  by  the  natural  progress  of  business,  into  wealth  and 
consideration  ;  so  that  his  good  fortune  appeared  at  once  the 
effect  and  reward  of  industry  and  virtue.  Of  these  he  coun- 
terfeited the  appearance  so  well,  that  he  grew  into  great  cre- 
dit, married  into  a  good  family,  and  by  laying  out  his  sudden 
stores  discreetly,  as  he  saw  occasion,  and  joining  to  all  an 
universal  affabiiity,  he  was  admitted  to  a  share  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  town,  and  rose  from  one  post  to  another,  till  at 
lenoth  he  was  chosen  chief  magistrate.  In  this  office  he 
maintained  a  fair  character,  and  continued  to  fill  it  with  no 
small  applause,  both  as  a  governor  and  a  judge;  till  one  day, 
as  he  sat  on  the  bench,  with  some  of  his  brethren,  a  criminal 
was  brougiit  before  him,  who  was  accused  of  murdering  his 
master.  The  evidence  came  out  full,  the  jury  brought  in 
their  verdict  that  the  prisoner  was  guilty,  and  the  whole  as- 
sembly waited  the  sentence  of  the  president  of  the  court 
(which  he  happened  to  be  that  day)  with  great  suspense. 
Meanwhile  he  appeared  to  be  in  unusual  disorder  and  agita- 
tion of  mind,  and  his  colour  changed  often  ;  at  length  he  rose 
from  his  seat,  and  coming  down  from  the  bench,  placed  him- 
self by  the  unfortunate  man  at  the  bar.  "  You  see  before  you 
(said  he,  addressing  himself  to  those  who  had  sat  on  the  bench 
with  him,)  a  striking  instance  of  the  just  awards  of  heaven, 
which,  this  day,  after  30  years'  concealment,  presents  to  you  a 
greater  criminal  than  the  man  just  now  found  guilty."  Then 
he  made  an  ample  confession  of  his  guilt,  and  of  all  the  ag- 
gravations :  "  Nor  can  I  feel  (continued  he)  any  relief  from 
the  agonies  of  an  awakened  conscience,  but  by  requiring  that 
justice  be  forthwith  done  against  me  in  the  most  public  and 
solemn  manner."  We  may  easily  suppose  the  amazement  of  all 
the  assembly,  and  especially  of  his  fellow  judges.  However, 
they  proceeded,  upon  this  confession,  to  pass  sentence  upon 
him,  and  he  died  with  all  the  symptoms  of  a  penitent  mind. 
Let  it  be  our  constant  aim  to  keep  a  conscience  void  of  oiTence 
towards  God,  and  towards  man  ;  being  assured  that, 

One  self-approving  hour  whole  years  outweighs 

Of  stupid  starers,  and  of  loud  huzzas.  Pope. 


86  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN. 

'  CHAP    VI 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

Remarkable  Instance  of  Memory — Surprising  Instance  of  Skillin 
Numbers — -ExtraordinariJ  Arithmetical  Powers  of  a  Child — 
Curious  Instance  of  Mathematical  Talent — Stone  Eater — 
Foison  Eater — Bletonism — Longevity . 

Remarkable  Instance  of  Memory. 

Whence  came  the  active  and  sagacious  mind. 
Self-conscious,  and  with  faculties  endued 
Of  understanding,  will,  and  memory, 
And  reason,  to  distinguish  true  from  false  ? 

Whence,  but  through  an  infinite, 

Almighty  God,  supremely  wise  and  just.'  Netvler. 

HoRTENsius,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  orators  of  ancient 
Rome,  had  so  happy  a  memory,  that  after  studying  a  dis- 
course, though  he  had  not  written  down  a  single  word  of  it, 
he  could  repeat  it  exactly  in  the  same  manner  in  which  he  had 
composed  it.  His  powers  of  mind  in  this  respect  were  really 
astonishing;  and  we  are  told,  that  in  consequence  of  a  wager 
with  one  Sienna,  he  spent  a  whole  day  at  an  auction,  and, 
when  it  was  ended,  recapitulated  every  article  that  had 
been  sold,  together  with  the  prices,  and  the  names  of  the 
purchasers,  in  their  proper  order,  without  erring  in  one  point, 
as  was  proved  by  the  clerk,  who  followed  him  with  his 
book. 

The  following  is  a  very  Surprising  Instance  of  Skill 
IN  Numbers. 

Jedidiah  Buxton,  was  a  pi-odigy,  with  respect  to  skill  in 
numbers.  His  father,  William  Buxton,  was  schoolmaster  of 
the  parish  where  he  was  born,  in  1704  :  yet  Jedediah's  educa- 
tion was  so  much  neglected,  that  he  was  never  taught  to 
write  ;  and  with  respect  to  any  other  knowledge  but  that  of 
numbers,  seemed  always  as  ignorant  as  a  boy  of  ten  years  of 
age.  How  he  came  first  to  know  the  relative  proportions  of 
numbers,  and  their  progressive  denominations,  he  did  not 
remember;  but  to  this  he  applied  the  whole  force  of  his  mind, 
1  and  upon  this  his  attention  was  constantly  fixed,  so  that  he 
frequently  took  no  cognizance  of  external  objects,  and,  when 
he  did  it,  it  was  only  with  respect  to  their  numbers.  If  any 
space  of  time  was  mentioned,  he  would  soon  after  say  it  was 
so  many  minutes  ;  and  if  any  distance  of  way,  he  would  assign 


J 


SURPRISING   INSTANCE  or  SKILL  IN   NUMBERS.  87 

the  number  of  hair-bieadth>,  without  any  question  being 
asked,  or  any  calculation  expected  bv  the  company.  When 
he  once  understood  a  question,  he  be^an  to  work  with  amaz- 
ing facility,  after  his  own  method,  without  the  use  of  a  pen, 
pencil,  or  chalk,  or  even  understanding  the  common  rules  of 
arithmetic,  as  taught  in  the  schools.  He  would  stride  over  a 
piece  of  land,  or  a  field,  and  tell  the  contents  of  it  almost  as 
exactjv  as  if  one  had  measured  it  by  the  chain.  In  this  manner 
he  measured  the  whole  lordship  of  Elmton,  belonging  to  Sir 
John  Rhodes,  and  hrouoht  him  the  contents,  not  onlv  of  some 
thousands  in  acres,  roods,  and  perches,  but  even  in  square 
inches.  After  this,  for  his  own  amusement,  he  reduced  them 
into  square  hair-breadths,  computing  48  to  each  side  of  the 
inch.  His  memory  was  so  great,  that  while  resolving  a  ques- 
tion, he  could  leave  off,  and  resume  the  operation  again,  where 
he  left  ort",  the  next  morning,  or  at  a  week,  a  month,  or  seve- 
ral months,  and  proceed  regularly  till  it  \vas  completed.  His 
memory  would  doubtless  have  been  equally  retentive  with 
respect  to  other  objects,  if  he  had  attended  to  them  with 
equal  diligence ;  but  his  perpetual  application  to  figures 
prevented  the  smallest  acquisition  of  any  other  knowledge. 
He  was  sometimes  asked,  on  his  return  from  church,  whether 
he  remembered  the  text,  or  any  part  of  the  sermon  :  but  it 
never  appeared  that  he  brought  away  one  sentence  ;  his  mind, 
upon  a  closer  examination,  being  found  to  have  been  busied, 
even  during  divine  service,  in  his  favourite  operation,  either 
dividing  some  time,  or  some  space,  into  the  smallest  known 
parts,  or  resolving  some  question  tiiat  had  been  given  him  as 
i  test  of  his  abilities.  As  this  extraordinary  person  lived  in 
laborious  poverty,  his  life  was  uniform  and  obscure.  Time, 
with  respect  to  him,  changed  nothing  but  his  age;  nor  did 
the  seasons  vary  his  employment,  except  that  in  winter  he 
used  a  flail,  and  in  summer  a  ling-hook.  In  1754,  he  came  to 
London,  where  he  was  introduced  to  the  Royal  Society,  who, 
in  order  to  prove  his  abilities,  asked  him  several  questions  in 
arithmetic;  and  he  gave  them  such  satisfaction,  that  they  dis- 
nnssed  him  with  a  handsome  gratuitv.  In  this  visit  to  the 
metropolis,  the  only  object  of  his  curiositv,  except  figures, 
.  was  to  see  the  king  and  royal  family ;  but  they  being  at  Ken- 
sington, Jedidiah  was  disappointed.  During  his  stay  in  Lon- 
don, he  was  taken  to  see  King  Richard  III.  performed  at 
Drury-Lane  playhouse  ;  and  it  was  exj)ected,  either  that  the 
novelty  and  the  splendour  of  the  show  would  have  fixed  him 
in  astonishment,  or  kept  his  imagination  in  a  continual  hurry, 
or  that  his  |:)assions  would,  in  some  decree,  have  b'?en  touched 
by  tiic  power  of  action,  though  he  did  not  perfectly  understand 
tl>e  dialogue.  But  Jedidiah's  mind  was  employed  in  the  play- 
house just  as  it  was  employed  in  every  other  place.     During 


88  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    MAN. 

the  dance,  he  fixed  liis  attention  upon  the  number  of  steps  ; 
he  dechired,  after  a  fine  piece  of  music,  that  the  innumerable 
sounds  produced  by  the  instruments  had  perplexed  him  bevond 
measure;  and  he  attended  even  to  Mr.  Garrick,  only  to 
count  the  words  that  he  uttered,  in  which,  he  said,  he  perfectly 
succeeded.  Jedidiah  returned  to  the  place  of  his  birth,  where, 
if  his  enjoyments  were  few,  his  wishes  did  not  seem  to  be 
greater.  He  applied  to  his  labour  with  cheerfulness  ;  he  re- 
gretted nothing  that  he  left  behind  him  in  London  ;  and  it 
continued  to  be  his  opinion,  that  a  slice  of  rusty  bacon  afford- 
ed the  most  delicious  repast. 

The  following  account  of  the  Extraordinary  Arithmetical 
Powers  of  a  Child,  is  extracted  from  the  Annual  Register  of 
1812.  It  is  entitled.  Some  Particulars  rksi'ectino  the 
Arithmetical  Powers  of  Zerah  Colburn,  a  Child 
UNDER  Eight  Years  of  Age. 

"  The  attention  of  the  philosophical  world,  (says  the  writer,) 
has  been  lately  attracted  by  the  most  singular  phenomenon  in 
the  history  of  the  human  mind,  that  perha|)S  ever  existed.  It 
is  the  case  of  a  child,  under  eight  years  of  age,  who.  without 
any  previous  knowledge  of  the  common  rules  of  arithmetic,  or 
even  of  the  use  and  power  of  the  Arabic  numerals,  and  with- 
out having  given  any  particular  attention  to  the  subject,  pos- 
sesses, as  if  by  intuition,  the  singular  faculty  of  solving  a 
great  variety  of  arithmetical  questions  by  the  mere  operation 
of  the  mind,  and  without  the  usual  assistance  of  any  visible 
symbol  or  contrivance. 

"The  name  of  the  child  is  Zerah  Colf)urn,  who  was  born  at 
Cabut,  (a  town  lying  at  the  head  of  Onion  river,  in  \'^ermont, 
in  the  United  States  of  America,)  on  the  1st  of  September, 
1804.  About  two  years  ago  (August,  1810,)  although  at  that 
time  not  six  years  of  age,  he  first  began  to  shew  those  won- 
derful powers  of  calculation,  which  liave  since  so  much  attract- 
ed the  attention,  and  excited  the  astonishment,  of  every  person 
who  has  witnessed  his  extraordinary  abilities.  The  discovery 
was  made  by  accident.  His  father,  who  had  not  given  him 
any  other  instruction  than  such  as  was  to  be  obtained  at  a 
small  school  established  in  that  unfrequented  and  remote  past 
of  the  country,  (and  which  did  not  include  either  writing  or 
ciphering,)  was  much  surprised  one  day  to  hear  him  repeating 
the  products  of  several  numbers.  Struck  with  ama7,ement  at 
the  circumstance,  he  proposed  a  variety  of  arithmetical  ques- 
tions to  him,  all  of  which  the  child  solved  with  remarkable 
facility  and  correctness.  The  news  of  this  infant  prodigy  soon 
circulated  through  the  neighbourhood ;  and  many  persons 
came  from  distant  parts  to  witness  so  singular  a  circumstance. 
The  father,  encouraged  by  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  who 


SURPRISING   INSTANCE  OF  SKILL  IN   NLMBERS.  89 

came  to  see  him,  was  induced  to  undertake,  with  this  child, 
tlie  tour  of  the  United  States.  They  were  every  wliere  re- 
ceived with  the  most  flattering  expressions  ;  and  in  the  several 
towns  which  they  visited,  various  plans  were  suggested,  to 
ediicate  and  bring  up  the  child,  free  from  all  expense  to  his 
family.  Yielding,  however,  to  the  pressing  solicitations  of 
his  friends,  and  urged  by  the  most  respf^ctable,  and  powerful 
recommendations,  as  well  as  by  a  view  to  his  son's  more 
complete  education,  the  father  has  brought  the  child  to  this 
country,  where  they  arrived  on  the  12th  of  May  last  :  and  the 
inhabitants  of  this  metroi)rolis  have  for  these  last  three  months 
had  an  0])portunitv  of  seeing  and  examining  this  wonderful 
])henomenon,  and  verifying  the  reports  that  have  been  circu- 
lated respecting  him.  Many  persons  of  the  first  eminence  for 
their  knowledge  in  mathematics,  and  well  known  for  their 
philosophical  inquiries,  have  made  a  point  of  seeing  and 
conversing  with  him;  and  they  have  all  been  struck  with 
astonishment  at  his  extraordinary  powers.  It  is  correctlv  true, 
as  stated  of  him,  that — '  He  will  not  only  determine,  with  the 
greatest  facility  and  despatch,  the  exact  number  of  minutes 
or  seconds  in  any  given  period  of  time  ;  but  will  also  solve 
any  other  question  of  a  similar  kind.  He  will  teil  the  exact 
productarisingfromthemultiplicationofany  number,  consisting 
of  two,  three,  or  four  figures,  by  any  other  number,  consisting  of 
the  like  number  of  figures  ;  or  any  number,  consisting  of  six 
or  seven  ])laces  of  figures,  being  proposed,  he  will  determine, 
with  equal  expedition  and  ease,  all  the  factors  of  which  it  is 
composed.  This  singular  faculty  consequently  extends  not 
only  to  the  raising  of  powers,  but  also  to  the  extraction  of 
the  square  and  cube  roots  of  the  number  proposed;  and  like- 
\\ise  to  the  means  of  determining  whether  it  be  u  prime  nuii>- 
ber  (or  a  number  incapable  of  division  by  any  other  number;) 
for  which  case  there  does  not  exist,  at  present,  any  general 
rule  amongst  mathematicians.'  iMl  these,  and  a  variety  of 
other  questions  connected  therewith,  are  answered  by  this 
child  with  such  promptness  and  accuracy  (and  in  the  midst 
of  his  juvenile  pursuits)  as  to  astonish  every  person  who  hab 
visited  him. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  his  friends,  which  was  held  for  the  purpose 
of  concerting  the  best  methods  of  promoting  the  views  of  the 
father,  this  child  undertook,  and  completely  succeeded  in 
raising  the  number  8  progressively  up  to  the  sixteenth  power ! ! ! 
and,  in  naming  the  last  result,  viz.  281,474,976,710,656,  he 
was  right  in  every  figure.  He  was  then  tried  as  to  other  num- 
bers, consisting  of  one  figure;  all  of  which  he  raised  (by 
actual  multiplication,  and  not  by  memory)  as  high  as  the  tenth 
power,  with  so  much  facility  and  despatch,  that  the  person 
appointed  to  take  down  the  results,  was  obliged  to  enjoin  him 

3.  M 


CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

not  to  be  so  rapid!  With  respect  to  numbers  consisting  of 
two  fioures,  he  would  raise  some  of  them  to  the  sixth,  seventh, 
and  eighth  power;  but  not  always  with  equal  facility:  for  the 
larger  the  products  became,  the  more  difficult  he  found  it  to 
proceed.  He  was  asked  the  square  root  of  106929;  and  before 
the  number  could  be  written  down,  he  immediately  answered 
'^27.  He  was  then  required  to  name  the  cube  root  of 
268,336,125;  and  with  equal  facility  and  promptness  he  re- 
plied, 645.  Various  other  questions  of  a  similar  nature, 
respecting  the  roots  and  powers  of  very  high  numbers,  were 
proposed  by  several  of  the  gentlemen  present ;  to  all  of  which 
he  answered  in  a  similar  manner.  One  of  the  party  re- 
quested him  to  name  the  factors  which  produced  the  number 
247,483 :  this  he  immediately  did,  by  mentioning  the  two 
numbers  941  and  263 ;  which  indeed  are  the  only  two  num- 
bers that  will  produce  it,  viz.  5x34279,  7x24485,  59x2905, 
83x2065,  35x4897,  295x581.  and  413x415.  He  was  then 
asked  to  give  the  factors  of  36083  :  but  he  immediately  re- 
plied that  it  had  none ;  which,  in  fact,  was  the  case,  as 
36083  is  a  prime  number.  Other  numbers  were  indiscri- 
minately proposed  to  him,  and  he  always  succeeded  in  giving 
the  correct  factors,  except  in  the  case  of  prime  numbers, 
which  he  discovered  almost  as  soon  as  proposed.  One  of 
the  gentlemen  asked  him  how  many  minutes  there  were  in 
forty-eight  years  :  and  before  the  question  could  be  written 
down,  he  replied,  25,228,800;  and  instantly  added,  that  the 
number  of  seconds  in  the  same  period  was  1,513,728,000. 
Various  questions  of  the  like  kind  were  put  to  him;  and  to 
all  of  them  he  answered  with  nearly  equal  facility  and  promp- 
titude, so  as  to  astonish  every  one  present,  and  to  excite 
a  desire  that  so  extraordinary  a  faculty  should  (if  possible) 
be  rendered  more  extensive  and  useful. 

"  It  was  the  wish  of  the  gentlemen  present,  to  obtain  a 
knowledge  of  the  method  by  which  the  child  was  enabled  to 
answer,  with  so  much  facility  and  correctness,  the  questions 
thus  put  to  him;  but  to  all  their  inquiries  upon  this  subject 
(,and  he  was  closely  examined  upon  this  point)  he  was  unable 
to  give  them  any  information.  He  positively  declared  (and 
every  observation  that  was  made  seemed  to  justify  the 
assertion)  that  he  did  not  know  how  the  answers  came  into 
Jiis  mind.  In  the  act  of  multiplying  two  numbers  together, 
and  in  the  raising  of  powers,  it  was  evident  (not  only  from 
the  motion  of  his  lips,  but  also  from  some  singular  facts 
which  will  be  hereafter-mentioned)  that  some  operation  was 
going  forward  in  his  mind ;  yet  that  operation  could  not, 
from  the  readiness  with  which  the  answers  were  furnished, 
be  at  all  allied  to  the  usual  mode  of  proceeding  with  such 
subjects:  and,  moreover,  he  is  entirely  ignorant  of  the  com- 


SURPRISING    INSTANCE   OF  SKILL   IN    NUMBERS.  91 

mon  rules  of  arithmetic,  and  cannot  perform,  uj)on  paper,  a 
simple  sum  in  multiplication  or  division.  But  in  the  ex 
traction  of  roots,  and  in  mentioning  the  factors  of  high  num 
bers,  it  does  not  appear  that  any  operation  can  take  place, 
since  he  will  give  the  answer  immediately,  or  in  a  very  few 
seconds,  where  it  would  require,  according  to  the  ordinary 
method  oi  solution,  a  very  dithcult  and  laborious  calculation; 
and  moreover,  the  knowledge  of  a  prime  number  cannot  be 
obtained  by  any  known  rule. 

"  It  has  been  already  observed,  that  it  was  evident,  from 
some  singular  facts,  that  the  child  operated  by  certain  rules 
known  only  to  himself.  This  discovery  was  made  in  one 
or  two  instances,  when  he  had  been  closely  pressed  upon 
that  point.  In  one  case  he  was  asked  to  tell  the  square  of 
4395 :  he  at  first  hesitated,  fearful  that  he  should  not  be  able 
to  answer  it  correctly  ;  but  when  he  applied  himself  to  it, 
he  said,  it  was  19,316,025.  On  being  questioned  as  to  the 
cause  of  his  hesitation  ;  he  replied,  that  he  did  not  like  to 
multiply  four  figures  by  four  figures  :  but,  said  he,  '  I  found 
out  another  way  ;  I  nmltiplied  293  by  293,  and  then  multi- 
j)lied  this  product  twice  by  the  number  15,  which  produced 
the  same  result.'  On  another  occasion,  his  highness  the 
duke  of  Gloucester  a.sked  him  the  product  of  21,734,  multi- 
plied by  543:  he  immediately  replied,  11,801,562;  but,  upon 
some  remark  being  made  on  the  subject,  the  child  said  that 
he  had,  in  his  own  mind,  multiplied  65202  by  181.  Now, 
although,  in  the  first  instance,  it  must  be  evident  to  every 
mathematician,  that  4395  is  equal  to  293x15,  and  conse- 
quently that  (4395)2  =  (293)3  x(15)«;  and,  further,  that  in  the 
second  case,  543  is  equal  to  181x3,  and  consequently  that 
21734x(18lx3)=(2l734x3)xl81;  yet  it  is  not  the  less 
remarkable,  that  this  combination  should  be  immediately 
perceived  by  the  child,  and  we  cannot  the  less  admire  his 
ingenuity  in  thus  seizing  instantly  the  easiest  method  of  solv- 
ing the  question  proposed  to  him. 

"  It  must  be  evident,  from  what  has  here  been  stated,  that 
the  singular  faculty  which  this  child  possesses  is  not  alto- 
gether dependent  upon  his  memory.  In  the  multiplication 
of  numbers,  and  in  the  raising  of  powers,  he  is  doubtless 
considerably  assisted  by  that  remarkable  quality  of  the  mind  : 
and  in  this  respect  he  might  be  considered  as  bearing  some 
resemblance  (if  the  difference  of  age  did  not  prevent  the 
justness  of  the  comparison)  to  the  celebrated  Jedidiah  Bux- 
ton, and  other  persons  of  similar  note.  But,  in  the  extrac- 
tion of  the  roots  of  numbers,  and  in  determining  their  factors, 
(if  any,)  it  is  clear,  to  all  those  who  have  witnessed  the 
astonishing  quickness  and  accuracy  of  this  child,  that  the 
memory  has  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  the  process.      And 


92  CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING    MAN, 

in  this  particular  point  consists  the  remarkable  difference 
between  the  present  and  all  former  instances  of  an  apparently 
siinilar  kind. 

'*  It  has  been  recorded  as  an  astonishing  effort  of  memory, 
that  the  celebrated  Ciiler  (who,  in  the  science  of  analysis, 
might  vie  even  with  Newton  himself,)  could  remember  the 
first  six  powers  of  every  number  under  100.  This,  probably, 
must  be  taken  with  some  restrictions  :  but,  if  true  to  tlie 
fullest  extent,  it  is  not  more  astonishing  than  the  efforts  of 
this  child  ;  wrth  this  additional  circumstance  in  favour  of  the 
latter,  that  he  is  capable  of  verifying,  in  a  very  few  seconds, 
every  fi;j;ure  which  he  may  have  occasion  for.  It  has  been 
further  remarked,  by  the  biographer  of  that  eminent  ma- 
thematician, that  'he  perceived,  almost  at  a  single  glance, 
the  factors  of  which  his  formulae  were  composed ;  the  parti- 
cular system  of  factors  belonging  to  the  question  under  con- 
sideration ;  the  various  artifices  by  which  that  system  may 
be  simplified  and  reduced  ;  and  the  relation  of  the  several 
factors  to  the  conditions  of  the  hypothesis.  His  expertnesa 
in  this  particular  probably  resulted,  in  a  great  measure,  from 
the  ease  with  which  he  performed  mathematical  investiga- 
tions by  head.  He  had  always  accustomed  himself  to  that 
exercise;  and,  having  practised  it  with  assiduity,  (even  before 
the  loss  of"  sight,  which  afterwards  rendered  it  a  matter  of 
necessity,)  he  is  an  instance  to  what  an  astonishing  degree 
it  may  be  acquired,  and  how  much  it  im|noves  the  intel- 
.ectual  powers.  No  other  discipline  is  so  effectual  in  strength- 
ening the  faculty  of  attention  :  it  gives  a  facility  of  appre- 
hension, an  accuracy  and  steadiness  to  the  conceptions ; 
and  (what  is  a  still  more  valuable  acquisition)  it  habituates 
the  mind  to  arrangement  in  its  reasonings  and  reflections.' 

"  It  is  not  intended  to  draw  a  comparison  between  the 
humble,  though  astonishing,  efforts  of  this  infant  prodigy, 
and  the  gigantic  powers  of  that  illustrious  character,  to  whom 
a  reference  has  just  been  made  :  yet  we  may  be  permitted 
to  hope  and  expect  that  those  wonderful  talents,  which  are 
so  conspicuous  at  this  early  age,  may,  by  a  suitable  educa- 
tion, be  considerably  improved  and  extended ;  and  that 
some  new  light  will  eventually  be  thrown  upon  those  subjects, 
for  the  elucidation  of  which  his  mind  appears  to  be  peculi- 
arly formed  by  nature,  siiice  he  enters  the  world  with  all 
those  powers  and  faculties  which  are  not  even  attainable  by 
the  most  eminent,  at  a  more  advanced  period  of  life.  Every 
mathematician  must  be  aware  of  the  important  advantages 
which  have  sometimes  been  derived  from  the  most  simple  and 
trifling  circumstance  ;  the  full  effect  of  which  has  not  always 
been  evident  at  first  sight.  To  mention  one  singular  instance 
of  this  kind: — The   very  simple   improvement   of  expressing 


J 


INSTANCE   or   MATH  E.MATICAL  TALENT.  93 

the  powers  and  roots  of  quantities  by  means  of  indices, 
introduced  a  new  and  general  arithn""*'c  of  exponents  :  and 
this  algorithm  of  powers  led  the  way  to  the  invention  of 
log.n  illiiHS,  by  means  of  which  all  arithmetical  computations 
are  so  much  facilitated  and  abridged.  Perhaps  this  child 
possesses  a  knowledge  of  some  more  im|)ortant  properties 
connected  with  this  subject:  although  he  is  incapable  at 
present  of  giving  any  satisfactory  account  of  the  state  of  his 
mind,  or  of  communicating  to  others  the  knowledge  which 
it  is  so  evident  he  does  possess  ;  yet  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe,  that,  when  his  mind  is  more  cultivated,  and  his 
ideas  more  expanded,  he  will  be  able  not  only  to  divulge 
the  mo(ie  by  which  he  at  present  operates,  but  also  point  out 
some  new  sources  of  information  on  this  interesting  subject. 

"  The  case  is  certainly  one  of  great  novelty  and  importance  ; 
and  every  literary  character,  and  every  friend  to  science, 
must  be  anxious  to  see  the  experiment  fairly  tried,  as  to  the 
effect  which  a  suitable  education  may  ];)roduce  on  a  mind 
constituted  as  his  appears  to  be.  With  this  view,  a  number 
of  gentlemen  have  taken  the  child  under  their  patronage, 
and  have  formed  themselves  into  a  committee  for  the  purpose 
of  superintending  his  education.  Application  has  been  made  to 
a  <:entleman  of  science,  well  known  for  his  mathematical  abili- 
ties, who  has  consented  to  take  the  child  under  his  immediate 
tuition  :  the  committee,  therefore,  propose  to  withdraw  him 
for  the  present  from  public  exhibition,  in  order  that  he  may 
fullv  devote  himself  to  his  studies.  But  whether  they  shall 
be  able  to  accomplish  the  object  they  have  in  view,  will 
depend  upon  the  assistance  which  they  may  receive  from 
the  public.  What  further  progress  this  child  made  under  the 
patronage  and  tuition  of  his  kind  and  benevolent  friends, 
the  editor  is  not,  at  present,  able  to  ascertain." 

We  proceed  to  a  Curious  Instance  of  Mathematical 
Talent 

A  singular  instance  of  early  mathematical  talent  has  been 
made  known  by  Mr.  Gough,  in  the  PhilosophicalMagazine. — 
Thomas  Gasking,  the  son  of  a  journeyman  shoemaker  of  Pen- 
rith, was  but  nine  years  of  age  when  the  account  was  written  : 
"he  was,  (says  the  writer),  however,  in  consequence  of  the 
education  given  him  by  his  father,  (an  acute  and  industrious 
man,)  become  well  acquainted  with  the  leading  propositions  of 
Euclid,  reads  and  works  algebra  with  facility,  understands  and 
uses  logarithms,  and  has  entered  on  the  study  of  fluxions. 
On  being  examined,  he  demonstrated  propositions  from  the 
first  books  of  Euclid  ;  discovered  the  unknown  side  of  a  trian- 
gle, from  the  two  sides  and  the  angle  given  ;  and  solved  cases 
in  spherical  trigonometry.     In  algebra,  he  gave  the  solutions 


94  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN. 

of  a  number  of  quadratic  equations ;  answered  questions 
which  contained  two  unknown  quantities  ;  and  applied  algebra 
to  geometry.  He  answered  problems  relating  to  the  maxima 
of  numbers  and  of  geometrical  magnitudes,  with  ease;  and, 
on  many  other  mathematical  points,  gave  very  high  promises 
of  future  excellence." 

The  follo\^ing  remarkable  account  of  a  Stone  Eater,  is 
given  as  a  fact  in  several  respectable  works. 

In  l/riO,  was  brought  to  Avignon,  a  true  lithophagus,  or 
stone-eater.  He  not  only  swallowed  flints  of  an  inch  and  a 
half  long,  a  full  inch  broad,  and  half  an  inch  thick  ;  but  such 
stones  as  he  could  reduce  to  powder,  such  as  marble,  pebbles, 
Sec.  he  made  into  paste,  which  was  to  him  a  most  agreeable 
and  wholesome  food.  I  examined  this  man,  says  the  writer, 
with  all  the  attention  I  possibly  could  ;  I  found  his  gullet  very 
larcje,  his  teeth  exceedingly  strong,  his  saliva  very  corrosive, 
and  his  stomach  lower  than  ordinary,  which  I  imputed  to  the 
vast  number  of  flints  he  had  swallowed,  being  about  five-and- 
twenty,  one  day  with  another.  Upon  interrogating  his  keeper, 
he  told  me  the  following  particulars:  "This  stone-eater,"  says 
he,  "  was  found  three  years  ago,  in  a  northern  uninhabited 
island,  by  some  of  the  crew  of  a  Dutch  ship.  Since  1  have 
had  him,  I  make  him  eat  raw  flesh  with  the  stones ;  I  could 
never  get  him  to  swallow  bread.  He  will  drink  water,  wine, 
and  brandy,  which  last  liquor  gives  him  infinite  pleasure.  He 
sleeps  at  least  twelve  hours  in  a  day,  sitting  on  the  ground, 
with  one  knee  over  the  other,  and  his  chin  resting  on  his 
right  knee.  He  smokes  almost  all  the  time  he  is  not  asleep, 
or  is  not  eating.  The  flints  he  has  swallowed,  he  voids  some- 
what corroded,  and  diminished  in  weight;  the  rest  of  his  ex- 
crements resembles  mortar." 

The  following  account  of  a  Poison  Eater  is  said  to  be  an 

undoubted  fact. 

A  man,  about  106  years  of  age,  formerly  living  in  Constan- 
tinople, was  known  all  over  that  city  by  the  name  of  So- 
lyman,  the  eater  of  corrosive  sublimate.  In  the  early  part  of 
his  life,  he  accustomed  himself,  like  other  Turks,  to  the  use 
of  opium  ;  but  not  feeling  the  desired  effect,  he  augmented 
his  dose  to  a  great  quantity,  ^\)ithout  feeling  any  inconve- 
nience, and  at  length  took  a  drachm  of  sixty  grains  daily. 
He  went  into  the  shop  of  a  .Jew  apothecary,  to  whom  he  was 
unknown,  asked  for  a  drachm  of  sublimate,  which  he  mixed 
in  a  glass  of  water,  and  drank  directly. 

The  apothecary  was  dreadfully  alarmed,  because  he  knew 
the  consequence  of  being  accused  of  poisoning  a  Turk  :  but 
what  was  his  astonishment,  when  he  saw  the  same  man  return 


BLETONISM.  95 

the  next  day  for  a  dose  of  the  same  quantity.  It  is  said  that 
Lord  Elgin,  Mr.  Smith,  and  other  Englishmen,  knew  this  man, 
and  have  heard  him  declare,  that  his  enjoyment  after  having 
taken  this  active  poison,  is  the  greatest  he  ever  felt  from  any 
cause  whatever. 

We  now  proceed  to   give  an  account  of. a  very  extraordi- 
nary faculty,  entitled  Bletonism. 

This  is  a  faculty  of  perceiving  and  indicating  subterraneous 
springs  and  currents  by  sensation.  The  term  is  modern,  and 
derived  from  a  Mr.  Bleton,  who  excited  universal  attention 
by  possessing  this  faculty,  which  seems  to  depend  upon  some 
peculiar  organization.  Concerning  the  reality  of  this  extra- 
ordinary faculty,  there  occurred  great  doubts  among  tht; 
learned.  But  ^1.  Thouvenel,  a  French  philosopher,  seems 
to  have  put  the  matter  beyond  dispute,  in  two  memoirs  which 
he  published  upon  the  subject.  He  was  charged  by  Louis  XV^  J. 
with  a  commission  to  analyze  the  mineral  and  medicinal  waters 
of  France  ;  and,  by  repeated  trials,  he  had  been  so  fully  con- 
vinced of  the  capacity  of  Bleton  to  assist  hiui  with  efficacy  in 
this  important  undertaking,  that  he  solicited  the  ministry  to 
join  him  in  the  commission  upon  advantageous  terms.  All 
this  shews  that  the  operations  of  Bleton  have  a  more  solid 
support  than  the  tricks  of  imposture  or  the  delusions  of 
fancy.  In  fact,  a  great  number  of  his  discoveries  are  ascer- 
tained bv  respectable  affidavits.  The  following  is  a  strong  in- 
stance in  favour  of  Bletonism. — "For  a  long  time  the  traces  of 
several  springs  and  their  reservoirs  in  the  lands  of  the  Abbey 
de  Verveins  had  been  entirely  lost.  It  appeared,  nevertheless, 
by  ancient  deeds  and  titles,  that  these  springs  and  reservoirs 
had  existed.  A  neighbouring  abbey  was  supposed  to  have 
turned  their  waters  for  its  benefit  into  other  channels,  and  a 
lawsuit  was  commenced  upon  this  supposition.  M.  Bleton 
was  applied  to  :  he  discovered  at  once  the  new  course  of  the 
Maters  in  question  ;  his  discovery  was  ascertained;  and  the 
lawsuit  terminated."  M.  Thouvenel  assigns  principles  ui)uu 
which  the  impressions  made  by  subterraneous  waters  and 
mines  may  be  accounted  for.  Having  ascertained  a  general 
law,  by  which  subterraneous  electricity  exerts  an  influence  on 
the  bodies  of  certain  individuals,  eminently  susceptible  of 
that  influence,  and  shewn  that  this  law  is  the  same  whetlier 
the  electrical  action  arise  from  currents  of  warm  or  cold  water, 
from  currents  of  humid  air,  from  coal  or  metallic  mines,  from 
sulphur,  and  so  on,  he  observes,  that  there  is  a  diversity  in 
the  physical  and  organical  impressions  which  are  produced  by 
this  electrical  action,  according  as  it  proceeds  from  different 
fossile  bodies,  which  are  more  or  less  conductors  of  electrical 
emanations.     There  are  also  artificial  processes,  which  concur 


96  *;rjKIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

in  leading  us  to  distinguish  the  different  conductors  of  minerel 
electricity  ;  and  in  these  processes  the  use  of  electrometrical 
rods  deserves  the  attention  of  philosophers,  who  might  per- 
haps, in  process  of  time,  substitute  in  their  place  a  more  per- 
fect instrument.  Their  physical  and  spontaneous  mobility, 
and  its  electrical  causes,  are  demonstrated  by  indisputable  ex- 
periments. On  the  other  hand,  M.  Thouvenel  proves,  by  very 
plausible  arguments,  the  influence  of  subterraneous  electrical 
currents,  compares  them  with  the  electrical  currents  of  the 
atmosphere,  points  out  the  different  impressions  they  produce, 
according  to  the  number  and  quality  of  the  bodies  which  act, 
and  the  diversity  of  those  which  are  acted  upon.  The  ordinary 
sources  of  cold  water  make  impressions  proportional  to  their 
volume,  the  velocity  of  their  currents,  and  other  circumstances. 
Their  stagnation  destroys  every  species  of  electrical  influence; 
at  least,  in  this  state  they  have  none  that  is  perceptible.  Their 
depth  is  indicated  by  geometrical  processes,  founded  upon 
the  motion  and  divergence  of  the  electrical  rays. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  some  Extraordinary 
Instances  of  Longevity. 

In  October,  1712,  a  prodigy  is  said  to  have  appeared  in 
France,  in  the  person  of  one  Nicholas  Petours,  who  one  day 
entered  the  town  of  Coutances.  His  appearance  excited  curio- 
sity, as  it  was  observed  that  he  had  travelled  on  foot :  he 
therefore  gave  the  following  account  of  himself,  viz.  That  he 
was  one  hundred  and  eighteen  years  of  age,  being  born  at 
Granville,  near  the  sea,  in  the  year  1594  ;  that  he  was  by  trade 
a  shoemaker  ;  and  had  walked  from  St.  Malo's  to  Coutances, 
which  is  twenty-four  leagues  distant,  in  two  days.  He  seem- 
ed as  active  as  a  young  man.  He  said,  "  He  came  to  attend 
the  event  of  a  lawsuit,  and  that  he  had  had  four  wives  ;  with 
the  first  of  whom  he  lived  fifty  years,  the  second  only  twenty 
months,  and  the  third  twenty-eight  years  and  two  months,  and 
that  to  the  fourth  he  had  been  married  two  vears  ;  that  he 
had  had  children  by  the  three  former,  and  could  boast  a  pos- 
terity which  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen  persons, 
and  extended  to  the  seventh  generation."  He  further  stated, 
"that  his  family  had  been  as  remarkable  for  longevity  as  him- 
self; that  his  mother  lived  until  1691  ;  and  that  his  father,  in 
consequence  of  having  been  aouiidi'd,  died  at  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-three,  that  his  uncle  and  godfather,  Ni- 
cholas Petours,  curate  of  the  parish  of  Balcine,  and  afterward 
canon  and  treasurer  of  the  cathedral  of  Coutances,  died 
there,  aged  above  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  years,  having 
celebrated  mass  five  days  before  his  decease.  Jacqueline  Fau- 
vel,  wife  to  the  park-keeper  of  the  bishop  of  Coutances,  (he 
baid,)  died  in  consequence   of  a  fright,  in  the  village  of  St« 


COMBUSTION   RY  SPIRITUOUS   LIQUORS.  D7 

Nicholas,  aged  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  years,  and  that 
she  was  able  to  spin  eight  days  before  her  decease."  Among 
the  refugees  from  this  part  of  France,  we  have  known  and 
iieard  of  many  instances  of  longevity,  but  certainly  none 
equal  to  these. 

CHAP.  VII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

iZombnstion  of  the  Human  Body,  produced  bj/  the  long  immo- 
derate Use  of  Spirituous  Liquors.  From  the  Journal  de 
Physique,  Pluviose,  Year  8  :  written  by  Pierre  Aime  Lair. 

In  natural  as  well  as  civil  history,  there  are  facts  presented 
to  the  meditation  of  the  observer,  which,  though  confirmed 
ty  the  most  convincing  testimony,  seem,  on  the  first  view, 
to  be  destitute  of  probability.  Of  this  kind  is  that  of  j)eople 
consumed  without  coming  into  contact  with  common  firo, 
and  of  bodies  being  thus  reduced  to  ashes.  How  can  we 
conceive  that  fire,  in  certain  circumstances,  can  exercise 
so  powerful  an  action  on  the  human  body  as  to  produce  this 
effect?  One  might  be  induced  to  give  less  faith  to  these 
instances  of  combustion,  as  they  seem  to  be  rare.  I  confess, 
that  at  first  they  appeared  to  me  worthy  of  very  little  credit; 
but  they  are  presented  to  the  public  as  true,  by  men  whose 
veracity  seems  imquestionable.  Bianchini,  Mossei,  RoUi, 
Le  Cat,  Vicq.  d'Azyr,  and  several  men  distinguished  by  their 
learning,  have  given  certain  testimony  of  the  facts.  Besides, 
is  it  more  surprising  to  experience  such  incineration  than 
to  void  saccharine  urine,  or  to  see  the  bones  softened,  or 
of  the  diabetes  mellitus.  This  marbific  disposition,  there- 
fore, would  be  one  more  scourge  to  afflict  humanity  ;  but  in 
physics,  facts  being  always  preferable  to  reasoning,  I  shall 
here  collect  those  which  appear  to  me  to  bear  the  impression 
of  truth ;  and,  lest  I  should  alter  the  sense,  I  shall  quote 
them  just  as  they  are  given  in  the  works  from  which  I  have 
extracted  them. 

VVe  read  in  the  transactions  of  Copenhagen,  that  in  1692, 
a  woman  of  the  lower  class,  who  for  three  years  had  used 
spirituous  liquors  to  such  excess  that  she  would  take  no 
other  nourishment,  having  sat  down  one  evening  on  a  straw 
chair  to  sleep,  was  consumed  in  the  night-time,  so  that 
next  morning  no  part  of  her  was  found,  but  the  skull,  and 
the  extreme  joints  of  the  fingers;  all  the  rest  of  her  body, 
says  Jacobeus,  was  reduced  to  ashes. 

N 


^8  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

The  following  extract  of  the  memoir  of  Bianchini,  is  tak^K 
from  the  Annual  Register  for  1763: — The  Countess  Cornelia 
Bandi,  of  the  town  of  Cesena,  aged  62,  enjoyed  a  good 
state  of  health.  One  evening,  having  experienced  a  sort 
of  drowsiness,  she  retired  to  bed,  and  her  maid  remained 
with  her  till  she  fell  asleep.  Next  morning,  when  the  girl 
entered  to  awaken  her  mistress,  she  found  nothing  but  the 
remains  of  her  mistress,  in  a  most  horrid  condition.  At  the 
distance  of  four  feet  from  the  bed  was  a  heap  of  ashes,  in 
\ihich  could  be  distinguished  the  legs  and  arms  untouched. 
Between  the  legs  lay  the  head,  the  brain  of  which,  together 
with  half  the  posterior  part  of  the  cranium,  and  the  whole 
chin,  had  been  consumed;  three  fingers  were  found  in  the 
state  of  a  coal ;  the  rest  of  the  body  was  reduced  to  ashes,  and 
contained  no  oil  ;  the  tallow  of  two  candles  was  melted  on 
a  table,  but  the  wicks  still  remained,  and  the  feet  of  the 
candlesticks  were  covered  with  a  certain  moisture.  The  bed 
was  not  damaged ;  the  bed-clothes  and  coverlid  were  raised 
wp  and  thrown  on  one  side,  as  is  the  case  when  a  person  gets 
up.  The  furniture  and  tapestry  were  covered  with  a  moist 
knsd  of  soot,  of  the  colour  of  ashes,  which  had  penetrated 
the  drawers  and  dirtied  the  linen.  This  soot  having  been 
conveyed  to  a  neighbouring  kitchen,  adhered  to  the  walls 
and  the  utensils.  A  piece  of  bread  in  the  cupboard  was 
covered  with  it,  and  no  dog  would  touch  it.  The  infectious 
odour  had  been  communicated  to  other  apartments.  The 
AnnuaJ  Register  states,  that  the  Countess  Cesena  was  ac- 
custoHied  to  bathe  all  her  body  in  camphorated  spirits  of 
wine.  Bianchini  caused  the  detail  of  this  deplorable  event 
to  be  published  at  the  time  when  it  took  place,  and  no  one 
contradicted  it :  it  was  also  attested  by  Sapio  Maffei,  a 
learned  ^contemporary  of  Bianchini,  who  was  far  from  being 
credulous:  and,  in  the  last  place,  this  surprising  fact  was 
confirmed  to  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  by  Paul  RoUi. 
The  Am  uai  Register  mentions  also  two  other  facts  of  tlie 
same  kind.,  which  occurred  in  England  ;  one  at  Southampton, 
and  the  other  at  Coventry. 

An  instance  of  the  like  kind  is  preserved  in  the  same  work, 
in  a  letter  of  Mr.  Wilmer,  surgeon  : — "  Mary  Clues,  aged  50, 
was  much  addicted  to  intoxication.  Her  propensity  to  this 
vice  had  increased  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  which 
happened  , a  year  and  a  half  before  :  for  about  a  year,  scarcely 
a  day  had  passed,  in  the  course  of  which  she  did  not  drink 
at  least  h  .if  a  pint  of  rum  or  aniseed-water.  Her  health 
gradually  cuclined,  and  about  the  beginning  of  February  she 
was  attacktd  by  the  jaundice,  and  confined  to  her  bed 
Though  she  was  incapable  of  much  action,  and  not  in  a  con- 
dition to  work,  she  still  continued  her  old  habit  of  drinking 


COMBUSTION   BY   SPIRITUOUS  LIQUORS  9y 

every  day,  and  smoking  a  pipe  of  tobacco.  The  bed  in  whic 
she  lay,  stood  parallel  to  the  chimney  of  the  apartment,  the 
distance  from  it  about  three  feet.  On  Saturday  morning,  the 
1st  of  March,  she  fell  on  the  floor ;  and  her  extreme  weak- 
ness having  prevented  her  from  getting  up,  she  remained 
in  that  state  til)  some  one  entered  and  put  her  to  bed.  The 
following  night  she  wished  to  be  left  alone  :  ^  woman  quitted 
her  at  half  past  eleven,  and,  according  to  ( i  stom,  shut  the 
door  and  locked  it.  She  had  put  on  the  fire  two  large  pieces 
of  coal,  and  placed  a  light  in  a  candlestick,  on  a  chair,  at 
the  head  of  the  bed.  At  half  after  five  in  the  morning,  a 
smoke  was  seen  issuing  through  the  window ;  and  the  door  being 
speedily  broken  open,  some  flames  whicli  were  in  the  room 
were  soon  extinguished.  Between  the  bed  and  the  chimney 
were  found  the  remains  of  the  unfortunate  Clues ;  one  leg 
and  a  thioh  were  still  entire,  but  there  remained  nothino; 
of  the  skin,  the  muscles,  or  the  viscera.  The  bones  of 
the  cranium,  the  breast,  the  spine,  and  the  upper  extremi- 
ties, were  entirely  calcined,  and  covered  with  a  whitish 
efflorescence.  The  people  were  much  surprised  that  the  fur- 
niture had  sustained  so  little  injury.  The  side  of  the  bed 
which  was  next  to  the  chimney,  had  suffered  the  most ;  the 
wood  of  it  was  slightly  burnt,  but  the  feather-bed,  the 
clothes,  and  covering,  were  safe.  I  entered  the  apartment 
about  two  hours  after  it  had  been  opened,  and  observed  that 
the  walls  and  every  thing  in  it  were  blackened ;  that  it  was 
filled  with  a  very  disagreeable  vapour;  but  that  nothing 
except  the  body  exhibited  any  strong  traces  of  fire." 

This  instance  has  great  similarity  to  that  related  by  Vicq. 
d'Azyr,  in  the  JEncydopedie  Methudique,  under  the  head  of 
Pathologic  Anatomy  of  Man.  A  woman,  about  50  years  of 
age,  who  indulged  to  excess  in  spirituous  liquors,  and  got 
drunk  every  day  before  she  went  to  bed,  was  found  entirely 
burnt,  and  reduced  to  ashes.  Some  of  the  osseous  parts  only 
were  left,  but  the  furniture  of  the  apartment  had  suffered 
very  little  damage.  Vicq.  d'Azyr,  instead  of  disbelieving 
this  phenomenon,  adds,  that  there  has  been  many  other  in- 
stances of  the  like  nature. 

We  find  also  a  circumstance  of  this  kind,  in  a  work  entitled. 
Acta  Medica  et  Philosophica  Hafniensia ,  and  in  the  work  of 
Henry  Bohanser,  entitled,  Le  Nouveau  Phosphore  Enjiamme. — 
A  woman  at  Paris,  who  had  been  accustomed,  for  three  years, 
to  drink  spirit  of  wine  to  such  a  degree  that  she  used  no  other 
liquor,  was  one  day  found  entirely  reduced  to  ashes,  except 
the  skull  and  the  extremities  of  the  fingers. 

The  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  of  London  present 
also  an  instance  of  human  combustion,  no  less  extraordinar\ . 
It  was  mentioned  at  the  time  it  happened,  in  all  the  journals 


100  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     MAv 

it  was  then  attested  by  a  great  number  of  pvp-vitnessefi,  and 
became  the  subject  of  many  learned  discu-J^ions.  Three  ac- 
counts of  this  event,  by  different  authors,  all  nearly  coincide. 
The  fact  is  related  as  follows: — "  Grace  Pitt,  the  wife  of  a  fish- 
monger, of  the  parish  of  St.  Clement,  Ipswich,  aged  about  60, 
had  contracted  a  habit,  which  she  continued  for  several  years, 
of  coming  down  every  night  from  her  bed-room,  half-dressed, 
to  smoke  a  pipe.  On  the  night  of  the  9th  of  April,  1744  she 
got  up  from  her  bed  as  usual.  Her  daughter,  who  slept  jvith 
her,  did  not  perceive  she  was  absent  till  next  morning  when 
she  awoke,  soon  after  which  she  put  on  her  clothes,  and,  going 
down  into  the  kitchen,  found  her  mother  stretched  out  on  the 
right  side,  with  her  head  near  the  grate,  the  body  extended  on 
the  hearth,  with  the  legs  on  the  floor,  which  was  of  deal, 
having  the  appearance  of  a  log  of  wood,  consumed  by  a  fire 
without  apparent  flames.  On  beiiolding  this  spectacle,  the 
girl  ran  in  great  haste,  and  poured  over  her  mother's  body 
some  water,  contained  in  two  large  vessels,  in  order  to  extin- 
guish the  fire  ;  while  the  fetid  odour  and  smoke  which  exhaled 
from  the  body,  almost  suffocated  some  of  the  neighbours  who 
had  hastened  to  the  girl's  assistance.  The  trunk  was  in  some 
measure  incinerated,  and  resembled  a  heap  of  coals,  covered 
with  white  ashes.  The  head,  the  arms,  the  legs,  and  the  thighs, 
had  also  participated  in  the  burning.  This  woman,  it  is  said, 
had  drunk  a  large  quantity  of  spirituous  liquor,  in  conse- 
quence of  being  overjoyed  to  hear  that  ono  of  her  daughters 
had  returned  from  Gibraltar.  IHiere  was  no  fire  in  tlie  grate, 
and  the  candle  had  burnt  entirely  out  in  the  socket  of  the 
candlestick,  which  was  close  to  her.  Besides,  there  were 
found  near  the  consumed  body,  the  clothes  of  a  child,  and  a 
]iaper  screen,  which  had  sustained  no  injury  by  the  fire.  The 
dress  of  this  woman  consisted  of  a  cotton  gown." 

Le  Cat,  in  a  memoir  on  spontaneous  burning,  mentions  sc 
veral  other  instances  of  combustion  of  the  human  body.  — 
'•  Havinu;  (says  he)  spent  several  months  at  Rheims  in  the 
year  1724  and  1725, 1  lodged  with  Sieur  Millet,  whose  wife  got 
intoxicated  every  day.  The  domestic  economy  of  the  family 
was  managed  by  a  pretty  young  girl  ;  which  I  must  not  omit 
to  remark,  in  order  that  the  circumstances  which  accompanied 
the  fact  I  am  about  to  relate,  may  be  better  understood. — 
Tliis  woman  was  found  consumed  on  the  20th  of  February, 
1725,  at  the  distance  of  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  hearth  in 
her  kitchen.  A  part  of  the  head  only,  with  a  portion  of  the 
lower  extremities,  and  a  few  of  the  vertebrae,  had  escaped  com- 
bustion, A  foot  and  a  half  of  the  flooring  under  the  oody  had 
been  consumed,  but  a  kneading-trough  and  a  powdering-tub, 
which  were  near  the  body,  sustained  no  injury.  M.  Criteen, 
ft  surgeon,  examined  the  remains  of  the  body  with  every  judi- 


COMBUSTION    BY   SPIRITUOUS   LIQUORS  JOl 

'ial  formality.  Jean  Millet,  the  husband,  being  interrogated 
by  the  judges  who  instituted  the  inquiry  into  the  affair,  de- 
clared, that  about  eight  in  the  evening  on  the  19th  February, 
he  had  retired  to  rest  with  his  wife,  who  not  being  able  to 
sleep,  had  gone  into  the  kitchen,  where  he  thought  she  was 
warming  herself;  that,  hav'ng  fallen  asleep,  he  was  awakened 
about  two  o'clock  with  a  diviagreeable  odour,  and  that,  having 
run  to  the  kitchen,  he  found  the  remains  of  his  wife  in  the 
state  described  in  the  report  of  the  physicians  and  surgeons. 
The  judges  having  no  suspicion  of  the  real  cause  of  this  event, 
prosecuted  the  affair  with  the  utmost  diligence.  It  was  very 
unfortunate  for  Millet  that  he  had  a  handsome  servant-maid, 
for  neither  his  probity  nor  innocence  was  able  to  save  him  from 
the  suspicion  of  having  got  rid  of  his  wife  by  a  concerted  plot, 
and  of  having  arranged  the  rest  of  the  circumstances  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  an  accident.  He  ex- 
perienced, therefore,  the  whole  severity  of  the  law;  and  though, 
by  an  appeal  to  a  superior  and  very  enlightened  court,  which 
discovered  the  cause  of  the  combustion,  he  came  off  victori- 
ous, he  suffered  so  much  from  uneasiness  of  mind,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  pass  the  remainder  of  his  melancholy  days  in  a 
hospital  " 

Le  Cat  relates  another  instance,  which  has  a  most  perfect 
resemblance  to  the  preceding  :  "  M.  Boinnean,  cure  of  Pler- 
quer,  near  Dol,  (says  he,)  wrote  to  me  the  following  letter 
dated  February  22,  1749: — 'Allow  me  to  communicate  to  you 
a  fact  which  took  place  here  about  a  fortnight  ago.  Madame 
de  Boiseon,  80  years  of  a^e,  exceedingly  meagre,  who  had 
drunk  nothing  but  spirits  for  several  years,  was  sittmg  in  her 
elbow  chair  before  the  fire,  while  her  waiting-maid  went  out 
of  the  room  for  a  few  moments.  On  her  return,  seeing  her 
mistress  on  fire,  she  immediately  gave  an  alarm ;  and  some 
people  having  come  to  her  assistance,  one  of  them  endeavour- 
ed to  extinguish  the  flames  with  his  hand,  but  they  adhered  to 
it  as  if  it  had  been  dipped  in  brandy  or  oil  on  fire.  Water 
was  brought,  and  thrown  on  the  lady  in  abundance,  yet  the  fire 
appeared  more  violent,  and  was  not  extinguished  until  the 
whole  flesh  liad  been  consumed.  Her  skeleton,  exceedinc^ly 
black,  remained  entire  in  the  chair,  which  was  only  a  Wide 
scorched  ;  one  leg  only,  and  the  two  hands,  detached  them- 
selves from  the  rest  of  the  bones.  It  is  not  known  whethei 
her  clothes  had  caught  fire  by  approaching  the  grate.  The 
lady  was  in  the  same  place  in  which  she  sat  every  day;  there 
was  no  extraordinary  fire,  and  she  had  not  fallen.  What  makes 
me  suppose  that  the  use  of  spirits  might  have  produced  this 
effect  is,  my  having  been  assured,  that  at  the  gate  of  Dinan 
an  accident  of  the  like  kind  happened  to  another  woman,  un- 
der similar  circumstances.'  " 


102  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MAN. 

To  these  instances,  which  I  have  multiplied  to  strengthei. 
the  evidence,  I  shall  add  two  other  facts  of  the  same  kind, 
published  in  the  Journal  de  Medicine.  The  first  took  place 
at  Aix,  in  Provence,  and  is  thus  related  by  Muraire,  a  sur- 
geon : — "  In  the  month  of  February,  1779,  Mary  JaufFret 
widow  of  Nicholas  Gravier,  shoemaker,  of  a  small  si/e 
exceedingly  corpulent,  and  addicted  to  drinking,  havin|ij 
been  burnt  in  her  apartment,  M.  Rocas,  my  colleague,  who 
was  commissioned  to  make  a  report  respecting  her  body, 
found  only  a  mass  of  ashes,  and  a  few  bones,  calcined  in 
such  a  manner,  that  on  the  least  pressure  they  were  reduced 
to  dust.  The  bones  of  the  cranium,  one  hand,  and  a  foot, 
had  in  part  escaped  the  action  of  the  fire.  Near  these  remains 
stood  a  table  untouched,  and  under  the  table  a  small  wooden 
stove,  the  grating  of  which,  having  been  long  burnt,  afforded 
an  aperture,  through  which,  it  is  probable,  the  fire  that  oc- 
casioned the  melancholy  accident  had  been  communicated : 
one  chair,  which  stood  too  near  the  flames,  had  the  seat  and 
fore  feet  burnt.  In  other  respects,  there  was  no  appearance 
of  fire,  either  in  the  chimney  or  in  the  apartments ;  so  that, 
except  the  fore  part  of  the  chair,  it  appears  to  me,  that  no 
other  combustible  matter  contributed  to  this  speedy  incine- 
ration, which  was  effected  in  the  space  of  seven  or  eight 
hours." 

The  other  instance  mentioned  in  the  Journal  de  Medicine^ 
took  place  at  Caen,  and  is  thus  related  by  Merille,  a  surgeon 
of  that  city,  still  alive  :  "  Being  requested,  on  the  3d  of  June, 
1782,  by  the  king's  officers,  to  draw  up  a  report  of  the  state 
in  which  I  found  Mademoiselle  Thuars,  who  was  said  to  have 
been  burnt,  I  made  the  following  observations  : — The  body 
lay  with  the  crown  of  the  head  resting  against  one  of  the 
hand-irons,  at  the  distance  of  eighteen  inches  from  the  fire, 
the  remainder  of  the  body  was  placed  obliquely  before  the 
chimney,  the  whole  being  nothing  but  a  mass  of  ashes. 
Even  the  most  solid  bones  had  lost  their  form  and  consist- 
ence; none  of  them  could  be  distinguished  except  the  coro- 
nal, the  two  parietal  bones,  the  two  lumbar  vertebra,  a  por- 
tion of  the  tibia,  and  a  part  of  the  omoplate  ;  and  even  these 
were  so  calcined,  that  they  became  dust  by  the  least  pressure. 
The  right  foot  was  found  entire,  and  scorched  at  its  uppei 
junction,  the  left  was  more  burnt.  The  day  was  cold,  but 
there  was  nothing  in  the  grate,  except  two  or  three  bits  about 
an  inch  diameter,  burnt  in  the  middle.  None  of  the  fur- 
{  niture  in  the  apartment  was  damaged.  The  chair  on  which 
Mademoiselle  Thuars  had  been  sitting,  was  found  at  the 
distance  of  a  foot  from  her,  and  absolutely  untouched.  I 
must  here  observe,  that  this  lady  was  exceedingly  corpulent, 
that  she  was  about  sixty  years  of  age,  and  much  addictel 


(OMBUSTION   By   SPIRITUOUS  LIQUORS.  103 

to  spirituous  liquors ;  that  the  day  of  her  death  she  had 
drunk  three  bottles  of  wine,  and  about  a  bottle  of  brandy ; 
and  that  the  consumption  of  the  body  had  taken  place  in  less 
than  seven  hours,  though,  according  to  appearance,  nothing 
around  the  body  was  burnt  but  the  clothes." 

The  town  of  Caen  affords  several  other  instances  of  the 
same  kind.  I  have  been  told  by  many  people,  and  particu- 
larly a  physician  of  Argentan,  named  Boutiet,  author  of  an 
Essay  on '  Intermittent  Fevers,  that  a  woman  of  the  lower 
class,  who  lived  at  Place  Villars,  and  who  was  known  to  be 
niuch  addicted  to  strong  liquors,  had  been  found  in  her  house 
burnt.  The  extremities  of  her  body  only  were  spared,  but 
the  furniture  was  very  little  damaged. 

The  town  of  Caen  records  the  history  of  another  old  wo- 
man, addicted  to  drinking.  I  was  assured,  by  those  who  told 
me  the  fact,  that  the  flames  which  proceeded  from  the  body, 
could  not  be  extinguished  by  water  :  but  I  think  it  needless 
to  relate  this,  and  the  particulars  of  another  event  which 
took  place  in  the  same  town,  because  they  were  not  attested 
by  a  proves  verbal,  and  not  having  been  communicated  by 
professional  men,  they  do  not  inspire  the  same  degree  of 
confidence. 

This  collection  of  instances  is  supported,  therefore,  by 
all  those  authentic  proofs,  which  can  be  required  to  form 
human  testimony  ;  for  while  we  admit  the  prudent  doubt  of 
Descartes,  we  ought  to  reject  the  universal  doubt  of  the 
Pyrrhonists.  The  multiplicity  and  uniformity  even  of  these 
facts,  which  occurred  in  different  places,  and  were  attested 
by  so  many  enlightened  men,  carry  with  them  conviction; 
they  have  such  a  relation  to  each  other,  that  we  are  inclined 
to  ascribe  them  to  the  same  cause. 

Difficulties  would,  no  doubt,  be  offered  from  reasoning 
against  these  facts;  but  the  writer  remarks,  that  human  tes- 
timoiiy  is  not  to  be  rejected,  unless  the  probability  that  the 
facts  must  be  impossible,  shall  be  greater  than  that  arising 
from  the  concurrence  of  evidence  :  and  he  adds,  that  the 
narratives,  though  varying  so  widely  as  to  time  and  place, 
do  very  remarkably  agree  in  their  tenor.  The  circumstances 
are,  that,  (1)  The  combustion  has  usually  destroyed  the  person 
by  reducing  the  body  to  a  mass  of  pulverulent  fatty  matter, 
resembling  ashes.  (2)  There  were  no  signs  of  combustion  in 
surrounding  bodies,  by  which  it  could  be  occasioned,  as  these 
were  little,  if  at  all,  injured;  though,  (3)  The  combustion  did 
not  seem  to  be  so  perfectly  spontaneous,  but  that  some  slight 
cause,  such  as  the  fire  of  a  pipe,  or  a  taper,  or  a  candle, 
seems  to  have  begun  it.  (4)  The  persons  were  generally  much 
addicted  to  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors;  were  very  fat;  in 
most  instances  women,  and  old.      (5)  The  extremities,  such 


104  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

as  the  legs,  Lands,  or  cranium,  escaped  the  fire.  (6)  Water, 
instead  of  extinguishing  the  fire,  gave  it  more  activity,  as 
hapjDens  when  fat  is  burned.  (7)  The  residue  was  oily  and 
fetid  ashes,  with  a  greasy  soot,  of  a  very  penetrating  and  dis- 
agreeable smell. 

The  theory  of  the  author  may  be  considered  as  hypothe- 
tical, until  maturer  observations  shall  throw  more  light  on  the 
subject.  The  principal  fact  is,  that  charcoal  and  oil,  or  fat, 
are  known  in  some  instances  to  take  fire  spontaneously,  and 
he  supposes  the  carbon  of  the  alcohol  to  be  deposited  in  the 
fat  parts  of  the  human  system,  and  to  produce  this  effect. 


CHAP.  VIII. 
CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAi:i.—( Continued.) 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

John  Elwea — Daniel  Dancer — Henri/  Wo/hi/ — John  Henley- 
Simon  Brown,  and  his  Curious  Dedication  to  Queen  Caroline 
— Edward  Wort  ley  Montague — Blaise  Pascal — Old  Parr — ■ 
George  Psalmanazar — Johti  Case — John  Lewis  Cardiac — John 
Smeaton — George  Morland — Henry  Christian  Heinecken — • 
Thomas  Topham — Zeuxis. 

John  Elwes.—  The  family  name  of  this  extraordinary  miser 
was  Meggot,  which  he  altered  in  pursuance  of  the  will  of  Sir 
Harvey  Elwes,  his  uncle,  who  left  him  at  least  £250,000,  and 
he  was  possessed  of  nearly  as  much  of  his  own.  At  this  time 
he  attended  the  most  noted  gaming  houses,  and  after  sitting 
up  a  whole  night  at  play  for  thousands,  he  would  proceed  to 
Smithfield  to  meet  his  cattle,  which  were  coming  to  market 
from  his  seat  in  Essex,  and  there  would  he  stand  disputing 
with  a  cattle-butcher  for  a  shilling.  If  the  cattle  did  not  ar- 
rive, he  would  walk  on  to  meet  them  ;  and  more  than  once  he 
has  gone  the  whole  way  to  his  farm  without  stopping,  which 
was  seventeen  miles  from  London.  He  would  walk  in  the  rain 
in  London  sooner  than  pay  a  shilling  for  a  coach  ;  sit  in  wet 
clothes,  to  save  the  expense  of  a  fire  ;  eat  his  provisions  in  the 
last  stage  of  putrefaction  ;  and  he  wore  a  wig  for  a  fortnight, 
which  he  picked  up  in  a  lane.  In  1774  he  was  chosen  knight 
of  the  shire  for  Berkshire,  and  his  conduct  in  parliament 
was  prrfectly  independent.  He  died  in  1789,  aged  about  77, 
leaving  a  fortune  of  £500,000,  besides  entailed  estates. 

Another  extraordinary  miser  was  Daniel  Dancer.  He 
was  born   in    1716,  near  Harrow,  in  Middlesex.     In  1736  he 


J 

DANIEL  DANCER. — HENRY  WOLBY.  105 

succeeded  to  his  family  estate,  which  was  considerable ;  but 
his  fathers  before  him  were  too  great  lovers  of  money  to  lay  out 
any  in  improvements  :  Daniel  followed  their  example,  and  the 
farm  went  worse  and  worse.  He  led  the  life  of  a  hermit  for 
above  half  a  century;  his  only  dealing  with  mankind  arose 
from  the  sale  of  his  hay ;  and  he  was  seldom  seen,  except  when 
he  was  out  gathering  logs  of  wood  from  the  common,  or  old 
iron,  or  sheep's  dung  under  the  hedges.  He  was  frequently 
robbed;  to  prevent  which,  he  fastened  his  door  up,  and  got 
into  his  house  through  the  upper  window,  to  ascend  which  he 
made  use  of  a  ladder,  which  he  drew  up  after  him.  His  sister, 
who  lived  with  him  many  years,  left  him  at  her  death  a  consider- 
able increase  to  his  wealth ;  on  which  he  bought  a  second-hand 
oair  of  black  stockings,  to  put  himself  in  decent  mourning. 
This  was  an  article  of  luxury,  for  at  other  times  Daniel  wore 
hay-bands  on  his  legs.  He  died  in  1794,  and  left  his  estates 
to  Lady  Tempest,  who  had  been  very  charitable  to  the  poor 
man  and  his  sister. 

Another  extraordinary  character  was  HenryWolby,  Esq. — • 
He  WQS  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  and  inherited  a  clear  estate 
of  more  than  10001.  a  year.  He  was  regularly  bred  at  the 
university,  studied  for  some  time  in  one  of  the  inns  of  court, 
and  in  the  course  of  his  travels  had  spent  several  years  abroad. 
On  his  return,  this  very  accomplished  gentleman  settled  on 
his  paternal  estate,  lived  with  great  hospitality,  matched  to 
his  liking,  and  had  a  beautiful  and  virtuous  daughter,  who 
was  married,  with  his  entire  approbation,  to  a  Sir  Christopher 
Hilliard,  in  Yorkshire. 

He  had  now  lived  to  the  age  of  forty,  respected  by  the  rich, 
prayed  for  by  the  poor,  honoured  and  beloved  by  all ;  when, 
one  day,  a  youngster,  with  whom  he  had  some  difference  in 
opinion,  meeting  him  in  the  field,  snapped  a  pistol  at  him, 
which  happily  flashed  in  the  pan.  Thinking  that  this  was 
done  only  to  frighten  him,  he  coolly  disarmed  the  ruffian,  and, 
putting  the  weapon  carelessly  in  his  pocket,  thoughtfully  re- 
turned home  ;  but,  after  examination,  the  discovery  of  bul- 
lets in  the  pistol  had  such  an  effect  on  his  mind,  that  he  in 
stantly  conceived  an  extraordinary  resolution  of  retiring  en- 
tirely from  the  world,  in  which  he  persisted  to  the  end  of  his 
life.  He  took  a  very  fair  house  in  the  lower  end  of  Grub-street, 
near  Cripplegate,  London,  and  contracting  a  numerous  retinue 
into  a  small  family,  having  the  house  prepared  for  his  purpose, 
he  selected  three  chambers  for  himself;  the  one  for  his  diet, 
the  other  for  his  lodging,  the  other  for  his  study.  As  they 
were  one  within  another, — while  his  diet  was  set  on  the  table  by 
an  old  maid,  he  retired  into  his  lodging  room;  and  when  his  bed 
was  making,  into  his  study  ;  still  doing  so  till  all  was  clear. 
Out  of  these  chambers,  from  the  time  of  his  entry  into  them, 

o 


106  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN. 

he  nevei  issued,  till  he  was  carried  thence,  44  years  after,  on 
men's  shoulders ;  neither,  in  all  that  time,  did  his  son-in-law, 
daughter,  or  grand-child,  brother,  sister,  or  kinsman,  young 
or  old,  rich  or  poor,  of  what  degree  or  condition  soever,  look 
upon  his  face,  save  the  ancient  maid,  whose  name  was  Eli- 
zabeth. She  only  made  his  fire,  prepared  his  bed,  provided 
his  diet,  and  dressed  his  chambers.  She  saw  him  but  seldom, 
never  but  in  cases  of  extraordinary  necessity,  and  died  not 
six  days  before  him. 

In  all  the  time  of  his  retirement,  he  never  tasted  fish  or 
flesh ;  his  chief  food  was  oatmeal  gruel ;  now  and  then,  in 
summer,  he  had  a  salad  of  some  choice  cool  herbs ;  and  for 
dainties,  when  he  would  feast  himself  upon  a  high  day,  he 
would  eat  the  yoke  of  a  hen's  egg,  but  no  part  of  the  white ; 
what  bread  he  did  eat,  he  cut  out  of  the  middle  of  the  loaf, 
but  the  crust  he  never  tasted  ;  his  constant  drink  was  four- 
shilling  beer,  and  no  other,  for  he  never  tasted  wine  or  strong 
drink.  Now  and  then,  when  his  stomach  served,  he  would 
eat  some  kind  of  sackers,  and  he  sometimes  drank  red  cow's 
milk,  which  was  fetched  hot  from  the  cow.  Nevertheless, 
he  kept  a  bountiful  table  for  his  servant,  and  sufficient  enter- 
tainment for  any  stranger  or  tenant,  who  had  occasion  of 
business  at  his  house.  Every  book  that  was  printed  was 
bought  for  him,  and  conveyed  to  him  ;  but  such  as  related 
fto  controversy  he  always  laid  aside,  and  never  read. 

In  Christmas  holidays,  at  Easter,  and  other  festivals,  iif 
was  provided  with  all  dishes  in  season,  served  into  his  own 
chamber,  with  stores  of  wine,  which  his  maid  brought  in 
Then,  after  thanks  to  God  for  his  good  benefits,  he  would  pir 
a  clean  napkin  before  him,  and  putting  on  a  pair  of  clean 
holland  sleeves,  which  reached  to  his  elbows,  cutting  up  dish 
after  dish  in  order,  he  would  send  one  to  a  poor  neighbour, 
the  next  to  another,  whether  it  were  brawn,  beef,  capon, 
goose,  &.C.  till  he  had  left  the  whole  table  empty  ;  when, 
giving  thanks  again,  he  laid  by  his  linen,  and  caused  the  dishes 
to  be  taken  away:  and  this  he  would  do,  at  dinner  and  supper, 
upon  these  days,  without  tasting  of  any  thing  whatsoever. 
When  any  clamoured  impudently  at  his  gate,  they  were  not, 
therefore,  immediately  relieved ;  but  when,  from  his  private 
chamber,  he  espied  any  sick,  weak,  or  lame,  he  would  pre- 
sently send  after  them,  to  comfort,  cherish,  and  strengthen 
them,  and  not  a  trifle  to  serve  them  for  the  present,  but  so 
much  as  would  relieve  them  many  days  after.  He  would 
moreover  inquire  which  of  his  neighbours  were  industrious 
in  their  callings,  and  who  had  great  charge  of  children ;  and 
withal,  if  their  labour  and  industry  could  not  sufficiently 
supply  their  families :  to  such  he  would  liberally  send,  and 
relieve  them  according  to  their  necessities. 


JOHN   HENLEY.  107 

He  died  at  his  house  in  Grub-street,  after  an  anchoretical 
confinement  of  fortv-four  years,  October  29,  1636,  aged  84. 
At  his  death,  his  hair  ana  beard  was  so  overgrown,  that  ha 
appeared  rather  like  a  hermit  of  the  wilderness,  than  the 
inhabitant  of  one  of  the  first  cities  in  the  world. 

A  very  singular  character  was  John  Henley,  M.  A.  com 
monly  called  Orator  Henley.  He  was  born  at  Melton-Mow- 
bray,  Leicestershire,  in  1691.  His  father,  the  Rev.  Simo 
Henley,  and  his  maternal  grandfather,  John  Dowel,  M.  A 
were  both  vicars  of  that  parish.  Having  passed  his  exercises 
at  Cambridge,  and  obtained  the  degree  of  B.  A.  he  returned 
to  his  native  place,  where  he  was  desired  by  the  trustees  to 
take  the  direction  of  the  school,  which  he  soon  raised  to  a 
flourishing  condition.  Here  he  began  his  Universal  Grammar ; 
finished  ten  languages,  with  dissertations  prefixed  ;  and  wrote 
his  poem  on  Esther,  which  was  well  received.  He  was 
ordained  a  deacon  by  Dr.  Wake,  then  Bishop  of  Lincoln  ;  and 
having  taken  his  degree  of  M.  A.  was  admitted  to  priest's 
orders  by  Dr.  Gibson.  After  preaching  many  occasional 
sermons,  he  went  to  London,  recommended  by  above  thirty 
letters  from  the  most  considerable  men  in  the  country,  both 
of  the  clergy  and  laity.  He  there  published  Translations 
of  Pliny's  Epistles,  of  several  works  of  Abbe  Vertot,  of  Mont- 
faucon's  Italian  Travels,  in  folio,  and  many  original  lucu- 
brations. His  most  generous  patron  was  the  Earl  of  Maccles 
field,  who  gave  him  a  benefice  in  the  country,  the  value  ol 
which,  to  a  resident,  would  have  been  above  £80  a  year;  he 
had  likewise  a  lecture  in  the  city ;  sermons  about  town ;  was 
more  numerously  followed,  and  raised  more  for  the  poor 
children,  than  any  other  preacher,  except  the  celebrated 
George  Whitfield.  But  when  he  pressed  his  promise  from 
a  great  man,  of  being  fixed  in  town,  it  was  negatived.  He 
then  gave  up  his  benefice  and  lecture,  believing  the  public 
would  be  a  more  hospitable  protector  of  learning  and  science, 
than  some  of  the  higher  ranks  in  his  own  order.  He  preached 
on  Sundays  on  theological  matters,  and  on  Wednesdays  upon 
all  other  sciences.  He  declaimed  several  years  against  the 
greatest  persons,  and  occasionally,  says  Warburton,  did  Pope 
that  honour.  That  great  poet,  however,  retaliated  in  the  fol- 
lowing satirical  lines : 

"  Imbrown'd  with  native  bronze,  lo,  Hemey  stands, 
Tuning  his  voice,  and  balancing  his  hands. 
How  fluent  nonsense  trickles  from  his  tongue  ! 
How  sweet  the  periods,  neither  said  nor  sung ! 
Still  break  the  benches,  Henley,  with  thy  strain. 
While  Kennet,  Hare,  and  Gibson,  preach  in  vain, 
O  great  restorer  of  the  good  old  age, 
Preacher  at  once,  and  zany,  of  thy  age '." 


108  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. 

Instead  of  tickets,  this  extraordinary  person  struck  medals, 
which  he  dispersed  among  his  subscribers  :  A  star  rising  to 
the  meridian,  with  this  motto,  "Ad  Summa"  and  below,  "  Inve^ 
niam  viam,  out  J'aciam."  "  Each  auditor  paid  us."  He  was 
author  of  a  weekly  paper,  called  "  The  Hyp  Doctor,"  for  which 
he  had  £100  a  year  In  his  advertisements  and  lectures,  he 
often  introduced  i  dtirical  and  humorous  remarks  on  the 
public  transactions  of  the  times.  He  once  collected  an  audi- 
ence of  a  great  number  of  shoemakers,  by  announcing  that  he 
could  teach  them  a  speedy  mode  of  operation  in  their  busi- 
ness; which  proved  only  to  be,  the  making  of  shoes  from  ready- 
made  boots.  He  died  on  the  14th  of  October,  1756,  in  his 
65th  year. 

The  next  character  we  introduce  is  Simon  Browne,  with 
his  Curious  Dedication  to  Queen  Caroline. 

Simon  Browne  was  a  most  extraordinary  dissenting  minis- 
ter, and  began  to  preach  before  he  was  twenty,  at  Portsmouth, 
but  afterwards  became  the  pastor  at  Old  Jewry.  In  1723,  he 
lost  his  wife  and  son,  which  so  affected  him,  that  he  quitted 
his  office,  and  would  not  even  attend  public  worship,  al- 
leging, "  that  he  had  fallen  under  the  displeasure  of  God, 
who  had  caused  his  rational  soul  to  perish,  and  left  him  only 
an  animal  life,  common  with  brutes ;  that  though  he  might 
appear  rational  to  others,  he  knew  no  more  what  he  said  than 
a  parrot;  that  it  was  in  vain  for  him  to  pray;"  and  as  such, 
he  no  longer  accounted  himself  a  moral  agent.  Yet  he 
frequently  amused  himself  with  translating  the  ancient  Latin 
and  Greek  poets.  At  the  same  time,  he  wrote  two  very  able 
works  in  defence  of  Christianity  against  Woolston  and  Tindal. 
He  dedicated  one  of  these  works  to  the  Queen,  but  the  Dedi- 
cation was  suppressed  by  his  friends.  Being  a  curiosity  of 
its  kind,  we  shall  annex  it. 

"  To  the  Queen. — Madam :  Of  all  the  extraordinary 
things  that  have  been  tendered  to  your  royal  hands,  since 
your  first  happy  arrival  in  Britain,  it  may  be  boldly  said, 
what  now  bespeaks  your  majesty's  acceptance  is  the  chief. 
Not  in  itself  indeed  ;  it  is  a  trifle  unworthy  your  exalted  rank, 
and  what  will  hardly  prove  an  entertaining  amusement  to 
one  of  your  majesty's  deep  penetration,  exact  judgment,  and 
fine  taste;  but  on  account  of  the  author,  who  is  the  first 
being  of  the  kind,  and  yet  without  a  name. 

"  He  was  once  a  man,  and  of  some  little  name  ;  but  of  no 
worth,  as  his  present  unparalleled  case  makes  but  too  mani- 
fest :  for,  by  the  immediate  hand  of  an  avenging  God,  his 
very  thinking  substance  has  for  more  than  seven  years  been 
continually  wasting  away,  till  it  is  wholly  perished  out  of 
liim,  if  it  be  not  utterly  come  to  nothing.  None,  no,  not  the 
least  remembrance  of  its  very  ruins,  remain;  not  the  shadow 


I 


SIMON   BROWNE.  10^ 

of  an  idea  is  left,  nor  any  sense,  so  much  as  one  single  one, 
perfect  or  imperfect,  whole  or  diminished,  ever  did  appear  to 
a  mind  within  him,  or  was  perceived  by  it. 

"  Such  a  present,  from  such  a  thing,  however  worthless  in 
itself,  may  not  be  wholly  unacceptable  to  your  majesty,  the 
author  being  such  as  history  cannot  parallel ;  and  if  the  fact, 
which  is  real,  and  no  fiction,  or  wrong  conceit,  obtains  credit, 
it  must  be  recorded  as  the  most  memorable,  and  indeed, 
astonishing  event,  in  the  reign  of  George  II.  that  a  tract  com- 

f)0sed  by  such  a  thing,  was  presented  to  the  illustrious  Caro- 
ine  ; — his  royal  consort  need  not  be  added  ;  fame,  if  I  am  not 
misinformed,  will  tell  that  with  pleasure  to  all  succeeding 
times.  He  has  been  informed,  that  your  majesty's  piety  is 
genuine  and  eminent,  as  your  excellent  qualities  are  great, 
and  conspicuous.  This  can,  indeed,  be  truly  known  to  the 
great  searcher  of  hearts  only.  He  alone,  who  can  look  into 
them,  can  discern  if  they  are  sincere,  and  the  main  intention 
corresponds  with  the  appearance  ;  and  your  majesty  cannot 
take  it  amiss,  if  such  an  author  hints,  that  his  secret  appro- 
bation is  of  infinitely  greater  value  <^han  the  commendation  ot 
men,  who  may  be  easily  mistaken,  and  are  too  apt  to  flatter 
their  superiors.  But,  if  he  has  been  told  the  truth,  such  a  case 
as  his  will  certainly  strike  your  majesty  with  astonishment ;  and 
may  raise  that  commiseration  in  your  royal  breast,  which  he 
has  in  vain  endeavoured  to  excite  in  those  of  his  friends  ; 
who,  by  the  most  unreasonable  and  ill-founded  conceit  in  the 
world,  have  imagined  that  a  thinking  being  could  not,  for 
seven  years  together,  live  a  stranger  to  its  own  powers,  exer 
cises,  operations,  and  state  ;  and  to  what  the  great  God  has 
been  doing  in  it,  and  to  it.  If  your  majesty,  in  your  most 
retired  address  to  the  King  of  kings,  should  think  of  so  sin- 
gular a  case,  you  may  perhaps  make  it  your  devout  request, 
that  the  reign  of  your  beloved  sovereign  and  consort  may  be 
renowned  to  all  posterity,  by  the  recovery  of  a  soul  now  in 
thft  utmost  ruin,  the  restoration  of  one  utterly  lost  at  present 
amongst  men  ;  and  should  this  case  affect  your  royal  breast, 
you  will  commend  it  to  the  piety  and  prayers  of  all  the  truly 
devout,  who  have  the  honour  to  be  known  to  your  majesty : 
many  such  doubtless  there  are  ;  though  courts  are  not  usually 
the  places  where  the  devout  resort,  or  where  devotion  reigns 
And  it  is  not  improbable,  that  multitudes  of  the  pious  through- 
out the  land  may  take  a  case  to  heart,  that,  under  your 
majesty's  patronage,  comes  thus  recommended. 

"  Could  such  a  favour  as  this  restoration  be  obtained  from 
heaven,  by  the  prayers  of  your  majesty,  with  what  trans-^rt* 
of  gratitude  would  the  recovered  being  throw  himself  ai  j,  ui 
majesty's  feet,  and,  adoring  the  divine  powe/  h  \d  grace, 
profess  himself.  I  am,  &c.  Simon  Browne." 


llO  (CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MA  .J. 

The  next  curious  character  we  shall  exhibit  is  Ed(?/ari> 
WoRTLEY  Montague. 

He  was  son  of  the  celebrated  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montaoue. 
He  passed  through  such  various  scenes,  that  he  is  well  enti- 
tled to  a  place  in  this  collection  of  curiosities.  From  West- 
minster school,  where  he  was  placed  for  education,  he  ran 
away  thrice.  He  exchanged  clothes  with  a  chimney-sweeper, 
and  followed  for  some  time  that  sooty  occupation.  He  next 
joined  a  fisherman,  and  cried  flounders  in  Rotherhithe.  He 
then  sailed  as  a  cabin-boy  for  Spain ;  where  he  had  no  sooner 
arrived,  than  he  ran  away  from  the  vessel,  and  hired  himself 
to  a  driver  of  mules.  After  thus  vagabondizing  it  for  some 
time,  he  was  discovered  by  the  consul,  who  returned  him  to 
his  friends  in  England.  They  received  him  with  joy,  and  a 
private  tutor  was  employed  to  recover  those  rudiments  of 
learning  which  a  life  of  dissipation,  blackguardism,  and  vul- 
garity, might  have  obliterated.  Wortley  was  sent  to  the  West 
Indies,  where  he  remained  some  time  ;  then  returned  to  Eng- 
land, acted  according  to  the  dignity  of  his  birth,  was  chosen 
a  member,  and  served  in  two  successive  parliaments.  His 
expenses  exceeding  his  income,  he  became  involved  in  debt, 
quitted  his  native  country,  and  commenced  that  wandering- 
traveller  he  continued  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Having  visit- 
fA  most  of  tlie  easterK  countries,  he  contracted  a  partiality 
for  their  manners  He  drank  little  wine,  but  a  great  deal  of 
coffee  ;  wore  a  long  bearc' ;  smoked  much  ;  and  even  whilst  at 
Venice,  was  habited  in  the  eastern  style.  He  sat  cross-legged 
in  the  Turkish  fashion,  from  choice.  With  the  Hebrew,  the 
Arabic,  the  Chaldaic,  and  the  Persian  languages,  he  was  as 
well  acquainted  as  with  his  native  tongue.  He  published  seve- 
ral pieces :  one  on  the  Rise  and  Fall  of  theRoman  Empire ;  an- 
other on  the  Causes  of  Earthquakes.  He  had  seraglios  of  wives; 
but  the  lady  whom  he  married  in  England  was  a  washerwo- 
man, with  whom  he  did  not  cohabit.  When  she  died  without 
leaving  issue  to  him,  being  unwilling  that  his  estate  should 
go  to  the  Bute  family,  he  set  out  for  England,  to  marry  a  young 
woman  already  pregnant,  whom  a  friend  had  provided  for  him; 
but  he  died  on  his  journey. 

The  next  character  that  comes  before  us  is  Blaise  Pascal. 
He  was  one  of  the  sublimest  geniuses  the  world  ever  produced; 
was  born  at  Clermont,  in  Auvergne,  in  1623.  He  never  had 
any  preceptor  but  his  father.  So  great  a  turn  had  he  for  the 
mathematics,  that  he  learned,  or  rather  invented,  geometry, 
when  but  twelve  years  old  ;  for  his  father  was  unwilling  to  in- 
itiate him  in  that  science  early,  for  fear  of  its  diverting  hina 
from  the  study  of  the  languages.  At  sixteen,  he  composed  a 
curious  mathematical  piece.  About  nineteen,  he  invented  hi» 
machine  of  arithmetic,  which  has  been  much  admired   by  th» 


OLD  PARR  111 

learned.  He  afterwards  employed  himself  assiduously  m 
making  experiments  according  to  the  new  philosophy,  and 
particularly  improved  upon  those  of  Toricellius.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-ifour  his  mind  took  a  different  turn  ;  for,  all  at  once, 
he  became  as  great  a  devotee  as  any  age  has  ever  produced, 
and  gave  himself  up  entirely  to  prayer  and  mortification. 

The  next  is  a  character  famous  for  longevity. — Thomhs,  or 
Old  Parr,  a  T'  -narkable  Englishman,  who  lived  in  the  reign 
of  ten  kings  and  queens.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Parr,  a 
husbandman,  of  Winnington,  in  the  parish  of  Alderbury,  Salop. 
Following  the  profession  of  his  father,  belaboured  hard,  and 
lived  on  coarse  fare.  Being  taken  up  to  London  by  the  Earl 
of  Arundel,  the  journey  proved  fatal  to  him.  Owing  to  the 
alteration  of  his  diet,  to  the  change  of  the  air  and  his  general 
mode  of  life,  he  lived  but  a  very  short  time  ;  though  one  Ro- 
bert Samber  says,  in  hie  work  entitled  Long  Livers,  that  Parr 
ved  16  years  after  his  presentation  to  Charles  II.  He  was 
buried  in  Westminster  Abbey.  After  his  death  his  body  was 
opened,  and  an  account  was  drawn  up  by  the  celebrated  Dr, 
Harvey,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract :  "  He  had  a 
large  breast,  not  fungous,  but  sticking  to  his  ribs,  and  dis- 
tended with  blood  ;  a  lividness  in  his  face,  as  he  had  a  diffi- 
culty of  breathing  a  little  before  his  death;  and  a  long  iastmg 
warmth  in  his  arm-pits  and  breast  after  it ;  which  sign,  toge- 
ther with  others,  were  so  evident  in  his  body  as  they  use  to  be 
on  those  who  die  by  suffocation.  His  heart  was  great,  thick, 
fibrous,  and  fat ;  the  blood  in  the  heart,  blackish  and  diluted  ; 
the  cartilages  of  the  sternum  not  more  bony  than  in  others, 
but  flexile  and  soft.  His  viscera  were  sound  and  strong,  espe- 
cially the  stomach  ;  and  he  used  to  eat  often,  by  night  and  day, 
though  contented  with  old  cheese,  milk,  coarse  bread,  small 
beer,  and  whey  ;  and,  which  is  more  remarkable,  he  ate  at 
midnight  a  little  before  he  died.  His  kidneys  were  covered 
with  fat,  and  pretty  sound  ;  only  on  the  interior  surface  were 
found  some  aqueous  or  serous  abscesses,  whereof  one  was 
near  the  bigness  of  a  hen's  egg,  with  a  yellowish  water  in  it, 
having  made  a  roundish  cavity,  impressed  on  that  kidney ; 
whence  some  thought  it  came,  that,  a  little  before  his  death,  a 
suppression  of  urine  had  befallen  him  ;  though  others  were 
of  opinion,  that  his  urine  was  suppressed  upon  the  regurgita- 
tion of  all  the  serosity  into  his  lungs.  There  was  not  the 
least  appearance  of  any  stony  matter,  either  in  the  kidneys  or 
bladder.  His  bowels  were  also  sound,  a  little  whitish  with- 
out. His  spleen  very  little,  hardly  equal  to  the  bigness  of 
one  kidney.  In  short,  all  his  inward  parts  appeared  so  healthy, 
that  if  he  had  not  changed  his  diet  and  air,  he  might,  per- 
haps, have  lived  a  good  while  longer.  The  cause  of  his  death 
was  imputed  chiefly  to  the  change  of  food  and  airj  forasmuch 


il2  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAW. 

as  coming  out  of  a  clear,  thin,  and  free  air,  he  came  into  the 
tliick  air  of  London  ;  and,  after  a  constant,  plain,  and  homely 
country  diet,  he  was  taken  into  a  splendid  family,  where  he  fed 
high,  aiid  drank  plentifully  of  the  best  wines,  whereupon  the  na- 
tural functions  of  the  parts  of  his  body  were  overcharged,  his 
lungs  obstructed,  and  the  habit  of  the  whole  body  quite  dis- 
ordered ;  upon  which  there  could  not  but  ensue  a  dissolution. 
His  brain  was  sound,  entire,  and  firm  ;  and  though  he  had 
not  the  use  of  his  eyes,  nor  much  of  his  memory,  several  years 
before  he  died,  yet  he  had  his  hearing  and  apprehension  very 
well ;  and  was  able,  even  to  the  130th  year  of  his  age,  to  do 
any  husbandman's  work,  even  threshing  of  corn." — The  fol- 
lowing summary  of  his  life  is  from  Oldy's  MS.  Notes  on  Ful- 
ler's Worthies  : 

"  Old  Parr  was  born  1483;  lived  at  home  until  1500,  aged  17, 
when  he  went  out  to  service.  1518,  aged  35,  returned  home 
from  his  master.  1522,  aged  39,  spent  four  years  on  the  re- 
mainder of  his  father's  lease.  1543,  aged  60,  ended  the  first 
lease  he  renewed  of  Mr.  Lewis  Porter.  1563,  aged  80,  mar- 
ried Jane,  daughter  of  John  Taylor,  a  maiden;  by  whom  he 
had  a  son  and  a  daughter,  who  both  died  very  young.  1564, 
aged  81,  ended  the  second  lease  which  he  renewed  of  Mr.  John 
Porter.  1585,  aged  102,  ended  the  third  lease  he  had  renewed 
of  Mr.  Hugh  Porter.  1588,  aged  105,  did  penance  in  Alder- 
bury  church,  for  having  a  criminal  connection  with  Katherine 
Milton,  by  which  she  proved  with  child.  1595,  aged  112,  he 
buried  his  wife  Jane,  after  they  had  lived  32  years  together. 
1605,  aged  122,  having  lived  ten  years  a  widower,  he  married 
Jane,  widow  of  Anthony  Adda,  daughter  of  John  Lloyd,  of 
Gilsells,  in  Montgomeryshire,  who  survived  him.  1635,  aged 
152  and  9  months,  he  died,  after  they  had  lived  together  30 
years,  and  after  50  years'  possession  of  his  last  lease." — Length 

years  are  of  no  use,  unless  they  be  spent  in  the  practice  of 
virtue. 

The  next  character  is  a  noted  impostor,  under  the  assumed 
name  of  George  Psalmanazar.  He  was  a  very  extraordi- 
nary genius,  born  in  France,  and  educated  in  a  Jesuit's  college; 
upon  leaving  which,  he  fell  into  a  mean,  rambling  way  of  life 
At  Liege,  he  entered  into  the  Dutch  service,  and  afterwards 
into  that  of  Coloo-ne.  Havino;  stolen  the  habit  and  staff  of  a 
pilgrim  out  of  a  church,  he  begged  through  several  countries, 
in  elegant  Latin,  and,  accosting  only  gentlemen  and  clergymen, 
received  liberal  supplies,  which  he  spent  as  freely.  In  Ger- 
many, he  passed  for  a  native  of  Formosa,  a  convert  to  Christi- 
anity, and  a  sufferer  for  it.  At  Rotterdam  he  lived  upon  raw 
flesh,  roots,  and  vegetables.  At  Sluys  he  fell  in  with  Briga- 
dier Lauder,  a  Scots  colonel,  who  introduced  him  to  the 
ehaplain ;  who,  to  lecommend  himself  to  the  bishop  of  Lon 


CASE. CANDIAC. S.. EATON.  113 

don,  took  him  over  to  that  city.  The  bishop  patronised  him 
with  credulous  humanity,  and  a  large  circle  of  liis  great 
friends  considered  him  as  a  prodigy.  He  published  a  History 
of  Formosa,  and,  what  was  most  extraordinary,  invented  a  cha- 
racter and  language  for  that  island,  and  translated  the  Church 
Catechism  in  to  it,which  was  examined  by  learned  critics,  and 
appioved.       Some    of  the    learned,    however,    doubted    him, 

f)articularly  Drs,  Halley,  Mead,  and  Woodward.  He  was  al- 
ovved  the  use  of  the  Oxford  Library,  and  employed  in  com- 
piling The  Universal  History.  Some  errors  in  his  history 
first  led  him  to  be  suspected  as  an  impostor.  He  died  in 
1753;  and  in  his  last  will  confessed  the  imposture. 

The  next  subject  is  a  celebrated  Quack  Doctor,  named  John 
Case.  He  was  a  native  of  Lyme  Regis,  in  Dorsetshire,  was 
a  noted  empyric  and  astrologer,  and  looked  upon  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  famous  Lilly,  whose  magical  utensils  he  pos- 
sessed. He  is  said  to  have  got  more  by  this  distich  over  his 
door,  than  Dryden,  by  all  his  poetry  : 

*'  Within  this  place 
Lives  Doctor  Case." 

And  he  was,  doubtless,  well  paid  for  composing  that  which  he 
aflSxed  to  his  pill  boxes : 

"  Here's  fourteen  pills  for  thirteen  pence, 
Enough  in  any  man's  own  conscience." 

There  is  a  story  told  of  him  and  Dr.RadclifF:  bein(>;  tooether 
at  a  tavern,  Radclitf  said,  "  Here,  brother  Case  ;  1  drink  to  all 
the  fools  your  patients." — "  Thank  ye,"  quoth  Case  ;  "  let  me 
have  all  the  fools,  and  you  are  welcome  to  the  rest."  He 
wrote  a  nonsensical  rhapsody,  called  the  Angelical  Guide, 
shewing  men  and  women  their  lot  and  chance  in  this  elemen- 
tary life. 

Our  next  character  is  famous  for  prematurity  of  genius,  and 
named  John  Lewis  Candiac.  He  was  born  at  Candiac,  in 
the  diocese  of  Nismes,  in  France,  in  1719.  In  the  cradle  he 
distinguished  his  letters  ;  at  thirteen  months  he  knew  them 
perfectly;  at  three  years  of  age  he  read  Latin,  either  printed 
or  in  manuscript;  at  four,  he  translated  from  that  tongue  ;  at 
six,  he  read  Greek  and  Hebrew^  was  master  of  the  principles 
of  arithmetic,  history,  geography,  heraldry,  and  the  science 
of  medals  ;  and  had  read  the  best  authors  on  almost  every 
branch  of  literature.  He  died  of  a  complication  of  disorders, 
at  Paris,  in  1726. 

The  next  character  deserves  to  be  recorded  as  one  that  was 
eminently  useful  in  his  day  and  generation.  John  Smea- 
TON,  born  near  Leeds,  in  1724,  was  an  eminent  civil  engineer. 
The  strength  of  his  understanding,  and  the  originality  of  his 
genius,  appeared  at  an  early  age:  his  playthings  were  not  the 

4.  P 


114  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN 

playthings  of  children,  but  the  tools  whicli  men  employ  ;  and 
he  appeared  to  have  greater  entertainment  in  seeing  the  men 
in  the  neighbourhood  work,  and  in  asking  them  questions, 
than  in  any  thing  else.  One  day  he  was  seen  (to  the  distress 
of  his  friends)  on  the  top  of  his  father's  barn,  fixing  up  some- 
thing like  a  windmill :  another  time  he  attended  son)e  men 
fixing  a  pump,  at  a  neighbouring  village,  and  observing  them 
cut  off  a  piece  of  bored  pipe,  he  was  so  lucky  as  to  procure 
it,  and  he  actually  made  with  it  a  working  pump  that  raised 
water.  This  happened  while  he  was  in  petticoats,  and  most 
likely  before  he  had  attained  his  sixth  year. 

While  we  admire  the  ingenuity  of  the  next  character,  we 
must  lament  that  his  conduct  was  licentious.  It  is  the  well- 
known  George  Morland,  an  ingenious,  dissipated,  and 
unfortunate  painter.  Ashe  had  no  other  education  than  what 
was  connected  with  the  pencil  and  pallet,  he  shunned  the  society 
of  the  well-informed  and  well-bred;  and  his  pictures  accordingly 
are  taken,  for  the  most  part,  from  low  life,  and  from  the  most 
humble,  if  not  the  most  shocking,  situations  in  which  man- 
kind consort.  The  following  anecdote  will  give  a  sufficient 
view  of  Morland's  character,  upon  which  it  would  give  ws 
pai;i  to  dwell  at  greater  length.  "  He  was  found  (says  hia 
biographer)  at  one  time  in  a  lodging  in  Somer's-Town,  in  the 
following  .extraordinary  circumstances  :  his  infant  child,  that 
had  bee.n  uead  nearly  three  weeks,  lay  in  its  coffin  in  one 
corner  of  the  room  ;  an  ass  and  foal  stood  munching  barley 
straw  out  of  the  cradle  ;  a  sow  and  pigs  were  solacing  them- 
selves in  the  recess  of  an  old  cupboard  ;  and  himself  whistling 
over  a  beautiful  picture  that  he  was  finishing  at  his  easel,  with 
a  bottle  of  gin  huno-  upon  the  side,  and  alive  mouse  sitting  (or 
if  you  please,  kicking)  for  its  portrait."  His  constitution, 
exhausted  by  dissipation,  rapidly  gave  way,  and  he  died  before 
he  had  reached  his  fortieth  year. 

The  next  character  was  indeed  a  prodigy,  that  shone  like  a 
meteor,  and  soon  vanished  away.  We  shall  introduce  him 
under  the  name  of  Christian  Henry  Heinecken. 

He  was  born  at  Lubeck,  February  6,  1721,  and  died  there,. 
June  27,  1725,  after  having  displayed  the  most  amazing 
proofs  of  intellectual  powers.  He  could  talk  at  ten  months 
old,  and  had  scarcely  completed  his  first  year,  when  he 
already  knew  and  recited  the  principal  facts  contained  in  the 
five  books  of  Moses,  with  a  number  of  verses  on  the  crea- 
tion :  at  thirteen  months,  he  knew  the  history  of  the  Old 
Testament ;  and  the  New,  at  fourteen ;  in  his  thirtieth  month, 
the  history  of  the  nations  of  antiquity,  geography,  anatomy, 
the  use  of  maps,  and  nearly  5000  Latin  words.  Before  the 
end  of  his  third  year,  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  Denmark,    and  the  genealogy  of  the   crowned  heads   of 


~":T    HEINECKEN. — THOMAS  TOPHAM  ^15 

Europe  ;  in  his  fourth  year  he  had  learned  the  doctrines  of 
divinity,  with  their  proofs  from  the  Bible;  ecclesiastical 
history ;  the  institutes ;  200  hymns,  with  their  tunes ;  80 
psalms ;  entire  chapters  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  ; 
1500  verses  and  sentences  from  ancient  Latin  classics;  almost 
(he  whole  Orbis  Pictus  of  Comenius,  whence  he  had  derived  all 
his  knowledge  of  the  Latin  language  ;  arithmetic  ;  the  history 
of  the  European  empires  and  kingdoms  ;  could  point  out,  in  the 
maps,  whatever  place  he  was  asked  for,  or  passed  by  in  his 
journeys  ;  and  recited  all  the  ancient  and  modern  historical 
anecdotes  relating  to  it.  His  stupendous  memory  caught  and 
retained  every  word  he  was  told  :  his  ever  active  imagination 
used,  whatever  he  saw  or  heard,  instantly  to  apply  some 
example  or  sentence  from  the  Bible,  geography,  profane  or 
ecclesiastical  history,  the  Orbis  Pictus,  or  from  ancient  clas- 
sics. At  the  court  of  Denmark,  he  delivered  twelve  speeches 
without  once  faltering  ;  and  underwent  public  examination 
on  a  variety  of  subjects,  especially  the  history  of  Denmark. 
He  spoke  German,  Latin,  French,  and  low  Dutch,  and  was 
exceedingly  good-natured,  and  well-behaved,  but  of  a  most 
tender  and  delicate  bodily  constitution ;  never  ate  any  solid 
food,  but  chiefly  subsisted  on  nurse's  milk,  not  being  weaned 
till  within  a  very  few  months  of  his  death,  at  which  time  he 
was  not  quite  four  years  old.  There  is  a  dissertation  on  this, 
published  by  M.  Martini,  at  Lubeck,  1730,  where  the  author 
attempts  to  assign  the  natural  causes  for  the  astonishing 
capacity  of  this  great  man  in  embryo,  who  was  just  shewn  to 
the  world,  and  snatched  away. 

The  next  character  is  of  a  different  description,  being  fa- 
mous for  strength  of  body ;  he  is  named  Thomas  Topham. 

This  person  was  remarkable  for  muscular  strength.  H© 
kept  a  public-house  at  Islington,  and  used  to  perform  sur- 
prising feats,  such  as  breaking  a  broomstick  of  the  first  mag- 
nitude, by  striking  it  against  his  bare  arm ;  lifting  two 
hogsheads  ot  water  ;  heaving  his  horse  over  the  turnpike-gate; 
carrying  the  beam  of  a  house  as  a  soldier  would  his  firelock, 
&c.  He  also  could  roll  up  a  pewter  dish  of  seven  pounds,  as 
a  man  rolls  up  a  sheet  of  paper ;  squeeze  a  pewter  quart  toge- 
ther at  arms'  length  ;  and  lift  two  hundred  weight  with  his 
little  finger,  over  his  head.  At  Derby,  he  broke  a  rope  fast- 
ened to  the  floor,  that  would  sustain  twenty  hundred  weight; 
and  lifted  an  oak  table,  six  feet  long,  with  his  teeth,  though 
half  a  hundred  weight  was  hung  at  the  extremity.  He  took 
Mr.  Chambers,  vicar  of  All  Saints,  who  weighed  twenty-seven 
stone,  and  raised  him  with  one  hand.  He  stabbed  himself, 
after  quarrelling  with,  and  wounding  his  wife,  1749. — Extraor- 
dinary strength  of  body  is  of  little  value,  if  strength  of  virtue 
be  wantinof 


116  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  celebrated  Painter 
uf  Antiquity,  named  Zeuxis. 

This  celebrated  painter  flourished  about  400  years  B.  C. 
He  was  born  at  Heraclea ;  but  as  there  have  been  many  cities 
of  that  name,  it  cannot  be  certainly  determined  which  of  them 
had  the  honour  of  his  birth.  Some  conjecture,  that  it  was 
Heraclea,  near  Crotona,  in  Italy,  He  carried  painting  to  a 
much  higher  degree  of  perfection  than  Apollodorus  had  left 
it ;  discovered  the  art  of  properly  disposing  of  lights  and 
shades,  and  particularly  excelled  in  colouring.  He  amassed 
immense  riches  ;  and  then  resolved  to  sell  no  more  of  his 
pictures,  but  gave  them  away ;  saying,  "  That  he  could  not 
set  a  price  on  them  equal  to  their  value."  Pliny  observes, 
that  this  admirable  painter,  disputing  for  the  prize  of  painting 
with  Parrhasius,  painted  some  grapes  so  naturally,  that  the 
birds  flew  down  to  peck  them:  Parrhasius,  on  the  other  hand, 
painted  a  curtain  so  very  artfully,  that  Zeuxis,  mistaking  it  for 
a  real  one,  that  hid  his  rival's  work,  ordered  the  curtain  to  be 
drawn  aside,  to  shew  what  Parrhasius  had  done ;  but  having 
found  his  mistake,  he  ingenuously  confessed  himself  van- 
quished, since  he  had  only  imposed  upon  birds,  while  Parr- 
hasius had  deceived  even  a  master  of  the  art.  Another  time 
he  painted  a  boy  loaded  with  grapes;  when  the  birds  also 
flew  to  this  picture, — at  which  he  was  vexed,  and  confessed 
that  his  work  was  not  sufficiently  finished,  since,  had  he 
painted  the  boy  as  perfectly  as  the  grapes,  the  birds  would 
have  been  afraid  of  him.  Archelaus,  king  of  Macedon,  made 
use  of  Zeuxis's  pencil  for  the  embellishment  of  his  palace. 
One  of  this  painter's  finest  pieces  was  a  Hercules  strangling 
two  Serpents  in  his  Cradle,  in  the  presence  of  his  aftrighted 
Mother;  but  he  himself  chiefly  esteemed  his  Athleta,  or  Cham- 
pion, under  which  he  placed  a  Greek  verse,  that  afterwards 
became  very  famous,  and  in  which  he  says,  "  That  it  was 
easier  to  criticize  than  to  imitate  the  picture."  He  made  a 
present  of  his  Alcmena  to  the  Agrigentines.  Zeuxis  did  not 
value  himself  on  speedily  finishing  his  pictures;  but  knowing 
that  Agatharcus  gloried  in  his  being  able  to  paint  with  ease 
and  in  a  little  time,  he  said,  "  That  for  his  part,  he,  on  the 
contrary,  gloried  in  his  slowness  ;  and  if  he  was  long  in  paint- 
ing, it  was  because  he  painted ybr  eternity.'" 


NICHOLAS  PESCE.  117 

CHAP.    IX. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Nicholas  Pesce — Paul  Scarron — Maria  Gaetana  Agnesi — Anna 
Maria  Schurman — Samuel  Bisset,  the  noted  Animal  Instruc- 
tor— John  Philip  Baratier — Buonaparte. 

Nicholas  Pesce,  the  first  extraordinary  character  we  shall 
introduce,  was  a  famous  diver,  of  whom  F.  Kircher  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account.  "  In  the  time  of  Frederick  king  of  Sicily,  (says 
Kircher,)  lived  Nicholas,  who,  from  his  amazing  skill  in  swim- 
ming, and  his  perseverance  under  water,  was  surnamed  the 
Fish.  This  man  had  from  his  infancy  been  used  to  the  sea; 
and  earned  liis  scanty  subsistence  by  diving  for  coral  and  oys- 
ters, which  he  sold  to  villagers  on  shore.  His  long  acquaint- 
ance with  the  sea,  at  last  brought  it  to  be  almost  his  natural 
element.  He  was  frequently  known  to  spend  five  days  in  the 
midst  of  the  waves,  without  any  other  provisions  than  the  fish 
which  he  caught-  there,  and  ate  raw.  He  often  swam  over  from 
Sicily  to  Calabria,  a  tempestuous  and  dangerous  passage,  car- 
rying letters  from  the  king.  He  was  frequently  known  to  swim 
among  the  gulfs  of  the  Lipari  islands,  no  way  apprehensive  of 
danger.  Some  mariners  out  at  sea,  one  day  observed  some- 
thing at  some  distance  from  them,  which  they  regarded  as  a 
sea-monster;  but,  upon  its  approach,  it  was  known  to  be  Ni- 
cholas; whom  they  took  into  their  ship.  When  they  asked 
him  whither  he  was  going  in  so  strong  and  rough  a  sea,  and  at 
such  a  distance  from  land;  he  shewed  them  a  packet  of  letters, 
which  he  was  carrying  to  one  of  the  towns  of  Italy,  exactly 
done  up  in  a  leather  bag,  in  such  a  manner  that  they  could 
not  be  wetted  by  the  sea.  He  kept  them  thus  company  for 
some  time  in  their  voyage,  conversing  and  asking  questions  ; 
and  after  eating  a  hearty  meal  with  them,  he  took  his  leave, 
and,  jumping  into  the  sea,  pursued  his  voyage  alone. 

"  In  order  to  aid  his  powers  of  enduring  in  the  deep,  na- 
ture seemed  to  have  assisted  him  in  a  very  extraordinary  man- 
ner :  for  the  spaces  between  his  fingers  and  toes  were  webbed, 
as  in  a  goose  ;  and  his  chest  became  so  very  capacious,  that  he 
could  take  in  at  one  inspiration  as  much  breath  as  would  serve 
him  for  several  hours.  The  account  of  so  extraordinary  a  per- 
son did  not  fail  to  reach  the  king  himself;  who  commanded 
Nicholas  to  be  brought  before  him.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to 
find  Nicholas,  who  generally  spent  his  time  in  the  solitudes  of 
the  deep;  but,  at  last,  after  much  searching,  he  was  was  found, 


118  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MAN. 

and  brought  before  his  majesty.  The  curiosity  of  this  mo- 
narch had  been  long  excited  by  the  accounts  he  had  heard  of 
the  bottom  of  the  gulf  of  Charybdis.  He  now,  therefore,  con- 
ceived that  it  would  be  a  proper  opportunity  to  have  more  cer- 
tain information.  Accordingly,  he  commanded  our  poor  diver 
to  examine  the  bottom  of  this  dreadful  whirlpool  ;  and  as  an 
incitement  to  his  obedience,'  he  ordered  a  golden  cup  to  be 
flung  into  it.  Nicholas  was  not  insensible  of  the  danger  to 
which  he  was  exposed  :  dangers  best  known  only  to  himself; 
and  therefore  he  presumed  to  remonstrate  ;  but  the  hopes  of 
the  reward,  the  desire  of  pleasing  the  king,  and  the  pleasure 
of  shewing  his  skill,  at  last  prevailed.  He  instantly  jumped 
into  the  gulf,  and  was  as  instantly  swallowed  up  in  its  bosom. 
He  continued  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour  below,  during  which 
time  the  king  and  his  attendants  remained  on  shore,  anxious 
for  his  fate  ;  but  he  at  last  appeared,  holding  the  cup  in 
triumph  in  one  hand,  and  making  his  way  good  among  the 
waves  with  the  other.  It  may  be  supposed  he  was  received 
with  applause  when  he  came  on  shore  ;  the  cup  was  made  the 
reward  of  his  adventure  ;  the  king  ordered  him  to  be  taken 
proper  care  of;  and,  as  he  was  somewhat  fatigued  and  debili- 
tated by  his  labour,  after  a  hearty  meal,  he  was  put  to  bed, 
and  permitted  to  refresh  himself  by  sleeping.  When  his  spi- 
rits were  thus  restored,  he  was  again  brought,  to  satisfy  the 
king's  curiosity  with  a  narrative  of  the  wonders  he  had  seen, 
and  his  account  was  to  the  following  effect. 

•'  He  would  never,  he  said,  have  obeyed  the  king's  com- 
mands, had  he  been  apprised  of  half  the  dangers  that  were 
before  him.  These  were  four  things,  he  said,  which  rendered 
the  gulf  dreadful,  not  only  to  men,  but  to  fishes  themselves  : 
1.  The  great  force  of  the  water  bursting  up  from  the  bottom, 
which  required  great  strength  to  resist.  2.  The  abruptness  of 
the  rocks,  that  on  every  side  threatened  destruction.  3.  The 
force  of  the  whirlpool  dashing  against  those  rocks.  And,  4. 
The  number  and  magnitude  of  the  polypous  fish,  some  of  which 
appeared  as  large  as  a  man  ;  and  which,  every  where  sticking 
against  the  rocks.,  projected  their  long  and  fibrous  arms  to 
entangle  him.  Being  asked  how  he  was  able  so  readily  to  find 
the  cup  that  had  been  thrown  in,  he  replied,  that  it  happened 
to  be  flung  by  the  waves  into  the  cavity  of  a  rock,  against 
which  he  himself  was  urged  in  his  descent. 

"  This  account,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the  king's  curiosity. 
Being  requested  to  venture  once  more  into  the  gulf  for  further 
discoveries,  he  at  first  refused;  but  the  king,  desirous  of  hav- 
ing the  most  exact  information  possible  of  all  things  to  be 
found  in  the  gulf,  repeated  his  solicitations  ;  and,  to  give  them 
still  greater  weight,  produced  a  larger  cup  than  the  former, 
and  added  also  a  purse  of  gold.     Upon  these  considerations, 


PAUL  SCARRON  119 

ihe  unfortunate  diver  once  again  plunged  into  the  whirlpool, 
and  wiis  never  heard  of  more." 

Paul  Scarron. — This  famous  French  burle&que  writer, 
was  the  son  of  a  counsellor  in  parliament,  and  was  born  at 
Paris,  about  the  end  of  1610,  or  beginning  of  1611.  His  father 
marrying  a  second  wife,  he  was  coinpelled  to  assume  the  ec- 
clesiastical profession.  At  the  age  of  24,  he  visited  Italy, 
and  freely  indulged  in  licentious  pleasures.  After  his  return 
to  Paris,  he  persisted  in  a  life  of  dissipation,  till  a  long  and 
painful  disease  convinced  him  that  his  constitution  was  almost 
worn  out.  At  length,  when  engaged  in  a  party  of  pleasure,  at 
the  age  of  27,  he  lost  the  use  of  those  legs  which  had  danced 
so  gracefully,  and  of  those  hands  which  once  could  paint,  and 
play  on  the  lute,  with  so  much  elegance. 

This  happened  in  the  following  manner  :  In  1638  he  was 
attending  the  carnival  at  Meutz,  of  which  he  was  canon.  Hav- 
ing dressed  himself  one  day  as  a  savage,  his  singular  appear- 
ance excited  the  curiosity  of  the  children  of  the  town.  They 
followed  him  in  multitudes,  and  he  was  obliged  to  take  shel- 
ter in  a  marsh.  This  wet  and  cold  situation  produced  a  numb- 
ness which  totally  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  his  limbs;  yet 
he  continued  gay  and  cheerful.  He  took  up  his  residence  in 
Paris,  and  by  his  pleasant  humour  soon  attracted  to  his 
house  all  the  men  of  wit  about  the  city.  The  loss  of  his  health 
was  followed  by  the  loss  of  his  fortune.  On  the  death  of  his 
father  he  entered  into  a  process  with  his  step-mother  ;  and 
pleaded  his  own  cause  in  a  ludicrous  manner,  though  his 
whole  fortune  depended  on  the  decision.  He  was  unsuccess- 
ful, and  was  ruined.  Mademoiselle  de  Hautefort,  compas- 
sionating his  misfortunes,  procured  for  him  an  audience  of  the 
queen.  The  poet  requested  to  have  the  title  of  Valetudinarian 
to  her  majesty  :  the  queen  smiled,  and  Scarron  considered  the 
smile  as  a  commission  to  his  new  office.  Cardinal  Mazarine 
gave  him  a  pension  of  500  crowns ;  but  that  minister  having 
received  disdainfully  the  dedication  of  his  Typhon,  the  poet 
immediately  wrote  a  Mazarinade,  and  the  pension  was  with- 
drawn. He  then  attached  himself  to  the  prince  of  Conde,  and 
celebrated  his  victories.  He  at  length  formed  the  extraordi- 
nary resolution  of  marrying,  and  was  accordingly,  in  1651, 
married  to  Madame  d'Aubigne,  afterwards  celebrated  by  the 
name  of  Maintenon. 

At  this  time  (says  Voltaire)  it  was  considered  as  a  great  ac- 
quisition for  her  to  gain  for  a  husband,  a  man  who  was  disfi- 
gured by  nature,  impotent,  and  very  little  enriched  by  fortune. 
She  restrained  by  her  modesty  his  indecent  buffooneries  ;  and 
the  good  company  which  had  formerly  resorted  to  his  house 
again  frequented  it.  Scarron  now  became  more  decent  in  his 
manoeis  and  conversation ;    and  his  gaiety  was  thus    more 


120  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MAN. 

agreeable.  But  he  lived  with  so  little  economy,  that  his 
income  was  soon  reduced  to  a  small  annuity,  and  his  marquis- 
ate  of  Quinet,  i.  e.  the  profits  of  his  publications,  which  were 
printed  by  one  Quinet.  He  was  accustomed  to  talk  to  his 
superiors  with  great  freedom  in  his  jocular  style,  as  appears 
from  the  dedication  of  his  Don  Japhet  d'Armeriie  to  the  king. 
Though  Scarron  wrote  comedies,  he  had  not  patience  to  study 
the  rules  of  dramatic  poetry.  Aristotle  and  Horace,  Plautus 
and  Terence,  would  have  frightened  him.  He  saw  an  open 
path  before  him,  and  he  followed  it.  It  was  the  fashion  of 
the  times  to  pillage  the  Spanish  writers.  Scarron  was  ac- 
quainted with  that  language,  and  he  found  it  easier  to  use 
materials  already  prepared,  than  to  rack  his  brain  by  inventing 
subjects.  As  he  borrowed  liberally  from  them,  a  dramatic 
piece  cost  him  little  labour.  The  great  success  of  his  Jodelet 
Maitre  was  a  vast  allurement  to  him.  The  comedians  who 
acted  it,  requested  more  of  his  productions.  They  were  writ- 
ten with  little  toil,  and  they  procured  him  large  sums.  They 
also  served  to  amuse  him.  He  dedicated  his  books  to  his 
sister's  greyhound  bitch.  Fouquet  gave  him  a  pension  of 
1600  livres.  Christiana,  queen  of  Sweden,  having  come  to 
Paris,  was  anxious  to  see  Scarron,  "  I  permit  you  (said  she 
to  Scarron)  to  fall  in  love  width  me.  The  queen  of  France  has 
made  you  her  Valetudinarian,  and  I  create  you  my  Roland." 
Scarron  did  not  long  enjoy  that  title  ;  he  was  seized  with  a 
violent  hiccough.  He  retained  his  gaiety  to  his  hist  moment. 
He  died  on  the  14th  of  October,  1660,  aged  51.  His  v\urks 
have  been  collected,  and  published  by  Bruzen  de  la  Martiniere, 
in  10  vols.  12mo.  1737.  His  Comic  Romance,  in  prose, 
merits  attention.  It  is  written  with  much  humour  and  purity 
of  style,  and  contributed  to  the  improvement  of  the  French 
language.  It  had  a  prodigious  run;  it  was  the  only  one 
of  his  works  that  Boileau  could  submit  to  read.  Scarron  can 
raise  a  laugh  on  the  most  serious  subjects  ;  but  his  sallies  are 
rather  those  of  a  buffoon,  thjin  the  effusions  of  ingenuity  and 
taste.  He  is  continually  falling  into  the  mean  and  the  ob- 
scene. Sterne  seems  to  have  imitated  Scarron  in  his  Tristram 
Shandy. 

We  shall  now  introduce  two  female  characters  of  note.  The 
first  is  Maria  Gaetana  Acnesi,  a  lady  of  extraordinary 
genius,  and  most  extensive  acquirements,  who  was  born  at 
Milan,  on  the  16th  of  May,  1718.  Her  father,  Pietro  Agnesi, 
of  Milan,  was  royal  feudatory  of  Monteveglia,  and  its  depen- 
dencies ;  and  being  a  man  of  some  rank  and  consequence,  he 
was  disposed,  from  paternal  affection,  to  provide  suitably  for 
the  education  of  his  infant  daughter,  who  gave  the  most  strik 
ing  indications  of  talent.      From  her  tenderest  years,  she  dis 


MARIA  GAETNA   AGNESl.  12 

discovered  a  wonderful  aptness,  and  a  vehement  desire,  for 
acquiring  languages.  Under  the  direction  of  proper  masters, 
she  studied  at  the  very  same  time  the  Latin  and  Greek,  the 
French  and  German;  and  while  the  rapidity  of  her  j>rogress 
excited  astonishment,  such  were  the  prodigious  powers  of  her 
memory,  that  she  could  easily  pursue  those  diversified  objects 
witiiout  feeling  the  smallest  degree  of  confusion.  When  yet 
scarcely  nine  years  old,  this  surprising  child  delivered  a  Latin 
oration,  to  prove  that  the  cultivation  of  letters  is  not  incon- 
sistent with  the  female  character, — before  an  assembly  of 
learned  persons,  invited  to  her  father's  house. 

At  the  age  of  eleven,  the  young  Agnesi  could  not  only  read 
Greek,  and  translate  it  instantly  into  Latin,  but  could  even 
speak  that  refined  language  with  the  same  apparent  ease 
and  fluency  as  if  it  had  been  her  native  tongue.  Nor  did 
these  acquisitions  absorb  her  whole  attention  ;  a  nobler  field 
was  opened  to  the  exercise  of  her  mental  faculties.  She  now 
began  to  read  Euclid's  Elements,  and  proceeded  in  algebra 
as  far  as  quadratic  equations.  Thus  prepared,  she  advanced 
with  ardour  to  the  study  of  natural  philosophy  ;  but  not 
content  with  the  sober  proofs  there  unfolded,  she  soared  to  the 
height  of  metaphysics,  and  engaged  in  the  most  abtruse  and 
intricate  disquisitions  of  that  contentious  science.  After  this 
young  lady  had  attained  the  age  of  14,  her  father,  anxious  to 
forward  her  ardour  for  improvement,  and  willing  to  gratify 
her  ambition  for  literary  distinction,  invited  occasionally  to 
his  house  a  number  of  persons,  the  most  respectable  in  Milan 
for  their  rank  and  learninp;.  In  the  midst  of  this  orave  audi- 
tory.  Donna  Agnesi  made  her  appearance ;  and,  without 
resigning  the  native  delicacy  of  her  sex,  she  maintained  a 
succession  of  new  theses  on  various  difficult  parts  of  philoso- 
phy, and  handled  the  arguments  with  such  dexterity  and 
commanding  eloquence,  as  singly  to  vanquish  every  opponent 
that  entered  the  field  of  controversy.  These  disputations 
were  all  of  them  carried  on  in  the  Latin  language,  which  she 
spoke  with  the  utmost  ease,  purity,  and  copious  elegance. 
Every  thing  conspired  to  heighten  the  impression  produced 
on  the  admiring  spectators.  In  the  full  bloom  of  youth,  her 
person  agreeable,  her  manner  graceful,  an  air  of  gentleness 
and  modesty  gave  irresistible  charms  to  her  whole  demeanour. 
Such,  for  several  years,  was  the  great  theatre  of  her  glory. 
But  having  nearly  completed  the  circle  of  philosophy,  and 
exhausted  the  chief  topics  of  discussion,  she  resolved  at 
length  to  close  that  career  with  a  solemnity  suitable  to  the 
occasion. 

In  the  year  1738,  Agnesi  made  her  last  brilliant  display, 
before  an  august  assembly,  composed  of  the  most  learned  and 
illustrious  of  the  Milanese  nobility,  the  senators,  and  foreign 

Q 


122  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MAN. 

ministers,  with  the  most  distinguished  professors  in  all  the 
branches  of  science  and  literature.  The  substance  of  these 
philosophical  conferences  was  afterwards  published  in  a  quarto 
volume,  entitled,  "  Propositiones  Philosophic^,  quas,  crebris 
Disputatioiiibus  domi  habitis,  coram  clarissimis  viris,  expUcabat 
extempore,  et  ab  objectis  vifidicabat  Maria  Cajeta/ia  de  Agnesi 
Mediolanensis."  Agnesi  now  bent  her  whole  attention  to  the 
culture  of  mathematics;  and,  without  guide  or  assistance,  she 
composed  a  very  useful  commentary  on  L'Hospital's  Conic 
Sections,  which  is  said  to  exist  still  in  manuscript.  In  the 
sublimer  departments  of  that  science,  her  studies  were  directed 
by  the  matured  experience  of  Rampinelli,  professor  of  mathe- 
matics in  the  university  of  Pisa ;  but  she  soon  gave  proofs 
of  her  amazing  proficiency,  in  digesting  a  complete  body  of 
the  modern  calculus.  This  excellent  work,  entitled,  "  Analy- 
tical Institutions,  for  the  Use  of  the  Italian  Youth,"  appeared 
in  1748,  in  two  vohimes  quarto,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by 
the  best  judges,  and  justly  regarded  as  exhibiting  the  fullest 
and  clearest  view  of  the  state  of  the  science  at  that  period. 
She  was,  in  consequence,  elected  by  acclamation  a  member 
of  the  Institute  of  Sciences  of  Bologna  ;  and  the  pope  farther 
conferred  on  her  the  title  of  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  the 
university  of  that  city. 

But  Agnesi  was  already  sated  with  literary  fame.  That 
sun,  which  in  its  ascent  had  shone  forth  with  such  dazzling 
radiance,  was,  through  the  rest  of  its  course,  shrouded  in 
clouds  and  darkness.  The  fever  of  genius  had  preyed  on  her 
mind,  and  the  high  fit  of  excitement  was  quickly  succeeded 
by  a  hopeless  depression  of  spirits.  She  repelled  the  seduc- 
tions of  human  learning,  and  abandoned  for  ever  her  favourite 
mathematical  pursuits.  Renouncing  the  vanities  of  this  world, 
she  withdrew  from  society,  embraced  a  life  of  religious  seclu- 
sion, and  sunk  by  degrees  into  the  languor  of  religious  melan- 
choly. She  studied  nothing  but  Hebrew,  and  the  rhapsodies 
of  the  Greek  fathers  of  the  church.  For  upwards  of  twenty 
years  she  denied  all  access  to  strangers.  The  famous  Lalande 
complains,  in  his  "  Travels  through  Italy,"  that  he  was  not 
allowed  the  honour  of  visiting  that  prodigy  ;  and  Father  Bos- 
covick  himself,  whose  religious  principles  must  have  been 
unexceptionable,  experienced,  notwithstanding  his  repeated 
importunities,  a  similar  refusal.  Indulging  that  gloomy  tem- 
per, she  retired  into  a  convent,  and  assumed  the  habit  of  a 
Blue  Nun.  She  sought  to  forget  the  world,  and  was  herself 
forgotten.  She  died  about  the  year  1770.  The  Imhhiziom 
Analiftiche  of  Agnesi  were  translated  into  English,  many  years 
ago,  by  Mr.  Colson,  Lucasian  professor  of  mathematics  at 
Cambridge.  The  translation  was  discovered  among  the  papers 
of  that  ingenious  mathematician,  by  the  learned  Baron  Mase- 


ANNA   MARIA  SCHURMAN.  123 

res,  who  put  the  manuscript  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Hellins,  as 
editor,  and  generously  defrayed  the  expenses  attending  the 
publication. 

Anna  Maria  Schurman,  the  other  distinguished  female 
character,  was  born  at  Cologne,  1607,  of  parents  sprung 
from  noble  Protestant  families.  From  her  infancy  she  dis- 
covered an  uncommon  dexterity  of  hand  ;  for,  at  six  years 
of  age,  she  cut  with  her  scissors  all  sorts  of  figures  upon  pa- 
per, without  any  pattern  or  model.  At  eight,  she  learned  in 
a  few  days  to  design  flowers  in  a  very  agreeable  manner ;  and 
two  years  after,  took  no  more  than  three  hours  in  learning  to 
embroider.  She  was  afterwards  instructed  in  music,  painting, 
sculpture,  and  engraving ;  and  succeeded  to  admiration  in  all 
these  arts.  Her  hand-writing  in  all  languages  was  inimitable; 
and  some  curious  persons  have  preserved  specimens  of  it  in 
their  cabinets.  Mr.  Joby,  in  his  journey  to  Munster,  relates, 
that  he  had  a  view  of  the  beauty  of  her  writing  in  French, 
Greek,  Hebrew,  Syriac,  and  Arabic  ;  and  was  an  eye-witness 
of  her  skill  in  drawing  in  miniature,  and  making  portraits  upon 
glass  with  the  point  of  a  diamond.  She  painted  her  own 
picture  ;  and  made  artificial  pearls,  so  nearly  resembling  na- 
tural ones,  that  they  could  not  be  distinguished,  except  by 
pricking  them  with  a  needle. 

The  powers  of  her  understanding  were  equally  capacious ; 
for,  at  eleven  years  of  age,  when  her  brothers  were  examined 
in  their  Latin  exercises,  she  frequently  whispered  them  what- 
to  answer,  though  she  had  only  heard  them  say  their  lessonf« 
en  passant,  which  her  father  observing,  and  perceiving  she  had 
a  genius  for  literature,  determined  to  cultivate  those  talents- 
he  saw  she  was  possessed  of,  and  accordingly  assisted  hei 
in  gaining  that  noble  stock  of  learning,  for  which  she  waS' 
afterwards  so  eminent.  The  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  lan- 
guages were  so  familiar  to  her,  that  she  not  only  wrote,  but 
spoke  them  fluently,  to  the  surprise  of  the  most  learned  men. 
She  made  a  great  progress  also  in  the  Oriental  languages 
which  had  an  affinity  with  the  Hebrew,  as  the  Syriac,  Chaldee, 
Arabic,  and  Ethiopic ;  understood  the  living  languages  per- 
fectly well,  and  could  converse  readily  in  French,  English, 
and  Italian.  She  was  likewise  competently  versed  in  geogra- 
phy, astronomy,  philosophy,  and  the  sciences ;  but  as  her 
inind  was  naturally  of  a  religious  cast,  these  learned  amuse- 
ments gave  her  but  little  satisfaction ;  and  at  length  she 
applied  herself  to  divinity,  and  the  study  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures. 

While  she  was  an  infant,  her  father  had  settled  at  Utrecht, 
but  afterwards,  for  the  more  convenient  education  of  his  chil- 
dren, removed  to  Praneker,  where  he  died  1623.  Upon  which 
his  widow  returned  to  Utrecht,  where  Anna  Maria  continued 


124  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

her  studies  very  intensely;  which  undoubtedly  kept  her  frt  m 
marrying,  as  she  might  advantageously  have  done  w^ith  Mr. 
Cotts,  pensionary    of   Holland,  and  a  celebrated  poet,  who 
wrote  verses  in  her  praise,  when  she  was  no  more  than    four 
teen  years  of  age. 

Her  modesty,  which  was  as  remarkable  as  her  knowledge, 
would  have  kept  her  merit  and  learning  in  obscurity,  if  Rive- 
tus,  Spanheim,  and  Vossius,  had  not  produced  her,  contrary 
to  her  own  inclination,  upon  the  stage  of  the  world.  To  these 
three  divines  we  may  add  Salmasius,  Beveronicius,  and  Huy- 
gens,  who  maintained  a  literary  correspondence  with  her,  and, 
by  shewing  her  letters,  spread  her  fame  into  foreign  countries. 
This  procured  her  letters  from  eminent  men;  and  her  name  be- 
came so  famous,  that  persons  of  the  first  distinction,  even 
princesses,  paid  her  visits  ;  and  cardinal  Richelieu  shewed  her 
marks  of  his  esteem. 

About  the  year  1650,  she  made  a  visible  alteration  in  her  re- 
ligious system.  She  no  longer  went  to  public  worship,  but 
performed  her  devotions  in  private  ;  which  occasioned  a  report 
that  she  was  inclined  to  popery  :  but  the  truth  was,  she  had 
attached  herself  to  Labadie,  the  famous  Quietist,  and  embra- 
cing his  principles  and  practices,  accompanied  him  wherever  he 
went.  She  lived  some  time  with  him  at  Altena,  in  Holstein, 
where  she  attended  him  at  his  death  in  1674.  She  afterwards 
retired  to  Weimart,  in  Friesland,  where  Mr.  William  Penn, 
the  quaker,  visited  her  in  1677;  and  died  at  this  place,  1678. 
She  took  for  her  device  these  words  of  St.  Ignatius,  Amor  meus 
ciucijixus  est,  My  Love  is  crucified. 

Samuel  BissET,  the  noted  animal  instructor,  next  follows. — 
A  most  singular  character,  famous  for  teaching  quadrupeds  to 
perform  very  remarkable  actions.  He  was  born  at  Perth,  in 
^721.  He  first  tried  his  skill  on  a  horse  and  a  dog  which  he 
bought  in  London,  and  he  succeeded  beyond  all  expectation. 
Two  monkeys  were  the  next  pupils  he  took  in  hand  ;  one  of 
these  he  taught  to  dance  and  tumble  on  the  rope,  whilst  the 
other  held  a  candle  with  one  paw  for  his  companion,  and  with 
the  other  played  a  barrel  organ.  These  antic  animals  he  also 
instructed  to  play  several  fanciful  tricks,  such  as  drinking  to 
the  company,  riding  and  tumbling  upon  the  horse's  back,  and 
going  through  several  regular  dances  with  the  dog. 

Being  a  man  of  unwearied  patience,  three  young  cats  were 
the  next  objects  of  his  tuition.  He  taught  those  domestic 
tigers,  to  strike  their  paws  in  such  directions  on  the  dulcimer, 
as  to  produce  several  tunes,  having  music-books  before  them, 
and  squalling  at  the  same  time  in  different  keys  or  tones,  first, 
second,  and  third,  by  way  of  concert.  In  such  a  city  as  Lon- 
don, these  feats  could  not  fail  of  exciting  attention.  The  well- 
known  Cat's  Opera  was  performed  at  the   Haymarket ;   the 


t 


SAMUEL  BISSET. — JOHN   PHILIP   BARATIER.  .25 

horse,  the  dog,  the  monkeys,  and  the  cats,  went  through  their 
several  parts  with  uncommon  applause,  to  crowded  houses  ; 
and  in  a  few  days  Bisset  found  himself  in  possession  of  nearly 
a  tliousand  pounds  to  reward  his  ingenuity. 

This  success  excited  a  desire  of  extending  his  dominion 
over  other  animals,  including  even  the  feathered  kind.  He 
procured  a  leveret,  and  reared  it  to  beat  several  marches  on 
the  drum  with  its  hind-legs,  until  it  became  a  good  stout  hare. 
This  creature,  which  is  always  set  down  as  the  most  timid,  he 
declared  to  be  as  mischievous  and  bold  an  animal,  to  the  ex- 
tent of  its  power,  as  any  with  which  he  was  acquainted.  He 
taught  canary-birds,  linnets,  and  sparrows,  to  spell  the  name 
of  any  person  in  company,  to  distingish  the  hour  and  minute 
of  time,  and  play  many  other  surprising  tricks  ;  he  trained  six 
turkey  cocks  to  go  through  a  regular  country  dance.  In  the 
course  of  six  months'  teaching,  he  made  a  turtle  fetch  and  carry 
like  a  dog  ;  and  having  chalked  the  floor,  and  blackened  his 
claws,  could  direct  it  to  trace  out  any  given  name  in  the 
company. 

The  following  is  a  surprising  instance  of  premature  genius, 
in  the  person  of  John  Philip  Baratier.  A  most  extraor- 
dinary person,  born  1721,  in  the  margravate  of  Anspach,  of 
such  extraordinary  powers  of  memory,  that,  at  the  age  of  four, 
he  conversed  with  his  mother  in  French,  with  his  father  in 
Latin,  and  with  his  servants  in  German.  The  rapidity  of  his 
improvement  augmented  with  his  years,  so  that  he  became 
acquainted  with  Greek  at  six,  with  Hebrew  at  eight,  and  in 
his  eleventh  year  translated  from  the  Hebrew  into  French  the 
Travels  of  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  which  he  enriched  with  valu- 
able annotations.  His  proficiency  in  mathematics  was  so 
great,  that  he  submitted  to  the  London  Royal  Society,  a  scheme 
for  finding  the  longitude,  which,  though  insuflBcient,  exhibit- 
ed the  strongest  marks  of  superior  abilities.  He  visited  Halle 
with  his  father  in  1735,  where  he  was  offered  by  the  univer- 
sity the  degree  of  M.  A.  The  young  philosopher  drew  up  14 
theses,  which  he  printed,  and  the  next  morning  disputed  upon 
them  with  such  logical  precision,  that  he  astonished  a  most 
crowded  audience.  At  Berlin  he  was  received  with  kindness 
by  the  king  of  Prussia,  and  honoured  with  marks  of  distinction. 
His  abilities,  however,  shone  but  like  a  meteor:  a  constitu- 
tion, naturally  delicate,  was  rendered  still  more  weak  by  ex- 
cessive application  ;  and  a  cough,  spitting  of  blood,  and  fever 
on  the  spirits,  put  an  end  to  his  life  at  Halle,  1740,  in  his 
20th  year. 

Baratier  is  mentioned  as  a  prodigy  of  learning  and  of  genius ; 
his  memory  was  universally  retentive,  and  his  application 
scarcely  credible,  when  it  is  recollected  that  he  spent  twelve 
hours  in  bed  till  his  tenth  year,  and  ten  afterwards.     In  one 


126  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

winter  he  read  twenty  great  folios,  with  all  the  attention  of  a 
vast  comprehensive  mind  ;  and  the  large  work  which  he  pre- 
pared on  Egyptian  antiquities,  shewed  the  most  judicious  and 
laborious  arrangement.  In  his  domestic  economy  he  was  very 
ttmperate  ^  he  ate  little  flesh,  lived  totally  on  milk,  tea,  bread, 
and  fruit ;  he  disliked  wine  ;  he  had  an  aversion  to  dancing, 
music,  and  the  sports  of  the  field  ;  so  that  he  wished  for  no 
recreation  from  study,  but  in  walking,  or  in  the  conversation 
of  a  few  friends. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  the  prin- 
cipal events  in  the  life  of— 

Buonaparte. — 1769,  Born  at  Ajaccio,  Corsica,  Aug.  15. — 
1779,  Placed  at  the  Military  School  of  Brienne,  March. — 
1794,  An  Officer  of  artillery  at  the  siege  of  Toulon,  and  ap- 
pointed General  of  Brigade. — 1794,  Commands  the  Conven- 
tional Troops,  and  defeats  the  Parisians,  Oct.  4. — 1796,  Ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  Italy.  Battle  of 
Lodi,  May  10.  Battle  of  Castiglione,  Aug.  3.  Battle  of 
Areola,  Nov.  i6. — 1/97,  Surrender  of  Mantua,  Feb.  2.  Trieste 
surrenders,  March  23.  Preliminaries  with  Austria  signed  at 
Leoben,  April  18.  French  take  possession  of  Venice,  May 
16.  Treaty  of  Campo  Formeo,  with  Austria,  17. — 1798,  Buo- 
naparte sails  for  Egypt,  May  20.  Battle  of  Embabe,  or  of  the 
Pyramids,  July  21.  Insurrection  at  Cairo,  Oct.  24.— 1799, 
Siege  of  Acre  raised.  May  21.  •  Sails  from  Egypt  for  France, 
Aug.  23.  Lands  at  Frejus,  Oct.  7.  Dissolves  the  Conven- 
tional  Government,   Nov.  9.      Declared   First   Consul,   10. — 

1800,  Peace  with  the  Chouans,  Feb.  15.  Buonaparte  crosses 
Mount  St.  Bernard,  May.  Battle  of  Marengo,  June  16.  Pre- 
liminaries with  Austria  signed  at  Paris.  Battle  of  Hohen- 
linden,  Dec.   3.     Explosion   of  the   Infernal  Machine,  24. — 

1801,  Tieaty  of  Luneville  with  Austria,  Feb.  9.  Nelson  attacks 
the  Buologne  Flotilla,  Aug.  16.  Preliminaries  with  England, 
Oct.  8. — 1802,  The  Cisalpine  Republic  placed  under  Buona- 
parte, Jan.  26.  Definitive  Treaty  with  England,  March  27. 
Legion  of  Honour  instituted.  May  15.  Declared  Consul  for 
Life,  Aug.  2.  Swiss  form  of  Government  changed  by  the 
interference  of  the  French,  28. — 1803,  English  Declaration  of 
War,  May  18.  Hanover  conquered,  June  5. — 1804,  Moreau 
arrested,  Feb.  Due  D'Enghien  shot,  March  20.  Pichegru 
dies  in  prison,  April  8.  Buonaparte  made  Emperor,  May  18. 
Crowned  by  the  Pope,  Nov.  19. — 1805,  Writes  a  pacific  let- 
ter to  the  King  of  England,  Feb.  Treaty  of  Petersburgh, 
between  England,  Russia,  Austria,  and  Sweden,  April  11. 
Buonaparte  declared  King  of  Italy,  May  26.  Buonaparte 
heads  his  army  against  Austria,  Sept.  24.  Mack's  army  sur- 
renders at  Ulm,  Oct.  20.  French  enter  Vienna,  Nov.  13. 
Battle  of  Austerlitz,  Dec.  2.     Treaty  of  Vienna  with  Prussia, 


BUONAPARTE.  127 

15.  Treaty  of  Presburg  with  Austria,  26. — 1806,  Joseph  Buo- 
naparte declared  King  of  Naples,  March  30.  Louis  Buona- 
Jarte  declared  King  of  Holland,  June  5.  Convocation  of  the 
ews,  July  26.  Confederation  of  the  Rhine  published,  27. 
Buonaparte  marches  against  Prussia,  Sept.  24.  Battle  of 
Auerstadt,  or  Jena,  Oct.  14.  Buonaparte  enters  Berlin,  27. 
Hamburgh  taken,  Nov.  19.  Berlin  Decree.— 1807,  Battle 
of  Eylau,  Feb.  8.  Battle  of  Friedland,  June  14.  Treaty  of 
Tilsit,  July  7. — 1808,  Joseph  Buonaparte  declared  King  of 
Spain,  July  7.  Surrender  of  Dupont's  army  at  Baylen,  20. 
Joseph  Buonaparte  evacuates  Madrid,  29.  Battle  of  Vimeira, 
August  21.  Conferences  at  Erfurth,  Sept.  20.  Buonaparte 
arrives  at  Vittoria,  Nov.  5.  Surrender  of  Madrid,  Dec.  4. — 
1809,  Battle  of  Corunna,  Jan.  16,  Buonaparte  returns  to  Pa- 
ris, 22.  War  declared  by  Austria,  April  6.  Bonaparte  heads 
his  army  against  Austria,  13.  French  enter  Vienna,  May  10. 
Battle  of  Esling,  or  Asperne,  22.  Battle  of  Wagram,  July  6. 
Flushing  taken  by  the  English,  August  14.  Treaty  of  Vienna, 
Oct.  14.  Lucien  Buonaparte  arrives  in  England,  Dec.  13, 
Buonaparte's  marriage  with  Josephine  dissolved,  16.  Walche- 
ren  evacuated  by  the  English,  23. — 1810,  Buonaparte  marries 
Maria  Louisa,  daughter  of  Francis  II.  March  11.  Holland 
and  the  Hanse  Towns  annexed  to  France,  July  9.  Bernadotte 
elected  Crown  Prince  of  Sweden,  Aug;.  21.  Decree  for  re- 
straining  the  liberty  of  the  Press,  Dec. — 1811,  Hamburgh  an- 
nexed to  the  empire,  Jan.  1.  The  Empress  delivered  of  a  son, 
who  is  styled  King  of  Rome,  April  20.  Buonaparte  present 
at  an  engagement  between  the  Boulogne  flotilla  and  an  Eng- 
lish cruiser,  Sept.  2. — 1812,  Swedish  Pomerania  seized  by 
Buonaparte,  Jan.  22 .  He  heads  the  army  against  Russia,  May 
2.  Arrives  at  Konigsberg,  June  11.  Enters  Wilna,  28.  Smo- 
lensko  taken,  Aug.  18.  Battle  of  Moskwa,  Sept.  7.  French 
enter  Moskow,  l4.  Evacuate  it,  October  22.  Buonaparte 
at  Smolensko,  Nov.  9.  Deserts  the  army,  Dec.  5.  Arrives  at 
Paris,  18. — 1813,  Takes  the  command  of  the  army  on  the 
Elbe,  April.  Battle  of  Lutzen,  May  1.  Battle  of  Bautzen, 
20.  Armistice  agreed  on,  June  4.  Battle  of  Vittoria,  21. 
Hostilities  re-commence,  Aug.  17.  Battle  of  Dresden,  Mo- 
reau  killed,  28.  English  enter  France,  Sept.  7,  Buonaparte 
evacuates  Dresden,  28.  Battle  of  Leipsic,  Oct.  18.  Revo- 
lution in  Holland,  Nov.  15.  Declaration  of  the  Allies  at 
Frankfort,  Dec.  1.  English  army  cross  the  Nive,  8. — 1814, 
Allies  cross  the  Rhine,  Jan.  4.  Battle  of  Montmartre,  March 
30.  Allies  enter  Paris,  31.  Buonaparte  abdicates  the  throne, 
April  11.  Arrives  at  Elba,  May  8. — 1815,  Sails  from  Elba  to 
France,  March  1.  Arrives  at  Paris,  and  reascends  the  throne, 
20.  Is  declared  an  outlaw  by  the  Sovereigns  of  Earope  then 
assembled  at  Vienna,  25.     Calls  a  new  House  of  Peers  and 


lS8  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

Chamber  of  Representatives  of  the  people.  Calls  a  Champ 
de  Mai,  April.  Defeats  the  Prussians,  June  16.  Loses  his 
army  in  the  great  battle  of  Waterloo,  18.  Abdicates  the 
throne  a  second  time,  21.  Surrenders  himself  to  Capt.  Mait- 
land,  commanding  the  English  ship  of  war,  the  Bellerophou, 
in  Basque  Roads,  July  15.  Arrives  at  Torbay,  22.  Sailed 
from  England  in  the  Northumberland,  for  St.  Helena,  Aug.  11 
-—1821,  Died  at  St.  Helena,  May  (\     Buried  there,  9. 


CHAP.  X. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Continued.) 

Richard  Savage,  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  charac- 
ters that  is  to  be  met  with  in  all  the  records  of  biography,  was 
the  son  of  Anne,  countess  of  Macclesfield,  by  the  earl  of 
Rivers,  according  to  her  own  confession  ;  and  was  born  in 
1698.  This  confession  of  adultery  was  made,  to  procure  a 
separation  from  her  husband,  the  earl  of  Macclesfield  :  yet, 
having  obtained  this  end,  no  sooner  was  a  spurious  off- 
spring brought  into  the  world,  than  she  resolved  to  disown 
him  ;  and,  as  long  as  he  lived,  she  treated  him  with  the  most 
unnatural  cruelty.  She  delivered  him  over  to  a  poor  wo- 
man to  educate  as  her  own  ;  maliciously  prevented  the  earl  of 
Rivers  from  leaving  him  a  legacy  of  £6000,  by  declaring  him 
dead  ;  and  deprived  him  of  another  legacy  whijh  his  god- 
mother, Mrs.  Lloyd,  had  left  him,  by  concealing  from  him 
his  birth,  and  thereby  rendering  it  impossible  for  him  to  pro- 
secute his  claim.  She  endeavoured  to  send  him  secretly  to 
the  plantations;  but  this  plan  being  frustrated,  she  placed 
him  apprentice  with  a  shoemaker.  In  this  situation,  however, 
he  did  not  long  continue  ;  for  his  nurse  dying,  he  went  to 
take  care  of  the  effects  of  his  supposed  mother,  and  found  in 
her  boxes  some  letters,  which  discovered  to  young  Savage  his 
birth,  and  the  cause  of  its  concealment.  From  the  moment  of 
this  discovery  he  became  dissatisfied.  He  conceived  that 
he  had  a  right  to  share  in  the  affluence  of  his  real  mother; 
and  therefore  he  applied  to  her,  and  tried  every  art  to  attract 
her  regard.  But  in  vain  did  he  solicit  this  unnatural  parent; 
she  avoided  hira  with  the  utmost  precaution,  and  took  mea- 
sures to  prevent  his  ever  entering  her  house.  Meantime, 
while  he  was  endeavouring  to  rouse  the  affections  of  a  mother, 
in  whom  all  natural  affection  was  extinct,  he  was  destitute 
of  the  means  of  support.  Having  a  strong  inclination  to 
literary  pursuits,    especially  poetry,    he   wrote  poems;    and 


UICIIARD   SAVAGE.  129 

afterwards  two  plays,  Woman's  a  Riddle,  and,  Love  in  a  Veils 
he   was   allowed  no  part  of  the   profits   from  the   first ;    but 
by  the  second  he  acquired  the   acquaintance  of  Sir  Richard 
Steel  and  Mr.  Wilkes,  by  whom  he  was  pitied,  caressed,  and 
relieved.     But  the  kindness  of  his  friends  not  affording  him 
a  constant  supply,  he  wrote  the  tragedy  of  Sir  Thomas  Over- 
bury  ;  which  not  only  procured  him  the  esteem  of  many  per- 
sons of  wit,  but  brought  him  £200.     The  celebrated  Aaron 
Hill,  Esq.  was  of  great  service  to  him  in  correcting  and  fitting 
this  piece  for  the  stage  and  the  press  ;  and  extended  his  pa- 
tronage still  farther.     But  Savage  was,  like  many  other  wits, 
a  bad  economist.     As  fast  as  his  friends  raised  him  out  of  one 
difficulty,  he  sunk  into  another;  and  when  he  found  himself 
greatly  involved,    he   rambled   about  like   a   vagabond,    with 
scarcely  a  shirt  on  his  back.     He  was  in   one  of  these  situa- 
tions   all   the    time   he  wrote  his   tiagedy  above  mentioned ; 
without  a  lodoino-   and  often  without  a  dinner.     Mr.  Hill  also 
promoted  a  subscription  to  a  volume  of  his  Miscellanies,  and 
furnished  part  of  the  poems  of  which  it  was  composed.     To 
this  Miscellany  Savage  wrote  a  preface,  in  which  he  gives  an 
account  of  his  mother's   cruelty,  in  a  very  uncommon  strain 
of  humour.     The  profits  of  his  tragedy  and  his  Miscellanies 
had  now  somewhat  raised  him,   both   in  circumstances  and 
credit,  so  that  the  world  began  to  behold  him  with  a  more 
favourable  eye,  when  both  his  fame  and  life  were  endangered 
by  a  most  unhappy  event:  a  drunken  frolic,  in  which  he  one 
night  engaged,  ended  in  a  fray,  and  Savage  unfortunately  killed 
a  man,  for  which  he  was  condemned  to  be  hanged  :  his  friends 
earnestly  solicited  the  mercy  of  the  crown,  while  his  mother  as 
earnestly  exerted  herself  to  prevent  his  receiving  it.    The  Coun- 
tess of  Hertford,  at  length,  laid  his  whole  case  before  Queen 
Caroline,  and  Savage  obtained  a  pardon.     Savage  now  lost  that 
affection  for  his  mother  which  the  whole  series  of  her  cruelty 
had  not  been  able  wholly  to  repress  ;  and  considering  her  as  an 
implacable  enemy,  whom  nothing  but  his  blood  could  satisfy, 
threatened   to   harass   her  with   lampoons,  and  to  publish  a 
copifius  narrative   of  her  conduct,  unless   she  consented   to 
allow  him  a  pension.     This  expedient  proved  successful ;  and 
Lord  Tyrconnel,  upon  his  promise  of  laying  aside  his  design 
of  exposing  his  mother's  cruelty,  took  him  into  his  family, 
treated  him  as  an  equal,  and  engaged  to  allow  him  a  pension 
of  £200  a  year.     This  was  the  happy  period  of  Savage's  life. 
He  was  courted   by  all  who  wished   to   be  thought  men   of 
genius  and  taste.     At  this  time  he  published  the  Temple  of 
Health  and  Mirth,  on  the  recovery  of  Lady  Tyrconnel  from  a 
languishing  illness;  and  the  Wanderer,  a  moral  poem,  which 
he  dedicated  to  Lord  Tyrconnel,    in  strains   of  the   highest 
panegyric  :  but  these  praises  he  soon  was  inclined  to  retract,. 
6.  R 


'^'^t 


iSO 


CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     MAN. 


being  discarded  by  the  man  on  whom  they  were  bestowed. 
Of  this  quarrel,  Lord  Tyrconnel  and  Mr.  Savage  gave  very 
different  accounts.  But  our  author's  conduct  was  ever  such 
as  made  all  his  friends,  sooner  or  later,  grow  weary  of  him, 
^nd  even  forced  most  of  them  to  become  his  enemies. 

Being  thus  once  more  turned  adrift  upon  the  world,  Savage, 
whose  passions  were  very  strong,  and  whose  gratitude  was 
very  small,  exposed  the  faults  of  Lord  Tyrconnel.  lie  also 
took  revenge  upon  his  mother,  by  publishing  the  Bastard,  a 
poem,  remarkable  for  the  vivacity  of  its  beginning  (where  he 
humorously  enumerates  the  imaginary  advantages  of  base 
birth  ;)  and  for  the  pathetic  conclusion,  wherein  he  recounts 
the  real  calamities  which  he  suffered  by  the  crime  of  his  pa- 
rents. The  following  lines,  in  the  opening  of  the  poem,  are  a 
specimen  of  this  writer's  spirit  and  versification  : 

"  Blest  be  the  bastard's  birth  !  thro'  wondrous  ways 
He  shines  eccentric.  like  a  comet's  blaze. 
No  sickly  fruit  of  faint  compliance  he  ; 
He  !  stamp'd  in  nature's  mint  with  ecstasy  ! 
He  lives  to  build,  not  boast,  a  generous  race; 
No  tenth  transmitter  of  a  foolish  face. 
He,  kindling:  from  within,  requires  no  flame  ; 
He  glories  in  a  bastard's  glowing  name. 
Nature's  unbounded  son,  he  stands  alone, 
His  heart  unbias'd,  and  his  mind  his  own. 
O  mother !  yet  no  mother  ! — 'tis  to  you 
My  thanks  for  some  distinguish'd  claims  are  due." 

This  poem  had  an  extraordinary  sale  ;  and  its  appearance 
happening  at  the  time  when  his  mother  was  at  Bath,  many 
persons  there  repeated  passages  from  it  in  her  hearing.  This 
was  perhaps  the  first  time  that  ever  she  discovered  a  sense  of 
shame,  and,  on  this  occasion,  the  power  of  wit  was  very  con- 
spicuous. The  wretch,  who  had  without  scruple  proclaimed 
herself  an  adulteress,  and  who  had  first  endeavoured  to  starve 
her  son,  then  to  transport  him,  and  afterwards  to  hang  him, 
was  not  able  to  bear  the  representation  of  her  own  conduct, 
but  fled  from  reproach,  though  she  felt  no  pain  from  guilt; 
and  left  Bath  in  haste,  to  shelter  herself  among  the  crowds  of 
London.  Some  time  after  this.  Savage  formed  the  resolution 
of  applying  to  the  Queen;  who,  having  once  given  him  life, 
he  hoped  she  might  extend  her  goodness  to  him,  by  enabling 
him  to  su])port  it.  With  this  view,  he  published  a  poem  on 
her  birth-day,  which  he  entitled  The  Volunteer  Laureat ;  for 
which  she  was  pleased  to  send  him  £50,  accompanied 
with  an  intimation  that  he  might  annually  expect  the  same 
bounty.  But  this  annual  allowance  was  nothing  to  a  man  of 
his  strange  and  singular  extravagance.  His  usual  custom 
was,  as  soon  as  he  had  received  his  pension,  to  disappear  with 
it,  and  secrete  himself  from  his  most  intimate  friends,  till  every 


RICHARD   SAVAGE.  131 

shillinG:  of  it  was  spent ;  which  done,  he  again  appeared  penni- 
less as  before  :  but  he  would  never  inform  any  person  where  he 
had  been,  nor  in  what  manner  his  money  had  been  dissipated. 
From  the  reports,  however,  of  some  who  penetrated  his  haunts, 
he  expended  both  his  time  and  his  cash  in  the  most  sordid 
and  despicable  sensuality  ;  particularly  in  eating  and  drinking, 
in  which  he  woidd  indulge  in  the  most  unsocial  manner,  sit- 
ting whole  days  and  nights  by  himself,  in  obscure  houses  of 
entertainment,  over  his  bottle  and  trencher,  immersed  in 
filth  and  sloth,  with  scarcely  decent  apparel ;  generally  wrapped 
up  in  a  horseman's  great  coat ;  and,  on  the  whole,  with  his 
very  homely  countenance,  exhibiting  an  object  the  most  dis 
gustino- to  the  sioht,  if  not  to  some  other  of  the  senses. 

His  wit  and  parts,  however,  still  raised  him  new  friends, 
as  fast  as  his  misbehaviour  lost  him  his  old  ones.  Yet  such 
was  his  conduct,  that  occasional  relief  only  furnished  the 
means  of  occasional  excess ;  and  he  defeated  all  attempts 
made  by  his  friends  to  fix  him  in  a  decent  way.  He  was  even 
reduced  so  low  as  to  be  destitute  of  a  lodging  ;  insomuch  that 
he  often  passed  his  nights  in  those  mean  houses  that  are  set 
open  for  casual  wanderers  ;  sometimes  in  cellars,  amidst  the 
riot  and  filth  of  the  most  profligate  of  the  rabble  ;  and  not 
seldom  would  he  walk  the  streets  till  he  was  weary,  and  then 
lie  down,  in  summer,  on  a  bulk, — or,  in  winter,  with  his  asso- 
ciates, among  the  ashes  of  a  glasshouse.  Yet,  amidst  all 
his  penury  and  wretchedness,  this  man  had  so  much  pride, 
and  so  high  an  opinion  of  his  own  merit,  that  he  was  always 
ready  to  repress,  with  scorn  and  contempt,  the  least  appear- 
ance of  any  slight  towards  himself,  in  the  behaviour  of  his 
acquaintance  ;  among  whom  he  looked  upon  none  as  his 
superior.  He  would  be  treated  as  an  equal,  even  by  persons 
of  the  highest  rank.  He  once  refused  to  wait  upon  a  gentle- 
man, who  was  desirous  of  relieving  him,  when  at  the  lowest 
distress,  only  because  the  message  signified  the  gentleman's 
desire  to  see  him  at  nine  in  the  morning.  His  life  was  ren- 
dered still  more  unhappy,  by  the  death  of  the  Queen,  in  1738. 
His  pension  was  discontinued;  and  the  insolent  manner  in 
which  he  demanded  of  Sir  Robert  Walpole  to  have  it  restored, 
for  ever  cut  off  his  supply,  which  probably  might  have  been 
recovered  by  proper  application. 

His  distress  now  became  so  notorious,  that  a  scheme  was 
at  length  concerted  for  procuring  him  a  permanent  relief.  It 
was  proposed  that  he  should  retire  into  Wales,  with  an  al- 
lowance of  £50  a  year,  on  which  he  was  to  live  privately,  io 
a  cheap  place,  for  ever  quitting  his  town  haunts,  and  resign- 
ing all  farther  pretensions  to  fame.  This  offer  he  seemed 
gladly  to  accept ;  but  his  intentions  were  only  to  deceive  his 
friends,  by  retiring  for  awhile  to  write   another  tragedy,  and 


132  CURIOSJTIES  RKSPKCTING    MAN. 

then  to  return  with  it  to  London.  In  1739,  he  set  out  for 
Svvansey,  in  the  Bristol  stage-coach,  and  was  furnished  with 
15  guineas,  to  bear  the  expense  of  his  journey.  But,  on  the 
14th  day  of  his  departure,  his  friends  and  benefactors,  the 
principal  of  whom  was  Mr.  Pope,  who  expected  to  hear  of  his 
arrival  in  Wales,  were  surprised  with  a  letter  from  Savage, 
informing  them  that  he  was  yet  upon  the  road,  and  could  not 
proceed  for  want  of  money.  There  was  no  other  remedy  than  a 
remittance,  which  was  sent  him,  and  by  the  help  of  which  he 
was  enabled  to  reach  Bristol,  whence  he  was  to  proceed  to 
Swansey  by  water.  At  Bristol,  however,  he  found  an  embargo 
laid  upon  the  shipping;  so  that  he  could  not  immediately 
obtain  a  passage.  Here,  therefore,  being  obliged  to  stay  for 
some  time,  he  so  ingratiated  himself  with  the  principal  inha- 
bitants, that  he  was  often  invited  to  their  houses,  distinguish- 
ed at  their  public  entertainments,  and  treated  with  a  regard 
that  highly  gratified  his  vanity.  At  length,  with  great  reluc- 
tance, he  proceeded  1o  Swansey  ;  where  he  lived  about  a  year, 
very  much  dissatisfied  with  the  diminution  of  his  salary,  for 
he  had,  in  his  letters,  treated  his  contributors  so  insolently, 
that  most  of  them  withdrew  their  subscriptions.  Here  he 
finished  his  tragedy,  and  resolved  to  return  with  it  to  London  ; 
which  was  strenuously  opposed  by  his  constant  friend  Mr. 
Pope  ;  who  proposed  that  Savage  should  put  this  play  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Thomson  and  Mr.  Mallet,  that  they  might 
fit  it  for  the  stage;  that  his  friends  should  receive  the  profits 
it  might  bring  in;  and  that  the  author  should  receive  the  pro- 
duce by  vav  of  annuity.  This  kind  and  prudent  scheme  was 
rej^ecteid  by  Savage  with  contempt.  He  declared  he  would  not 
submit  his  works  to  any  one's  correction  ;  and  that  he  would 
no  longer  be  kept  in  leading-strings.  Accordingly,  he  soon 
returned  to  Bristol,  in  his  way  to  London  ;  but  at  Bristol, 
meeting  with  a  repetition  of  the  same  kind  treatment  he  had 
before  found  there,  he  was  tempted  to  make  a  second  stay  in 
that  opulent  city  for  some  time.  Here  he  was  not  only  caress- 
ed and  treated,  but  the  sum  of  £30  was  raised  for  him;  with 
which  it  would  have  been  happy  if  he  had  immediately  de- 
parted for  London.  But  he  never  considered  that  a  frequent 
repetition  of  such  kindness  was  not  to  be  expected.  In  short, 
he  remained  here  till  his  company  was  no  longer  welcome. 
His  visits  in  every  family  were  too  often  repeated,  his  wit  had 
lost  its  novelty,  and  his  irregular  behaviour  grew  troublesome. 
Necessity  came  upon  him  before  he  was  aware  ;  his  money  was 
spent,  his  clothes  were  worn  out,  his  appearance  was  shabby, 
and  his  presence  was  disgustful  at  every  table.  He  now  began 
to  find  every  man  from  home  at  whose  house  he  called,  and 
he  found  it  diflficult  to  obtain  a  dinner. 

Thus  reduced,  it  would  have  been  prudent  in  him  to   have 


RICHARD   SAVAGE.  133 

withdrawn  from  the  place  ;  but  prudence  and  Savage  were 
never  acquainted.  He  staid,  in  the  midst  of  poverty,  hunger, 
and  contempt,  till  the  mistress  of  a  cottee-house,  to  whom  he 
owed  about  81.  arrested  him  for  the  debt.  He  remained  for 
some  time  at  the  house  of  the  sheriff's  officer,  in  hopes  of  pro- 
curing bail;  which  expense  he  was  enabled  to  defray  by  a  present 
of  five  guineas  from  Mr.  Nash  at  Bath.  No  bail,  however,  was 
to  be  found  ;  so  that  poor  Savage  was  at  last  lodged  in  New- 
gate, a  prison  in  Bristol.  But  it  was  the  fortune  of  this  extra- 
ordinary mortal  always  to  find  more  friends  than  he  deserved. 
The  keeper  of  the  prison  took  compassion  on  him,  and  greatly 
softened  the  rigours  of  his  confinement  by  every  kind  of  indul- 
gence ;  he  supported  him  at  his  own  table,  gave  him  a  com- 
modious room  to  iumself,  allowed  him  to  stand  at  the  door  of 
the  gaol,  and  often  took  him  into  the  fields  for  the  benefit  of 
the  air  and  exercise  ;  so  that,  in  reality.  Savage  endured  fewer 
hardships  here  than  he  had  usually  suffered  during  the  great- 
est part  of  his  life. 

While  he  remained  in  this  agreeable  prison,  his  ingratitude 
again  broke  out,  in  a  bitter  satire  on  the  city  of  Bristol;  to 
which  he  certainly  owed  great  obligations,  notwithstanding 
his  arrest,  which  was  but  the  lawful  act  of  an  individual.  This 
satire  is  entitled,  London  and  Bristol  delineated ;  and  in  it  he 
abused  the  inhabitants  of  the  latter  with  such  a  spirit  of  re 
sentment,  that  the  reader  would  imagine  he  had  never  receiv 
ed  any  other  than  the  worst  of  treatment  in  that  city.  When 
Savage  had  remained  about  six  months  in  this  hospitable  pri- 
son, he  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Pope,  (who  still  allowed 
him  £20  a  year,)  containing  a  charge  of  very  atrocious  ingrati- 
tude; and  though  the  particulars  have  not  transpired,  yet,  from 
the  notorious  character  of  the  man,  there  is  reason  to  fear  that 
Savage  was  but  too  justly  accused:  He,  however,  solemnly 
protested  his  innocence ;  but  he  was  very  unusually  affected 
on  this  occasion: — in  a  few  days  after,  he  was  seized  with  a 
disorder,  which,  at  first,  was  not  suspected  to  be  dangerous; 
but  growing  daily  more  languid  and  dejected,  at  last  a  fever 
seized  him,  and  he  died  on  the  1st  of  August,  1743,  in  the 
46th  year  of  his  age. 

Thus  lived,  and  thus  died,  Richard  Savage,  Esq.  leaving 
behind  him  a  character  strangely  chequered  with  vices  and 
good  qualities.  Of  the  former  we  have  mentioned  a  variety 
of  instances  ;  of  the  latter,  his  peculiar  situation  in  the  world 
gave  him  but  few  opportunities  of  making  any  considerable 
display.  He  was,  however,  undoubtedly  a  man  of  excellent 
parts  ;  and  had  he  received  the  full  benefits  of  a  liberal  edu- 
cation, and  had  his  natural  talents  been  cultivated  to  the  best 
advantage,  he  might  have  made  a  respectable  figure  in  life. 
He  was  happy  in  a  quick   discernment,  a  retentive  memory. 


134  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

and  a  lively  flow  of  wit,  which  made  his  company  much  covet- 
ed ;  nor  was  his  judgment  of  men  and  writings  inferior  to  his 
wit :  but  he  was  too  much  a  slave  to  his  passions,  and  his  pas- 
sions were  too  easily  excited.  He  was  warm  in  his  friendships, 
but  implacable  in  his  enmity  ;  and  his  greatest  fault  was  ingra- 
titude. He  seemed  to  think  every  thing  due  to  his  merit,  and 
that  he  was  little  obliged  to  any  one  for  those  favours  which 
he  thought  it  their  duty  to  confer  upon  him.  He  therefore 
never  rightly  estimated  the  kindness  of  his  many  friends  and 
benefactors,  or  preserved  a  grateful  sense  of  their  generosity 
towards  him.  The  works  of  this  original  writer,  after  having 
long  lain  dispersed  in  magazines  and  fugitive  publications, 
were  collected  and  published  in  an  elegant  edition,  in  2  vols. 
8vo.  to  which  are  prefixed  the  admirable  Memoirs  of  Savage, 
written  by  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson. 


CHAP.  XI. 
CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAN. — (Concluded.) 

William  Huntingdon,  a  very  eccentric  personage,  who 
was  originally  a  coal-heaver,  and  afterwards  became  a  popular 
preacher  of  the  Calvinistic  persuasion.  The  following  account, 
formed  principally  from  the  preacher's  own  words,  was  first 
presented  to  the  public  in  the  first  volume  of  "  The  Pulpit," 
1809.  Excepting  the  circumstance  of  enlarging  his  name 
from  Hunt  to  Huntingdon,  which  is  stated  as  one  of  the  ine- 
vitable consequences  of  "the  follies  of  his  youth,"  Mr.  Hunt- 
ingdon has  already  written,  with  tolerable  truth,  the  greater 
portion  of  the  history  of  himself. 

He  was  born,  he  says,  in  the  Weald  of  Kent;  and  "suffered 
much  from  his  parents'  poverty,  when  young.  He  long  felt 
other  disadvantages  attending  his  birth.  Being  born  in  "  none 
of  the  most  polite  parts  of  the  world,"  he  "  retained  a  good 
deal  of  his  provincial  dialect;"  so  that  many  of  his  expres- 
sions sounded  very  harsh  and  uncouth."  Of  this  he  com- 
plains, with  some  cause,  as  it  afterwards  occasioned  numbers 
of  "  unsanctified  critics  to  laugh  and  cavil  at"  him.  He  was 
first  an  errand  boy,  then  a  daily  labourer,  then  a  cobbler; 
and,  though  he  "  worked  by  day,"  and  "  cobbled  by  night," 
he,  at  one  time,  "  lived  upon  barley."  His  first  ministerial 
preparation  is  thus  told  : 

"  1  had  now  (says  Mr.  H.)  five  times  a  week  to  preach 
constantly  :  on  which  account  1  was  forced  to  lay  the  Bible 
in  a  chair  by  me,  and  now  and  then  read  a  little,  in  order  to 
furnish  myself  with  matter  for  the  pulpit.     It  sometimes  hap- 


WILLIAM   HUNTINGDON.  135 

pened  that  I  was  under  sore  temptations  and  desertions  :  the 
bible,  too,  appeared  a  sealed  book,  insomuch  that  I  could 
not  furnish  myself  with  a  text ;  nor  durst  I  leave  my  work  in 
order  to  study  or  read  the  Bible  ;  if  I  did,  my  little  ones  would 
soon  want  bread  ;  ray  business  would  also  run  very  cross  at 
those  times."  His  earnings  did  not  then  amount  to  more  than 
eight  shillings  per  week.  Even  when  his  state  grew  better, 
when  he  got  his  first  "  parsonic  livery"  on  his  back,  he  could 
not  study  at  his  ease.  "  My  little  cot  (he  says)  was  placed 
in  a  very  vulgar  neighbourhood,  and  the  windows  were  so 
very  low,  that  1  could  not  study  at  any  of  them,  without  being 
exposed  to  the  view  of  my  enemies ;  who  often  threw  stones 
through  the  glass,  or  saluted  me  with  a  volley  of  oaths  or 
imprecations."  This  must  have  been  painful  enough  to  one 
whose  "  memory  was  naturally  bad."  Providence  had  long 
furnished  him  with  very  superior  accommodations.  After 
many  years  of  itinerant  and  irregular  preaching,  William 
Huntingdon,"  weary  of  living  at  Thames  Ditton,  secretly 
longed  to  leave  it,  fully  persuaded  that  he  "  should  end  his 
"  mi-nistry  in  London." 

"  Having  unsuccessfully  laboured  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
country,"  and  as  he  "  did  not  see  that  God  had  any  thing  more 
for  him  to  do  there,"  he,  like  one  Durant  of  late,  "  saw  the 
Lord  himself  open  the  door"  for  his  removal.  He  had  resolved 
to  be  oft';  and  he  contrived  to  get  off.  He  was  now,  as  he  him- 
self says,  "  to  perch  upon  the  thick  boughs."  Ditton  was  to 
be  left  for  London.  Yet  had  poor  Ditton  not  been  so  unkind 
to  him.  "  Some  few  years  before  I  was  married,"  says  Mr. 
H.  "  all  my  personal  effects  used  to  be  carried  in  my  hand, 
or  on  my  shoulders,  in  one  or  two  large  handkerchiefs  ;  but 
after  marriage,  for  some  few  years,  I  used  to  carry  all  the 
goods  that  we  had  gotten,  on  my  shoulders,  in  a  large  sack  : 
but  when  we  removed  from  Thames  Ditton  to  London,  we 
loaded  two  large  carts  with  furniture  and  other  necessaries; 
besides  a  post-chaise,  well  filled  with  children  and  cats." 

Being  viewed  as  ludicrous  while  in  the  country,  he  was 
fearful  of  being  considered  as  ridiculous  elsewhere.  I  here 
transcribe  his  words:  "  At  this  (says  Mr.  H. — having  been  ad- 
vertised in  Margaret-street  Chapel,)  I  was  sorely  off"ended, 
being  very  much  averse  to  preaching  in  London,  for  several 
reasons.  First,  because  I  had  been  told  it  abounded  so  much 
with  all  sorts  of  errors,  that  I  was  afraid  of  falling  into  them, 
there  were  so  many  that  lay  in  wait  to  deceive.  Secondly, 
because  1  had  no  learning,  and  therefore  feared  I  should  not 
be  able  to  deliver  myself  with  any  degree  of  propriety  ;  and  as 
I  knew  nothing  of  (jreek  or  Hebrew,  nor  even  of  the  English 
Grammar,  that  I  should  be  exposed  to  the  scourging  tongue 
of  every  critic  in  London." 


136  CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING    MAN. 

"  During  many  weeks,  (he  adds,)  I  laboured  under  much 
distress  of  mind  respecting  my  want  of  abilities  to  preach  in 
this  great  metropolis."  1  think  this  one  of  tlie  few  rational 
passages  to  be  found  in  the  '*  Bank  of  Faith."  Mr.  Hunting- 
don here  candidly  confesses  his  own  conviction  of  his  then 
ministerial  incompetency,  and  expresses  his  apprehension  as 
to  the  probable  nullity  of  his  divine  mission.  His  call  seems 
to  fail  him  now.  He  feels  just  as  most  men  would  feel  in  the 
same  state, — fears  just  as  they  would  fear, — and  takes  the  same 
chance  as  to  the  great  end  he  had  in  view.  "  During  the 
space  of  three  years,  (says  Mr.  Huntingdon,)  I  secretly 
wished  in  my  soul,  that  God  would  favour  me  with  a  chapel 
of  my  own,  being  sick  of  the  errors  that  were  perpetually 
broached  by  some  one  or  other  in  Margaret-street  Chapel, 
where  I  then  preached.  But  though  I  so  much  desired  this, 
yet  I  could  not  ask  God  for  such  a  favour,  thinking  it  was 
not  to  be  brought  about  by  one  so  very  mean,  low,  and  poor 
as  myself.  However,  God  sent  a  person,  unknown  to  me,  to 
look  at  a  certain  spot,  who  afterwards  took  me  to  look  at  it ; 
but  I  trembled  at  the  very  thought  oj  such  an  immense  under- 
takino-.  Then  God  stirred  up  a  wise  man  to  offer  to  build  a 
chapel,  and  to  manage  the  whole  work  without  fee  or  reward. 
God  drew  the  pattern  on  his  imagination,  while  he  was  hearing 
me  preach  a  sermon.  I  then  took  the  ground;  this  person 
executed  the  plan;  and  the  chapel  sprung  up  like  a  mushroom 
As  soon  as  it  was  finished,  this  precious  scripture  came  sweet 
to  my  soul,  '  He  will  fulfil  the  desire  of  them  that  fear  him  :* 
Psa.  cxlv.  19. 

"  I  will  now  inform  my  reader  of  the  kind  providence  of  my 
God  at  the  time  of  building  the  chapel,  which  I  named  Pro- 
vidence Chapel  (1788) ;  and  also  mention  a  few  free-will-offer- 
ings  which  the  people  brought.  They  first  offered  about  eleven 
pounds,  and  laid  it  on  the  foundation  at  the  beginning  of  the 
building.  A  good  gentleman,  with  whom  I  had  but  little 
acquaintance,  and  of  whom  I  bought  a  load  of  timber,  sent 
it  in  with  a  bill  and  receipt-in-full,  as  a  present  to  the  Chapel 
of  Providence.  Another  good  man  came  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  and  blessed  me,  and  desired  to  paint  my  pulpit,  desk,  &e. 
as  a  present  to  the  chapel.  Another  person  gave  half  a  dozen 
chairs  for  the  vestry  ;  and  my  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyon,  fur- 
nished me  with  a  tea-chest,  well  stored,  and  a  set  of  china. 
My  good  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith,  furnished  me  with  a 
very  handsome  bed,  bedstead,  and  all  its  furniture  and  neces- 
saries, that  I  might  not  be  under  the  necessity  of  walking 
home  in  the  cold  winter  nights.  A  daughter  of  mine  in  the 
faith,  gave  me  a  looking-glass  for  my  chapel  study.  Another 
friend  gave  me  my  pulpit-cushion,  and  a  book-case  for  my 
study.     Another  gave    me    a  book-case  for  the  vestry.     And 


WILLIAM    HUNTINGDON 

my  e;ood  friend,  Mr.  E.  seemed  to  level  all  his  displeasure 
at  the  devil ;  for  he  was  in  hopes  I  should  be  enabled, 
through  the  gracious  arm  of  the  Lord,  to  cut  Rahab  in 
pieces;  therefore  he  furnished  me  with  a  sword  of  the  Spirit — 
a  new  Bible,  with  Morocco  binding  and  silver  clasps.  1  had 
got  one  old  cart-horse,  (says  W.  H.)  that  I  had  bought  with 
the  rest  of  the  stock  on  the  farm,  and  I  wanted  two  more,  but 
money  ran  short ;  and  I  determined  also  to  have  a  large  tilted 
cart,  to  take  my  family  to  chapel,  and  the  man  should  drive  it 
on  the  Sunday  and  on  lecture  nights,  and  I  would  ride  my  lit- 
tle horse.  This  was  the  most  eligible  plan  that  I  could  adopt; 
and  on  this  I  determined,  as  soon  as  God  should  send  money 
to  procure  them.  I  came  to  this  conclusion  on  a  Friday  ;  and 
on  the  next  day,  toward  evening,  came  two  or  three  friends 
from  town  to  see  me.  I  wondered  not  a  little  at  their  coming,  as 
they  knew  that  on  a  Saturday  I  never  like  to  see  any  body,  and 
therefore  I  conceived  that  they  must  be  come  with  some  heavy 
tidings  ;  some  friend  was  dead,  or  something  bad  had  happened. 
But  they  came  to  inform  me  that  some  friends  had  agreed 
among  themselves,  and  bought  me  a  coach  and  a  pair  of  horses, 
which  they  intended  to  make  me  a  present  of.  I  informed 
them  that  the  assessed  taxes  ran  so  high,  that  I  should  not  be 
able  to  keep  it.  But  they  stopped  my  mouth  by  informing 
me,  that  the  money  for  paying  the  taxes  for  the  coach  and 
horses  was  subscribed  also  ;  so  that  nothing  lay  upon  me,  but 
the  kee]5  of  the  horses.  Thus,  instead  of  being  at  the  expense 
of  a  tilted  cart,  God  sent  me  a  coach  without  cost,  and  two 
horses  without  my  purchasing  them;  and  which,  with  my  other 
old  horse,  would  do  the  work  of  the  farm,  as  well  as  the  work 
of  the  coach  ;  and  my  bailiff  informed  me  that  he  could  drive 
it,  having  formerly  drove  one.  Thus  was  I  set  up.  But  at 
this  time  the  jincket  was  bare,  and  many  things  were  wanting, 
both  in  tlie  house  and  on  the  farm,  and  a  place  to  fit  up  for 
my  bailiff  and  dairy-woman  to  live  in.  And  it  was  but  a  few 
days  afterward  before  a  gentleman  out  of  the  country  called 
upon  me  ;  and,  being  up  in  my  study  with  me,  he  said,  '  My 
friend,  I  often  told  you,  you  would  keep  your  coach  before 
you  died  ;  and  I  always  promised,  that  whenever  you  had  a 
coach,  I  would  give  you  a  pair  of  horses  ;  and  I  will  not  be 
worse  than  my  word.  I  have  inquired  of  Father  Green,  and 
he  tells  me  that  the  horses  cost  forty-five  pounds,  and  there 
is  the  money.'  In  a  day  or  two  after,  the  coach,  horses,  and 
harness,  came  ;  and,  having  now  a  little  money,  I  wrote  to  a 
friend  in  the  country  to  send  me  twelve  ewes,  and  a  male  with 
them  ;  and  he  sent  me  twelve  excellent  ones,  and  the  male  with 
them,  but  would  not  be  paid  for  them  ;  they  were  a  present  to 
the  farm.  'Whoso  is  wise  and  will  observe  these  things,  even  they 
shall  understand  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord.'    Ps.  cvii.  43  ' 


138  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    MAN. 

Much  did  Mr.  Huntingdcni  owe  to  the  singularity  of  his  ways. 
Singular  in  his  outset  and  career,  singular  in  his  opinions,  sin- 
o-ular  in  his  own  appearance,  singular  in  his  chapel,  singular 
in  his  style  of  preaching,  he  seemed  to  know,  as  well  as  most 
men,  the  value  of  singularity.  He  not  only  excelled  in  extem- 
pore eloquence,  but  his  peculiarities  distinguished  him  from 
most  otlier  preachers.  Having  formally  announced  his  text, 
he  laid  his  i3ible  at  once  aside,  and  never  referred  to  it  again. 
Having  laid  on  one  side  the  volume  of  inspiration,  and  dis- 
daining the  trammels  of  transcription,  he  proceeded  directly 
to  his  object ;  and,  excepting  incidental  digressions,  as,  "  Take 
care  of  your  pockets  !"  "Wake  that  snoring  sinner  !"  "  Silence 
that  noisy  numscull  !"  "  Turn  out  that  drunken  dog !"  ex- 
cepting such  occasional  digressions,  which,  like  the  episodes 
of  poetry,  must,  when  skilfnlly  introduced,  be  understood  to 
heighten  the  effect  of  the  whole,  our  orator  never  deviated 
from  the  course  in  which  he  commenced  his  eccentric  career 
of  ministerial  labour. 

He  had  other  advantages  over  many  of  his  pulpit  compeers. 
Being  of  the  metaphorical  and  allegorical  school,  as  well  as 
possessing  his  citations  by  rote,  there  is  seldom  to  be  found 
the  passage,  from  the  book  of  Genesis  to  the  Revelation  of  St. 
John,  that  may  not  have,  remotely  or  allusively,  some  con- 
nection with  the  subject  immediately  under  his  investigation. 
Hence  the  variety,  as  well  as  the  fertility,  of  his  eloquence. 
Hence  the  novelty  of  his  commentaries  ;  his  truly  astonishing 
talent  of  reconciling  texts,  else  undoubtedly  incongruous ; 
and  of  discovering  dissimilarities,  and  asserting  difficulties, 
where  none  were  believed  to  exist.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
dictatorial  dogmatism  of  this  famous  preacher.  Believe  him, 
none  but  him, — and  that  is  enough.  If  he  aimed  thus  to  pin 
the  faith  of  those  who  hear  him,  he  would  say  over  and  over, 
"  As  sure  asl  am  born,  'tis,"  &c.  or,  "  1  believe  this,"  or,  "  I 
know  this,"  "  I  am  sure  of  it,"  or,  "  I  believe  the  plain  Eng- 
lish of  it  (some  difficult  text)  to  be,"  Sec.  When  he  adds,  as 
he  was  wont,  by  way  of  fixing  his  point,  "  Now,  you  can't 
help  it,"  or,  "  So  it  is,"  or,  "  It  must  be  so  in  spite  of  you," 
he  did  this  with  a  most  significant  shake  of  his  head,  with  a 
sort  of  beldam  hauteur,  with  all  the  dignity  of  defiance.  Ac- 
tion he  seemed  to  have  none,  except  that  of  shifting  his  hand- 
kerchief from  hand  to  hand,  and  hugging  his  cushion  as  though 
it  were  his  bolster.  He  therefore  owed  his  distinction  to  the 
absence  of  those  qualities  by  whicli  most  men  rise.  Self  has 
done  great  things  for  him  :  self-taught,  self-raised,  all  of  self. 
"  God  (says  Mr.  H.)  enabled  me  to  put  out  several  little  books, 
which  were  almost  universally  exclaimed  against,  both  by 
preachers  and  professors,  and  by  these  means  God  sent  them 
into  all  winds ;  so  that  I  soon  rubbed  off  one  hundred,  and 


ANIMAL  GENERATION.  Id9 

soon  after  another,  so  that,  in  a  short  time,  I  had  reduced  my 
thousand  pounds  (debt)  down  to  seven  hundred." 

Of"  his  works,,  he  adds,  that  "  they  are  calculated  (as  he 
thinks,)  to  suit  the  earnest  inquirer;  the  soul  in  bondage,  in 
the  furnace,  in  the  path  of  tribulation,  or  in  the  strong  hold 
of  Satan  ;  and  (says  he)  I  have  heard  of  them  from  Wales, 
from  Scotland,  from  Ireland,  from  various  parts  of  America, 
from  Cadiz  in  Spain,  from  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, from  both  the  East  and  West  Indies." 

His  ''■  Bank  of  Faith"  has  proved  a  bank  of  gold  !  When 
he  wrote  so  much  of  what  came  to  him  as  gifts,  was  it  not  to 
rouse  more  to  give  1  The  man  who  says  he  lives  by  gifts,  will, 
as  he  gets  his  friends,  find  gifts  by  which  he  may  live.  He 
died  at  London,  in  1813;  and  such  was  the  avidity  of  his  ad- 
herents to  obtain  a  relic  of  him,  that  his  furniture  sold  at  ten 
times  the  original  value.  An  old  chair  went  off  at  forty 
pounds. 


CHAP.  XII. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

Animal    Generation — Formation    of  Animals — Preservation   O" 
Animals — Destruction  of  Animals — Animal  Reproductions. 

See,  thro'  this  air,  this  ocean,  and  this  earth, 

All  matter  quick,  and  burstinjc  into  birth. 

Above,  how  high  progressive  life  may  go! 

Around,  how  wide!  how  deep  extend  below! 

Vast  chain  of  Being  !  which  from  God  began, 

Nature  s  ethereal,  human,  angel,  man, 

Beast,  bird,  fish,  insect,  what  no  eye  can  see, 

No  glass  can  reach  ;  from  Infinite  to  thee, 

From  thee  to  nothing.  Pope. 

In  entering  upon  the  subject  of  Curiosities  respecting  Ani- 
mals, we  shall  first  introduce  to  the  reader  some  interesting 
observations  respecting  the  generation,  formation,  preserva- 
tion, destruction,  and  reproduction,  of  animals  in  general ;  and, 
first,  of  animal  generation. 

Animal  gener.ition  holds  the  first  place  among  all  that  raise 
our  admiration  when  we  consider  the  Works  of  the  Creator. 
and  chiefly  that  appointment  by  which  he  has  regulated  the 
propagation,  which  is  wisely  adapted  to  the  disposition  and 
mode  of  life  of  every  different  species  of  animals,  that  people 
earth,  air,  or  sea. 

"  Inciease  and  multiply,"  said  the  benevolent  Author  of  na- 


140  CURIOSITIES    KESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

ture,  when  he  pronounced  his  blessing  on  the  new  made  world. 
By  virtue  of  this  powerful  mandate,  all  the  various  tribes  of 
sentient  beings  have  not  only  been  preserved,  but  increased 
in  an  astonishing  degree. 

It  is  not  in  our  province  to  describe  the  laws  of  gestation; 
we  will  content  ourselves  with  a  few  brief  hints  upon  this 
subject;  and  we  shall  find,  that  in  different  animals,  nature 
operates  in  difl'erent  ways,  in  order  to  produce  the  same 
general  end. 

The  human  female,  and  the  female  of  quadrupeds,  are  pos- 
sessed of  a  temperate  cherishing  warmth;  this  fits  them  for  easy 
gestation,  and  enables  them  to  afibrd  proper  nourishment  to 
their  young,  till  the  time  of  birth. 

Birds  are  intended  to  soar  in  the  air,  or  to  flit  from  place 
0  place  in  search  of  food.  Gestation,  therefore,  would  be 
burdensome  to  them.  For  this  reason,  they  lay  eggs,  covered 
with  a  hard  shell ;  these,  by  natural  instinct,  they  sit  upon, 
and  cherish  till  the  young  be  excluded.  The  ostrich  and  the 
cassowary  are  said  to  be  exempt  from  this  law;  as  they  com- 
mit their  eggs  to  the  sand,  where  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun 
hatches  them. 

Fishes  inhabit  the  waters,  and  most  of  them  have  cold 
blood,  unfit  for  nourishing  their  young.  The  all-wise  Crea- 
tor, therefore,  has  ordained  that  most  of  them  should  lay  their 
eggs  near  the  shore ;  where,  by  means  of  the  solar  rays, 
the  water  is  warmer,  and  also  fitter  for  that  purpose  ;  and 
also  because  water  insects  abound  more  there,  which  afford 
nourishment  to  the  young  fry. 

Salmon,  when  they  are  about  to  deposit  their  eggs,  are  led 
by  instinct  to  ascend  the  stream,  where  purity  and  freshness 
are  to  be  found  in  the  waters :  and  to  procure  such  a  situa- 
tion for  its  young,  this  fish  will  endure  incredible  toil  and 
hazard. 

The  butterfly-fish  is  an  exception  to  this  general  law,  for 
that  brings  forth  its  young  alive.  The  species  of  fish  whose 
residence  is  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean,  are  also  exempt.  Pro- 
vidence has  given  to  these,  eggs  that  swim;  so  that  they  are 
hatched  among  the  sea-weeds,  which  also  swim  on  the  sur- 
face. 

The  various  kinds  of  whales  have  warm  blood,  and  there- 
fore bring  forth  their  young  alive,  and  suckle  them  with 
their  teats. 

Some  amphibious  animals  also  bring  forth  their  young  alive, 
as  the  viper,  &c.  But  such  species  as  lay  eggs,  deposit  them 
in  places  where  the  heat  of  the  sun  supplies  the  want  of  warmth 
in  the  parent.  Thus  the  frog,  and  the  lizard,  drop  their's  in 
shallow  waters,  which  soon  receive  a  genial  heat  by  the  ravs 
of  the  sun;  the  conmion  snake,  in  dunghills,  or  other  warm 


AN!MAL  GExNERATlON.  141 

places.  The  crocodile  and  sea-tortoise  go  ashore  to  lay  their 
eggs  in  the  sand  ;  in  these  cases,  Nature,  as  a  provident  nurse, 
takes  care  of  all. 

The  multiplication  of  animals  is  not  restrained  to  the  same 
rule  in  all ;  for  some  have  a  remarkable  power  of  increase, 
while  others  are,  in  this  respect,  confined  within  very  nar- 
row limits.  Yet,  in  general,  we  find,  that  nature  observes 
this  order,  that  the  least  animals,  and  those  which  are  most 
useful  for  food  to  others,  usually  increase  with  the  greatest 
rapidity.  The  mite,  and  many  other  insects,  will  multiply  to 
a  thousand  within  the  compass  of  a  few  days  ;  while  the  ele- 
phant hardly  produces  a  young  one  in  two  years. 

Birds  of  the  hawk-kind  seldom  lay  more  than  two  eggs  ; 
while  poidtry  will  produce  from  fifteen  to  thirty.  The  diver, 
or  loon,  which  is  eaten  by  few  animals,  lays  also  only  two 
eggs;  but  the  duck-kind,  moor  game,  partridges.  See.  and 
small  birds  in  general,  lay  a  great  many.  Most  of  the  insect 
tribes  neither  bear  young  nor  hatch  eggs;  yet  they  are  the 
most  numerous  of  all  living  creatures  ;  and  were  their  bulk 
proportionable  to  their  numbers,  there  would  not  be  room  on 
the  earth  for  any  other  animals.  The  Creator  has  wisely  or- 
dained the  preservation  of  these  minute  creatures.  The 
females  lay  not  their  eggs  indiscriminately,  but  are  endued 
with  instinct  to  choose  such  places  as  may  supply  their  infant 
offspring  with  proper  nourishment :  in  their  case,  this  is 
absolutely  necessary,  for  the  mother  dies  as  soon  as  she  has 
deposited  her  eggs,  the  male  parent  having  died  before  this 
event  takes  place  ;  so  that  no  parental  care  ever  falls  to  the 
lot  of  this  orphan  race.  And  indeed,  were  the  parents  to  live, 
it  does  not  appear  that  they  would  possess  any  power  to  assist 
their  young.  Butterflies,  weevils,  tree-bugs,  gall-insects, 
and  many  others,  lav  their  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  plants ;  and 
every  different  tribe  chooses  its  own  species  of  plants.  Nay, 
there  is  scarce  any  plant  which  does  not  afford  nourishment 
to  some  insect ;  and  still  more,  there  is  hardly  any  part  of  a 
plant  which  is  not  preferred  by  some  of  them.  Thus  one  feeds 
upon  the  flower;  another  upon  the  leaves  ;  another  upon  the 
trunk  ;  and  still  another  upon  the  root.  But  it  is  particularly 
curious  to  observe  how  the  leaves  of  some  trees  of  plants  are 
formed  into  dwellings  for  the  convenience  of  these  creatures. 
Thus  the  gall-insect  fixes  her  eggs  in  the  leaves  of  an  oak  ; 
the  wounded  leaf  swells,  and  a  knob  arises  like  an  apple, 
which  includes,  protects,  and  nourishes  the  embryo.  In  the 
same  manner  are  the  galls  produced,  which  are  brought  from 
Asiatic  Turkey,  and  which  are  used  both  as  a  medicine, 
and  as  a  dye  in  several  of  our  manufactories. 

When  the  tree-bug  has  deposited  its  eggs  in  the  boughs 
of  the  fir-tree,  excrescences  arise,  shaped  like  pearls.     When 


?.42  CURIOSITIES   KESPECTINO    AN'I^IAI.S 

another  insect  of  the  same  species  has  deposited  its  eo;gs  in 
the  mouse-ear,  chick-weed,  or  speedwell  plants,  the  leaves 
contract  in  a  wonderful  manner  into  the  shape  of  a  head. 
The  water  spider  excludes  eg^s  either  on  the  extremities  of 
juniper,  which  from  thence  forms  a  lodgino;  that  resembles 
the  arrow-headed  grass;  or  on  the  leaves  of  the  poplar,  from 
whence  a  red  globe  is  productrd.  The  tree-louse  lays  its 
eggs  on  the  leaves  of  the  black  jioplar,  which  turn  into  a  k.nd 
of  inflated  bag;   and  so  in  numy  other  instances. 

Nor  is  it  only  upon  plants  that  insects  live  and  lay  their  eggs. 
The  gnat  comnuts  her's  to  stagnant  waters  ;  the  flesh-fly,  in 
putrihed  flesh  ;  another  kind  of  insect  deposits  her's  in  the 
cracks  of  cheese. 

Some  insects  exclude  their  eggs  on  certain  animals;  the 
mill-beetle,  between  the  scales  of  fishes  ;  a  species  of  the  gad- 
fly, on  the  back  of  bullocks  ;  another  of  the  same  speciesj  on 
the  back  of  the  rein-deer ;  another,  in  the  noses  of  sheep  ; 
another  still,  in  the  intestinal  tube,  or  the  throat  of  horses. 
Nay,  even  insects  themselves  are  generally  surrounded  with 
the  eggs  of  other  insects;  so  that  there  is,  perhaps,  no  ani- 
mal to  be  found,  but  what  afi^ords  both  lodaino-  and  nourish- 
ment,  and  food,  to  other  animals  :  even  man  himself,  the 
haughty  lord  of  this  lower  world,  is  not  exempt  from  this 
general  law. 

We  shall  next  call  the  reader's  attention  to  some  particulars 
respecting  the  Formation  of  Animals. 

Whatever  matter  may  be  in  itself  as  to  its  essence,  it  is  certain 
that  it  appears  to  our  senses  as  various  and  heteroo;eneous  : 
however,  the  modus  of  the  formation  of  animals  is  still  un- 
known. The  inspired  writers  express  themselves  here,  at 
least,  according  to  the  capacity  of  the  learned,  as  well  as  the 
vulgar,  when  they  acknowledge  the  ignorance  of  mankind, — 
how  the  bones  do  at  first  grow  in  their  embryo  state, — and 
that  we  are  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made,  when  we  are 
fashioned  secretly  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth.  However, 
it  seems  not  probuble,  that  ojie  part  of  matter  acting  upon 
another,  should  produce  animal  existence,  though  we  grant 
it  may  have  a  strange  and  unaccountable  power  in  the  altera- 
tion of  matter  purely  insensible  or  inanimate.  Fermentation 
may  dilate,  and  extremely  alter  the  parts  of  animated  matter, 
when  they  are  delineated  and  marked  out  by  the  finger  of  the 
Almighty;  but  still,  matter  being  a  principle  purely  passive 
and  irrational,  we  cannot  conceive  how  it  should  become  an 
animal,  any  more  than  a  world,  it  being  much  more  easy  for 
stones  to  leap  out  of  a  quarry,  and  make  an  Escurial,  without 
asking  the  architect's  leave,  or  calling  for  the  mason,  with 
his  mortar  and  trowel,  to  assist  them. 


FOTIMATION    OF   ANIMALS.  143 

Nor  seems  it  necessary,  or  rational,  that  the  first  seed  of 
every  creature  should  formally  include  all  those  seeds  that 
should  be  afterwards  produced  from  it ;  since  it  is,  we  think, 
sufficient  that  it  should  potentially  include  them,  just  as  Abra- 
ham did  Levi  ;  or  as  one  kernel  does  all  those  indeterminate 
kernels  that  may  be  thence  afterwards  raised  ;  the  first  seeds 
being  doubtless  of  the  same  nature  with  those  that  now  exisi, 
after  so  many  thousand  years,  the  order  of  time  making  only 
an  accidental  ditierence  ;  which  if  we  do  not  grant,  we  must 
run  into  this  absurdity,  that  every  thing  does  not  produce  its 
like,  —a  bird  a  bird,  or  a  horse  a  horse, — which  would  be  to 
fill  all  the  world  with  monsters,  which  nature  does  so  much 
abhor. 

But  every  vegetable  seed,  or  kernel,  for  example,  does  now 
actually  and  formally  contain  all  the  seeds  or  kernels  which 
may  be  at  any  time  afterwards  produced  from  them.  A  kernel 
has  indeed,  as  we  have  found  by  microscopes,  a  pretty  fair 
and  distinct  delineation  of  the  tree  and  branches  into  which 
it  may  be  afterwards  formed  by  the  fermentation  of  its  parts, 
and  addition  of  suitable  matter;  as  in  the  tree  are  potentially 
contained  all  the  thousands  and  millions  of  kernels,  and  so  of 
trees,  that  shall  or  may  be  thence  raised  afterwards  :  and 
some  are  apt  to  believe  it  must  be  similar  in  the  first  animals; 
whereas  the  finest  glasses,  which  are  brought  to  an  almost 
incredible  perfection,  cannot  discover  actual  seeds  in  seeds, 
or  kernels  in  kernels;  though,  if  there  were  any  such  thing  as 
an  actual  least  atom,  they  might,  one  would  think,  be  disco- 
vered by  them,  since  they  have  she-wn  us  not  only  seeds,  but 
even  new  animals,  in  many  parts  of  matter  where  we  never 
suspected  them,  and  even  in  some  of  the  smallest  animals 
themselves,  whereof  our  naked  sioht  can  take  no  cooni- 
zance.  As  for  the  parts  of  matter,  be  they  how  they  will, 
finite  or  infinite,  it  makes  no  great  alteration  ;  for,  if  these 
parts  are  not  all  seminal,  we  are  no  nearer.  Nay,  at  best,  an 
absurdity  seems  to  be  the  consequence  of  this  hypothesis ; 
because,  if  those  parts  are  infinite,  and  include  all  successive  ge- 
nerations of  animals,  it  would  follow  that  the  number  of  animals 
too  should  be  infinite;  and,  instead  of  one,  we  should  have  a 
thousand  infinites  ;  and  it  would  be  strange  too  if  they  should 
not,  some  of  them,  be  greater  or  less  than  one  another. 

For  that  pleasant  fancy,  that  all  the  seeds  of  animals  were 
distinctly  created  at  the  beginning  of  time  and  things,  that 
they  are  mingled  with  all  the  elements,  that  we  take  them  in 
with  our  food,  and  the  he  and  she  atoms  either  fly  off  or  stay, 
as  they  like  their  lodginos  ;  we  hope  there  is  no  need  of  being 
serious  to  confute  it.  And  we  may  ask  of  this,  as  well  as  the 
former  hypothesis, — what  need  of  them,  when  the  work  may 
be  done  without  thera'^     The  kernel,  as  before,  contains  the 


144  ;  yRIOSlTIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

tree,  the  tree  a  thousand  other  fruits,  and  ten  thousand  ker- 
nels ;  the  first  animal  several  others ;  and  as  many  of  them 
as  Nature  can  dispose  of,  and  provide  fit  nourishment  for,  are 
produced  into  what  we  may  call  actual  beinp;,  in  comparison 
to  what  they  before  enjoyed.  If  it  be  asked,  wliether  these 
imperfect  creatures  have  all  distinct  souls  while  lurking  vet 
in  their  parent?  we  answer,  tltnt  liiere  is  no  need  of  it;  they 
are  not  yet  so  much  as  well-defined  bodies,  bul  ratlier  parts 
of  the  parent :  there  is  requireci  yet  a  great  deal  more  ot  the 
chemistry  and  mechanism  of  nature,  and  that  in  both  sexes, 
to  make  one  or  more  of  these  enibrvo  beings,  the  offspring  of 
man,  capable  of  receiving  a  rational  soul;  but  wlieu  that  ca- 
pacity comes,  and  wherein  il  consists,  perhaps  he  only 
knows,  who  is  the  Father  of  sj.irils,  as  well  as  the  former  of 
the  universe. 

On  the  Preseuvation  or  Animals. — With  rfcS|)ect  to 
the  preservation  of  animals,  it  maybe  observed,  that  in  tender 
age,  while  the  young  are  unalde  to  provide  for  themselves, 
the  parent  possesses  the  most  aii\i(;:ts  care  for  tiiem.  The 
lioness,  the  tigress,  and  every  otlier  savage  of  the  wilderness, 
are  gentle  and  tender  towards  their  ott'spring;  they  si)are  no 
pains,  no  labour,  for  their  helpless  pm-venv  ;  tliey  scour  the 
forest  with  indescribable  rage  ;  d-estrnction  marks  their  path  ; 
ihey  bear  their  victim  to  the  covert,  and  leach  their  whelps  to 
quatf  the  blood  of  the  slain.  There  is  one  great  law,  which 
the  all-wise  Creator  has  implanted  in  animals  towards  their 
ofispring,  which  is,  that,  according  to  their  nature,  they  should 
provide  for  their  nourishment,  defence,  and  comfort. 

All  quadrupeds  give  suck  to  their  voun<^-,  and  su])portthem 
by  a  liquor  of  a  most  delicate  taste,  and  perfectly.*jasy  of  di- 
gestion, till  they  are  capable  of  rtCvivinu  nourishment  from 
more  solid  food. 

Birds  build  their  nests  in  the  most  artiriciai  manner,  and  line 
them  as  soft  as  possible,  that  the  eg^s  (m-  vounii'  may  not  be 
injured.  Nor  do  they  build  promiscuouslv,  but  chuse  such 
places  as  are  most  concealed,  and  likelv  to  be  free  from  the 
attacks  of  their  enemies:  thus  the  hanging-bird  of  the  tropi- 
cal countries,  makes  its  nest  of  the  fibres  of  withered  plants 
lined  witii  down,  and  fixes  it  at  the  extremity  of  some  bough 
hanging  over  the  water,  that  it  may  be  out  of  reach  ;  and  the 
diver  places  its  swimming  nest  upon  the  water  itself,  among 
tlie  lushes. 

The  male  rooks  and  crows,  during  the  time  of  incubation, 
bring  food  to  the  females.  Pigeons,  and  most  of  the  small 
birds  which  pair,  sit  by  turns  ;  but  where  polygamy  prevails, 
the  males  scarcely  take  any  care  of  the  young. 

Birds  of  the  duck  kind  pluck  the  feathers  off  their  breast. 


PKESERVATION    OF   ANIMALS.  l4o 

and  cover  their  eggs  with  them,  lest  they  should  be  injured  by 
cold  when  they  quit  their  nest  for  food  ;  and  when  the  young 
are  hatched,  they  shew  tile  utmost  solicitude  in  providing-  for 
them,  till  they  are  able  to  fly,  and  shift  for  themselves 

Young  pigeons  are  fed  with  hard  seeds,  which  the  p:.  v,..c. 
first  have  prepared  in  their  own  crops,  that  so  the  infant  bird 
may  digest  them  easily.  And  the  eagle  makes  its  nest  on  the 
highest  precipices  of  mountains,  and  in  the  warmest  spot, 
facing  the  sun  ;  here  the  prey  which  it  brings  is  corrupted  by 
the  heat,  and  made  digestible  to  the  young. 

There  is,  indeed,  an  exception  to  this  fostering  care  of  ani- 
mals in  the  cuckoo,  which  lays  its  eggs  in  the  nest  of  s  in; 
small  bird,  generally  the  wagtail,  yellow-hammer,  or  wlntc- 
throat,  and  leaves  both  the  incubation  and  preservation  of  the 
young  to  them.  But  naturalists  inibrm  us  that  this  apparent 
want  of  instinct  in  the  cuckoo  proceeds  from  the  structure  and 
situation  of  its  stomach,  which  disqualifies  it  for  incubation; 
still  its  care  is  conspicuous  in  providing  a  proper,  though  a 
foreign  situation,  for  its  eggs. 

Amphibious  animals,  fishes,  and  insects,  which  cannot  come 
under  the  care  of  their  parents,  yet  owe  this  to  them,  that 
they  are  deposited  in  places  where  they  easily  find  proper 
nourishment. 

When  animals  come  to  that  maturity  as  no  longer  to  want 
parental  care,  they  exercise  the  utmost  labour  and  industry 
for  the  preservation  of  their  own  lives.  But  the  different  spe- 
cies are  many,  and  the  individuals  of  each  species  are  very 
numerous.  In  order,  therefore,  that  all  may  be  supported, 
the  Creator  has  assigned  to  each  class  its  proper  food,  and  set 
bounds  and  limits  to  their  appetites.  Some  live  on  particular 
species  of  plants,  which  are  produced  only  in  particular  ani- 
nialcula  ;  others  on  carcases,  and  some  even  on  mud  and  dung. 
For  this  reason,  Providence  has  ordained  that  some  should 
swim  in  certain  regions  of  the  watery  element ;  that  others 
should  fly  ;  and  that  some  should  inhabit  the  torrid,  the  frigid, 
or  the  temperate  zones.  Different  animals  also  are  confined 
to  certain  spots  in  the  same  zone  :  some  frequent  the  deserts,, 
others  the  meadows,  or  the  cultivated  grounds;  thus  the  moun- 
tains, the  woods,  the  pools,  the  gardens,  have  their  proper  inha- 
bitants. By  this  means  there  is  no  terrestrial  tract,  no  sea,  nx>. 
river,  no  country,  but  what  teems  with  life.  Hence  one  spe- 
cies of  animals  does  not  injuriously  invade  the  aliment  of  an- 
other ;  and  hence  the  world  at  all  times  affords  support  to  so 
many,  and  such  various  inhabitants,  and  nothing  which  it  pro- 
duces is  in  vain. 

We  ought  to  remark,  also,  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
Providence  in  forming  the  structure  of  the  bodies  of  animals 
for  their  peculiar  manner  of  life,  and   in  giving  them  clothijii' 

T 


146  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

which   is  suitable  both  to  the  country  and  element  in  which 
they  live. 

Thus  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  and  the  various  kinds  of 
monkeys,  are  destined  to  live  in  the  torrid  regions,  where  the 
sun  darts  its  fiercest  rays  ;  their  skins  are  therefore  naked, 
for  were  they  covered  with  hair,  they  would  perisli  witli  heat. 
They  are  also  of  such  conformation  of  bodv  as  to  suit  their 
different  manner  of  life.  Tiie  rein-deer  has  his  habitation  la 
the  coldest  parts  of  Lapland  ;  his  food  is  the  liverwort,  which 
grows  nowhere  else  so  abundantly  ;  and  as  the  cold  is  in  that 
country  intense,  this  useful  animal  is  covered  with  hair  of 
the  densest  kind  ;  by  this  means  he  easily  defies  the  keenness 
of  the  arctic  regions.  The  rough-legged  partridge  passes  its 
life  in  the  Lapland  Alps,  where  it  feeds  on  the  seeds  of  the 
dwarf  birch:  while,  to  withstand  the  cold,  and  to  enable  it  to 
run  freely  among  the  snow,  even  its  feet  are  thickly  beset  with 
feathers. 

The  camel  is  a  native  of  the  arid  sandy  deserts,  which,  with 
their  dreadful  sterility,  are  yet  capable  of  yielding  him  sup- 
port. How  wisely  has  the  Creator  formed  him!  his  foot  is 
made  to  traverse  the  burning  sands  ;  and  as  the  place  of  his 
habitation  affords  but  little  water,  he  is  made  capable  of  en- 
during long  journeys,  and  going  many  days  without  quench- 
ing his  thirst ;  for  he  is  furnished  with  a  natural  reservoir,  in 
which,  when  he  drinks,  he  stores  up  a  quantity  of  water,  and 
has  the  power  of  using  it  in  a  frugal  and  sparing  manner, 
when,  for  his  food,  he  crops  the  dry  thistle  of  tiie  desert.  The 
bullock  delights  in  low  rich  grounds,  because  there  he  finds 
the  food  which  is  most  palatable  to  him.  The  wild  horse 
chiefly  resorts  to  woods,  and  feeds  upon  leafy  plants.  Sheep 
prefer  hills  of  moderate  e-levation,  where  they  find  a  short  sweet 
grass,  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  Goats  climb  up  the  pre- 
cipices of  mountains,  that  they  may  brouse  on  the  tender 
shrubs  ;  and,  in  order  to  fit  them  for  their  situation,  their  feet 
are  made  for  jumping. 

Swine  chiefly  get  provision  by  turning  up  the  earth  ;  for 
which  purpose  their  snouts  are  peculiarly  formed.  In  this  em- 
ployment they  find  succulent  roots,  insects,  and  reptiles 

So  various  is  the  appetite  of  animals,  that  there  is  scarcely 
any  plant  which  is  not  chosen  by  some,  and  left  untouched  by 
others.  Thus  the  horse  refuses  the  water  hemlock,  which  the 
goat  w^ill  eat:  the  goat  will  not  feed  on  monkshood,  but  the 
horse  eats  it  with  avidity.  The  long-leafed  water  hemlock  is 
avoided  by  the  bullock  ;  yet  the  sheep  is  fond  of  it.  The 
spurge  is  poisonous  to  man ;  but  the  caterpillar  finds  it  a 
wholesome  nourishment.  Some  animals  live  on  the  leaves  of 
certain  plants,  others  on  the  stalks,  and  others  still  on  the 
rind,  or  even  the  roots  of  the  same  veo;etable 


PRESERVATION   OF  ANIMALS.  147 

It  should  seem  from  lience,  that  no  plant  is  absolutely  poi- 
sonous, but  only  relatively  so  :  that  is,  there  is  no  plant  but 
what  is  wholesome  food  to  some  animal  or  other.  Thus  di- 
vine wisdom  has  assigned  an  use  for  all  its  productions. 

The  care  of  Providence  is  further  evident  in  giving  to  each 
animal  an  instinctive  knowledge  of  its  proper  aliment ;  but 
that  delicacy  of  taste  and  smell,  by  which  they  accurately 
distinguish  the  wholesome  from  the  pernicious,  is  not  so  evi- 
dent in  domestic  animals  as  in  those  which  are  in  a  state  of 
nature. 

All  birds  of  the  goose  kind  pass  great  part  of  their  lives  in 
water,  feeding  on  water-insects,  fishes,  and  their  eggs.  It  is 
evident  that  they  are  calculated  for  this  mode  of  existence  ; 
their  beaks,  their  necks,  their  feet,  and  their  feathers,  are 
formed  for  it  All  other  birds  are  as  aptly  fitted  for  their  man- 
ner of  life  as  these. 

The  sea-swallow  is  said  to  get  his  food  in  a  very  singular 
way.  Fish  are  his  support,  but  he  is  not  capable  of  diving  in 
order  to  catch  them  like  other  aquatic  birds;  the  sea-gull, 
therefore,  is  his  caterer :  when  this  last  has  gorged  himself, 
he  is  pursued  by  the  former,  who  buffets  him  till  he  casts  up 
a  part  of  his  prey,  which  the  other  catches  before  it  reaches 
the  water ;  but  in  those  seasons  when  the  fishes  hide  them- 
selves in  deep  water,  the  merganser  supplies  even  the  gull 
himself  with  food,  being  capable  of  plunging  deeper  into  the 
sea. 

Small  birds  are  generally  supposed  to  live  principally  upo't^ 
the  berries  of  ivy  and  hawthorn  ;  liut  modern  naturalists  con- 
tradict this,  and  affirm  that  their  winter  food  is  the  knot-grass, 
which  bears  heavy  seeds,  like  those  of  the  black  bind-weed. 
This  is  a  very  common  plant,  not  easilv  destroyed  ;  it  grows 
in  great  abundance  by  the  sides  of  roads,  and  trampling  on  it 
will  not  kill  it;  it  is  extremely  plentiful  in  corn-fields  after 
harvest,  and  gives  a  reddish  hue  to  them  by  the  multitude  of 
its  seeds.  Wherever  the  husbandman  ploughs,  this  plant 
will  grow,  nor  can  all  his  art  prevent  it :  thus  a  part  of  his 
labours  are  necessarily  destined  for  the  propagation  of  a  plant 
which  our  heavenly  Father  has  designed  immediately  for  the 
support  of  the  "  fowls  of  the  air ;"  for  though  "  they  sow  not, 
neither  gather  into  barns,"  yet  are  they  fed  by  him. 

Some  birds  who  live  on  insects,  migrate  every  year  to  foreign 
regions,  in  order  to  seek  food  in  a  milder  climate ;  while  all 
the  northern  countries,  where  they  live  well  in  summer,  are 
covered  with  snow.  Some  naturalists  reckon  the  different 
species  of  the  Hirundo,  or  swallow,  among  the  birds  of  pas- 
saore ;  while  others  affirm  that  they  do  not  migrate,  but,  at  the 
iinnroach  of  winter,  seek  an  asylum  from  the  cold  in  the  clefts 
I'!  rocks,  with  which  our  island  is  surrounded,  or  take  refuge 


146  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

which   is  suitable  both  to  the  country  and  element  in  which 
they  live. 

Thus  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  and  the  various  kinds  of 
monkeys,  are  destined  to  live  in  the  torrid  regions,  where  the 
sun  darts  its  fiercest  rays  ;  their  skins  are  therefore  naked, 
for  were  they  covered  with  hair,  they  would  perisii  with  heat. 
They  are  also  of  such  conformation  of  body  as  to  suit  their 
different  manner  of  life.  The  rein-deer  has  his  habitation  in 
the  coldest  parts  of  Lapland  ;  his  food  is  the  liverwort,  which 
grows  nowhere  else  so  abundantly  ;  and  as  the  cold  is  in  that 
country  intense,  this  useful  animal  is  covered  with  hair  of 
the  densest  kind  ;  by  this  means  he  easily  defies  the  keenness 
of  the  arctic  regions.  The  rough-legged  partridge  passes  its 
life  in  the  Lapland  Alps,  where  it  feeds  on  the  seeds  of  the 
dwarf  birch:  while,  to  withstand  the  cold,  and  to  enable  it  to 
run  freely  among  the  snow,  even  its  feet  are  thickly  beset  with 
feathers. 

The  camel  is  a  native  of  the  arid  sandy  deserts,  which,  with 
their  dreadful  sterility,  are  yet  capable  of  yielding  him  sup- 
port. How  wisely  has  the  Creator  formed  him!  his  foot  is 
made  to  traverse  the  burning  sands;  and  as  the  place  of  his 
habitation  affords  but  little  water,  he  is  made  capable  of  en- 
during long  journeys,  and  going  many  days  without  quench- 
ing his  thirst;  for  he  is  furnished  with  a  natural  reservoir,  in 
which,  when  he  drinks,  he  stores  up  a  quantity  of  vvnter,  and 
has  the  power  of  using  it  in  a  frugal  and  sparing  manner, 
when,  for  his  food,  he  crops  the  dry  thistle  of  the  desert.  The 
bullock  delights  in  low  rich  grounds,  because  there  he  finds 
the  food  which  is  most  palatable  to  him.  The  wild  horse 
chiefly  resorts  to  woods,  and  feeds  upon  leafy  plants.  Sheep 
prefer  hills  of  moderate  e-levation,  where  they  find  a  short  sweet 
grass,  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  Goats  climb  up  the  pre- 
cipices of  mountains,  that  they  may  brouse  on  the  tender 
shrubs  ;  and,  in  order  to  fit  them  for  their  situation,  their  feet 
are  made  for  jumping. 

Swine  chiefly  get  provision  by  turning  up  the  earth;  for 
which  purpose  their  snouts  are  peculiarly  formed.  In  this  em- 
ployment they  find  succulent  roots,  insects,  and  reptiles 

So  various  is  the  appetite  of  animals,  that  there  is  scarcely 
any  plant  which  is  not  chosen  by  some,  and  left  untouched  by 
others.  Thus  the  horse  refuses  the  water  hemlock,  which  the 
goat  will  eat :  the  goat  will  not  feed  on  monkshood,  but  the 
horse  eats  it  with  avidity.  The  long-leafed  water  hemlock  is 
avoided  by  the  bullock  ;  yet  the  sheep  is  fond  of  it.  The 
spurge  is  poisonous  to  man ;  but  the  caterpillar  finds  it  a 
wholesome  nourishment.  Some  animals  live  on  the  leaves  of 
certain  plants,  others  on  the  stalks,  and  others  still  on  the 
rind,  or  even  the  roots  of  the  same  vegetable 


PRESERVATION   OY  ANIMALS.  147 

It  should  seem  from  hence,  that  no  plant  is  absolutely  poi- 
sonous, but  only  relatively  so  :  that  is,  there  is  no  plant  but 
what  is  wholesome  food  to  some  animal  or  other.  Thus  di- 
vine wisdom  has  assigned  an  use  for  all  its  productions. 

The  care  of  Providence  is  further  evident  in  oivins  to  each 
animal  an  instinctive  knowledge  of  its  proper  aliment ;  but 
that  delicacy  of  taste  and  smell,  by  which  they  accurately 
distinguish  the  wholesome  from  the  pernicious,  is  not  so  evi- 
dent in  domestic  animals  as  in  tliose  which  are  in  a  state  of 
nature. 

All  birds  of  the  goose  kind  pass  great  part  of  their  lives  in 
water,  feeding  on  water-insects,  fishes,  and  their  eggs.  It  is 
evident  that  they  are  calculated  for  this  mode  of  existence  ; 
their  beaks,  their  necks,  their  feet,  and  their  feathers,  are 
formed  for  it  All  other  birds  are  as  aptly  fitted  for  their  man- 
ner of  life  as  these. 

The  sea-swallow  is  said  to  get  his  food  in  a  very  singular 
way.  Fish  are  his  support,  but  he  is  not  capable  of  diving  in 
order  to  catch  them  like  other  aquatic  birds;  the  sea-gull, 
therefore,  is  his  caterer:  when  this  last  has  gorged  himself, 
he  is  pursued  by  the  former,  who  buffets  him  till  he  casts  up 
a  part  of  his  prey,  which  the  other  catches  before  it  reaches 
the  water;  but  in  those  seasons  when  the  fishes  hide  them- 
selves in  deep  water,  the  merganser  supplies  even  the  gull 
himself  with  food,  being  capable  of  plunging  deeper  into  the 
sen. 

Small  birds  are  generally  supposed  to  live  principally  upoT_ 
the  berries  of  ivy  and  hawthorn  ;  but  modern  naturalists  con- 
tradict this,  and  affirm  that  their  winter  food  is  the  knot-grass, 
which  bears  heavy  seeds,  like  those  of  the  black  bind-weed. 
This  is  a  very  common  plant,  not  easily  destroyed  ;  it  grows 
in  great  abundance  by  the  sides  of  roads,  and  trampling  on  it 
will  not  kill  it;  it  is  extremely  plentiful  in  corn-fields  after 
harvest,  and  gives  a  reddish  hue  to  them  by  the  multitude  of 
its  seeds.  Wherever  the  husbandman  ploughs,  this  plant 
will  grow,  nor  can  all  his  art  prevent  it :  thus  a  part  of  his 
labours  are  necessarily  destined  for  the  propagation  of  a  plant 
which  our  heavenly  Father  has  designed  immediately  for  the 
support  of  the  "  fowls  of  the  air  ;"  for  though  "  they  sow  not, 
neither  gather  into  barns,"  yet  are  they  fed  by  him. 

Some  birds  who  live  on  insects,  migrate  every  year  to  foreign 
regions,  in  order  to  seek  food  in  a  milder  climate  ;  while  all 
the  northern  countries,  where  they  live  well  in  summer,  are 
covered  with  snow.  Some  naturalists  reckon  the  different 
species  of  the  Hirundo,  or  swallow,  among  the  birds  of  pas- 
saoe  ;  while  others  affirm  that  they  do  not  migrate,  but,  at  the 
r>:)nroach  of  winter,  seek  an  asylum  from  the  cold  in  the  clefts 
i.!  rocks,  with  which  our  island  is  surrounded,  or  take  refuge 


i48  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

in  the  botiom  of  pools  and  lakes,  among  the  reeds  and  rushes; 
others  still,  who  have  made  their  observations  with  more 
attention  and  patience  than  either  of  the  former,  allow  that 
the  old  swallows  with  their  early  brood  do  migrate  ;  but  that 
the  latter  hatches,  which  are  incapable  of  distant  flight,  lay 
themselves  up,  and  become  torpid  during  the  winter;  and  at 
the  approach  of  spring,  by  the  wonderful  appointment  of 
Nature,  they  come  forlh  again  with  renewed  life  and  activity. 
In  these,  and  all  other  animals  which  become  torpid  in  the 
winter,  the  peristaltic  motion  of  the  bowels  ceases  while  they 
are  dormant,  so  that  they  do  not  suffer  by  hunger.  Dr.  Lis- 
ter remarks,  concerning  this  class  of  animals,  that  their  blood, 
when  poured  into  a  vessel,  does  not  coagulate,  like  that  of 
all  other  animals  ;  and  therefore  is  no  less  fit  for  circulation 
when  they  revive,  than  before. 

The  birds  called  moor-fowl,  during  great  snows,  work  out 
paths  for  themselves  under  its  surface,  where  they  live  in 
safety,  and  get  their  food.  They  moult  in  summer,  so  that 
about  the  latter  end  of  August  they  cannot  fly,  and  are  there- 
fore obliged  to  run  in  the  woods  ;  but  then  the  blackberries 
and  bilberries  are  ripe,  from  whence  they  are  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  food  :  but  the  yoniig  do  not  moidt  the  first  year, 
and  therefore,  though  thev  cannot  run  so  well,  are  enabled  to 
escape  danger  by  fligiit. 

The  migration  of  birds  is  not  only  a  fact,  but,  as  it  relates 
to  many  kinds  of  them,  is  an  useful  fact  to  mankind.  This 
remark  applies  to  such  of  them  as  feed  on  insects,  the  number 
of  which  is  so  great,  that  if  these  birds  did  not  destroy  them, 
it  would  be  almost  impossible  for  us  to  live. 

Of  the  various  kinds  of  water-fowl  that  are  known  in  Eu- 
rope, there  is  hardly  any  but  what,  in  the  spring,  are  found 
to  repair  to  Lapland.  This  is  a  country  of  lakes,  rivers, 
swamps,  and  mountains,  covered  with  thick  and  gloomy  fo- 
rests, that  afford  shelter  during  summer  to  these  birds. 

In  these  arctic  regions,  by  reason  of  the  thickness  of  the 
woods,  the  ground  remains  moist  and  penetrable,  and  the 
waters  contain  the  larvse  of  the  gnat  in  innumerable  quantities. 
The  days  there  are  long,  and  the  beautiful  and  splendid  me- 
teors of  the  night  indulge  them  with  every  opportunity  of  col- 
lecting so  minute  a  food ;  at  the  same  time,  men  are  very 
sparingly  scattered  over  that  vast  northern  waste.  Yet, 
Linuieus,  that  great  explorer  of  nature,  in  his  excursion  to 
Lapland,  was  astonished  at  the  myriads  of  water-fowl  that 
migrated  with  him  out  of  that  country,  which  exceeded  in 
multitude  the  army  of  Xerxes,  covering,  for  eight  whole  days 
and  nights,  the  surface  of  the  river  Calix  !  The  surprise  of 
Linnaeus  was  occasioned  by  his  supposing  their  support  to  be 
furnished  chiefly  by  the   vegetable  kingdom,  almost  denied 


PRESERVATION   OF   ANIMALS.  149 

to  the  Lapland  waters  ;  not  knowing  that  the  all-bountiful 
Creator  had  plenteously  provided  insect  food  for  them  in  that 
dreary  wilderness. 

Certain  beasts,  also,  as  well  as  birds,  become  torpid,  or  at 
least  inactive,  when  they  are,  by  the  rigour  of  the  season, 
excluded  from  the  necessaries  of  life.  Thus  the  bear,  at  the 
end  of  autuiun,  collects  a  quantity  of  moss,  into  which  he 
creeps,  and  there  lies  all  the  winter,  subsisting  upon  no  other 
nourishment  than  his  fat,  collected  durintj  the  summer  in 
the  cellulous  membrane,  and  which,  without  doubt,  during  his 
fast,  circulates  through  his  vessels,  and  supplies  the  place  of 
food. 

The  hedge-hog,  badger,  and  some  kinds  of  mice,  fill  their 
winter  quarters  with  vegetables,  which  they  eat  during  mild 
weather  in  the  winter,  and  sleep  during  the  frosts.  The  bat 
seems  cold  and  quite  dead,  but  revives  in  the  spring :  while 
most  of  the  amphibious  animals  get  into  dens,  or  the  bottom 
of  lakes  and  pools. 

Among  other  instances  of  the  preservation  of  animals,  we 
ought  to  mention  that  of  the  pole-cat  of  America,  commonly 
called  the  squash  or  skink.  This  is  a  small  animal  of  the 
weasel  kind,  which  some  of  the  planters  of  that  country  keep 
about  their  premises  to  perform  the  office  of  a  cat.  This  crea- 
ture has  always  a  very  strong  and  disagreeable  smell,  but 
when  affriohted  or  enrao;ed,  it  emits  so  horrible  a  stench,  as 
to  prevent  any  other  creature  from  approaching  it :  even  dogs 
in  pursuit  of  it,  when  they  find  this  extraordinary  mode  of 
defence  made  use  of,  will  instantly  turn,  and  leave  him  undis- 
puted master  of  the  field  ;  nor  can  any  attempts  ever  bring 
them  to  rally  again.  Kalm,  as  quoted  by  Buffon,  says,  "  One 
of  these  animals  came  near  the  farm  where  I  lived  in  the  year 
1749.  It  was  in  the  winter  season,  during  the  night ;  and 
the  dogs  that  were  upon  the  watch,  pursued  it  for  some  time, 
until  it  discharged  against  them.  Althouoh  I  was  in  bed  a 
good  way  otf,  1  thought  I  should  have  been  sufibcated  ;  and 
the  cows  and  oxen  themselves,  by  their  lowings,  shewed  how 
much  they  were  afl^ected  by  the  stench." 

Nor  is  even  the  serpent,  in  its  various  kinds,  destitute  of 
the  care  of  the  common  Father  of  nature.  This  reptile,  which 
has  neither  wings  to  fly,  nor  the  power  to  run  with  much 
speed,  would  not  have  the  means  to  take  its  prey,  were  it  not 
endowed  with  superior  cunning  to  most  other  creatures.  In 
favour  of  the  serpent,  also,  there  is  a  terror  attending  its  ap- 
pearance, which  operates  with  such  power  upon  birds  and 
other  small  animals,  as  often  to  cause  them  to  fall  an  easy 
prey  to  it.  Hence,  probably,  has  arisen  the  fiction  of  the 
power  of  fascination,  which  has  been  confidently  ascribed  to 
the  rattlesnake  and  some  other  serpents. 


i50  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS 

On  the  Destruction  of  Animals. 

In  considering  the  destruction  of  animals,  we  may  observe 
that  Nature  is  continually  operating  :  she  produces,  preserves 
for  a  time,  and  then  destroys  all  her  productions.  Man  him- 
self is  subject  to  this  general  order;  for  he  also,  like  other 
creatures,  returns  to  the  dust  from  whence  he  was  taken. 

This  process  of  nature  is  marked  even  in  the  vicissitudes 
of  the  seasons.  Spring,  like  the  jovial,  playful  infancy  of  all 
living  creatures,  represents  childhood  and  youth;  for  then 
plants  spread  forth  their  flowers,  fishes  play  in  the  waters, 
birds  sing,  and  universal  nature  rejoices.  Summer,  like  mid- 
dle age,  exhibits  plants  and  trees  full  clothed  in  green;  fruits 
ripen  ;  and  every  thing  is  full  of  life.  But  autumn  is  compa- 
ratively gloomy  ;  for  then  the  leaves  fall  from  the  trees,  and 
plants  begin  to  wither,  insects  grow  torpid,  and  many  animals 
retire  to  their  winter  quarters. 

The  day  proceeds  with  steps  similar  to  the  year.  In  the 
morning  every  thing  is  fresh  and  playful ;  at  noon  all  is 
energy  and  action ;  evening  follows,  and  every  thing  is  inert 
and  sluggish. 

Thus  the  age  of  man  begins  from  the  cradle  ;  pleasing  child- 
hood succeeds  ;  then  sprightly  youth  ;  afterwards  manhood, 
firm,  severe,  and  intent  on  self-preservation  ;  lastly,  old  age 
creeps  on,  debilitates,  and,  at  length,  totally  destroys  our 
tottering  bodies. 

But  we  must  consider  the  destruction  of  animals  more  at 
at  large.  We  have  before  observed,  that  all  animals  do  not 
live  on  vegetables,  but  there  are  some  which  feed  on  animal- 
cula  ;  others  on  insects.  Nay,  some  there  are  which  subsist 
only  by  rapine,  and  daily  destroy  some  or  other  of  the  peace- 
able kind. 

The  destruction  of  animals  by  each  other,  is  generally  in 
progression, — the  strong  prevailing  against  the  weak.  Thus, 
the  tree-louse  lives  on  plants ;  the  fly  called  musca  amphidi- 
vora,  lives  on  the  tree-louse  ;  the  hornet  and  wasp-fly,  on  the 
muscaamphidivora;  the  dragon-fly,  on  the  hornet  and  wasp-fly ; 
the  larger  spider,  on  the  dragon-fly;  small  birds  feed  on  the 
spider;  and  lastly,  the  hawk  kind  on  the  small  birds. 

In  like  manner,  the  monoculus  delights  in  putrid  waters ; 
the  gnat  eats  the  monoculus  ;  the  frog  eats  the  gnat ;  the  pike 
eats  the  frog  ;  and  the  sea-calf  eats  the  pike. 

The  bat  and  the  goat-sucker  make  their  excursions  only  at 
night,  that  they  may  catch  the  moths,  which  at  that  time  fly 
about  in  great  quantities. 

The  woodpecker  pulls  out  the  insects  which  lie  hid  in  the 
trunks  of  trees.  The  swallow  pursues  those  which  fly  about 
in  the  open  air.  The  mole  feeds  on  worms  and  grubs  in  the 
earth.     The  large  fishes  devour  the  small  ones.     And  perhaps 


DESTRUCTION    OF   ANIMALS.  151 

there  is  not  an  animal  in  existence,  which  has  not  an  enemy 
to  contend  vvitli. 

Among-  quadrupeds,  wild  beasts  are  most  remarkably  perni- 
cious and  dangerous  to  others.  But  that  they  may  not,  by 
their  cruelty,  destroy  a  whole  species,  these  are  circumscribed 
within  certain  bounds  :  as  to  the  fiercest  of  them,  they  are 
few  in  number,  when  compared  with  other  animals ;  some- 
times they  fall  upon  and  destroy  each  other;  and  it  is  remark- 
ed also,  that  they  seldom  live  to  a  great  age,  for  they  are 
subject,  from  the  nature  of  their  diet,  to  various  diseases, 
which  bring  them  sooner  to  an  end  than  those  animals  which 
live  on  vegetables.  It  has  been  asked,  why  has  the  Supreme 
Being  constituted  such  an  order  in  nature,  that,  it  should 
seem,  some  animals  are  created  only  to  be  destroyed  by  others? 
To  this  it  has  been  answered,  that  Providence  not  only  aimed 
at  sustaining,  but  also  keeping  a  just  proportion  amongst  all 
the  species,  and  so  preventing  any  one  of  them  from  increas- 
ing too  much,  to  the  detriment  of  men  and  other  animals.  For 
if  it  be  true,  as  it  assuredly  is,  that  the  surface  of  the  earth 
can  support  only  a  certain  number  of  creatures,  they  must  all 
perish,  if  the  same  number  were  doubled  or  trebled. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  flies,  which  bring  forth  so  abun- 
dantly, that  they  would  soon  fill  the  air,  and,  like  clouds,  in- 
tercept the  light  of  the  sun,  unless  they  were  devoured  by 
birds,  spiders,  and  other  animals. 

Storks  and  cranes  free  Egypt  from  frogs,  which,  after  the 
inundation  of  the  Nile,  cover  the  whole  country.  Falcons 
clear  Palestine  from  mice.  Bellonius,  on  this  subject,  says, 
"  The  storks  come  to  Egypt  in  such  abundance,  that  the  fields 
and  meadows  are  quite  white  with  them.  Yet  the  Egyptians 
are  not  displeased  with  them,  as  frogs  are  generated  in  such 
numbers,  that,  did  not  the  storks  devour  them,  they  would 
over-run  every  thing.  Besides,  they  also  catch  and  eat  ser- 
pents. Between  Belba  and  Gaza,  the  fields  of  Palestine  are 
often  injured  by  mice  and  rats  ;  and  were  these  vermin  not 
destroyed  by  the  falcons,  that  come  hereby  instinct,  the  inha- 
bitants could  have  no  harvest." 

The  white  fox  is  of  equal  advantage  in  the  Lapland  Alps  ; 
as  he  destroys  the  Norway  rat,  which,  by  its  prodigious  in- 
crease, would  otherwise  entirely  destroy  vegetation  in  that 
country. 

It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  believe  that  Providence  is  wise  in 
all  its  works,  and  that  nothing  is  made  in  vain.  When  rapa- 
cious animals  do  us  mischief,  let  us  not  think  that  the  Creator 
planned  the  order  of  nature  according  to  our  private  principles 
of  economy  ;  for  the  Laplander  has  one  way  of  living,  the 
European  husbandman  another,  and  the  Hottentot  difi'ers  from 
them  both  ;  whereas  the  stupendous  Deity  is  one  throughout 


162  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

the  globe ;  and  if  Providence  do  not  always  calculate  ac- 
cording to  our  method  of  reckoning,  we  ought  to  consider 
this  afi'air  in  the  same  light  as  when  different  seamen  wait  for 
a  fair  wind,  every  one  with  respect  to  the  port  to  which  he  is 
bound  :  these  we  plainly  see  cannot  all  be  satisfied. 

We  shall  conclude  this  branch,  by  turning  once  more  to 
Man,  and  tracing  him  through  his  progressive  stages  of  decay, 
until  death  puts  a  final  period  to  his  earthly  existence. 

The  human  form  has  no  sooner  arrived  at  its  state  of  perfec- 
tion, than  it  begins  to  decline.  The  alteration  is  at  first  insen- 
sible, and  often  several  years  are  elapsed  before  we  find  our- 
selves grown  old.  The  news  of  this  unwelcome  change  too 
generally  comes  from  without ;  and  we  learn  from  others  that 
we  grow  old,  before  we  are  willing  to  believe  the  report. 

When  the  body  is  come  to  its  full  height,  and  is  extended 
into  its  just  dimensions,  it  then  also  begins  to  receive  an  addi- 
tional bulk,  which  rather  loads  than  assists  it.  This  is  form- 
ed of  fat,  which,  generally,  at  about  the  age  of  forty,  covers 
all  the  muscles,  and  interrupts  their  activity.  Every  exertion 
is  then  performed  with  greater  labour,  and  the  increase  of  size 
only  serves  as  the  forerunner  of  decay. 

The  bones  also  become  every  day  more  solid.  In  the  em- 
bryo they  are  almost  as  soft  as  the  muscles  and  the  flesh,  but 
by  degrees  they  harden,  and  acquire  their  proper  vigour  ;  but 
still,  for  the  purpose  of  circulation,  they  are  furnished  through 
all  their  substance  with  their  proper  canals.  Nevertheless, 
these  canals  are  of  very  different  capacities  during  the  diffe- 
rent stages  of  life.  In  infancy  they  are  capacious,  and  the 
blood  flows  almost  as  freely  through  the  bones  as  through  any 
other  part  of  the  body  ;  in  manhood  their  size  is  greatly  di- 
minished, the  vessels  are  almost  imperceptible,  and  the  circu- 
lation is  proportionably  slow.  But  in  the  decline  of  lite,  the 
blood  which  flows  through  the  bones,  no  longer  contributing 
to  their  growth,  must  necessarily  serve  to  increase  their 
hardness.  The  channels  which  run  through  the  human  frame 
may  be  compared  to  those  pipes  that  we  see  crusted  on  the 
inside,  by  tlie  water,  for  a  long  continuance,  ruiniing  tiirough 
them.  Both  every  day  grow  less  and  less,  by  the  small  rigid 
particles  which  are  deposited  within  them.  Thus,  as  the  ves- 
sels are  by  degrees  diminished,  the  juices  also,  which  circu- 
late through  them,  are  diminished  in  proportion  ;  till  at  length, 
in  old  age,  these  props  of  the  human  frame  are  not  only  more 
solid,  but  more  brittle. 

The  cartilages,  likewise,  grow  more  rigid  ;  the  juices  circu- 
lating through  them,  every  day  contribute  to  make  them 
harder,  so  that  those  parts  which  in  youth  are  elastic  and  pli- 
ant, in  age  become  hard  and  bony,  consequently  the  motion 
of  the  joints   must  become   more  diflicult.     Thus,  in  old  age. 


DESTRUCTION    OF    ANIMALS.  153 

every  action  of  the  body  is  performed  with  labour,  and  the 
cartilages,  formerly  so  su[)|>le,  will  now  sooner  break  than 
bend. 

As  the  cartilages  acquire  hardness,  and  unfit  the  joints  for 
motion,  so  also  that  mucous  liquor,  which  is  always  secreted 
between  the  joints,  and  w  hich  serves,  like  oil  to  a  hinge,  to 
give  them  an  easy  and  ready  ])lay,  is  now  grown  more  scanty 
It  becomes  thicker  and  more  clammy,  more  unfit  for  answer- 
ing the  purposes  of  motion,  and  from  thence,  in  old  age  every 
joint  is  stiff  and  awkward.  At  every  motion  this  clammy  liquor 
is  heard  to  crack  ;  and  it  is  not  without  a  great  effort  of  the 
muscles,  that  its  resistance  is  overcome.  Old  persons  have 
been  known,  that  seldom  moved  a  single  joint  without  thus 
giving  notice  of  the  violence  that  was  done  to  it. 

The  membranes  that  cover  the  bones,  joints,  and  the  rest 
of  the  body,  become,  as  we  grow  old,  more  dense  and  more 
dry.  Those  which  surround  the  bones  soon  cease  to  be  ductile. 
The  fibres,  of  which  the  muscles  or  flesh  is  composed,  become 
every  day  more  rigid;  and  while,  to  the  touch,  the  body  seems, 
as  we  advance  in  years,  to  grow  softer,  it  is  in  reality  in- 
creasing in  hardness.  It  is  the  skin,  and  not  the  flesh,  that 
we  feel  on  such  occasions.  The  fat,  and  the  flabbiness  of  it, 
seem  to  give  an  appearance  of  softness,  which  the  flesh  itself 
IS  very  far  from  having.  None  can  doubt  this  after  trying  the 
difference  between  the  flesh  of  young  and  old  animals.  The 
first  is  soft  and  tender,  the  last  is  hard  and  dry. 

The  skin  is  the  only  part  of  the  body  that  age  does  not  har- 
den ;  that  stretches  to  every  degree  of  tension;  and  we  have 
often  frightful  instances  of  its  pliancy,  in  many  disorders 
which  are  incident  to  humanity.  In  youth,  while  the  body  is 
vigorous  and  increasing,  it  continues  to  give  way  to  its  growth. 
But  although  it  thus  adapts  itself  to  our  increase,  its  does  not 
m  the  same  manner  conform  to  our  decay.  The  skin,  in  youth 
and  health,  is  plump,  glossy,  veined,  and  clear ;  but  when 
the  body  begins  to  decline,  it  has  not  elasticity  enough  to 
shrink  entirely  with  its  diminution;  it  becomes  dark  or  yellow, 
and  hangs  in  wrinkles,  which  no  cosmetic  can  remove.  The 
wrinkles  of  the  body  in  general  proceed  from  this  cause  ;  but 
those  of  the  fa(  e  seem  to  proceed  from  another,  namely,  from 
that  variety  of  positions  into  which  it  is  put  by  the  speech, 
the  food,  or  the  passions.  Every  grimace,  every  passion,  and 
every  gratification  of  appetite,  puts  the  visage  into  difierent 
forms.  These  are  visible  enough  in  young  persons;  but  what 
at  first  was  accidental  or  transitory,  becomes,  by  habit,  unal- 
terably fixed  in  the  visage  as  it  grows  older. 

Hence,  as  we  advance  in  age,  the  bones,  the  cartilages,  the 
membranes,  the  flesh,  and  every  fibre  of  the  body,  becomes 
more  solid,  more  dry,  and  more  brittle.     Every  part  shrinks. 


154  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

motion  becomes  more  slow,  the  circulation  of  the  fluids  is 
performed  with  less  freedom ;  perspiration  diminishes ;  the 
secretions  alter  ;  the  digestion  becomes  laborious;  and  the 
juices  no  longer  serve  to  convey  their  accustomed  nourish- 
ment. Thus  the  body  dies  by  little  and  little,  and  all  its  func- 
tions are  diminished  by  degrees  ;  life  is  driven  from  one  part 
of  the  frame  to  another;  universal  rigidity  prevails;  and 
death,  at  last,  seizes  upon  the  remnant  that  is  left. 

As  the  bones,  the  cartilages,  the  muscles,  and  all  other 
parts  of  the  body,  are  softer  in  women  than  in  men,  these 
parts  must,  of  consequence,  require  a  longer  time  to  arrive 
at  that  state  of  hardness  which  occasions  death.  Women, 
therefore,  oufj;ht  to  be  lonoer  in  g-rowing  old  than  men,  and 
this  is,  generally  speaking,  the  case.  If  we  consult  the  tables 
which  have  been  drawn  up  respecting  human  life,  we  shall  find 
that,  after  a  certain  age,  they  are  more  long-lived  than  men, 
all  other  circumstances  the  same.  Thus  a  woman  of  sixty  has 
a  greater  probability,  than  a  man  of  the  same  age,  of  living 
till  eighty. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  Animal 
Reproductions. 

Here  .we  discover  a  new  field  of  wonders,  that  seems  entirely 
to  contradict  the  principles  that  we  had  adopted  concerning 
the  formation  of  organized  bodies.  It  was  long  thought  that 
animals  could  onlybemultipliedbyeggs,  or  by  young  ones.  But 
it  is  now  found  that  there  are  some  exceptions  to  this  general 
rule,  since  certain  animal  bodies  have  been  discovered,  that 
may  be  divided  into  as  many  complete  bodies  as  you  please; 
for  each  part  thus  separated  from  the  parent  body,  soon  re- 
pairs what  is  deficient,  and  becomes  a  complete  animal.  It 
is  now  no  longer  doubtful  that  the  polypus  belongs  to  the 
class  of  animals,  though  it  much  resembles  plants,  both 
in  form,  and  in  its  mode  of  propagating.  The  bodies  of  these 
creatures  may  be  either  cut  across  or  longitudinally,  and  the 
pieces  will  become  so  many  complete  polypi.  Even  from  the 
skin,  or  least  part,  cut  off' from  the  body,  one  or  more  polypi 
will  be  produced  ;  and  if  several  pieces  cut  off  be  joined  to- 
gether by  the  extremities,  they  will  perfectly  unite,  nourish  each 
Other,  and  become  one  body.  This  discovery  has  given  rise 
to  other  experiments,  and  it  has  been  found  that  polypi  are  not 
the  only  animals  which  live  and  grow  after  being  cut  in  pieces. 
The  earth-worm  will  multiply  after  being  cut  in  two  ;  to  the 
tail  there  grows  a  head,  and  the  two  pieces  then  become  two 
worms.  After  having  been  divided,  they  cannot  be  joined 
together  again;  they  remain  for  some  time  in  the  same  state, 
or  grow  rather  smaller;  we  then  see  at  the  extremity  which 
was  cut,  a  little  white  button  begin  to  appear,  which  increase? 


ANIMAL  REPRODUCTION.  I5b 

and  gradually  lengthens.  Soon  after,  we  may  observe  rings 
at  first  very  close  together,  but  insensibly  extending  on  all 
sides;  a  new  stomach,  and  other  organs,  are  then  formed. 
We  may  at  any  time  make  the  following  experiment  with 
snails  :  cut  off  their  heads  close  by  the  horns,  and  in  a  cer- 
tain space  of  time  the  head  will  be  reproduced.  A  similar 
circumstance  takes  place  in  crabs  ;  if  one  of  their  claws  is 
torn  off",  it  will  again  be  entirely  reproduced. 

A  very  remarkable  experiment  was  made  by  Duhamel,  on 
the  thigh  of  a  chicken.  After  the  thigh-bone  which  had  been 
broken  was  perfectly  restored,  and  a  callus  completely  form- 
ed, he  stripped  off  the  flesh  down  to  the  bone  ; — the  parts 
were  gradually  reproduced,  and  the  bone,  and  the  circulation 
of  the  blood,  again  renewed.  We  know  then  that  some  ani- 
mals may  be  multiplied  by  dividing  them  into  pieces  ;  and  we 
no  longer  doubt  that  the  young  of  certain  insects  may  be 
produced  in  the  same  manner  as  a  branch  is  from  a  tree  ;  that, 
being  cut  in  pieces,  they  will  live  again  in  the  smallest 
piece  ;  that  they  may  be  turned  inside  out  like  a  glove,  divided 
into  pieces,  then  turned  again,  and  yet  live,  eat,  grow,  and 
multiply.  Here  a  question  offers  itself,  which  perhaps  no 
naturalist  can  resolve  in  a  satisfactory  manner:  How  does  it 
happen  that  the  parts  thus  cut  oft,  can  be  again  reproduced? 
We  must  sujjpose  that  germs  are  distributed  to  every  part  of 
the  body  ;  whilst  in  other  animals  they  are  only  contained 
in  certain  parts.  These  germs  unfold  themselves  when  they 
receive  propern  ourishment.  Thus,  when  an  animal  is  cut  in 
pieces,  the  germ  is  supplied  with  the  necessary  juices,  which 
would  have  been  conveyed  to  other  parts,  if  they  had  not  been 
diverted  into  a  different  channel.  The  superfluous  juices  deve- 
lop those  parts  which  without  them  would  have  continued 
attached  to  each  other.  Every  part  of  the  polypus  and  worm, 
contains  in  itself,  as  the  bud  does  the  rudiments  of  a  tree,  all 
the  viscera  necessary  to  the  animal.  The  parts  essential  to 
life  are  distributed  throughout  the  body,  and  the  circulation 
is  carried  on  even  in  the  smallest  particles.  As  we  do  not 
understand  all  the  means  that  the  Author  of  nature  makes  use 
of  to  distribute  life  and  feeling  to  such  a  number  of  animals, 
we  have  no  reason  to  maintain,  that  the  creatures  of  which 
we  have  been  speaking;,  are  the  only  ones  that  are  exceptions 
to  the  general  rule  in  their  mode  of  propagating.  The  fecun- 
dity of  nature,  and  the  infinite  wisdom  of  the  Creator,  always 
surpass  our  feeble  conceptions.  The  same  hand  that  has 
formed  the  polypus  and  the  worm,  has  shewn  us  that  it  is  able 
to  simplify  the  structure  of  animals 


l36  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  AMMAL8 

CHAP.  XIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANIMALS. — (Continued.) 

The  Beaver,  and  its  Habitations — The  Mole — The  Frog — The 
Toad — The  Rhinoceros — Crocodiles  and  Aliigators — Fossi. 
Crocodile — The  Ornithorhynchns  Paradoxus — The  Marmot,  or 
Mountain  Rat,  of  Switzerland. 

Nature's  unnumber'd  family  combine 

In  one  beneficent,  one  vast  design  ; 

E'en  from  inanimates  to  breathinr  man. — 

A  heaven-conceiv'd,  heaven-executed  plan  ; 

Onward,  from  those  who  soar  or  lowly  creep, 

The  wholesome  equipoise  through  ail  to  keep, 

As  faithful  agents  in  earth,  sea,  and  air. 

The  lower  world  to  watch  with  constant  care; 

Her  due  proportion  wisely  to  conserve  : — 

A  wondrous  trust,  from  which  they  never  swerTe.       Pratt 

It  would  not  be  consistent  with  the  plan  of  this  work  to 
embrace  the  whole  natural  history  of  the  animal  and  vegetable 
tinsdom.  This  is  a  Book  of  Curiosities  ;  and  it  is  our  inten- 
tion to  present  the  reader  with  a  sketch  of  the  most  remark- 
able things  in  the  universe  :  our  present  subject,  therefore, 
being  curiosities  respecting  animals,  we  shall  commence 
with — 

The  Beaver. — This  animal  was  known  to  the  ancients  for 
its  possession  of  that  sebaceous  matter  called  castor,  secreted 
bv  two  laro;e  grlands  near  its  genitals  and  anus,  and  of  which 
each  animal  has  about  two  ounces  ;  but  they  appear  to  have 
been  unacquainted  with  its  habits  and  economy,  with  that 
mental  contrivance  and  practical  dexterity,  which  in  its  natu- 
ral state  so  strikingly  distinguish  it.  Beavers  are  found  in 
the  most  northern  latitudes  of  Europe  and  Asia,  but  are  most 
abundant  in  North  America. 

In  the  months  of  June  and  July,  they  assemble  in  large 
companies  to  the  number  of  two  hundred,  on  the  banks  of 
some  water,  and  proceed  to  the  formation  of  their  establish- 
ment. If  the  water  be  subject  to  risings  and  fallings,  they 
erect  a  dam,  to  preserve  it  at  a  constant  level ;  where  this 
level  is  naturally  preserved,  this  labour  is  superseded.  The 
length  of  this  dam  is  occasionally  eight  feet.  In  the  prepara- 
tion of  it,  they  begin  with  felling  some  very  hic::h,  but  not 
extremely  thick  tree,  on  the  border  of  a  river,  which  can  be 
made  to  fall  into  the  water;  and.  in  a  short  time,  this  is  ef 
fected  bv  the  united  operation  of  manv,  with  their  fore-teeth, 
the  branches  being  afterwards  cleared  by  the  same  pro:e«s 
A  multitude  of  smaller  trees  are  found  necessary  to  complete 


THE   BEAVER.  15/ 

the  fabric,  and  many  of  these  are  dragged  from  some  distance 
by  land,  and  formed  into  stakes  ;  the  fixing  of  which  is  a 
work  of  extreme  difficulty  and  perseverance,  some  of  the  bea- 
vers  with  their  teeth  raising  their  large  ends  against  the  cross- 
beam, while  others  at  the  bottom  dig  with  their  fore-feet  the 
holes  in  which  the  points  are  to  be  sunk.  A  series  of  these 
stakes,  in  several  rows,  is  established  from  one  bank  of  the 
river  to  the  other,  in  connection  with  the  cross-tree,  and  the 
intervals  between  them  are  filled  up  by  vast  quantities  of 
earth,  brought  from  a  distance,  and  plashed  with  materials 
adapted  to  give  it  tenacity,  and  prevent  its  being  carried  off. 
The  bark  is  formed  at  the  bottom,  of  about  the  width  of  twelve 
feet,  diminishing  as  it  approaches  the  surface  of  the  water,  to 
two  or  three  ;  being  thus  judiciously  constructed  to  resist  its 
weight  and  efforts  by  the  inclined  plane  instead  of  perpendi- 
cular opposition. 

These  preparations.,  of  such  immense  magnitude  and  toil, 
being  completed,  they  proceed  to  the  construction  of  their 
mansions,  which  are  raised  on  piles  near  the  margin  of  the 
stream  or  lake,  and  have  one  opening  from  the  land,  and  an- 
other by  which  they  have  instant  access  to  the  water.  These 
buildings  are  usually  of  an  orbicular  form,  in  general  about 
the  diameter  often  feet,  and  comprehending  frequently  seve- 
ral stories.  The  foundation  walls  are  nearly  two  feet  in  thick- 
ness, resting  upon  planks  or  stakes,  which  constitute  also 
their  floors.  In  the  houses  of  one  story  only,  the  walls,  which 
in  all  cases  are  plastered  with  extreme  neatness  both  exter- 
nally and  within,  after  rising  about  two  feet  perpendicularly, 
approach  each  other,  so  as  at  length  to  constitute,  in  closing, 
a  species  of  dome.  In  the  application  of  the  mortar  to  their 
habitations,  the  tails  as  well  as  feet  of  the  beavers  are  of  es- 
sential service.  Stone,  wood,  and  a  sandy  kind  of  earth,  are 
employed  in  their  structures,  which,  by  their  compactness  and 
strength,  completely  preclude  injury  from  winds  and  rain. 
The  alder,  poplar,  and  willow,  are  the  principal  trees  which 
they  employ  ;  and  they  always  begin  their  operations  on  the 
trunk,  at  nearly  two  feet  above  the  ground  ;  nor  do  they  ever 
desist  from  the  process  till  its  fall  is  completed.  They  sit 
instead  of  stand,  at  this  labour,  and  while  reducino;  the  tree 
to  the  ground,  derive  a  pleasure  at  once  from  the  success  of 
their  toils,  and  from  the  gratification  of  their  palate  and 
appetite  by  the  bark,  which  is  a  favourite  species  of  food  to 
them,  as  well  as  the  young  and  tender  parts  of  the  wood 
itself. 

For  their  support  in  winter,  ample  stores  are  laid  up  neai 
each  separate  cabin  ;  and  occasionally,  to  give  variety  and 
luxury  to  their  repasts  during  a  long  season,  in  which  their 
stores  must  have  become  dry  and  nearly  tasteless,  they  will 


158  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   ANIMALS 

make  excursions  into  the  neighbouring  woods  for  fresh  sup- 
plies. Depredations  by  the  tenants  of  one  cabin  on  the  nr,>- 
oazines  of  another  are  unknown,  and  the  strictest  notions  of 
property  and  honesty  are  universal.  Some  of  their  habitations 
will  contain  six  only,  others  twelve,  and  some  even  twenty  or 
thirty  inhabitants  ;  and  the  whole  village  or  township  contains 
in  general  about  twelve  or  fourteen  habitations.  Strangers  are 
not  permitted  to  intrude  on  the  vicinity  ;  but,  amidst  the  differ- 
ent members  of  the  society  itself,  there  appears  to  prevail  that 
attachment  and  that  friendship  which  are  the  natural  result  of 
mutual  co-operation,  and  of  active  and  successful  struggles 
against  difliculty.  The  approach  of  danger  is  announced  by 
the  violent  striking  of  their  tails  against  the  surface  of  the 
water,  which  extends  the  alarm  to  a  great  distance  ;  and,  while 
some  throw  themselves  for  security  into  the  water,  others  re- 
tire within  the  precincts  of  their  cabins,  where  they  are  safe 
from  every  enemy  but  man. 

The  neatness  as  well  as  the«security  of  their  dwellings  is  re- 
markable, the  floors  being  strewed  over  with  box  and  fir,  and 
displaying  the  most  admirable  cleanness  and  order.  Their 
general  position  is  that  of  sitting,  the  upper  part  of  the  body, 
with  the  head,  being  considerably  raised,  while  the  lower 
touches,  and  is  somewhat  indeed  immersed  in,  the  water. 
This  element  is  not  only  indispensable  to  them  in  the  same 
way  as  to  other  quadrupeds,  but  they  carefully  preserve  access 
to  it  even  when  the  ice  is  of  very  considerable  depth,  for  the 
purpose  of  regaling  themselves  by  excursions  to  a  great  extent 
under  the  frozen  surface.  The  most  general  method  of  taking 
them  is  by  attacking  their  cabins  during  these  rambles,  and 
watching  their  approach  to  a  hole  dug  in  the  ice  at  a  small 
distance,  to  which  they  are  obliged,  after  a  certain  time,  to 
resort  for  respiration. 

If  a  man,  who  had  never  been  informed  of  the  industry  of 
beavers  and  tlieir  manner  of  building,  were  shewn  the  edifices 
that  they  construct,  he  would  suppose  them  to  be  the  work  of 
most  eminent  architects.  Every  thing  is  wonderful  in  the 
labours  of  these  amphibious  animals  ;  the  regular  plan,  the 
size,  the  solidity,  and  the  admirable  art  of  these  buildings, 
must  fill  every  attentive  observer  with  astonishment. 

The  works  of  beavers  have  a  n;reat  resemblance  to  those  of 
men  ;  and  upon  their  first  appearance  we  may  imagine  them  to 
be  produced  by  rational  and  thinking  beings  ;  but  when  we 
examine  them  nearer,  we  shall  find  that  in  all  their  proceed- 
ings, these  animals  do  not  act  upon  the  principles  of  reason, 
but  by  an  instinct  which  is  implanted  in  them  by  nature.  If 
reason  guided  their  labours,  we  should  naturally  conclude  that 
the  buildings  which  they  now  construct  would  be  very  differ- 
ent from  those  they  formerly  made,  and  that  they  would  gra- 


THE   BEAVKK. — THE  MOLE  159 

dually  advance  towards  perfection.  But  we  find  that  they 
never  vary  in  the  least  from  the  rules  of  their  forefathers,  ne- 
ver deviate  from  the  circle  prescribed  to  them  by  nature,  and 
the  beavers  of  to-day  build  exactly  after  the  same  plan  as 
those  which  lived  before  the  deluge.  But  they  are  not  the 
less  worthy  of  our  admiration.  In  these  sagacious  creatures 
we  have  an  example  of  the  great  diversity  there  is  in  the  in- 
stinct of  animals — how  superior  is  the  instinct  of  the  beaver 
to  that  of  the  sheep  ! 

The  flesh  of  the  anterior  part  of  the  bodies  of  beavers  re- 
sembles that  of  land  animals  in  substance  and  flavour;  while 
that  of  the  lower  possesses  the  taste,  and  smell,  and  lightness 
of  fish. 

The  sexual  union  among  these  animals  is  connected  wi  'i 
considerable  individual  choice,  sentiment,  and  constancy.- 
Every  couple  pass  together  the  autumn  and  winter,  with  the 
most  perfect  comfort  and  affection.  About  the  close  of  winter, 
the  females,  after  a  gestation  of  four  months,  produce,  in  ge- 
neral, each  two  or  three  young,  and  soon  after  this  period 
they  are  quitted  by  the  males,  who  ramble  into  the  country  to 
enjoy  the  return  of  spring ;  occasionally  returning  to  their 
cabins,  but  no  longer  dwelling  in  them.  When  the  females 
have  reared  their  young,  which  happens  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  to  a  state  in  which  they  can  follow  their  dams,  these 
also  quit  their  winter  residence,  and  resort  to  the  woods,  to 
enjoy  the  opening  bloom  and  renovated  supplies  of  nature.  If 
their  habitations  on  the  water  should  be  impaired  by  floods, 
or  winds,  or  enemies,  the  beavers  assemble  with  great  rapi- 
dity to  repair  the  damage.  If  no  alarm  of  this  nature  occurs, 
the  summer  is  principally  spent  by  them  in  the  woods,  and  on 
the  advance  of  autumn  they  assemble  in  the  scene  of  their 
former  labours  and  friendships,  and  prepare  with  assiduity 
for  the  confinement  and  rigours  of  approaching  winter. 

When  taken  young,  the  beaver  may  be  tamed  without  diffi- 
culty ;  but  it  exhibits  few  or  no  indications  of  superior  intelli- 
gence. Some  beavers  are  averse  to  that  association  which  so 
strikingly  characterizes  these  animals  in  general,  and  satisfy 
themselves  with  dig-o-ing  holes  in  the  banks  of  rivers,  instead 
of  erecting  elaborate  habitations.  The  fur  of  these  is  compa- 
ratively of  little  value. 

'  Another  subject  of  animal  curiosity  is,  The  Mole. — This 
animal  is  about  six  inches  in  length,  without  the  tail 
Its  body  is  large  and  cylindrical,  and  its  snout  strong  and  car- 
tilaginous. Its  skin  is  of  extraordinary  thickness,  and  co- 
vered with  a  fur,  short,  but  yielding  to  that  of  no  other  animal 
in  fineness.  It  hears  with  particular  acuteness,  and,  notwith- 
standing the  popular  opinion  to  the  contrary,  possesses  eyes. 


i62  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

The  fullest  information  concerning  the  nature  and  qualitieg 
of  this  animal  is  contained  in  letters  from  Mr.  Arscott  and 
Mr.  Pitfield  to  Dr.  Milles,  communicated  to  Mr.  Pennant ; 
concerning  a  toad  that  lived  above  thirty-six  years  with 
them,  was  completely  tame,  and  became  so  great  a  favourite 
that  most  of  the  ladies  in  the  neighbourhood  got  the  better  of 
their  prejudices  so  far  as  to  be  anxious  to  see  it  fed.  Its  food 
was  insects,  such  as  millepedes,  spiders,  ants,  flies,  &.c.  but 
it  was  particularly  fond  of  flesh  worms,  which  were  bred  on  pur- 
pose for  it.  It  never  appeared  in  winter,  but  regularly  made 
its  appearance  in  the  spring,  when  the  warm  weather  com- 
menced, climbing  up  a  few  steps,  and  waiting  to  be  taken  up, 
carried  into  the  house,  and  fed  upon  a  table.  Before  it  at- 
tacked the  insects,  it  fixed  its  eyes  on  them,  and  remained 
motionless  for  a  quarter  of  a  minute,  when  it  attacked  them 
by  an  instantaneous  motion  of  its  tongue,  darted  on  the  insect 
with  such  rapidity  that  the  eye  could  not  follow  it,  whereby 
the  insect  stuck  to  the  tip  of  its  tongue,  and  was  instantly 
conveyed  to  its  mouth.  This  favourite  toad  at  last  lost  its  life, 
in  consequence  of  being  attacked  by  a  tame  raven,  which 
picked  out  one  of  its  eyes  ;  and  although  the  toad  was  rescued, 
and  lived  a  year  longer,  it  never  recovered  its  health  or  spirit. 
It  never  showed  any  signs  of  rage,  being  never  provoked. 

Our  next  subject  is  an  animal  of  great  bulk,  The  Rhi- 
noceros.— This  quadruped  is  exceeded  in  size  only  by  the 
elephant.  Its  usual  length,  not  including  the  tail,  is  twelve 
feet,  and  the  circumference  of  its  body  nearly  the  same.  Its 
nose  is  armed  with  a  horny  substance,  projecting,  in  the  full- 
grown  animal,  nearly  three  feet,  and  is  a  weapon  of  defence, 
which  almost  secures  it  from  every  attack.  Even  the  tiger, 
with  all  his  ferocity,  is  but  very  rarely  daring  enough  to  assail 
the  rhinoceros.  Its  upper  lip  is  of  considerable  length  and 
pliability,  acting  like  a  species  of  snout,  grasping  the  shoots 
of  trees  and  various  substances,  and  conveying  them  to  the 
mouth  ;  and  it  is  capable  of  extension  and  contraction  at  the 
animal's  convenience.  The  skin  is,  in  some  parts,  so  thick 
and  hard  as  scarcely  to  be  penetrable  by  the  sharpest  sabre,  or 
even  by  a  musket-ball.  These  animals  are  found  in  Bengal, 
Siani,  China,  and  in  several  countries  of  Africa;  but  are  far 
less  numerous  than  the  elephant,  and  of  sequestered  solitary 
habits.  The  female  produces  only  one  at  a  birth  ^  and  at  the 
age  of  two  years  the  horn  is  only  an  inch  long,  and  at  six 
only  of  the  length  of  nine  inches.  The  rhinoceros  is  not  fero- 
cious, unless  provoked,  when  he  exhibits  paroxysms  of  rage 
and  madness,  and  is  hip^hly  dangerous  to  those  who  encounter 
him.  He  runs  with  great  swiftness,  and  rushes  through  brakes 
and  woods  with  an  energy  to  which  every  thing  yields,     lie  is 


RHINOCEROS.— Page  162 
Many  varieties  of  this  formidable  animal  are  found  in  Asia  and  Africa. 
The  above  figure  represents  the  Asiatic  variety,  which  has  but  one  liorn. 


RHINOCEROS.— Page  162. 
Of  the  African  rhinoceros,  Mr.  Cumraing,  the  famous  hunter,  describes 
several  kinds.     The  above  figure  represents  the  two-horned  kind,  which  is 
found  nowhere  but  in  Africa.      Mr.  Cumming  killed  many  of  this  kind. 


THE  RHINOCEROS. — THE  CROCODILK.  163 

generally,  however,  quiet  and  inoffensive.  Its  food  consists 
entirely  of  vegetables,  the  tender  branches  of"  trees,  and  suc- 
culent herbage,  of  which  it  will  devour  immense  quantities. 
It  delights  in  retired  and  cool  situations,  neai  lakes  and 
streams,  and  appears  to  derive  one  of  the  highest  satisfactions 
from  the  practice  of  rolling  and  wallowing  in  mud, — in  this, 
respect  bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  hog. 

This  animal  was  exhibited,  by  Augustus,  to  the  llomans» 
and  is  supposed  to  be  the  unicorn  of  the  scripture,  as  it  pos- 
sesses the  properties  ascribed  to  that  animal,  of  magnitude, 
strength,  and  swiftness,  in  addition  to  that  peculiarity  of  a 
single  horn,  which  may  be  considered  as  establishing  their 
identity.  This  animal  can  distinguish,  by  its  sight,  only  what 
is  directly  before  it,  and  always,  when  pursued,  takes  the 
course  immediately  before  it,  almost  without  the  slightest 
deviation  from  a  right  line,  removing  every  impediment.  Its 
sense  of  smelling  is  very  acute,  and  also  of  hearing,  and,  on 
both  these  accounts,  the  hunters  approach  him  against  the 
wind.  In  general,  they  watch  his  lying  down  to  sleep,  when, 
advancing  with  the  greatest  circumspection,  they  discharge 
their  muskets  into  his  belly.  The  flesh  is  eaten  both  in  Africa 
and  India. 

We  now  proceed  to  The  Chocodtle. — This  animal  isana- 
tive  both  of  Africa  and  Asia,  but  is  most  frequently  found  in 
the  former,  inhabiting  its  vast  rivers,  and  particularly  the 
Niger  and  the  Nile.  It  has  occasionally  been  seen  of  the  length 
of  even  thirty  feet,  and  instances  of  its  attaining  that  of 
twenty  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  It  principally  subsists 
on  fish,  but  such  is  its  voracity,  that  it  seizes  almost  every 
thing  that  comes  within  its  reach.  The  upper  part  of  its  body 
is  covered  with  a  species  of  armour,  so  thick  and  firm,  as  to  be 
scarcely  penetrable  with  a  musket-ball ;  and  the  whole  body 
has  the  appearance  of  an  elaborate  covering  of  carved  work. 
It  is  an  oviparous  animal,  and  its  eggs  scarcely  exceed  in  size 
those  of  a  goose.  These  eggs  are  regarded  as  luxuries  by  the 
natives  of  some  countries  of  Africa,  who  will  also  with  great 
relish  partake  of  the  flesh  of  the  crocodile  itself.  When  young, 
the  small  size  and  weak  state  of  the  crocodile  prevent  its  be- 
ing injurious  to  any  animal  of  considerable  bulk  or  strength  ; 
■and  those  which  have  been  brought  living  to  England  have  by 
no  means  indicated  that  ferocious  and  devouring  character 
which  they  have  been  generally  described  to  possess ;  a  cir- 
cumstance probably  owing  to  the  change  of  climate,  and  the 
reducing  effect  of  confinement. 

in  its  native  climate  its  power  and  propensity  to  destruction 
are  unouestionably  great,  and  excite  in  the  inhabitants  of  the 
terr>t'>ri'«8  near  its  haunts  a  high  degree  of  terror.     It  lies  \n 


164  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS. 

wait  near  the  banks  of  rivers,  and,  with  a  sudden  spring,  seizes 
any  animal  that  approaches  within  its  reach,  swallowing  it 
with  an  instantaneous  effort,  and  then  rushing  back  into  its 
watery  recesses,  till  renewed  appetite  stimulates  the  repetition 
of  its  insidious  exertions.  These  animals  were  occasionally 
exhibited  by  the  Romans  among  their  collections  of  the  natu- 
ral wonders  of  the  provinces  ;  and  Scaurus  and  Augustus  are 
both  recorded  to  have  entertained  the  people  with  a  sight  of 
these  new  and  formidable  objects. 

It  is  reported  by  some  travellers,  that  crocodiles  are  capa- 
ble of  being  tamed,  and  are  actually  kept  in  a  condition  of 
harmless  domestication  at  the  grounds  and  artificial  lakes  of 
some  African  princes,  chiefly  as  appendages  of  royal  splen- 
dour and  magnificence.  A  single  negro  will  often  attack  a 
crocodile,  and  by  spearing  it  between  the  scales  of  the  belly, 
where  it  is  easily  penetrable,  secure  its  destruction.  In  some 
regions  these  animals  are  hunted  by  dogs,  which,  however, 
are  carefully  disciplined  to  the  exercise,  and  are  armed  with 
collars  of  iron  spikes. 

Aristotle  appears  to  have  been  the  first  who  asserted  that 
the  under  jaw  of  the  crocodile  was  immoveable,  and  from  him 
it  was  transmitted  and  believed  for  a  long  succession  of  ages. 
But  the  motion  of  the  jaw  in  this  animal  is  similar  to  that  of  all 
other  quadrupeds.  The  ancients  also  thought  it  destitute  of 
a  tongue  ;  an  idea  equally  false.  The  tongue,  however,  is 
more  fixed  in  this  than  in  other  animals,  to  the  sides  of  its 
mouth,  and  less  capable,  therefore,  of  being  protruded. — 
The  eggs  of  the  crocodile  are  deposited  in  the  mud  or  sand  of 
the  banks  of  rivers,  and  immediately  on  being  hatched,  the 
young  move  towards  the  water;  in  their  passage  to  which,  how- 
ever, vast  numbers  are  intercepted  by  ichneumons  and  bird*, 
which  watch  their  progress. 

The  Alligator,  or  American  Crocodile,  has  a  vast 
mouth,  furnished  with  sharp  teeth  ;  from  the  back  to  the  end 
of  the  tail,  it  is  serrated  ;  its  skin  is  tough  and  brown,  and 
covered  on  the  sides  with  tubercles.  This  dreadful  species, 
which  grows  to  the  length  of  17  or  18  feet,  is  found  in  the 
warmer  parts  of  North  America,  and  is  most  numerous,  fierce, 
and  ravenous,  towards  the  south.  Yet,  in  Carolina,  it  never 
devours  the  human  species,  but  on  the  contrary,  shuns  man- 
kind ;  it,  however,  kills  dogs  as  they  swim  the  rivers,  and 
hogs  which  feed  in  the  swamps.  It  is  often  seen  floating  like 
a  log  of  wood  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  is  mistaken  for 
such  by  dogs  and  other  animals,  which  it  seizes,  draws  under 
water,  and  devours.  Like  the  wolf,  when  pressed  by  long 
hunger,  it  will  swallow  mud,  and  even  stones,  and  pieces  of 
wood.     They  often  get  into  the  wears  in  pursuit  of  fish,  and 


THE  ALLIGATOR.  1  6o 

do  much  mischief  by  teaiing  them  to  pieces.  They  are  toi- 
pid  during  winter,  in  Carolina,  and  retire  into  their  dens, 
which  they  form  by  burrowing  far  under  ground.  They  niakt 
the  entrance  under  water,  and  work  upwards.  In  spring  they 
quit  their  retreats,  and  resort  to  the  rivers,  and  chiefly  seek 
their  prey  near  the  mouth,  where  the  water  is  brackish.  Tiiey 
roar  and  make  a  dreadful  noise  at  first  leaving  their  dens,  and 
against  bad  weather.  The  female  lays  a  vast  number  of  eggs 
in  the  sand,  near  the  banks  of  lakes  and  rivers,  and  leaves 
them  to  be  hatched  by  the  sun  :  multitudes  are  destroyed  as 
soon  as  hatched,  either  by  their  own  species,  or  by  fish  of 
prey.  In  South  America,  the  carrion  vulture  is  the  instru- 
ment of  Providence  to  destroy  multitudes  ;  and  it  thus  prevents 
the  country  from  being  rendered  uninhabitable. 

The  following  account  of  Eastern  Alligators  is  extract- 
ed from  Forbes's  Oriental  Memoirs. 

The  eastern  districts  of  Travancore,  intersected  by  lakes  and 
rivers,  abound  with  amphibious  animals,  especially  alligators 
and  seals.  There  seems  to  be  no  essential  difference  between 
the  alligator  of  India,  and  the  Egyptian  crocodile ;  lacerta 
alli^'ator,  and  lacertus  crocodilus.  Naturalists  seem  to  con- 
fine the  alligator  to  South  America,  the  crocodile  to  Asia 
and  Africa ;  but  in  India  the  lacerta  crocodilus,  generally 
called  the  alligator,  is  from  five  to  twenty  feet  long,  shaped 
like  the  genus  to  which  he  belongs ;  the  back  is  covered  with 
impenetrable  scales ;  the  legs  short,  with  five  spreading  toes 
on  the  fore  feet,  and  four  in  a  straight  line  on  the  hinder, 
armed  with  claws  :  the  alligator  moves  slowly,  its  whole  for- 
mation being  calculated  for  strength,  the  back  bone  firmly 
jointed,  and  the  tail  a  most  formidable  weapon  :  in  the  river, 
he  eagerly  springs  on  the  wretch  unfortunately  bathing  within 
his  reach,  and  either  knocks  him  down  with  his  tail,  or  opens 
his  wide  mouth  for  his  destruction,  armed  with  numerous  sharp 
teeth  of  various  lengths ;  by  which,  like  the  shark,  he  some- 
times severs  the  human  body  at  a  single  bite  ;  the  annals  of 
the  Nile  and  Ganges,  although  wonderful,  are  not  fabulous. 
The  upper  jaw  only  of  the  alligator  was  thought  to  be  move- 
able ;  but  that  is  now  completely  disproved  :  the  eyes  are  of 
a  dull  green,  with  a  brilliant  pupil,  covered  by  a  transparent 
pellicle,  moveable  as  in  birds:  from  the  heads  of  those  of 
large  size,  musk  is  frequently  extracted. 

It  may  not  be  improper  in  this  place  to  introduce  to  the 
reader's  notice,  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  of  its  kind, 
which  late  ages  have  produced;  that  is,  a  Fossil  Crocodile. 

This  is  the  skeleton  of  a  large  crocodile,  almost  entire, 
found  at  a  great  depth  under  ground,  bedded  in  stone.     This 


166  CURIOSITIES  RESPFCTING  ANIMALS. 

was  in  the  possession  of  Linkius,  who  wrote  many  pieces  in 
natural  history,  and  particularly  an  accurate  description  of 
this  curious  fossil.  It  was  found  in  the  side  of  a  large  moun- 
tain in  the  midland  part  of  Germany,  and  in  a  stratum  of 
black  fossil  stone,  somewhat  like  our  common  slate,  but  of  a 
coarser  texture,  the  same  with  that  in  which  the  fossil  fishes 
in  many  parts  of  the  world  are  found.  This  skeleton  had  the 
back  and  ribs  very  plain,  and  was  of  a  much  deeper  black 
than  the  rest  of  the  stone  ;  as  is  also  the  case  with  the  fossi. 
tishes,  which  are  preserved  in  this  manner.  The  part  of  the 
stone  where  the  head  lay  was  not  found ;  this  being  broken 
off  just  at  the  shoulders,  but  that  irregularly ;  so  that  in  one 
place  a  part  of  the  back  of  the  head  was  visible  in  its  natural 
form.  The  two  shoulder-bones  were  very  fair,  and  three  of 
the  feet  were  well  preserved  :  the  legs  were  of  their  natural 
shape  and  size  ;  and  the  feet  preserved  even  to  the  extremities 
of  the  five  toes  of  each. 

Our  next  subject  is  named  The  Ornithorhynchus  Pa 
RAD0XI3S,  and  is  a  very  singular  quadruped,  remarkable  for 
its  structure.  The  head  is  similar  to  that  of  a  duck,  which 
would  lead  to  the  supposition  that  it  belonged  to  an  aquatic 
bird.  Both  jaws  are  as  broad  and  low  as  those  in  a  duck, 
and  the  calvaria  has  no  traces  of  a  suture,  as  is  generally  the 
case  in  full-grown  birds.  In  the  cavity  of  the  skull  there  is 
a  considerably  bony  falx,  which  is  situated  along  the  middle 
of  the  OS  frontis,  and  the  ossa  bregmatis.  The  mandible  of 
this  animal  consists  of  a  beak,  the  under  part  of  which  has 
its  margin  indented  as  in  ducks,  and  of  the  proper  instrument 
for  chewing  that  is  situated  behind  within  the  cheeks.  Dr. 
Shaw  says  it  has  no  teeth,  though  Mr.  Home  found,  in  a  spe- 
cimen examined  by  him,  tv/o  small  and  flat  molar  teeth  on 
each  side  of  the  jaws.  The  fore  part  of  this  mandible,  or 
beak,  is  covered  and  bordered  with  a  coriaceous  skin,  in 
which  three  parts  are  to  be  distinguished,  within  the  proper  in- 
tegument of  the  beak.  Into  these  three  parts  of  that  membrane 
numerous  nerves  are  distributed,  intended,  probably,  as  the 
organs  of  feeling,  a  sense  which,  besides  men,  few  mammalia 
enjoy  ;  that  is,  few  animals  pos-sess  the  faculty  of  distinguish- 
ing the  form  of  external  objects  and  their  qualities,  by  organs 
destined  for  that  purpose, — a  property  very  different  from  the 
common  feeling,  by  which  every  animal  is  able  to  perceive 
the  temperature  and  presence  of  sensible  objects,  but  with- 
f  out  being  informed,  by  the  touch,  of  their  peculiar  qua- 
lities. Thus  the  skin  in  the  wings  of  the  bat,  and  its  ear,  are 
supposed  the  organs  of  common  feeling,  by  means  of  which 
they  are  enabled  to  flutter,  after  being  blinded,  without  flying 
against  any   thing.     The  whiskers   of  many  animals  appear 


ORNITHORHYNCHUS  PARADOXUS. — MARMOT.  167 

likewise  to  serve  the  same  purpose  of  informing  them  of  the 
presence  of  sensible  bodies,  and  hence  they  have  been  com- 
pared to  the  antennee  of  insects. 

But  to  return  to  the  ornithorhynchus  :  It  is  an  animal  which 
from  the  similarity  of  its  abode,  and  the  manner  of  searching 
for  food,  agrees  much  with  the  duck,  on  w  hich  account  it  has 
been  provided  with  an  organ  for  touching,  viz.  with  the  inte- 
gument of  the  beak,  richly  endowed  with  nerves.  This  instance 
of  analogy  in  the  structure  of  a  singular  organ  of  sense  in  two 
species  of  animals,  from  classes  quite  different,  is  a  most  cu- 
rious circumstance  in  comparative  physiology,  and  hence  the 
ornithorhynchus  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
phenomena  in  zoology. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  The  Mar 
MOT,  or  Mountain-Rat  of  Switzerland. — This  rat  is  al- 
most the  size  of  a  leveret,  and  resembles  a  common  rat  very 
much  in  appearance.  These  little  creatures  live  together  in 
societies,  and  have  different  dwellings  for  winter  and  summer; 
their  fore  paws  are  remarkably  strong,  which  qualifies  them 
for  scooping  out  their  burrows.  The  same  form  is  always  pre- 
served in  the  construction  of  their  dwellings,  which  consist  o. 
a  long  passage,  just  big  enough  to  let  the  marmot  enter,  lead- 
ing to  two  apartments;  the  largest  of  these  serves  the  whole 
family  for  a  chamber,  where  they  lie  close  together,  in  a  torpid 
state,  rolled  up  like  hedge-hogs,  during  the  cold  season,  as 
dormice  do  in  England.  When  they  betake  themselves  to 
their  winter  quarters,  after  having  lined  their  chamber  with 
soft  hay,  they  carefully  stop  up  the  entrance  with  a  sort  of 
cement,  which  they  make  of  earth,  mixed  with  stones  and  dry 
grass.  Before  they  collect  the  grass,  either  for  food,  or  for 
their  winter  habitations,  they  form  themselves  into  a  circle, 
sitting  on  their  hind  legs,  looking  with  a  cautious  eye  on 
every  side.  If  the  least  thing  stirs  that  alarms  them,  the  first 
which  perceives  it  makes  a  particular  kind  of  cry,  which  its 
next  neighbour  repeats,  and  so  on  till  it  goes  round,  when  they 
hastily  make  their  escape.  They  are  often  seen  upon  the  slopes 
of  the  Alps,  where  grass  is  in  plenty ;  but  they  love  a  warm 
sheltered  situation,  and  change  their  residence  according  to 
the  season. 


1(38  CURIOSITIKS    RESPKCTlNi;   AiNIMALS. 

CHAP.   XIV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANIMALS. — (Continued.) 

The  Elephant — Fossil  Elephant — The  Chameleon — The  Common 
Tortoise — Orang-Outang — The  Unicorn — The  Common  Seal-  ■ 
The  Ursine  Seal — American  Natural  History. 

Let  no  presuming  impious  railer  tax 

Creative  wisdom,  as  if  aught  was  form'd 

In  vain,  or  not  for  admirable  ends.  Thomson. 

The  Elephant. — This  is  a  very  wonderful  animal;  and  has, 
both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  been  duly  estimated  in  the 
Eastern  world.  His  virtues  are  thus  enumerated  by  Buffon: — To 
forma  just  estimation  of  the  elephant,  he  must  be  allowed  to 
possess  the  sagacity  of  the  beaver,  the  address  of  the  ape,  the 
sentiment  of  the  dog,  together  with  the  peculiar  advantaoes 
of  strength,  largeness,  and  long  duration  of  life.  Neither 
should  we  overlook  his  arms  or  tusks,  which  enable  him  to 
transfix  and  conquer  the  lion  !  We  should  also  consider  that 
the  earth  shakes  under  his  feet;  that  with  his  trunk,  as  with  a 
hand,  he  tears  up  trees;  that  by  a  push  of  his  bodv  he  makes  a 
breach  in  a  wall  ;  that,  though  tremendous  in  strenoth,  he  is 
render-^d  still  more  invincible  by  his  enormous  mass,  and  by 
the  thickness  of  his  skin  ;  that  he  can  carry  on  his  back  an 
armed  tower,  filled  with  many  warriors  ;  that  he  works  ma- 
chines, and  carries  burdens,  which  six  horses  are  unable  to 
move,  that  to  this  prodigious  strength  he  adds  courage,  pru- 
dence, coolness,  and  punctual  obedience  ;  that  he  preserves 
moderation  even  in  his  most  violent  passions  ;  that  he  is  con- 
stant and  impetuous  in  love  ;  that  when  in  anger,  he  mistakes 
not  his  friends;  that  he  never  attacks  any  but  those  who  of- 
fend him ;  that  he  remembers  favours  as  long  as  injuries  ; 
that  having  no  appetite  for  flesh,  he  feeds  on  vegetables 
alone,  and  is  born  an  enemy  to  no  living  creature  ;  and,  in 
fine,  that  he  is  universally  beloved,  because  all  animals  respect, 
and  none  have  any  reason  to  fear  him  ! 

The  following  account  is  extracted  from  Forbes's  Oriental 
Memoirs,  a  highly  interesting  work. 

"  The  largest  Elephants  are  from  ten  to  eleven  feet  in  height, 
some  are  said  to  exceed  it;  i'.r.  average  is  eight  or  nine  feet 
They  are  fifty  or  sixty  years  bciore  they  arrive  at  their  full 
growth  ;  the  female  goes  with  young  eighteen  months,  and 
seldom  produces  more  than  one  at  a  birth,  which  she  suckles 
until  it  is  five  years  old  :  its  natural  life  is  about  one  hundred 


THE  ELEPHANT.  169 

and  twenty  years.  The  Indians  are  remarkably  fond  of  these 
animals,  especially  when  they  have  been  long  in  their  service. 
I  have  seen  an  elephant  valued  at  twenty  thousand  rupees  :  the 
common  price  of  a  docile  well-trained  elephant  is  five  or  six 
thousand  :  and  in  the  countries  where  they  are  indigenous,  the 
Company  contract  for  them  at  five  hundred  rupees  each,  when 
they  must  be  seven  feet  high  at  the  shoulders.  The  mode  of 
catching  and  training  the  wild  elephants  is  now  well  known  ; 
their  price  increases  with  their  merit  during  the  course  of  edu- 
cation. Some,  for  their  extraordinary  qualities,  become  in  a 
manner  invaluable  ;  when  these  are  purchased,  no  compensa- 
tion induces  a  wealthy  owner  to  part  with  them. 

"  The  skin  of  the  elephant  is  generally  of  a  dark  grey,  some- 
times almost  black  ;  the  face  frequently  painted  with  a  variety 
of  colours  ;  and  the  abundance  and  splendour  of  his  trappings 
add  much  to  his  consequence.  The  Mogul  princes  allowed 
five  men  and  a  boy  to  each  elephant :  the  chief  of  them,  called 
the  mahawut,  rode  upon  his  neck,  to  guide  him;  another  sat 
upon  his  rump,  and  assisted  in  battle  ;  the  rest  supplied  him 
with  food  and  water,  and  performed  the  necessary  services. 
Elephants  bred  to  war,  and  well  disciplined,  will  stand  firm 
against  a  volley  of  musketry,  and  never  give  way  unless  se- 
verely wounded.  I  have  seen  one  of  those  animals,  with  up- 
wards of  thirty  bullets  in  the  fleshy  parts  of  his  body,  per- 
fectly recovered  from  his  wounds.  All  are  not  equally  docile  ; 
and  when  an  enraged  elephant  retreats  from  battle,  nothing- 
can  withstand  his  fury;  the  driver  having  no  longer  a  com- 
mand, friends  and  foes  are  involved  in  undisting-uished 
ruin. 

The  elephants  in  the  army  of  Antiochus  were  provoked  to 
fight  by  shew^ing  them  the  blood  of  grapes  and  mulberries. 
The  history  of  the  Maccabees  informs  us,  that  "  to  every  ele- 
phant they  appointed  a  thousand  men,  armed  with  coats  of 
mail,  and  five  hundred  horsemen  of  the  best :  these  were 
ready  at  every  occasion  ;  wherever  the  beast  was,  and  whi- 
thersoever he  went,  they  went  also ;  and  upon  the  elephant 
were  strong  towers  of  wood,  filled  with  armed  men,  besides 
the  Indian  that  ruled  them." 

"  Ele|)hants  in  peace  and  war  know  their  duty,  and  are  more 
obedient  to  the  word  of  command  than  many  rational  beings. 
It  is  said  they  can  travel,  on  an  emergency,  two  hundred  miles 
in  forty-eight  hours ;  but  will  hold  out  for  a  month  at  the  rate 
of  forty  or  fifty  miles  a  day,  with  cheerfulness  and  alacrity. 
I  performed  many  long  journeys  upon  an  elephant  given  by 
Ragobah  to  Colonel  Keating.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  saga- 
city, docility,  and  affection,  of  this  noble  quadruped  :  if  I 
stopped  to  enjoy  a  prospect,  he  remained  immoveable  until 
my  sketch  was  finished  ;  if  I  wished  for  ripe  mangoes  growincj 

Y 


170  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  ANIMALS. 

out  of  the  common  reach,  he  selected  the  most  fruitful  branch, 
and  breaking  it  off  with  his  trunk,  offered  it  to  the  driver  for 
the  company  in  the  houdah,  accepting  of  any  part  given  to 
himself  with  a  respectful  salem,  by  raising  his  trunk  three 
times  above  his  head,  in  the  manner. of  the  Oriental  obeisance, 
and  as  often  did  he  express  his  thanks  by  a  murmuring  noise. 
When  a  bough  obstructed  the  houdah,  he  twisted  his  trunk 
around  it,  and,  though  of  considerable  magnitude,  broke  it 
off  with  ease,  and  often  gathered  a  leafy  branch,  either  to 
keep  off  the  flies,  or  as  a  fan  to  agitate  the  air  around  him,  by 
waving  it  with  his  trunk;  he  generally  paid  a  visit  at  the  tent 
door  during  breakfast,  to  procure  sugar-candy  or  fruit,  and  be 
cheered  by  the  encomiums  and  caresses  he  deservedly  met 
with  ;  no  spaniel  could  be  more  innocent,  playful,  or  fonder 
of  those  who  noticed  him,  than  this  docile  animal,  that  on 
particular  occasions  appeared  conscious  of  his  exaltation 
above  the  brute  creation." 

The  following  account  of  the  docility  of  the  elephant,  from 
ancient  writers,  will  interest  the  reader. 

They  have  been  taught  to  adore  the  king,  says  Aristotle, 
to  dance,  to  throw  stones  at  a  mark,  to  cast  up  stones  at  a  mark, 
to  catch  them  again  in  their  fall,  and  to  wedk  upon  ropes :  Galba 
was  the  first,  says  Suetonius,  that  exhibited  this  at  Rome. 
And  these  things  they  learned  with  such  care,  that  they  have 
often  been  found  practising  in  the  night  what  had  been  taught 
them  in  the  day.  They  write  too,  says  Pliny,  speaking  of  one 
which  wrote  in  the  Greek  tongue.  Ipse  ego  hcec  scripsi  et  spnlia 
le.ttica  dicavi.  I  myself  saw,  says  vElian,  one  of  them  writing 
Roman  letters  on  a  tablet  with  his  trunk;  and  the  letters  he 
made  were  not  ragged,  but  straight  and  even ;  and  his  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  the  tablet,  as  one  that  was  serious.  And  in 
the  plays  that  Germanicus  Ceesar  shewed  at  Rome,  there  were 
twelve  elephants,  six  males  and  six  females ;  these  were  clothed 
as  men  and  women.  At  the  command  of  their  keeper,  they 
danced,  and  performed  all  the  gestures  of  a  mimic.  At  last 
they  were  brought  where  they  were  to  feast ;  a  table  was  co- 
vered with  all  kinds  of  dainties,  and  beds  were  covered  with 
purple  carpets,  after  the  manner  of  the  Roman  eating,  for 
them  to  lie  upon.  Upon  these  they  lay  down,  and,  at 
the  signal  given,  they  reached  out  their  trunks  to  the  table, 
and  with  great  modesty  fell  to  eating,  and  ate  and  drank  as 
civil  men  would  do." 

This  seems  to  be  the  most  proper  place  for  introducing  an 
account  of  The  Mammoth. 

The  Mammoth  is  a  fossil  Elephant ;  a  most  remarkable  one 
of  which  was  found  in  the  ice,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Lena, 
in  Siberia. 


THE   MAMMOTH.  ]7\ 

The  following  account  is  extracted  from  an  abridgment  of  a 
paper  by  Dr.  Tilesius,  from  the  Journal  of  Science. 

"  In  the  year  1805,  when  the  Russian  expedition  under  Kru- 
senstern  returned  for  the  third  time  to  Kamschatka,  Patagof, 
master  of  a  Russian  ship,  bringing  victualling  storeS  from 
Okotsk,  related  that  he  had  lately  seen  a  mammoth  elephant, 
dug  up  on  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Ocean,  clothed  with  a 
hairy  skin ;  and  shewed,  in  confirmation  of  the  fact,  some 
hair  three  or  four  inches  long,  of  a  reddish  black  colour,  a 
little  thicker  than  horse  hair,  which  he  had  taken  from  the 
skin  of  the  animal:  this  he  gave  tome,  says  Dr.  Tilesius,  and 
I  sent  it  to  professor  Blumembach.  No  further  knowledge 
has  been  obtained  on  this  subject,  and  unfortunately  Patagof 
was  not  employed  by  any  of  our  Societies  to  return  to  Siberia. 
Thus  was  this  curious  fact  consigned  to  oblivion ;  nor  should 
we  now  possess  any  information  respecting  the  carcase  of 
the  mammoth,  if  the  rumour  of  its  discovery  had  not  reached 
Mr.  Adams,  a  man  of  great  ardour  in  pursuit  of  science,  who 
undertook  the  labour  of  a  journey  to  these  frozen  regions, 
and  of  preparing  these  gigantic  remains,  and  transporting 
them  to  a  great  distance. 

"  The  preservation  of  the  flesh  of  the  mammoth  through  a 
long  series  of  ao-es,  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  recol- 
lect  the  constant  cold  and  frost  of  the  climate  in  which  it  was 
found.  It  is  a  common  practice  to  preserve  meat  and  berries 
throughout  the  winter,  by  freezing  them,  and  to  send  fish,  and 
all  other  provisions,  annually  at  that  period,  from  the  most 
remote  of  the  northern  provinces,  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  other 
parts  of  the  empire. 

"  I  was  told,  at  Jakutsk,  says  Mr.  Adams,  by  the  merchant 
Papoff',  chief  of  the  body  of  -merchants  in  that  town,  that 
there  had  been  discovered  on  thje  shores  of  the  Frozen  Ocean, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Lena,  an  animal  of  extraordinary 
magnitude.  The  flesh,  the  skin,  and  the  hair,  were  in  a  state 
of  preservation,  aud  it  was  supposed  that  the  fossil  production 
known  under  the  name  of  mammoth's  horns,  must  have  be- 
longed to  an  animal  of  this  species.  The  news  of  this  inte- 
resting discovery  determined  me  to  hasten  the  journey  which 
I  had  in  contemplation,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  shores 
of  {he  Lena,  as  far  as  the  Frozen  Ocean;  wishing  to  preserve 
these  precious  remains,  which  might  otherwise  be  lost. 

"  The  third  day  of  our  journey  we  pitched  our  tents,  at  some 
hundred  paces  distant  from  the  mammoth,  on  a  hill,  called 
Kembisaga-Shseta.  Schumachof,  a  Tungusian  chief,  related 
to  me,  nearly  in  these  terms,  the  history  of  the  discovery  of 
the  mammoth. 

"The  Tungusians,  who  are  a  wandering  people,  remain  but 
a  little  time  in  the  same  place.    Those  who  live  in  the  forests. 


172  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTSNG  ANIMALS. 

often  take  ten  years  or  more,  to  travel  over  the  vast  regions 
between  the  mountains  :  during  this  time,  they  do  not  once 
return  to  their  habitations.  Each  family  lives  isolated,  and 
knows  no  other  society.  If,  during  the  course  of  several 
years,  \wo  friends  meet  by  chance,  they  then  communicate  to 
each  other  their  adventures,  their  different  successes  in  hunt- 
ing, and  the  number  of  skins  they  have  obtained.  After 
having  passed  some  days  together,  and  consumed  the  few 
provisions  they  had,  they  separate  cheerfully,  carrying  each 
other's  compliments  to  their  acquaintance,  and  trusting  to 
Providence  for  another  meeting.  The  Tungusians  inhabiting 
the  coast  differ  from  the  former,  in  having  more  regular  and 
fixed  habitations,  and  in  collectino-  tog-ether  at  certain  sea- 
sons  for  fishing  and  hunting.  During  winter,  they  inhabit 
cottages,  built  side  by  side,  so  that  they  form  villages.  It  is 
to  one  of  these  annual  trips  that  we  owe  the  discovery  of  the 
mammoth. 

"  Towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  August,  when  the  fishing 
season  in  the  Lena  is  over,  Schumachof  generally  goes  with 
his  brothers  to  the  peninsula  of  Tamut,  where  they  employ 
themselves  in  hunting,  and  where  the  fresh  fish  of"  the  sea 
offer  them  a  wholesome  and  agreeable  food.  In  1799,  he  had 
constructed  for  his  wife  some  cabins  on  the  banks  of  the  lake 
Oncoul,  and  had  embarked,  to  seek  along  the  coasts  for 
mammoth  horns.  One  day,  he  perceived  along  the  blocks  of 
ice  a  shapeless  mass,  not  at  all  resembling  the  large  pieces 
of  floating  wood  which  are  commonly  found  there.  To  ob- 
serve it  nearer,  he  landed,  climbed  up  a  rock,  and  examined 
this  new  object  on  all  sides,  but  without  being  able  to  discover 
what  it  was. 

"  The  following  year,  1800,  he  found  the  carcase  of  a  Wal- 
rus, (Trkhecus  Rosmarus.)  He  perceived,  at  the  same  time, 
that  the  mass  he  had  before  seen  was  more  disengaged  from 
the  blocks  of  ice,  and  had  two  projecting  parts,  but  was  still 
unable  to  make  out  its  nature.  Towards  the  end  of  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  1801,  the  entire  side  of  the  animal,  and  one 
of  his  tusks,  were  quite  free  from  the  ice.  On  his  return  to 
the  borders  of  the  lake  Oncoul,  he  communicated  this  extraor- 
dinary discovery  to  his  wife  and  some  of  his  friends  ;  but  the 
way  in  which  they  considered  the  matter  filled  him  with  grief. 
The  old  men  related,  on  this  occasion,  their  having  heard  their 
fathers  say,  that  a  similar  monster  had  been  formerly  seen  in 
the  same  peninsula,  and  that  all  the  family  of  the  discoverer 
had  died  soon  afterwards.  The  mammoth  was  therefore 
considered  as  an  augury  of  future  calamity,  and  the  Tun- 
gusian  chief  was  so  alarmed,  that  he  fell  seriously  ill ;  but 
becoming  convalescent,  his  first  idea  was  the  profit  which 
he  might  obtain  by  selling  the  tusks  of  the  animal,  which 


THE   MAMMOTH.  173 

were  of  extraordinary  size  and  beauty.  He  ordered  that  the 
place  where  the  mammoth  was  found  should  be  carefully 
concealed,  and  that  strangers  should,  under  different  pretexts, 
be  diverted  from  it,  at  the  same  time  charging  trust-worthy 
people  to  watch  that  the  treasure  was  not  carried  off. 

"  But  the  summer  of  1802,  which  was  less  warm  and  more 
windy  than  common,  caused  the  mammoth  to  remain  buried 
in  the  ice,  which  had  scarcely  melted  at  all.  At  length,  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  fifth  year,  1803,  the  ardent  wishes  of 
Schumachof  were  happily  accomplished  ;  for  the  part  of  the 
ice  between  the  earth  and  the  mammoth  having  melted  more 
rapidly  than  the  rest,  the  plane  of  its  support  became  inclined, 
and  this  enormous  mass  fell,  by  its  own  weight,  on  a  bank  of 
sand.  Of  this,  two  Tungusians,  who  accompanied  me,  were 
witnesses. 

"  In  the  month  of  March,  1804,  Schumachof  came  to  his 
mammoth,  and  having  cut  off  his  horns  (or  tusks)  he  ex- 
changed them  with  the  merchant  Bultunof,  for  goods  of  the 
value  of  fifty  rubles. 

"  Two  years  afterwards,  or  the  seventh  after  the  discovery  of 
the  mammoth,  I  fortunately  traversed  these  distant  and  desert 
regions,  and  I  congratulate  myself  in  being  able  to  prove  a 
fact  which  appears  so  improbable.  I  found  the  mammoth 
still  in  the  same  place,  but  altogether  mutilated.  The  preju- 
dices being  dissipated,  because  the  Tungusian  chief  had  reco- 
vered his  health,  there  was  no  obstacle  to  prevent  approach 
to  the  carcase  of  the  mammoth  ;  the  proprietor  was  content 
with  his  profit  from  the  tusks,  and  the  Jakutski  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood seized  upon  the  flesh,  with  which  they  fed  their 
dogs  during  the  scarcity.  Wild  beasts,  such  as  white  bears, 
wolves,  wolverenes,  and  foxes,  also  fed  upon  it,  and  the 
traces  of  their  footsteps  were  seen  around.  The  skeleton, 
almost  entirely  cleared  of  its  flesh,  remained  whole,  with  the 
exception  of  one  fore  leg.  The  head  was  covered  with  a  dry 
skin  ;  one  of  the  ears,  well  preserved,  was  furnished  with  a 
tuft  of  hairs.  All  these  parts  have  necessarily  been  injured 
in  transporting  them  a  distance  of  11,000  wersts  (7,330  miles  :) 
yet  the  eyes  have  been  preserved,  and  the  pupil  of  the  left 
eye  can  still  be  distinguished.  The  point  of  the  lower  lip 
had  been  gnawed  ;  and  the  upper  one  having  been  destroyed, 
the  teeth  could  be  perceived.  The  brain  was  still  in  the  cra- 
nium, but  appeared  dried  up. 

"The  parts  least  injured  are  one  fore  foot  and  one  hind  foot; 
they  are  covered  with  skin,  and  have  still  the  sole  attached. 
According  to  the  assertion  of  the  Tungusian  chief,  the  animal 
was  so  fat  and  well  fed,  that  its  belly  hung  down  below  the 
joints  of  the  knees. 

"  This  mammoth  was  a  male,  with  a  long  mane  on  the  neck. 


174  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     ANIMALS. 

but  without  tail  or  proboscis.*  The  skin,  of  which  I  j)os?fss 
three-fourths,  is  of  a  dark  grey  colour,  covered  with  a  rcddisli 
wool,  and  black  hairs.  The  dampness  of  the  spot  where  the 
animal  had  lain  so  long,  had  ih  some  degree  destroyed  the 
hair.  The  entire  carcase,  of  which  I  collected  the  bones  on 
the  spot,  is  four  archines  (9  ft.  4  in.)  high,  and  seven  archines 
(16  ft.  4  in.)  long,  from  the  point  of  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the 
tail,  without  including  the  tusks,  which  are  a  toise  and  a 
half  f  in  length  ;  the  two  together  weighed  360  lbs.  avoirdu- 
pois;  the  head  alone,  without  the  tusks,  weighs  11  poods  and 
a  half,  414  lbs.  avoirdupois. 

"  The  principal  object  of  my  care  was  to  separate  the  bones, 
to  arrange  them,  and  put  them  up  safely,  which  was  done 
with  particular  attention.  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  the 
other  scapula,  which  had  remained  not  far  off.  I  next  detached 
the  preserved  parts.  The  skin  was  of  such  extraordinary 
weight,  that  ten  persons  found  great  difficulty  in  transporting 
it  to  the  shore.  After  this,  I  dug  the  ground  in  different 
places,  to  ascertain  whether  any  of  its  bones  were  buried,  but 
principally  to  collect  all  the  hairs,;}:  which  the  white  bears 
had  trod  into  the  ground,  while  devouring  the  flesh.  Althouoh 
this  was  difficult,  for  the  want  of  proper  instruments,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  collecting  more  than  a  pood  (36  pounds)  of  hair 
in  a  few  days  the  work  was  completed,  and  I  found  myself  in 
possession  of  a  treasure  which  amply  recompensed  me  for  the 
fatigues  and  dangers  of  the  journey,  and  the  considerable 
expenses  of  the  enterprise. 

"  The  place  where  I  found  the  mammoth  is  about  sixty  paces 
distant  from  the  shore,  and  nearly  100  paces  from  the  escarp 
ment  of  the  ice  from  which  it  had  fa'llen.  This  escarpment 
occupies  exactly  the  middle  between  the  two  points  of  the  pen- 
insula, and  is  three  wersts  long  (two  miles),  and  in  the  place 
where  the  mammoth  was  found,  this  rock  has  a  perpendicular 
elevation  of  30  or  40  toises.  Its  substance  is  a  clear  pure  ice; 
it  inclines  towards  the  sea  ;  its  top  is  covered  with  a  layer  of 
moss  and  friable  earth,  half  an  archinc  (14  inches)  in  thick 
ness.  During  the  heat  of  the  month  of  July  a  part  of  this  crusf 
is  melted,  but  the  rest  remains  frozen.  Curiosity  induced  me 
to  ascend  two  other  hills  at  some  distance  from  the  sea;  they 
were  of  the  same  substance,  and  less  covered  with  moss.  In 
various  places  were  seen  enormous  pieces  of  wood,  of  all  the 

■■   '    I '  i:  h;     '  '  "    ■  (j  '     *  '   '      il'  I 

*  The  places  of  the  insertion  of  the  muscles  of  the  proboscis  are'  visi- 
ble on  the  skull ;  it  was  probably  devoured,  as  well  as  the  end  of  the 
fail. 

■t  9  ft.  6  in.  measuring  alon^  the  curve.  The  distance  from  the  base 
of  the  root  of  the  tusk  to  the  point,  is  .3  ft.  7  in. 

t  On  the  arrival  of  the  ^kin  at  Petersburg,  it  was  totally  devoid  of 
hair. 


THE  MAMMOTH. THE  CHAMELEON  lO 

kinds  produced  in  Siberia ;  and  also  mammoths'  horns,  in  n it  nt 
numbers,  appeared  between  the  hollows  of  the  rocks  ;  i\u  \  ,  ;i 
were  of  astonishing  freshness. 

"  How  all  these  things  could  become  collected  there,  is  n 
question  as  curious  as  it  is  difficult  to  resolve.  The  inhv^hii;- 
ants  of  the  coast  call  this  kind  of  wood  Adamschina,  and  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  floating  pieces  of  wood  which  arebr(,iight 
down  by  the  large  rivers  to  the  ocean,  and  collect  in  m.issf  s 
on  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Sea.  The  latter  are  called  No;i- 
china.  I  have  seen,  when  the  ice  melts,  large  lumps  of  t:irlh 
detached  from  the  hills,  mix  vvith  the  water,  and  form  thick 
muddy  torrents,  which  roll  slowly  towards  the  sea.  This 
earth  forms  wedges,  which  fill  up  the  spaces  between  the  blocks 
of  ice. 

"  The  escarpment  of  ice  was  35  to  40  toises  high  ;  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  report  of  the  Tungusians,  the  animal  was,  \vh»  )i 
they  first  saw  it,  seven  toises  below  the  surface  of  the 
ice,  &.C. 

"  On  arriving  with  the  mammoth  at  Bonchaya,  our  first  ciue 
was  to  separate  the  remaining  flesh  and  ligaments  from  the 
bones,  which  were  then  packed  up.  When  I  arrived  at  Jakwi-  k  , 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  re-purchase  the  tusks,  and  ivinn 
ihence  expedited  the  whole  to  St.  Petersburg.        .J;.,  I  'if'' 

"  The  skeleton  is  now  put  up  in  the  museum  of  the  Acndemv, 
and  the  skin  still  remains  attached  to  the  head  and  feet.  Tlie 
mammoth  is  described  by  M,  Cuvier  as  adifl'erent  species  fVciu 
either  of  the  two  elephants  living  at  the  present  day,  tne 
African  or  the  Indian.  It  is  distinguished  from  them  bv  liie 
teeth,  and  by  the  size  of  the  tusks,  which  are  from  ten  to  (U- 
teen  feet  long,  much  curved,  and  have  a  spiral  turn  outwards. 
The  alveali  of  the  tusks  are  also  larger,  and  are  protruded  tiir- 
ther.  The  neck  is  shorter,  the  spinal  processes  larger,  all  the 
bones  of  the  skeleton  are  stronger,  and  the  scabrous  surfaces 
for  the  insertion  of  the  muscles  more  prominent,  than  in  the 
other  species.  The  skin  being  covered  with  thick  hair,  induces 
M.  Cuvier  to  consider  that  it  was  the  inhabitant  of  a  cold 
region.  The  form  of  the  head  is  also  different  from  that  of 
the  living  species,  as  well  as  the  arrangement  of  the  lines  of 
the  enamel  of  the  teeth." 

The  mammoth  more  nearly  resembles  the  Indian  than  the 
African  species  of  elephant. 

A  part  of  the  skin,  and  some  of  the  hair  of  this  animal,  was 
sent  by  Mr.  Adams  to  the  late  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  pre- 
sented them  to  the  museum  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons, 

From  For.i.s's  work  we  extract  the  following  particulars  re- 
spectino;THE  Chameleon. 

The  greatest  curiosity  in  the  East,  says  Forbes,  is  the  Cha- 


/  or  THE 

{  UNIVERSITY 

\  Of 


I7b  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   ANIMALS 

meleon.  found  in  every  thicket.  I  kept  one  for  several  weeks, 
of  which,  as  it  differed  in  many  respects  from  those  described 
in  Arabia,  and  other  places,  1  shall  mention  a  few  particulars. 
The  chameleon  of  the  Concan,  including  the  tail,  is  about  nine 
inches  long;  the  body  only  half  that  length,  varying  in  cir- 
cumference, as  it  is  more  or  less  inflated  ;  the  head,  like  that 
of  a  fish,  is  immoveably  fixed  to  the  shoulders;  but  every  in- 
convenience is  removed  by  the  structure  of  its  eyes,  which, 
like  spheres  rolling  on  an  invisible  axis,  are  placed  in  deep 
cavities,  projecting  from  the  head  ;  through  a  small  perfora- 
tion in  the  exterior  convexity,  appears  a  bright  pupil,  sur- 
rounded with  a  yellow  iris,  which,  by  the  singular  formation 
and  motion  of  the  eye,  enables  the  animal  to  see  what  passes 
before,  behind,  or  on  either  side  ;  and  it  can  give  one  eye  all 
these  motions,  while  the  other  remains  perfectly  still ;  a  hard 
rising  protects  these  delicate  organs,  another  extends  from 
the  forehead  to  the  nostrils  :  the  mouth  is  large,  and  furnished 
with  teeth,  with  a  tongue  half  the  length  of  the  body,  and 
hollow  like  an  elephant's  trunk  ;  it  darts  nimbly  at  flies  and 
other  insects,  which  it  seems  to  prefer  to  the  aerial  food  gene- 
rally supposed  to  be  its  sustenance.  The  legs  are  longer  than 
usual  in  the  licerta  genus  ;  on  the  fore  feet  are  three  toes  near- 
est the  body,  and  two  without ;  the  hinder  exactly  the  reverse  ; 
with  these  claws  it  clings  fast  to  the  branches,  to  which  it 
sometimes  entwines  itself  by  the  tail,  and  remains  suspended  ; 
the  skin  is  granulated  like  shagreen,  except  a  range  of  hard 
excrescences,  or  denticulations,  on  the  ridge  of  the  back, 
which  are  always  of  the  same  colour  as  the  body  ;  whereas  a 
row  of  similar  projections  beneath  continue  perfectly  white, 
notwithstanding  any  metamorphosis  of  the  animal. 

The  general  colour  of  the  chameleon  so  long  in  my  posses- 
sion, was  a  pleasant  green,  spotted  with  pale  blue  ;  from  this 
it  changed  to  a  bright  yellow,  dark  olive,  and  a  dull  green  ; 
but  never  appeared  to  such  advantage  as  when  irritated,  or  a 
dog  approached  it;  the  body  was  then  considerably  inflated, 
and  the  skin  clouded  like  tortoise-shell,  its  shades  of  yellow, 
orange,  green,  and  black.  A  black  object  always  caused 
an  almost  instantaneous  transformation  :  the  room  appropri- 
ated for  its  acconmiodation  was  skirted  by  a  board  painted 
black  ;  this  the  chameleon  carefully  avoided  ;  but  if  he  acci- 
dentally drew  near  it,  or  we  placed  a  black  hat  in  his  way, 
he  was  reduced  to  a  hideous  skeleton,  and,  from  the  most 
lively  tints,  became  black  as  jet:  on  removing  the  cause,  the 
effect  as  suddenly  ceased  ;  the  sable  hue  was  succeeded  by  a 
brilliant  colouring,  and  the  body  was  again  inflated 

Our  next  subject  is  The  Common  Tortoise. — The  weight 
of  this  animal  is  three  pounds,  and  the   length  of  its   shell 


THE  COMMON  TORTOISE.  177 

about  seven  inches.  It  abounds  in  the  countries  surrounding 
the  Mediterranean,  and  particularly  in  Greece,  where  the  inha- 
bitants not  only  eat  its  flesh  and  eggs,  but  frequently  swallow 
its  warm  blood.  In  September  or  October  it  conceals  itself, 
remaining  torpid  till  February,  when  it  re-appears.  In  June 
it  lays  its  eggs,  in  holes  exposed  to  the  full  beams  of  the  sun, 
by  which  they  are  matured.  The  males  frequently  engage  ir 
severe  conflicts,  and  strike  their  heads  against  each  other  with 
great  violence,  and  very  loud  sounds.  Tortoises  attain  most 
extraordinary  longevity,  and  one  was  ascertained  to  have  lived 
in  the  gardens  of  Lambeth  to  the  age  of  nearly  120  years.  Its 
shell  is  preserved  in  the  archiepiscopal  palace.  So  reluctant 
is  the  vital  principle  to  quit  these  animals,  that  Shaw  informs 
us,  from  Redi,  that  one  of  them  lived  for  six  months  after  all  its 
brain  was  taken  out,  moving  its  limbs,  and  walking,  as  before. 
Another  lived  twenty-three  days  after  its  head  w^^s  cut  off", 
and  the  head  itself  opened  and  closed  its  jaws  for  u  quarter  of 
an  hour  after  its  separation  from  the  body.  It  may  not  only 
be  tamed,  but  has  in  several  instances  exhibited  proofs,  in  that 
state,  of  considerable  sagacity  in  distinguishing  its  benefac- 
tors, and  of  grateful  attachment  in  return  for  their  kindness, 
notwithstanding  its  general  sluggishness  and  torpor.  It  will 
answer  the  purpose  of  a  barometer,  and  uniformly  indicates 
the  fall  of  rain  before  nio;ht,  when  it  takes  its  food  with  great 
rapidity,  and  walks  with  a  sort  of  mincing  and  elate  step.  It 
appears  to  dislike  rain  with  extreme  aversion,  and  is  discom- 
fited and  driven  back  by  only  a  few  and  scarcely  perceivable 
drops. 

The  following  particulars  respecting  the  Instinct  of  the 
Tortoise,  are  copied  from  Vaillant's  Travels  in  Africa. — "  It 
is  very  remarkable,  that  when  the  waters  are  dried  up  by  ex- 
cessive heat,  the  tortoises,  which  always  seek  for  moisture, 
bury  themselves  under  the  earth,  in  proportion  as  the  surface 
of  it  becomes  dry.  To  find  them,  it  is  then  sufficient  to  dig 
to  a  considerable  depth,  in  the  spot  where  they  have  concealed 
themselves.  They  remain  as  if  asleep,  and  never  awake,  or 
make  their  appearance,  until  the  rainy  season  has  filled  the 
ponds  and  small  lakes,  on  the  borders  of  which  they  deposit 
their  eggs,  where  they  continue  exposed  to  the  air;  they  are 
as  large  as  those  of  a  pigeon ;  they  leave  to  the  heat  and  the 
sun  the  care  of  hatching  them.  These  eggs  have  an  excellent 
taste  ;  the  white,  which  never  grows  hard  by  the  force  of  fire, 
preserves  the  transparency  of  a  bluish  jelly.  I  do  not  know 
whether  this  instinct  be  common  to  every  species  of  water 
tortoises,  and  whether  they  all  employ  the  same  means  ;  but 
this  I  can  assert,  that  every  time,  during  the  great  droughts, 
when  I  wished  to  procure  any  of  them,  by  digging  in  those 
places  where  there  had  been  water,  I  always  found   as  many 

8.  Z 


178  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

as  I  had  occasion  for.  This  method  of  fishing,  or  whatever 
else  it  may  be  called,  was  not  new  to  me  ;  for  at  Surinam  a 
stratagem  of  the  same  kind  is  employed  to  catch  two  species 
of  fish,  which  bury  themselves  also  ;  and  which  are  called, 
one  the  varappe,  and  the  other  the  gorret  or  the  kevihvi." 

The  next  curious  animal  which  we  shall  consider,  is,  Thr 
Orang-Outang. — This  animal  is  sometimes  called  the  satyr, 
great  ape,  or  man  of  the  woods.  It  is  a  native  of  the  warmer 
parts  of  Africa  and  India,  as  w^ell  as  of  some  of  the  Indian 
islands,  where  it  resides  principally  iti  woods,  and  is  supposed 
to  feed,  like  most  others  of  this  genus,  on  fruits.  The  orang- 
outang appears  to  admit  of  considerable  variety  in  point  of 
colour,  size,  and  proportions  ;  and  there  is  reason  to  believe, 
that,  in  reality,  there  may  be  two  or  three  kinds,  which, 
though  nearly  approximated  as  to  general  similitude,  are  yet 
specifically  distinct.  The  specimens  imported  into  Europe 
liave  rarely  exceeded  the  height  of  two  or  three  feet,  and  were 
supposed  to  be  young  animals  ;  but  it  is  said  the  full-grown 
ones  are,  at  least,  six  feet  in  height.  The  general  colour 
seems  to  be  dusky  or  brown,  in  some  ferruginous  or  reddish 
brown  ;  and  in  others  coal-black,  with  the  skin  itself  white. 
The  face  is  bare  ;  the  ears,  hands,  and  feet,  nearly  similar  to 
the  human,  and  the  whole  appearance  such  as  to  exhibit  the 
most  striking  approximation  to  the  human  figure.  The  like- 
ness, however,  is  only  a  general  one,  and  the  structure  of  the 
hands  and  feet,  when  examined  with  anatomical  exactness, 
seems  to  prove,  in  the  opinion  of  those  most  capuble  of  judg- 
ing; with  accuracy  on  the  subject,  that  the  animal  was  princi- 
pally designed  by  nature  for  the  quadrupedal  manner  of  walk- 
ing, and  not  for  an  upright  posture,  which  is  only  occasion- 
ally assumed,  and  which,  in  those  exhibited  to  the  public,  is, 
perhaps,  rather  owing  to  instruction,  than  truly  natural. 

The  Count  de  Buffon,  indeed,  makes  it  one  of  the  distinc- 
tive characters  of  the  real  or  proper  apes,  (among  which  the 
orang-outang  is  the  chief,)  to  walk  erect  on  two  legs  only  ; 
and  it  must  be  granted,  that  these  animals  support  an  upright 
position  much  more  easily  and  readily  than  most  other  qua- 
drupeds, and  may  probably  be  very  often  seen  in  this  attitude 
even  in  a  state  of  nature. 

The  manners  of  the  orang-outang,  when  in  captivity,  are 
gentle,  and  perfectly  void  of  that  disgusting  ferocity  so  con- 
spicuous in  some  of  the  larger  baboons  and  monkeys.  The 
orano"-outang  is  mild  and  docile,  and  may  be  taught  to  per- 
form, with  dexterity,  a  variety  of  actions  in  domestic  life. 
Thus,  it  has  been  taught  to  sit  at  table,  and,  in  its  manner  of 
feeding  and  general  behaviour,  to  imitate  the  company  in 
which  it  was  placed  ;  to  pour  out   tea,  and  drink  it,    without 


THE  ORANG-OUTANG. — THE  UNICORN.  179 

awkwardness  or  constraint ;  to  prepare  its  bed  with  exact- 
ness, and  compose  itself  to  sleep  in  a  proper  manner.  Such 
are  the  actions  of  one  which  was  exhibited  in  London,  in  the 
year  1738;  and  the  Count  de  Buflfbn  relates  nearly  similar 
particulars  of  that  which  he  saw  at  Paris. 

Dr.  Tyson,  who,  about  the  close  of  the  last  century,  gave  a 
very  exact  description  of  a  young  orang-outang,  then  exhi- 
bited in  the  metropolis,  assures  us,  that  in  many  of  its  actions 
it  seemed  to  display  a  very  high  degree  of  sagacity,  and  was 
of  a  disposition  uncommonly  gentle  ;  "  the  most  gentle  and 
loving  creature  that  could  be.  Those  that  he  knew  on  ship- 
board, he  would  come  and  embrace  with  the  greatest  tender- 
ness, opening  their  bosoms,  and  clasping  his  hands  about 
them;  and,  as  I  was  informed,  though  there  were  monkeys 
on  board,  vet  it  was  observed,  he  would  never  associate  with 
them,  and,  as  if  nothing  akin  to  them,  would  always  avoid 
their  company." 

But,  however  docile  and  gentle  when  taken  young,  and  in- 
structed in  its  behaviour,  it  is  said  to  be  possessed  of  great 
ferocity  in  its  native  state,  and  is  considered  as  a  dangerous 
animal,  capable  of  readily  overpowering  the  strongest  man. 
Its  swiftness  is  equal  to  its  strength,  and  for  this  reason  it  is 
but  rarely  to  be  obtained  in  its  full-grown  state,  the  young 
alone  being  taken. 

The  next  is.  The  Unicorn. — The  following  account  is  ex- 
tracted from  the  St.  James's  Chronicle  of  Dec.  19  to  21, 
1820.^ 

"  We  have  no  doubt  that  a  little  time  will  bring  to  light 
many  objects  of  natural  history,  peculiar  to  the  elevated  re- 
gions of  central  Asia,  and  hitherto  unknown  in  the  animal, 
vegetable,  and  mineral  kingdoms,  particularly  in  the  two 
former.  This  is  an  opinion  which  we  have  long  entertained  ; 
but  we  are  led  to  the  expression  of  it  on  the  present  occasion, 
by  having  been  favoured  with  the  perusal  of  a  most  interesting 
communication  from  Major  Latter,  commanding  in  the  Rajah 
of  Sikkim's  territories,  in  the  hilly  country  east  of  Nepaul, 
addressed  to  Adjutant-General  Nicol,  and  transmitted  by  him 
to  the  Marquis  of  Hastings.  This  important  paper  explicitly 
states,  that  the  Unicorn,  so  long  considered  a  fabulous  ani- 
mal, actually  exists  at  this  moment  in  the  interior  of  Thibet, 
where  it  is  well  known  to  the  inhabitants. 

"  This  (we  copy  from  the  Major's  letter)  is  a  very  curious 
fact,  and  it  may  be  necessary  to  mention  how  the  circumstance 
became  known  to  me.  In  a  Thibetian  manuscript,  containing 
the  names  of  difierent  animals,  procured  the  other  day  from 
the  hills,  the  Unicorn  is  classed  under  the  head  of  those 
whose  hoofs  are  divided  ;  it  is  called  the  One-horned  Tso'-po. 


a80  curiosities  respecting  animals. 

Upon  inquiring  what  kind  of  animal  it  was,  to  our  astonish- 
ment, the  person  who  brought  me  the  manuscript,  described 
exactly  the  Unicorn  of  the  ancients  :  saying,  that  it  was  a 
native  of  the  interior  of  Thibet,  about  the  size  of  a  tattoo  (a 
horse  from  12  to  13  hands  high,)  fierce,  and  extremely  wild; 
seldom,  if  ever,  caught  alive,  but  frequently  shot ;  and  that 
the  flesh  was  used  for  food. 

"  The  person  (Major  Latter  adds)  who  gave  me  this  infor- 
mation, has  repeatedly  seen  these  animals,  and  eaten  the  flesh 
of  them.  They  go  together  in  herds,  like  our  wild  buffaloes, 
and  are  very  frequently  to  be  met  with  on  the  borders  of  the 
great  desert,  about  a  month's  journey  from  Lassa,  in  that  part  of 
the  country  inhabited  by  the  wandering  Tartars.  This  com- 
munication is  accompanied  by  a  drawing,  made  by  the  mes- 
senger from  recollection :  it  bears  some  resemblance  to  a 
horse,  but  has  cloven  hoofs,  a  long  curved  horn  growing  out 
of  the  forehead,  and  a  boar-shaped  tail,  like  that  of  the  '  fera 
monoceros,'  described  by  Pliny.*  From  their  herding  together, 
as  the  Unicorns  of  the  scripture  are  said  to  do,  as  well  as  from 
the  rest  of  the  description,  it  is  evident  that  this  singular 
animal  cannot  be  the  rhinoceros,  which  is  a  solitary  creature  ; 
besides  that,  in  the  Thibetian  manuscript,  the  rhinoceros  is 
described  under  the  name  of  Servo,  and  classed  with  the  ele- 
phant. Neither  can  it  be  the  wild  horse,  well  known  in 
Thibet,  for  that  also  has  a  different  name,  and  is  classed  in 
the  MS.  with  the  animals  which  have  the  hoofs  undivided. — I 
have  written  (he  subjoins)  to  the  Sacliia  Lama,  requesting 
him  to  procure  me  a  perfect  skin  of  the  animal,  with  the  head, 
horn,  and  hoofs ;  but  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  I  can  get 
it  down,  for  they  are  not  to  be  met  with  nearer  than  a  month's 
journey  from  Lassa." 

We  now  make  a  few  remarks  on  Seals. — First,  the  Com- 
mon Seal. 

These  animals  are  found  on  the  coasts  of  the  polar  regions, 
both  to  the  north  and  south,  often  in  extreme  abundance,  and 
are  generally  about  five  feet  in  length,  closely  covered  with 
short  hair.  They  swim  with  great  vigour  and  rapidity,  and 
subsist  on  various  kinds  of  fish,  which  they  are  often  observed 
to  pursue  within  a  short  distance  of  the  shore.  They  pos- 
sess   no   inconsiderable   sagacity,    and   may,    without   much 

*  In  speaking  of  the  wild  beasts  of  India,  Pliny  says,  with  regard  to 
the  animal  in  question, — 

"  Asperrimam  autem  fcrani  monocerotera,  reliquo  corpore  equo  sinii- 
lem,  capite  cervo,  pedibus  eliphante,  cauda  apro,  niugitu  gravi,  uno 
cornu  nigro  media  fronte,  cubitorum  duum  eminente.  Hanc  feram  vivam 
negantcapi."  Plin.  Hist.  Mund.  Lib.  3,  cap.  21* 

Tho  resemblance  is  certaioly  'ery  striking. 


THE   SEAL.  181 

difficulty,  if  taken  young,  be  familiarized  to  their  keepers 
and  instructed  in  various  gesticulations.  They  are  supposed 
to  attain  great  longevity.  The  female  is  particularly  attentive 
to  her  young,  and  scarcely  ever  produces  more  than  two  at  a 
birth,  which,  after  being  suckled  a  fortnight  on  the  shore, 
where  they  are  always  born,  are  conducted  to  the  water,  and 
taught  by  their  dam  the  means  of  defence  and  subsistence  ; 
and  when  they  are  fatigued  by  their  excursions,  are  relieved 
by  being  taken  on  her  back.  They  distinguish  her  voice,  and 
attend  at  her  call.  The  flesh  of  seals  is  sometimes  eaten,  but 
they  are  almost  always  destroyed  for  their  oil  and  skins.  The 
latter  are  manufactured  into  very  valuable  leather,  and  the 
former  is  serviceable  in  a  vast  variety  of  manufactures.  A 
young  seal  will  supply  about  eight  gallons  of  oil.  The  smell 
of  these  animals,  in  any  great  number  upon  the  shore,  is 
highly  disagreeable.  In  the  month  of  October,  they  are 
generally  considered  as  most  valuable;  and  as  they  abound  in 
extended  caverns  on  the  coast,  which  are  washed  by  the  tide, 
the  hunters  pioceed  to  these  retreats  about  midnight,  advan- 
cing with  their  boat  as  far  into  the  recess  as  they  are  able, 
armed  with  spears  and  bludgeons,  and  furnished  with  torches, 
to  enable  them  to  explore  the  cavern.  They  begin  their 
operations  by  making  the  most  violent  noises,  which  soon 
rouse  the  seals  from  their  slumbers,  and  awaken  them  to  a 
sense  of  extreme  danger,  which  they  express  by  the  most 
hideous  yellings  of  terror.  In  their  eagerness  to  escape,  they 
come  down  from  all  parts  of  the  cavern,  running  in  a  promis- 
cuous and  turbulent  mass  alono-  the  avenue  to  the  water. 
The  men  engao;ed  in  this  perilous  adventure  oppose  no  impe- 
diment to  this  rushing  crowd,  but,  as  this  begins  to  diminish, 
apply  their  weapons  with  great  activity  and  success,  destroy- 
ing vast  numbers,  and  principally  the  young  ones.  The  blow 
of  the  hunter  is  always  levelled  at  the  nose  of  the  seal,  where 
a  slighf  stroke  is  almost  instantly  fatal. 

This  leads  us  to  the  consideration  of  The  Ursine  Seal. — 
This  animal  grows  to  the  length  of  eight  feet,  and  to  the  weight 
of  an  hundred  pounds.  These  are  found  in  vast  abundance 
in  the  islands  between  America  and  Kamschatka,  from  June 
till  September,  when  they  return  to  the  Asiatic  or  American 
shores.  They  are  extremely  strong,  surviving  wounds  and 
lacerations  which  almost  instantly  destroy  life  in  other  ani- 
mais,  for  days,  and  even  weeks.  They  may  be  observed,  not 
mearly  by  hundreds,  but  by  thousands,  on  the  shore,  each 
male  surrounded  by  his  females,  from  eight  to  fifty,  and  his 
offspring,  amounting  frequently  to  more  than  that  number. 
Each  family  is  preserved  separate  from  every  other.  The 
ursine  seals  are  extremely  fat  and  indolent,  and  remain,  with 


182  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANIMALS 

Jittle  exercise,  or  even  motion,  for  months  together,  upon  the 
shore.  But  if  jealousy,  to  which  they  are  ever  alive,  once 
strongly  operates,  they  are  roused  to  animation  by  all  the 
fierceness  of  resentment  and  vengeance  ;  and  conflicts  arising 
from  this  cause  between  individuals,  soon  spread  through 
families,  till  at  length  the  whole  shore  becomes  a  scene  of  the 
most  horrid  hostility  and  havoc.  When  the  conflict  is 
finished,  the  survivors  plunge  into  the  water,  to  wash  oft'  the 
blood,  and  recover  from  their  exhaustion. 

Those  which  are  old,  and  have  lost  the  solace  of  connubial 
life,  are  reported  to  be  extremely  captious,  fierce,  and  malig- 
nant, and  to  live  apart  from  all  others,  and  so  tenaciously  to 
be  attached  to  the  station  which  pre-occupancy  may  be  sup- 
posed to  give  each  a  right  to  call  his  own,  tliat  any  attempt 
at  usurpation  is  resented  as  the  foulest  indignity,  and  the 
most  furious  contests  frequently  occur  in  consequence  of  the 
several  claims  for  a  favourite  position.  It  is  stated,  that  in 
these  combats  two  never  fall  upon  one.  These  seals  are 
said,  in  grief,  to  shed  tears  very  copiously.  The  male  defends 
hi«  young  with  the  most  intrepid  courage  and  fondness,  and 
will  often  beat  the  dam,  notwithstanding  her  most  supplicat- 
ing tones  and  gestures,  under  the  idea  that  she  has  been  the 
cause  of  the  destruction  or  injury  which  may  have  occurred 
to  any  of  them.  The  flesh  of  the  old  male  seal  is  intolerably 
-strong ;  that  of  the  female  and  the  young  is  considered  as 
delicate  and  nourishing,  and  compared,  in  tenderness  and  fla- 
vour, to  the  flesh  of  young  pigs. 

The  bottle-nosed  seal  is  found  on  the  Falkland  Islands ;  is 
twenty  feet  long ;  and  will  produce  a  butt  of  oil,  and  dis- 
charge, when  struck  to  the  heart,  two  hogsheads  of  blood. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  extract  from  the  Public 
Journals  of  1821,  on  American  Natural  History 

On  the  unfrequented,  solitary,  remote  banks  of  the  Mis- 
souri, grows  one  of  the  most  ornamental  trees  that  adorn 
creation — the  Ten-petalled  Bartoiiia.  Its  height  is  four  feet; 
flowers,  beautifully  white,  expand  as  the  sun  sets,  and  close 
at  the  approach  of  morning. — Shall  we  say  that  all  things 
were  made  for  the  gratification  of  man  only,  when  he  is  dail^ 
taught  that  some  of  the  loveliest  objects  the  world  contains, 
he  is'  destined  never  to  behold? — Shall  we  believe  that  the 
sylvan  natives  are  not  formed  with  taste,  and  enjoy  the 
scenery  with  which  the  great  Artist  has  decorated  their 
abode? 

A  Leopard  was  killed  on  the  6th  day  of  June,  1820,  by  John 
Six,  living  on  the  waters  of  Green  river,  ten  miles  south-east 
of  Hartford,  in  the  Ohio  county  :  length  from  the  end  of  the 
nose  to  the  buttock,  five  feet,  and  a  tail  two  feet  long ;  under 


AMERICAN    NATURAL  HISTORY.  183 

the  jaw  the  colour  was  black,  with  white  spots  equally  pro- 
portioned; the  sides  and  back  are  yellow,  with  black  spots, 
curiously  arranged  ;  a  row  of  black  spots  on  its  back,  much 
larger  than  those  on  its  sides,  extending  half  way  of  the  tail ; 
small  round  ears,  black  outside,  white  inside  ;  around  its  nose 
and  mouth  were  long  stiff  bristles  ;  some  appeared  to  grow 
out  black  half  the  lenoth,  then  white  six  inches  long^.  The 
hair  on  the  end  of  the  tail  is  longer  than  elsewhere  ;  tail  slim  ; 
its  legs  short,  and  its  feet  like  a  cat's,  only  much  larger,  with 
large  claws  ;  large  teeth  ;  supposed  to  weigh  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds. 

Two-headed  Snake. — An  extraordinary  snake  was  recently 
killed  in  Mason,  Massachusetts,  It  was  first  discovered  bask- 
ing in  the  sun,  and,  after  much  exertion,  although  its  asto- 
nishing agility  baffled  for  a  considerable  time  its  pursuers' 
eflxjrts,  it  was  taken.  It  measured  two  feet  in  length,  had  two 
heads,  and  two  legs.  The  legs  were  nearly  three  inches  long, 
were  placed  about  four  inches  from  the  heads,  and  appeared 
well  calculated  to  assist  the  animal  in  running. 

A  large  Black  Snake  was  lately  killed  near  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia,  which  measured  eleven  feet  nine  inches.  It  was  first 
noticed  by  a  slight  crack  which  it  made  with  its  tail,  not  unlike 
the  cracking  of  a  horse-whip,  and  appeared  to  be  in  great 
agony  ;  jumping  up  from  the  ground,  twisting,  coiling,  &c. 
After  it  was  killed,  this  was  accounted  for  satisfactorily.  Out 
of  its  mouth  the  tail  of  another  snake  was  observed  to  be 
sticking  ;  on  pulling  it  out,  it  actually  measured  five  feet  three 
inches.  This  was  the  cause  of  the  uneasiness  in  the  livino- 
snake  ;  having  no  doubt  been  partly  strangled  by  its  large 
mouthful.  This  great  snake  was  long  the  terror  of  the  cow- 
hunters  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place  where  it  was  killed, 
and  no  doubt  would  have  continued  so  for  a  long  time,  had 
it  not  been  for  its  voraciousness,  which  prevented  it  from  run- 
ning. It  was  fleeter  than  any  horse,  and  bade  defiance  to  the 
puny  efforts  of  man  to  overtake  it. 


184  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

CHAP.    XV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANIMALS. — (Concluded.^, 

Remarkable  Strength  of  Affection  in  Animals — Surprising  Irt' 
stances  of  their  Sociality/ — Unaccountable  Faculties  possessed 
bi/  some  Animals — Remarkable  Instances  of  Fasting  in  Ani- 
mals— -Fxtraor  dinar  If  Adventures  of  a  Sheep — -Sagacili/  of  a 
Monkey — Astonishing  Instance  oj  Sagacity  in  a  Horse — 6'a- 
ipcity  of  Dogs — Curious  Anecdotes  of'  a  Dog — RemarkabU 
^Dog. 

Far  as  creation's  ample  rang^e  extends, 

Tlie  scale  of  sensual,  mental  powers,  ascends  : 

Mark,  how  it  mounts  to  man's  imperial  race. 

From  the  green  myriads  in  the  peopled  grass  ! 

What  modes  of  sight,  betwixt  each  wide  extreme. 

The  mole's  dim  curtain,  and  the  lynx's  beam  : 

Of  smell,  the  headlong  lioness  between. 

And  hound  sagacious,  on  the  tainted  green : 

Of  hearing,  from  the  life  that  fdls  the  fUrod, 

To  that  winch  warbles  thro'  the  vernal  wood  : 

The  spider's  touch,  how  exquisitely  fme  ! 

Feels  at  each  thread,  and  lives  along  the  line:. 

In  the  nice  bee,  what  sense  so  subtly  tme. 

From  pois'nous  herbs  extracts  the  healing  dewr 

How  instinct  varies  in  the  grovelling  swine, 

Compar'd,  half-reasoning  elephant,  with  thine  ! 

Twixt  that  and  reason,  what  a  nice  barrier, 

For  ever  separate,  yet  for  ever  near  I  Pope, 

Remarkable  Strength  of  Affection  in  Animals. — 
Mr.  White,  in  his  Natural  History,  &.c.  of  Selborue,  speaking 
of  the  natural  affection  of  brutes,  says,  "  The  more  I  reflect 
on  it,  the  more  I  am  astonished  at  its  effects.  Nor  is  the  vio- 
lence of  this  affection  more  wonderful,  than  the  shortness  of 
its  duration.  Thus,  every  hen  is  in  her  turn  the  virago  of  the 
yard,  in  proportion  to  the  helplessness  of  her  brood  ;  and  will 
fly  in  the  face  of  a  dog  or  sow  in  defence  of  those  chickens, 
which,  in  a  few  weeks,  she  will  drive  before  her  with  relentless 
cruelty.  This  affection  sublimes  the  passions,  quickens  the 
invention,  and  sharpens  the  sagacity,  of  the  brute  creation. 
Thus,  a  hen,  just  become  a  mother,  is  no  longer  that  placid 
bird  she  used  to  be,  but,  with  feathers  standing  on  end, 
wings' hovering,  and  clucking  note,  she  runs  about  like  one 
possessed.  Dams  will  throw  themselves  in  the  way  of  the 
greatest  danger,  in  order  to  avert  it  from  their  progeny.  Thus 
a  partridge  will  tumble  along  before  a  sportsman,  in  order  to 
draw  away  the  dogs  from  her  helpless  covey.  In  the  time  of 
nidjfication,  the  roost  feeble  birds  will  assault  the  most  rapa- 


SOCIALITY   IN    ANIMALS.  185 

cious.  All  the  hirundines  of  a  village  are  up  in  arms  at  the  sight 
of  a  hawk,  whom  they  will  persecute  till  he  leaves  that  dis 
tvict.  A  very  exact  observer  has  often  remarked,  that  a  pair 
of  ravens,  nestling  in  the  rock  of  Gibraltar,  would  suffer  no 
vulture  or  eagle  to  rest  near  their  station,  but  would  drive 
them  from  the  hill  with  amazing  fury  ;  even  the  blue  thrush, 
at  the  season  of  breeding,  would  dart  out  from  the  clefts  of 
the  rocks,  to  chase  away  the  kestrel  or  the  sparrow-hawk.  If 
you  stand  near  the  nest  of  a  bird  that  has  young,  she  will  not 
be  induced  to  betray  them  by  an  inadvertent  fondness,  but 
will  wait  about  at  a  distance  with  meat  in  her  mouth  for  an 
hour  together.  The  fly-catcher  builds  every  year  in  the  vines 
that  grow  on  the  walls  of  my  house.  A  pair  of  these  little 
birds  had  one  year  inadvertently  placed  their  nest  on  a  naked 
bough,  perhaps  in  a  shady  time,  not  being  aware  of  the  incon- 
venience that  followed  ;  but  a  hot  sunny  season  coming  on 
before  the  brood  was  half  fledged,  the  reflection  of  the  wall 
became  insupportable,  and  must  inevitably  have  destroyed  the 
tender  young,  had  not  affection  suggested  an  expedient,  and 
prompted  the  parent  birds  to  hover  over  the  nest  all  the  hotter 
hours,  while,  with  wings  expanded  and  mouths  gaping  for 
breath,  they  screened  off  the  heat  from  their  suffering  off- 
spring. A  farther  instance  I  once  saw  of  notable  sagacity  iu 
a  willow-wren,  which  had  built  in  a  bank  in  my  fields.  This 
bird,  a  friend  and  myself  had  observed  as  she  sat  in  her  nest ; 
but  we  were  particularly  careful  not  to  disturb  her,  though  we 
saw  she  eyed  us  with  some  degree  of  jealousy.  Some  days  after, 
as  we  passed  that  way,  we  were  desirous  of  remarking  how  this 
brood  went  on  ;  but  no  nest  could  be  found,  till  I  happened  to 
take  up  a  large  bundle  of  long  green  moss  as  it  were  carelessly 
thrown  over  the  nest,  in  order  to  deceive  the  eye  of  any  imper- 
tinent intruder." 

Next  in  order  is  the  account  of  Surprising  Instances 
OF  Sociality  in  Animals. — A  wonderful  spirit  of  sociality 
in  the  brute  creation,  independent  of  sexral  attachment,  has 
been  frequently  remarked.  Many  horses,  though  quiet  with 
company,  will  not  stay  one  minute  in  a  field  by  themselves ; 
the  strongest  fences  cannot  restrain  them.  A  horse  has  been 
known  to  leap  out  of  a  stable  window,  through  which  dung 
was  thrown,  after  company  ;  and  yet  in  other  respects  was 
remarkably  quiet.  Oxen  and  cows  will  not  fatten  by  them- 
selves, but  will  neglect  the  finest  pasture  that  is  not  recom- 
mended by  society.  It  would  be  needless  to  instance  in  sheep, 
which  constantly  flock  together.  But  this  propensity  seems 
not  to  be  confined  to  animals  of  the  same  species.  Mr.  White 
mentions  a  doe  that  was  brought  up  from  a  little  fawn  with  a 
dairy  of  cows.  "With  them  it  goes  to  the  field,  and  with  them  it 

^2  A 


186  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

returns  to  the  yard.  The  dogs  of  the  house  take  no  notice  of 
this  doe,  being  used  to  her  ;  but  if  strange  dogs  come  by,  a 
chase  ensues;  while  the  master  smiles  to  see  his  favourite  se- 
curely leading  her  pursuers  over  hedge,  or  gate,  or  style,  till 
she  returns  to  the  cows,  who  with  fierce  lowings  and  mena- 
cing horns  drive  the  assailants  quite  out  of  the  pasture." — Even 
great  disparity  of  kind  and  size  does  not  always  prevent  social 
advances  and  mutual  fellowship.  Of  this  the  following  re- 
markable instance  is  given  by  the  same  author. 

"A  very  intelligent  and  observant  person  has  assured  me, 
that  in  the  former  part  of  his  life,  keeping  but  one  horse,  he 
happened  also  on  a  time  to  have  but  one  solitary  hen.  These 
two  incongruous  animals  spent  much  of  their  time  together  in 
a  lonely  orchard,  where  they  saw  no  creature  but  each  other. 
By  degrees  an  apparent  regard  began  to  take  place  between 
these  two  sequestered  individuals.  The  fowl  would  approach 
the  quadruped  with  notes  of  complacency,  rubbing  herself 
gently  against  his  legs  ;  while  the  horse  would  look  down  with 
satisfaction,  and  move  with  the  greatest  caution  and  circum- 
spection, lest  he  should  trample  on  his  diminutive  companion. 
Thus  by  mutual  good  offices  each  seemed  to  console  the  va- 
cant hours  of  the  other." 

In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  March,  1788,  we  have  the 
following  anecdotes  of  a  raven,  communicated  by  a  corre- 
spondent who  does  not  sign  his  name,  but  says  it  is  at  the  ser- 
vice of  the  doubtful.  The  raven  alluded  to  lived  at  the  Red 
Lion  at  Hungerford ;  his  name  was  Ralph.  "  You  must 
know  then,  (says  the  writer,)  that  coming  into  that  inn,  my 
«haise  ran  over  or  bruised  the  leg  of  my  Newfoundland  dog, 
and  while  we  were  examining  the  injury  done  to  the  dog's  foot, 
Ralph  was  evidently  a  concerned  spectator  ;  for,  the  minute  the 
dog  was  tied  up  under  the  manger  with  my  horse,  Ralph  not 
only  visited  him,  but  fetched  him  bones,  and  attended  upon 
him  with  particular  and  repeated  proofs  of  kindness.  The 
bird's  notice  of  the  dog  was  so  marked,  that  I  observed  it  to 
the  hostler  ;  for  I  had  not  heard  a  word  before  of  the  history 
of  this  benevolent  creature.  John  then  told  me,  that  he  had 
been  bred  from  his  pin-feather  in  intimacy  with  a  dog;  that 
the  affection  between  them  was  mutual ;  and  that  all  the  neigh- 
bourhood had  often  been  witnesses  of  the  innumerable  acts 
of  kindness  they  had  conferred  upon  each  other.  Ralph's  poor 
dog,  after  a  while,  unfortunately  broke  his  leg;  and  during 
the  long  time  he  was  confined,  Ralph  waited  upon  him  con- 
stantly, carried  him  provisions  daily,  and  scarcely  ever  left 
him  alone  !  One  night  by  accident  the  hostler  had  shut  the 
stable-door,  and  Ralph  was  deprived  of  his  friend  the  whole 
night ;  but  the  hostler  found  in  the  morning  the  bottom  of  the 
door  so  pecked  away,  that  had  it  not  been  opened,  Ralph  would 


AFFECTION    IN    A  N  1  M  A  ..S  187 

2n  another  hour  have  made  his  own  entrance-port.  I  then  in- 
quired of  my  landlady,  (a  sensible  woman,)  and  heard  what  I 
have  related  confirmed  by  her,  with  several  other  singular 
traits  of  the  kindnesses  this  bird  shews  to  all  dogs  in  general, 
but  particularly  to  maimed  or  wounded  ones.  I  hope  and  be- 
lieve, however,  Ralph  is  still  living  ;  and  the  traveller  will  find 
I  have  not  over-rated  this  wonderful  bird's  merit." 

To  these  instances  of  attachment  between  incongruous  ani- 
mals from  a  spirit  of  sociality,  or  the  feelings  of  sympathy, 
may  be  added  the  following  instance  of  fondness  from  a  diffe- 
rent motive,  recounted  by  Mr.  White,  in  the  work  already  so 
often  quoted. 

"  My  friend  had  a  little  helpless  leveret  brought  to  him, 
which  the  servants  fed  with  milk  in  a  spoon  ;  and  about  the 
same  time  his  cat  kittened,  and  the  young  were  dispatched 
and  buried.  The  hare  was  soon  lost,  and  supposed  to  be  gone 
the  way  of  most  foundlings,  or  to  be  killed  by  some  dog  or 
cat.  However,  in  about  a  fortnight,  as  the  master  was  sitting 
in  his  garden  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  he  observed  his  cat, 
with  tail  erect,  trotting  towards  him,  and  calling  with  little 
short  inward  notes  of  complacency,  such  as  they  use  towards 
their  kittens,  and  something  gambolling  after,  which  proved  to 
be  the  leveret,  which  the  cat  had  supported  with  her  milk,  and 
continued  to  support  with  great  affection.  Thus  was  a  gra- 
minivorous animal  nurtured  by  a  carnivorous  and  predacious 
one !  Why  so  cruel  and  sanguinary  a  beast  as  a  cat,  of  the 
ferocious  genus  of  Felis,  the  murian  leo,  (the  lion  of  the  mice,) 
as  Linnaeus  calls  it,  should  be  affected  with  any  tenderness 
towards  an  animal  which  is  its  natural  prey,  is  not  so  easy  to 
determine.  The  strange  affection  probably  was  occasioned  by 
that  sympathy,  and  those  tender  maternal  feelings,  which  the 
loss  of  her  kittens  had  awakened  in  her  breast;  and  by  the 
complacency  and  ease  she  derived  to  herself  from  the  procur- 
ing her  teats  to  be  drawn,  which  were  too  much  distended  with 
milk  ;  till  from  habit  she  became  as  much  delighted  with 
this  foundling,  as  if  it  had  been  her  real  offspring.  This  in- 
cident is  no  bad  solution  of  that  strange  circumstance  which 
grave  historians,  as  well  as  poets,  assert,  of  exposed  chil- 
dren being  sometimes  nurtured  by  female  wild  beasts,  that 
probably  had  lost  their  young  ;  for  it  is  not  one  whit  more 
marvellous  that  Romulus  and  Remus,  in  their  infant  state., 
should  be  nursed  by  a  she-wolf,  than  that  a  poor  little  suck 
ling  leveret  should  be  fostered  and  cherished  by  a  bloody 
'^rimalkin." 

We  shall  now  give  the  history  of  the  Unaccountable 
Faculties  possessed  by  some  Animals. — Besides  reflec- 
tion and  sagacity,  often  in  an  astonishing  degree,  and  besides 


188  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    ANIMALS 

the  sentiments  and  actions  prompted  by  social  or  natural 
attachments,  brutes  seem  on  many  occasions  inspired  with  a 
superior  faculty,  a  kind  of  presentiment  or  second  sio;ht,  as  it 
were,  with  regard  to  events  and  desig-ns  altosfether  unforeseen 
by  the  rational  beings  whom  they  concern.  The  following 
account  is  of  unquestionable  authenticity. 

At  the  seat  of  the  late  Earl  of  Litchfield,  three  miles  from 
Blenheim,  there  is  a  portrait  in  the  dining-room  of  Sir  Henry 
Lee,  by  Johnston,  with  that  of  a  mastiff  dog  which  saved 
his  life.  A  servant  had  formed  the  design  of  assassinating 
his  master,  and  robbing  the  house  ;  but  the  night  he  had  fixed 
on,  the  dog,  which  had  never  been  much  noticed  by  Sir  Henry, 
for  the  first  time  followed  him  up  stairs,  got  under  his  bed, 
and  could  not  be  got  from  thence  by  either  master  or  man  : 
in  the  dead  of  night,  the  same  servant  entered  the  room  to 
execute  his  horrid  design,  but  was  instantly  seized  by  the 
dog,  and,  being  secured,  confessed  his  intentions.  Upon 
what  hypothesis  can  we  account  for  a  degree  of  foresight  and 
penetration  such  as  this  ?  Will  it  be  suggested,  as  a  solution 
of  the  difficulty,  that  a  dog  may  possibly  become  capable  in 
a  great  measure  of  understanding  human  discourse,  and  of 
reasoning  and  acting  accordingly  ;  and  that,  in  the  ])resent 
instance,  the  villain  had  either  uttered  his  design  in  soliloquy, 
or  imj)arted  it  to  an  accomplice,  in  the  hearing  of  the 
animal  ? 

It  has  been  disputed  whether  the  brutes  have  any  language 
whereby  they  can  express  their  minds  to  each  other  ;  or  whe- 
ther all  the  noise  they  make  coaisists  only  of  cries,  inarticulate 
and  unintelligible  even  to  themselves.  Father  Bougeant  gives 
the  following  instance,  among  others,  to  prove  that  brutes  are 
capable  of  forming  designs,  and  of  communicating  those  de- 
signs to  others. — A  sparrow,  finding  a  nest  that  a  martin  had 
just  built,  standing  very  conveniently  for  him,  possessed  him- 
self of  it.  The  martin,  seeing  the  usurper  in  her  house,  call- 
ed for  help  to  expel  him.  A  thousand  martins  came  full  speed, 
and  attacked  the  sparrow;  but  the  latter  being  covered  on 
every  side,  and  presenting  only  his  large  beak  at  the  entrance 
of  the  nest,  was  invulnerable,  and  made  the  boldest  of  them 
who  durst  approach  him  repent  of  their  temerity.  After  a 
quarter  of  an  hour's  combat,  all  the  martins  disappeared  :  the 
sparrow  thouuht  he  had  got  the  better,  and  the  spectators 
judged  that  the  martins  had  abandoned  the  undertaking.  Not 
in  the  least ;  immediately  they  returned  to  the  charge,  and 
each  of  them  having  procured  a  little  of  that  tempered  earth 
with  which  they  make  their  nests,  they  all  at  once  fell  upon  the 
sparrow,  and  enclosed  him  in  the  nest,  to  perish  there,  though 
they  could  not  drive  him  thence. — Can  it  be  imagined  that 
the  martins  could  have  been  able  to  hatch  and   concert  this 


INSTANCES  OF   FASTING.  189 

design  al.  of  them  together,  n'ithout  speaking  to  each   other, 
or   without   some   medium   of  communication  equivalent  to 

language  ? 

Remarkable  Instances  of  Fasting  in  Animals. — The  fol- 
lowing remarkable  instances  of  brutes  being  able  to  live  long- 
without  food,  are  related  by  Sir  William  Hamilton,  in  his 
account  of  the  earthquakes  in  Italy,  (Phil.  Trans,  vol.  73.) 
*'  At  Soriano,  two  fattened  hogs,  that  had  remained  buried 
under  a  heap  of  ruins,  were  taken  out  alive  the  42d  day  ;  they 
were  lean  and  weak,  but  soon  recovered. — At  Messina,  two 
mules  belonging  to  the  Duke  de  Belviso,  remained  under  a 
heap  of  ruins,  one  of  them  22  days,  and  the  other  23  :  they 
would  not  eat  for  some  days,  but  drank  water  plentifully, 
and  are  now  recovered. — There  are  numberless  instances  of 
dogs  remaining  many  days  in  the  same  situation  ;  and  a  hen 
belonging  to  the  British  vice-consul  at  Messina,  that  had  been 
closely  shut  up  under  the  ruius  of  his  house,  was  taken  out 
the  22d  day,  and  is  now  recovered  :  it  did  not  eat  for  some 
days,  but  drank  freely;  it  was  emaciated,  and  sh  wed  little 
signs  of  life  at  first.  From  these  instances,  and  several  others 
of  the  same  kind  that  have  been  related  to  me,  but  which, 
being  less  remarkable,  I  omit,  one  may  conclude,  that  long 
fasting  is  always  attended  with  great  thirst  and  total  loss  of 
ujipetite." 

An  instance  not  less  remarkable  than  any  of  these,  we  find 
in  the  Gent.  Mag.  for  Jan.  1785.  "  During  the  heavy  snow 
which  fell  in  the  night  of  the  7th  of  January,  1776,  a  parcel 
of  sheep  belonging  to  Mr.  John  Wolley,  of  Matlock,  in  Der- 
byshire, which  were  pastured  on  that  part  of  the  East  Moor 
that  lies  within  the  manor  of  Matlock,  were  covered  with  (he 
drifted  snow.  In  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  all  the  sheep 
that  were  covered  with  the  snow  were  found  again,  except 
two,  which  were  consequently  given  up  as  lost,  but  on  the 
14th  of  Feb.  following  (some  time  after  the  break  of  the  snow 
in  the  valleys,  and  38  days  after  the  fall)  as  a  servant  was 
walking  over  a  large  parcel  of  drifted  snow,  which  remained 
on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  a  dog  he  had  with  him  discovered 
one  of  the  two  sheep  that  had  been  lost,  by  winding  (or  scent- 
ing) it,  through  a  small  aperture  which  the  breath  of  the 
sheep  had  made  in  the  snow.  The  servant  thereupon  dug 
away  the  snow,  and  released  the  captive  from  its  prison  ;  it 
immediately  ran  to  a  neighbouring  spring,  at  which  it  drank 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  afterwards  rejoined  its  old  com- 
panions, as  though  no  such  accident  had  befallen  it.  On  in- 
specting the  place  where  it  was  found,  it  appeared  to  have 
stood  between  two  stones  which  lay  parallel  with  each  other, 
at  about  two  feet  and  a  half  distance,  and  probably  were   the 


190  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANIMALS. 

means  of  protecting  it  from  the  great  weight  of  the  snow, 
which  in  that  place  lay  several  yards  thick  :  from  the  number 
of  stones  around  it,  it  did  not  appear  that  the  sheep  had  been 
able  to  pick  up  any  food  during  its  confinement.  Soon  after- 
wards its  owner  removed  it  to  some  low  lands ;  but  as  it  had 
nearly  lost  its  appetite,  it  was  fed  with  bread  and  milk  for 
some  time  :  in  about  a  fortnight  after  its  enlargement,  it  lost 
its  sight  and  wool ;  but  in  a  few  weeks  afterwards  they  both 
.eturned  again,  and  in  the  course  of  the  following  summer  it 
was  quite  recovered.  The  remaining  sheep  was  found  dead, 
about  a  week  after  the  discovery  of  the  other." 

The  following  authentic  history  of  the  Extraordinary 
Adventures  of  a  Sheep,  which  was  transmitted  to  a  re- 
spectable periodical  journal,  from  Salisbury,  where  the  animal 
died,  will,  we  doubt  not,  prove  interesting  to  our  readers,  as 
it  affords  an  instance  of  animal  sagacity,  in  that  species  on 
which  Nature  has  bestowed  it  with  a  sparing  hand. 

She  was  born  in  the  North  Highlands  of  Scotland  ;  em- 
barked, in  1804,  in  the  Arab,  and  visited  Iceland,  Greenland, 
and  Norway :  here  she  was  sent  on  shore  to  graze  ;  the  next 
day,  seeing  the  boat  row  past  the  place  where  she  was  feed- 
ing, she  leaped  into  the  water,  and  swam  to  the  boat:  this 
circumstance  protected  her  ever  after  from  the  butcher,  and 
her  life  was  one  scene  of  gratitude.  She  was  in  fourteen  dif- 
ferent actions  with  the  enemy's  flotilla  and  batteries  off  Bou- 
logne, in  the  last  of  which  she  lost  part  of  one  of  her  horns. 
After  that  she  traversed  the  whole  of  the  western  extent  of 
Africa,  across  the  equator  to  the  Brazils,  and  along  the  Guiana 
coast  of  South  America  to  the  West  Indies  ;  from  thence  to 
Ireland,  and  then  home.  She  was  so  tame  as  to  feed  from  the 
hand,  and,  like  the  dog,  followed  her  protector ;  would  dance 
for  a  cabbage  leaf ;  preferred  the  house  and  fire-side  to  the 
stable  ;  for  several  months  was  never  known  to  touch  hay  or 
grass,  living  with  the  sailors  on  pudding  and  grog,  and  nibbling 
the  ends  of  rope  or  canvass.  The  paring  of  an  apple  or  a 
potato  was  her  highest  luxury.  The  docility  of  the  animal 
was  highly  amusing  :  putting  her  head  under  your  arm,  she 
would  eat  off  your  plate  at  dinner  ;  would  drink  wine  or  spi- 
rits, and  tea,  if  well  sweetened  ;  run  up  and  down  the  stairs ; 
and,  if  she  got  into  the  kitchen,  would  take  the  cover  from 
the  pot,  and  peep  into  it.  Her  wool  was  of  a  soft  and  silky 
nature. 

After  having  weathered  so  many  storms  and  hardships,  she 
was  brought  as  a  presentby  Lieut.  Bagnold,  of  the  royal  navy,  to 
a  lady  in  Salisbury  ;  where,  alas  !  their  fleecy  friend  died  of  a 
bowel  complaint  the  second  day  after  her  arrival,  most  sin- 
cerely lamented,  the  22d  of  January,  1808, 


SAGACITY  OF  ANIMALS.  IJ^l 

Lines  written  on  the  preceding  most  remarkable  Sheep. 

Scarce  thirty  suns  had  briohten'd  o'er  her  head, 

When  to  Arab's  deck  young;  Jack*  was  led  ; 

Here  from  her  master's  side  she  ne'er  would  stray, 

Ate  of  his  meat,  and  on  his  hammock  lay. 

Grateful  for  this,  wlien  left  on  Norway's  beach, 

She  brav'd  the  sea,  the  distant  ship  to  reach. 

This  act  heroic  stays  the  murd'rous  knife, 

And  all  the  crew  demand  to  save  her  life. 

Thus  spar'd,  she  visits  each  far  distant  main  : 

In  fourteen  battles,  amid  heroes  slain. 

She  'scapes  unhurt;  save  that  the  whizzing  lead 

Bears  off  one  horn,  then  gently  graz'd  her  head. 

All  perils  past,  she  reach  d  her  native  shore. 

To  tempt  the  rage  of  war  and  seas  no  more. — 

"  Go,  my  dear  Jack,"  her  grateful  master  said, 

(As  on  her  snow-white  head  his  hand  he  laid  ;) 

"  Go  seek  the  shady  grove,  the  verdant  mead  ; 

There  rest  securely,  and  securely  feed. 

A  thousand  joys  shall  thy  long  life  attend. 

Blest  with  that  greatest  good,  a  faithful  friend. — 

Vain  were  these  hopes  !  at  Sarum  safe  arriv'd. 

Sudden  she  sicken'd,  and  as  sudden  died. — 

Well,  then,  dear  Jack,  since  fate  lias  seal'd  thj'  doom. 

Be  thine  the  honours  of  the  sculptur'd  tomb. 

There  too  shall  this  just  eulogy  appear, 

"  A  sheep,  a  much-lov'd  sheep,  reposes  here." 

M'    'is  in  thee  some  future  bard  shall  trace. 

Such  as  ne'er  yet  adorn'd  the  fleecy  race. 

A  patient  temper,  to  all  ills  resign'd. 

Sense  almost  human,  to  good  nature  join'd. 

No  charms  for  her  had  flow'ry  lawn  or  grove, 

Twas  man  she  sought — to  man  gave  all  her  love. 

Had  she  but  liv'd  in  fiction's  classic  days. 

The  muse  had  sung  her  fame  in  deathless  lays  ; 

Had  fondly  told,  that  her  not  mortal  frame 

Return'd  from  earth  to  heav'n,  from  whence  it  came  ; 

Advanc'd  to  share  with  Aries  on  high. 

The  space  assign'd  him  in  her  native  sky. 

•  It  was  a  female  sheep,  but  by  the  sailors  was  constantly  called  Jack. 

The  following  is  a  notable  instance  of  the  Sagacity  op  a 
Monkey. — Some  strolling  showmen,  being  at  Stonin,  a  town 
of  Lithuania,  belonging  to  Count  Ogienski,  grand  general 
of  that  province,  diverted  the  inhabitants  by  exhibiting  the 
tricks  and  gambols  of  half  a  dozen  monkeys  they  had  along 
with  them  :  this  new  spectacle  roused  the  curiosity  of  people 
of  all  degrees,  insomuch  that  the  overseers  of  the  improve- 
ments which  were  carrying  on  in  that  neighbourhood  saw 
themselves  deserted  by  all  their  workmen.  Desirous  to  recall 
them  to  their  duty,  yet  unwilling  to  drive  the  strollers  away 
by  main  force,  they  offered  the  chief  a  round  sum  of  money, 
on  condition  of  his  leaving  the  town  immediately  :  the  man 
agreed  to  this;  and,  with  his  two  assistants,  and  company  of 
four-footed  comedians,  set  off  from  Stonin. 


192  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ANIMALS. 

They  had  hardly  proceeded  out  of  town,  when  they  were 
beset  by  some  banditti,  who  robbed  and  murdered  not  only 
them,  but  all  their  harmless  followers,  except  one,  who  escap- 
ed the  general  slaughter,  and,  unperceived,  climbed  up  a  tree, 
whence  he  could  spy  all  the  proceedings  of  the  villains,  who 
had  no  sooner  made  sure  of  their  spoils,  than  they  proceeded 
to  inter  the  bodies,  both  of  the  men  and  beasts,  covering 
the  place  with  earth  and  boughs,  and  then  made  off. 

Sometime  after,  a  coach-and-four  approached;  wliich  the 
surviving  monkey  no  sooner  descried,  than  he  set  up  a  most 
dismal  yell.  The  gentleman,  who,  as  it  afterwards  proved, 
was  going  on  a  visit  to  the  grand-general,  amazed  at  so  un- 
usual a  noise,  ordered  the  coachman  to  stop,  when,  alighting, 
he  was  still  more  surprised  to  see  the  animal  coming  down 
the  tree,  and  making  towards  him  ;  the  monkey,  taught  per- 
haps to  reverence  people  of  rank,  began  to  lick  his  feet,  and, 
by  several  gestures,  seemed  to  intimate  that  he  had  some- 
thing extraordinary  to  discover ;  the  animal  led  the  way,  and 
the  gentleman  followed  with  his  servant.  As  soon  as  they 
came  to  the  place,  the  monkey  rent  the  air  with  the  most 
piteous  accents;  then  taking  up  some  of  the  branches,  he 
began  to  scratch  the  earth,  and  throw  it  up  With  all  his  might : 
the  gentleman  seeing  this,  ordered  his  man  to  fall  to  work, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  whole  scene  of  horror  opened  to  his 
view. 

Fearing  a  similar  fate,  the  Lithuanian,  forgetting  the  saga- 
cious animal,  got  into  his  carriage,  and  posted  to  the  grand- 
general  as  fast  as  his  horses  could  carry  him.  Poor  pug,  ra- 
ther than  be  left  behind,  fastened  about  the  coach  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  arrived  likewise  at  the  count's,  who,  having 
heard  the  gentleman's  report,  sent  a  proper  force  after  the 
banditti:  they  were  overtaken,  and  committed  to  prison.  The 
grand-general  ordered  the  monkey  to  betaken  into  his  palace, 
and  kept  with  the  greatest  care.  This  surprising  mark  of 
instinct  and  gratitude  is  deemed  the  more  wonderful,  as  that 
animal  generally  turns  his  natural  sagacity  to  mischief  and 
treachery. 

We  shall  in  the  next  place  give  an  astonishing  instance  of 
Sagacity  in  a  Horse. 

At  Chepstow,  in  Monmouthshire,  there  is  a  bridge,  the 
construction  of  which  is  extremely  curious,  as  the  planks  that 
form  the  floor  rise  with  the  tide,  which,  at  certain  times,  is 
said  to  attain  to  the  height  of  seventy  feet. 

This  floor  of  the  bridge  it  was  necessary  at  one  time  to  re- 
move ;  which  was  accordingly  done,  and  only  one  or  two  of 
the  planks  remained  for  the  convenience  of  the  foot  passen- 
gers.    This  way  was  well  lighted,  and  a  man  placed  at  the 


INSTANCES  OF  SAGACITY.  193 

end  to  warn  those  that  approached  of  their  danger.  But  it 
so  happened,  that  one  dreadful  stormy  night  the  lamps  blew 
out,  and  the  monitor,  supposing  that  no  one  would  in  such 
a  hurricane  attempt  to  pass,  wisely  retired  to  shelter. 

After  midnight,  a  traveller  knocked  at  the  door  of  an  inn  at 
Chepstow. 

"  Who  is  there  V  said  the  landlord,  who  had  long  retired 
to  rest,  and  was  now  called  out  of  bed. 

The  traveller  mentioned  his  name,  which  was  well  known. 

"  How  did  you  come?"  said  the  landlord. 

"  How  did  1  come  ?  Why,  over  the  bridge  to  be  sure  !" 

"  What !  on  horseback  ?" 

"  Yes.." 

"  No  !"  said  the  landlord,  "  that  is  impossible  !  however,  as 
you  are  here,  I'll  let  you  in." 

The  host,  when  the  traveller  repeated  Ins  assertion,  was 
staggered.  He  was  certain  that  he  must  have  come  over  the 
bridge,  because  there  was  no  other  way  ;  but  also  knowing 
the  state  in  which  the  passage  was,  he  could  only  attribute 
the  escape  of  the  traveller  and  his  horse  to  witchcraft.  He, 
however,  said  nothing  to  him  that  night;  but  the  next  morn- 
ing took  him  to  the  bridge,  and  showed  him  the  plank  that 
his  horse  must  have  passed  over,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
pointed  to  the  raging  torren*  beneath. 

Struck  with  this  circumstance,  the  traveller,  it  is  said,  was 
seized  with  an  illness  from  which  he  did  not  speedily  recover. 

It  is  from  a  respectable  source  that  we  insert  the  following 
narrative  of  the  Sagacity  or  Dogs, 

M.  La  Valee,  in  his  Journey  through  the  Departments  of 
France,  published  in  1792,  gives  the  following  curious  account 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  country  people,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Peronne  and  Doulens,  had  trained  their  dogs  to  elude 
the  vigilance  of  the  officers  of  the  revenue. — At  night,  these 
animals  were  laden,  each  with  a  parcel  of  goods  proportioned 
to  its  size  ;  except  one  alone,  who  was  their  leader,  and  went 
without  any  burden.  A  crack  of  a  whip  was  a  signal  for  them 
to  set  out.  The  leader  travelled  a  little  distance  before  the 
rest ;  and,  if  he  perceived  the  traces  of  any  stranger,  he  re- 
turned to  the  other  dogs  :  these  either  took  a  different  way, 
or,  if  the  danger  was  pressing,  concealed  themselves  behind 
the  hedges,  and  lay  close  till  the  patrole  had  passed.  When 
they  arrived  at  the  habitation  of  their  master's  associate, 
they  hid  themselves  in  the  neighboring  fields  and  hedges, 
while  their  leader  went  to  the  house,  and  scratched  at  the 
door,  or  barked,  till  he  was  admitted,  when  he  lay  quietly 
down,  as  at  home:  by  this  the  smuggler  knew  that  the  cara- 
van was  come  ;  and,  if  the  coast  was  clear,  he  went  out,  when 

2  B 


194  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  ANIMALS. 

he  gave  a  ioud  whistle,  and  the  dogs  came  running  to  him 
from  their  several  hiding-places! 

Peltier,  in  his  Annals  of  Paris,  No.  164,  for  December,  1798, 
records  the  following  anecdote  : — At  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution,  a  dog  went  daily  to  the  parade  before  the  palace 
of  the  Thuilleries,  thrust  himself  between  the  legs  of  the  mu- 
sicians, marched  with  them,  halted  with  them,  and  after  the 
parade,  disappeared  until  the  next  morning,  when  he  resumed 
his  occupation.  The  constant  appearance  of  this  dog,  and  the 
pleasure  which  he  seemed  to  take  in  the  music,  made  him  a 
favourite  with  the  band,  who  nicknamed  him.  Parade.  One 
gave  him  food  to-day,  another  to-morrow;  and  he  understood, 
by  a  slight  signal,  and  a  word  or  two,  whom  he  was  to  follow 
for  his  dinner;  after  which,  faithful  to  his  independence,  the 
dog  always  withdrew,  in  spite  of  any  caresses  or  threats. 
Sometimes  he  went  to  the  opera,  sometimes  to  the  Comedie 
Italienne,  and  sometimes  to  the  Theatre  Feydeau  ;  in  each  of 
which  houses  he  found  his  way  to  the  orchestra,  and  would 
lie  down  silently  in  one  corner  of  it,  until  the  performance  was 
over.  "  I  know  not,  (says  Peltier)  whether  this  dog  be  now 
alive:  but  I  know  many  musicians,  to  whom  his  name,  his 
figure,  and  the  singularity  of  his  habits,  are  perfectly  fa- 
miliar." 

In  Petit's  Campaign  of  Italy,  under  the  chief  consul  Buo- 
naparte, published  in  1800,  we  have  the  following  anecdote, 
which  places  this  animal  in  the  most  engaging  light :  "  In 
traversing  the  Alps  over  the  mountain  Great  St.  Bernard, 
many  people  perish  among  the  almost  inaccessible  rocks, 
whose  sunnnits  are  covered  with  eternal  snow.  At  the  time 
we  crossed  them,  the  chapel  of  the  monastery  of  St-  Bernard 
was  filled  with  dead  bodies,  which  their  dogs  had  discovered 
suffocated  and  benumbed  under  the  snow.  With  what  emo- 
tions of  pleasure  did  I  caress  these  dogs,  so  useful  to  travel- 
lers !  how  can  one  speak  of  them  without  being  moved  by 
their  charitable  instinct !  Notwithstanding  the  paucity  of  our 
eatables,  there  was  not  a  French  soldier  who  did  not  manifest 
an  eagerness  to  give  them  some  biscuit,  some  bread,  and  even 
a  share  of  their  meat.  Morning  and  evening,  these  dogs  go 
out  on  discovery  ;  and  if  in  the  midst  of  their  wandering 
courses  the  echo  of  some  unfortunate  creature  ready  to  perish 
reaches  their  attentive  ears,  they  run  towards  those  who  call 
out,  express  their  joy,  and  seem  to  bid  the  sufferer  take 
courage,  till  they  have  been  to  procure  assistance ;  in  fact, 
they  hasten  back  to  the  convent,  and,  with  an  air  of  inquietude 
and  sadness,  announce  in  a  very  discernible  manner  what 
they  have  seen.  In  that  case,  a  small  basket  is  fastened 
round  the  dog's  neck,  filled  with  food  proper  for  re-animating 
life  almost  exhausted  ;  and,  by  following  the  benevolent  mes- 


ANECDOTES   OF    DOGS.  195 

senger,  an  unhappy  creature  is  thus  frequently  snatched  from 
impending  destruction." 

A  Floientine  nobleman  possessed  a  dog,  v  hich  would  attend 
his  table,  change  his  plates,  and  carry  his  wine  to  him,  with 
the  utmost  steadiness,  and  the  most  accurate  attention  to  his 
master's  notices. 

It  is  related  by  the  illustrious  Leibnitz,  that  a  Saxon  pea- 
sant was  in  possession  of  a  dog  of  the  middlino-  size,  then 
about  three  years  of  age.  The  peasant's  son,  perceivinir  acci- 
dentally, as  he  imagined,  some  resemblance  in  its  sounds  to 
those  of  the  human  voice,  attempted  to  teach  it  to  speak.  By 
the  perseverance  of  the  lad,  the  dog  acquired  the  power,  we 
are  told,  of  pronouncing  about  thirty  words.  It  would,  how- 
ever, exercise  this  extraordinary  faculty  only  with  reluctance, 
the  words  being  always  first  spoken  by  the  preceptor,  and  then 
echoed  by  the  pupil.  This  circumstance  is  attested  by  Leibnitz, 
who  himself  heard  it  speak;  and  it  was  communicated  by  him 
in  a  memoir  to  the  Royal  Academy  of  France. 

In  the  theatre  of  Marcellus,  a  case  occurred,  which  many  will 
consider  more  probable,  but  which  is  almost  as  extraordinary, 
as  mentioned  by  Plutarch. — "  A  dog  was  here  exhibited  which 
excelled  in  various  dances  of  great/complication  and  difficulty, 
and  represented  also  the  effects  of  disease  and  pain  upon  the 
frame,  in  all  the  contortions  of  countenance  and  writhings  of 
the  body,  from  the  first  access,  to  that  paroxysm  which  often 
immediately  precedes  dissolution.  Having  thus  apparently 
expired  in  agony,  he  would  suffer  himself  to  be  carried  about 
motionless,  as  in  a  state  of  death  ;  and  after  a  sufficient  con- 
tinuance (jf  the  jest,  he  would  burst  upon  the  spectators  with 
an  animation  and  sportiveness,  w  hich  formed  a  very  interest- 
ing conclusion  of  this  curious  interlude,  by  which  the  animal 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  success  of  his  scenic  efforts,  and  to  be 
delighted  with  the  admiration  which  was  liberally  and  univer- 
sally bestowed  upon  him." 

"  A  tinker  (says  Pezelius)  brought  a  wonderful  dog  to 
Constantinople ;  and  a  number  of  people  being  assembled 
to  behold  him,  many  of  them  laid  their  rings  in  a  heap  con- 
fusedly before  him.  At  the  command  of  his  master,  he  would 
restore  to  every  man  his  own,  without  any  mistake.  Also,  when 
his  master  asked  him  which  of  the  company  was  a  captain, 
which  a  poor  man,  which  a  wife,  which  a  widow,  and  the  like, 
he  would  discover  all  this  without  error,  by  taki  ig  the  garment 
of  the  party  inquired  after  in  his  mouth." 


196  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    FISHES. 

CHAP.  XVI. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    FISHES. 

The  Frogjisk — Bird-catching    Fish — The  Nautilus — The   Air- 
bladder  in  Fishes — Respiration  in  Fishes — Shoiver  of  Fishes. 

-The  scaly  brood 


In  countless  myriads  cleave  the  crystal  flood." 

"  Who  can  old  Ocean's  pathless  bed  explore. 
And  count  her  tribes  that  people  ev'ry  shore," 

The  Frog-Fish. — There  is  a  very  sino;ular  animal  of  Suri- 
nam, bearing  this  name,  of  which  a  figure  is  given  by  Mr. 
Edwards,  in  his  History  of  Birds,  vol.  I.  but  of  which  no  spe- 
cimen is  to  be  found  either  in  the  British  Museum,  or  in  any 
private  collection,  except  that  of  Dr.  Fothergill.  It  was 
brought  from  Surinam,  in  South  America. 

Frogs,  both  in  Asia  and  Africa,  according  to  Merian,  change 
gradually  from  fishes  to  frogs,  as  those  in  Europe  ;  but  after 
many  years,  revert  again  into  fishes,  though  the  manner  of 
their  change  has  never  been  investigated.  In  Surinam  these 
fishes  are  called  Jakjes:  they  are  cartilaginous,  of  a  substance 
like  our  mustela,  and  exquisite  food ;  they  are  formed  with 
regular  vertebrae,  and  small  bones  all  over  the  body,  divided 
into  equal  parts  ;  are  first  darkish,  and  then  gray  ;  and  their 
scales  make  a  beautiful  appearance.  Whether  this  animal  is, 
in  its  perfect  state,  a  species  of  frog  with  a  tail,  or  a  kind  of 
water-lizard,  Mr.  Edwards  does  not  pretend  to  determine  ;  but 
he  observes,  that  when  its  size  is  considered,  if  it  should  be 
deemed  a  tadpole,  at  first  produced  from  spawn,  and  in  its 
progress  towards  a  frog,  such  an  animal,  when  full-grown  ;  if  it 
bears  the  same  proportion  to  its  tadpole  state  that  those  in 
Europe  do  to  theirs,  it  must  be  of  enormous  size  ;  for  our  full- 
grown  frogs  exceed  the  tadpoles  at  least  fifty  times. 

Another  curiosity  is.  The  Bird-catchingFish. — This  fish 
is  called  by  the  natives  of  Canada,  Chaousaron ;  its  body  is 
nearly  the  shape  of  a  jack  or  pike,  but  is  covered  with  scales 
that  are  proof  against  the  stab  of  a  dagger  ;  its  colour  is  a  sil- 
ver gray,  and  there  grows  under  its  mouth  a  fin  that  is  flat, 
jagged  at  the  edges,  and  pierced  at  the  end,  which  gives  rea- 
son to  conjecture  that  it  breathes  by  that  part.  This  fish  is 
about  five  feet  in  length,  and  as  thick  as  a  man's  thigh  ;  but 
some  of  them,  it  is  said,  are  eight  or  ten  feet  long.  In  order  to 
catch  birds,  it  hides  itself  among  the  reeds  in  such  a  manner, 
that  no  part  of  it  can  be  seen  but  the  fin  just  mentioned  ;  this 


THE   NAUTILUS.  197 

it  erects  upright  out  of  the  water,  and  birds  that  want  to  rest 
themselves,  take  this  fin  for  a  reed,  or  a  dry  piece  of  wood  j 
ut  no  sooner  have  they  alighted  on  it,  than  the  fish  opens 
his  mouth,  and  makes  such  a  quick  motion  to  seize  its  prev, 
that  it  seldom  escapes. 

Another  curious  object  is,  The  Nautilus. 

Learn  of  the  little  Nautilus  to  sail. 

Spread  the  thin  oar,  and  catch  the  driving  gale.         Pope. 

The  shell  of  this  animal  consists  of  one  spiral  valve,  divided 
into  several  apartments.  There  are  seventeen  species,  chiefly 
distinguished  by  peculiarities  in  their  shells. 

The  most  remarkable  division  of  the  Nautilus  is  into  the 
thin  and  thick-shelled  kinds.  The  first  is  called  Nauiilus 
Papi/roceus;  and  its  shell  is  indeed  no  thicker  than  a  piece  of 
paper,  when  out  of  the  water.  This  species  is  not  at  all  fast- 
ened to  its  shell;  but  there  is  an  opinion,  as  old  as  the  days 
of  Plinv,  that  this  creature  creeps  out  of  its  shell,  and 
goes  on  shore  to  feed.  When  this  species  is  to  sail,  it  ex- 
pands two  of  its  arms  on  high,  and  between  these  supports  a 
membrane,  which  it  throws  out  on  this  occasion  :  this  serves 
for  its  sail,  and  the  two  other  arms  it  hanos  out  of  its  shell, 
to  serve  occasionally  either  as  oars  or  as  a  steerage  ;  but  this 
last  office  is  generally  served  by  the  tail.  When  the  sea  is 
calm,  numbers  of  these  creatures  may  frequently  be  seen 
diverting  themselves  in  this  manner,  in  the  Mediterranean  : 
but  as  soon  as  a  storm  rises,  or  any  thing  gives  them  distur- 
bance, they  draw  in  their  legs,  and  take  in  as  much  water  as 
makes  them  specifically  heavier  than  that  in  which  they  float; 
and  then  they  sink  to  the  bottom.  When  they  rise  again, 
they  void  this  water  by  a  number  of  holes,  of  which  their  legs 
are  full. 

The  other  nautilus,  whose  shell  is  thick,  never  quits  its 
habitation.  This  shell  is  divided  into  forty  or  more  partitions, 
which  grow  smaller  and  smaller  as  they  approach  the  extre- 
mity or  centre  of  the  shell  :  between  each  of  these  cells  there 
is  a  communication  by  means  of  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  the 
partitions.  Through  this  hole  there  runs  a  pipe,  of  the 
whole  length  of  the  shell.  It  is  supposed  by  many,  that  by 
means  of  this  pipe  the  fish  occasionally  passes  from  one  cell 
to  another;  but  this  seems  by  no  means  probable,  as  the  fish 
must  undoubtedly  be  crushed  to  death  by  attempting  to  pass 
through  it.  It  is  much  more  likely  that  the  fish  always  occupies 
the  largest  chamber  in  its  shell;  that  is,  that  it  lives  in  the  cavity 
between  the  mouth  and  the  first  partition,  and  that  it  never 
removes  out  of  this  ;  but  that  all  the  apparatus  of  cells,  and 
a  pipe  of  communication,  which  we  so  much  admire,  serve 


198  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   FISHES. 

only  to  admit  occasionally  air  or  water  into  the  shell,  in  such 
proportion  as  may  serve  the  creature  in  its  intentions  of  swim- 
ming. 

Some  authors  call  this  shell  the  concha  margaritifera :  but 
this  can  be  only  on  account  of  the  fine  colour  on  its  inside, 
which  is  more  beautiful  than  any  other  mother-of-pearl ;  for 
it  has  not  been  observed  than  this  species  of  fish  ever  pro- 
duced pearls. 

It  must  be  observed,  that  the  polypus  is  by  no  means  to  be 
confounded  with  the  paper-shelled  nautilus,  notwithstanding 
the  great  resemblance  in  the  arms  and  body  of  the  inclosed 
fish  ;  nor  is  the  cornu  ammonis,  so  frequently  found  fossil, 
to  be  confounded  with  the  thick-shelled  nautilus,  though  the 
concamerations  and  general  structure  of  the  shell  are  alike  in 
both:  for  there  are  great  and  essential  differences  between  all 
these  genera.  There  is  a  pretty  copious  and  minute  account 
of  this  curious  animal  in  the  Gentleman's  Masazine,  vol.  xxii. 
p.  6,  7,  8,  and  301,  and  vol.  xxv.  p.  128. 

We  now  proceed  to  describe  that  destructive  inhabitant  of 
the  mighty  deep.  The  Shark. — Sharks,  though  voracious 
creatures,  are  seldom  destructive  in  the  temperate  regions ;  it 
is  in  the  torrid  zone  that  their  ravages  are  most  frequent.  In 
the  West  Indies,  accidents  happen  from  them  daily.  During 
the  American  war  in  1780,  while  the  Pallas  frigate  was  lying 
in  Kingston  harbour,  a  young  North  American  jumped  over- 
board one  evening,  to  make  his  escape,  and  perished  by  a 
shark  in  a  shocking  manner.  He  had  been  captured  in  a 
small  vessel,  lost  all  his  property,  and  was  detained  by  com- 
pulsion in  the  English  navy,  to  serve  in  a  predatory  war 
against  his  country.  But  he,  animated  with  that  spirit  which 
pervaded  every  bosom  in  America,  resolved,  as  soon  as  he 
arrived  at  some  port,  to  release  himself  from  the  mortifying 
state  of  employing  his  life  against  his  country,  which,  as  he 
said  when  dying,  he  was  happy  to  lay  down,  as  he  could  not 
employ  it  against  her  enemies.  He  plunged  into  the  water : 
the  Pallas  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore.  A  shark 
perceived  him,  and  followed  him  very  quietly,  till  he  came 
near  the  shore  ;  where,  as  he  was  hanging  by  a  rope  that 
moored  a  vessel  to  a  wharf,  scarcely  out  of  his  depth,  the 
shark  seized  his  right  leg,  stripped  the  flesh  entirely  from  the 
bonf:,  and  took  the  foot  off  at  the  ancle.  He  still  kept  his 
hoM,  and  called  to  the  people  in  the  vessel  near  him,  who 
were  standing  on  the  deck,  and  saw  the  affair.  The  shark 
then  seized  his  other  leg,  which  the  man  by  his  struggling 
disengaged  from  his  teeth,  but  with  the  flesh  cut  through 
down  to  the  bone,  into  a  multitude  of  narrow  slips.  The 
people  in  the  vessel  threw  billets  of  wood  into  the  water,  and 


m-  ;J;Wi':''  '■ 


THE  SHARK.  199 

frightened  the  shark  away.  The  young  man  was  brought  on 
shore.  Dr.  Mosely  was  called  to  him ;  but  he  had  lost  so 
much  blood  before  any  assistance  could  be  given  him,  that  he 
expired  before  the  mangled  limbs  could  be  taken  off".  A  few 
weeks  before  this,  a  shark  of  twelve  feet  in  length  was  cauoht 
in  the  harbour  ;  and  on  being-  opened,  the  entire  head  of  a 
man  was  found  in  his  stomach.  The  scalp  and  flesh  of  the 
face  were  macerated  to  a  soft  pulpy  substance  ;  which,  on 
being  touched,  separated  entirely  from  the  bones.  The  bones, 
were  somewhat  softened,  and  the  sutures  loosened. --(Moselev 
on  Tropical  Diseases.) 

A  very  extraordinary  instance  of  intrepidity  and  friendship 
is  given  by  M.  Hughes,  in  his  Natural  History  of  Barbadoes. 
It  happened  about  the  end  of  Queen  Anne's  wars,  at  Barba- 
does.— The  sailors  of  the  York  Merchant,  having  ventured 
into  the  sea  to  wash  themselves,  a  large  shark  made  towards 
them  ;  upon  which  they  swam  back,  and  all  reached  the  boat 
except  one,  whom  the  monster  overtook,  and,  griping  him  by 
the  small  of  his  back,  soon  cut  him  asunder,  and  swallowed 
the  lower  part  of  his  body;  the  remaining  part  was  taken  up 
and  carried  on  board,  where  was  a  connade  of  the  deceased, 
between  whom  friendship  had  been  long  reciprocal.  When 
he  saw  the  severed  trunk  of  his  friend,  with  a  horror  and 
emotion  too  great  for  words  to  paint,  he  vowed  that  he  would 
make  the  devourer  disgorge,  or  be  swallowed  himself  in  the 
same  grave,  and  plunged  into  the  deep,  armed  with  a  sharp- 
pointed  knife.  The  shark  no  sooner  saw  him,  than  he  made 
furiously  toward  him  :  both  were  equally  eager,  the  one  of  his 
prey,  the  other  of  revenge.  The  moment  the  shark  opened 
his  rapacious  jaws,  his  adversary  dexterously  diving,  and 
grasping  him  with  his  left  hand  somewhat  below  the  upper 
fins,  successfully  employed  his  knife  in  his  right  hand,  giving 
him  repeated  stabs  in  the  belly.  The  enraged  shark,  after 
many  unavailing  efforts,  finding  himself  overmatched  in  his 
own  element,  endeavoured  to  disenoao-e  himself,  sometimes 
plunging  to  the  bottom,  then,  mad  with  pain,  rearing  his  un- 
couth form,  now  stained  with  his  own  streaming  blood,  above 
the  foaming  waves.  The  crews  of  the  surrounding  vessels 
saw  the  doubtful  combat,  uncertain  from  which  of  the  com- 
batants the  streams  of  blood  issued  ;  till  at  length  the  shark, 
much  weakened  by  the  loss  of  blood,  made  towards  the  shore, 
and  with  him  his  conqueror;  who,  now  assured  of  victory, 
pushed  his  foe  with  redoubled  ardour,  and,  by  the  help  of  an 
ebbing  tide,  dragged  him  on  shore,  ripped  up  his  bowels,  and 
united  and  buried  the  severed  carcase  of  his  friend. 

"  It  is  evident,  (says  Dr.  Moseley,)  that  digestion  in  these 
animals  is  not  performed  by  trituration,  nor  by  the  muscular 
action  of  the   stomach ;    thoutrh  nature  has  furnished  them 


200  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    FISHES. 

with  a  stomach  of  wonderful  force  and  thickness,  and  far 
exceeding  that  of  any  other  creature.  Whatever  their  force 
of  digestion  is,  it  has  no  effect  upon  their  young  ones,  which 
always  retreat  into  their  stomachs  in  time  of  danger.  That 
digestion  is  not  performed  by  heat  in  fish,  is  equally  evideiit. 
The  coolness  of  the  stomach  of  these  fishes  is  far  greater  than 
the  temperature  of  the  water  out  of  which  they  are  taken  ;  or 
of  any  other  part  of  the  fish,  or  of  any  other  substance  of  ani- 
piated  nature  I  ever  felt.  On  wrapping  one  of  them  round 
my  hand,  immediately  on  being  taken  out  of  the  fish,  it 
caused  so  much  aching  and  numbness  that  I  could  not  endure 
it  long.  Of  these  voracious  sea  monsters,  there  are  thirty 
three  species." 

The  Torpedo. — The  torpedo  inhabits  the  Mediterranean 
and  the  North  Seas,  and  grows  to  the  weight  of  twenty  pounds 
This  fish  possesses  a  strong  electrical  power,  and  is  c  'pable 
of  giving  a  very  considerable  shock  through  a  number  of  per- 
sons forming  a  communication  with  it.  This  power  was 
known  to  the  ancients,  but  exaggerated  by  them  with  all  the 
fables  natural  to  ignorance  ;  and  it  is  only  recently  that  the 
power  has  been  ascertained  to  be  truly  electric.  It  is  con- 
ducted by  the  same  substances  as  electricity,  and  intercepted 
by  the  same.  In  a  minute  and  a  half,  no  fewer  than  fifty 
shocks  have  been  received  from  this  animal,  when  insulated. 
The  shocks  delivered  by  it  in  air,  are  nearly  four  times  as 
strong  as  those  received  from  it  in  water.  This  power  appears 
to  be  always  voluntarily  exercised  by  the  torpedo,  which  oc 
casionally  may  be  touched  and  handled  without  its  causing 
the  slightest  agitation.  When  the  fish  is  irritated,  however, 
this  quality  is  exercised  with  proportional  effect  to  the  degree 
of  irritation;  and  its  exercise  is  stated,  in  every  instance,  to  be 
accompanied  by  a  depression  of  the  eyes.  When  that  animal 
exerts  the  benumbing  power,  from  which  it  derives  its  name, 
and  when  it  operates  by  separate  and  repeated  efforts,  this  is 
always  the  case.  Both  in  the  continued,  and  in  the  instan- 
taneous process,  the  eyes,  which  are  at  other  times  prominent, 
are  withdrawn  into  their  sockets  ;  a  circumstance  very  natu- 
rally attaching  both  to  the  condensation  and  discharge  of  the 
subtle  fluid.  Specimens  have  been  known  of  this  fish  weigh 
ing  fifty,  and  even  eighty  pounds.  It  commonly  lies  in  forty 
fathoms  of  water,  and  is  supposed  to  stupify  its  prey  by  this 
extraordinary  faculty.  It  is  sometimes  nearly  imbedded  in 
the  sands  of  shallows;  and  it  is  stated,  in  these  cases,  to  give 
to  any  who  happens  to  tread  upon  it,  an  astonishing  and  over- 
whelming shock.  On  dissection,  it  was  found  to  exhibit  no 
material  difference  from  the  general  structure  of  the  ray, 
excepting  with   respect  to  the  electric  or   galvanic  organs, 


AIR-BLADDEK.  201 

which  have  been  minutely  examined  and  detailed  by  the  cele- 
brated anatomist,  John  Hunter:  he  states  them  ''to  be 
placed  on  each  side  of  the  cranium  and  gills,  reaching  thence 
to  each  great  fin,  and  extending  longitudinally  from  the  ante- 
rior extremity  of  the  animal,  to  the  transverse  cartilage  which 
divides  the  thorax  from  the  abdomen." 

From  the  whole  description,  it  appears  that  these  organs, 
as  Mr.  Shaw  observes,  constitute  a  pair  of  galvanic  batteries, 
disposed  in  the  form  of  perpendicular  hexagonal  columns ; 
while,  in  the  gymnotus  electricus,  the  galvanic  battery  is 
disposed  lengthwise  on  the  lower  part  of  the  animal.  It  is 
stated,  that  the  torpedo,  in  its  dying  state,  communicates 
shocks  in  more  than  usually  rapid  succession,  but  in  propor- 
tional weakness  ;  and  in  seven  minutes,  in  these  circumstances, 
three  hundred  and  sixty  small  shocks  were  distinctly  felt. 
On  the  same  authority  (that  of  Spallanzani)  it  is  reported, 
that  the  young  torpedo  can  exercise  this  power  at  the  mo- 
ment after  its  birth,  and  even  possesses  it  while  a  foetus, 
several  of  these  having  been  taken  from  the  parent  fish,  and 
being  found  to  communicate  perceivable  shocks,  which,  how- 
ever, were  most  distinctly  felt  when  these  animals  were  insu- 
lated on  a  plate  of  glass. 

A  very  curious  object  is,  The  Aik-Bladder  in  Fishes, —  a 
There  is  no  doubt  that  fishes  extract  air  from  water  by  means 
of  their  gills,  since  it  is  through  them  that  they  renew  the  air 
of  their  air-bladder.  This  bladder  is  an  oblong  bag,  consistino- 
of  two  or  three  membranes  easily  separated  ;  sometimes  it  has 
only  a  single  lobe  or  cavity,  as  in  the  case  of  pikes,  whitings, 
trouts,  &.C. ;  at  other  times  it  has  two  lobes,  as  in  the  case  of  bar- 
bel and  carp  ;  three,  as  in  that  of  the  sea  tench ;  or  four,  as  in  the 
Chinese  gold  fish.  It  is  by  expanding  or  compressing  this  blad- 
der, that  the  fish  occupies  more  or  less  space  in  the  water,  be- 
comes more  orless  heavy, andascendsordescends  as  it  chooses. 
The  division  of  the  bladder  into  different  lobes  has  proceeded 
from  a  very  suflScient  reason.  When  the  bladder  has  only  one 
cavity,  as  in  the  case  of  fishes  of  prey,  the  motion  of  ascent  or 
descent  takes  place  slowly,  and  without  a  break  ;  because,  as 
they  compress  the  whole  bladder  at  once,  the  whole  body  is 
moved  horizontally,  upwards  or  downwards,  as  the  case  may  be ; 
a  circumstance  which  has  the  effect  of  lessening,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  resistance  of  the  water,  the  swiftness  of  those 
tyrants  of  the  deep.  When  the  bladder  has  two  lobes,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  carp,  which  lives  on  insects,  that  fish,  by  ex- 
panding the  anterior  and  compressing  the  posterior  lobe, 
rises  rapidly  with  the  head  foremost  to  the  surface  of  the 
water,  or  sinks  to  the  bottom  with  equal  expedition,  by  com- 
pressing its  two  lobes  in  different  wavs.     The  consequence  is, 

2  0" 


202  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   FISHES. 

an  increased  promptitude  of  movement,  and  additional  means 
of  escaping  from  its  enemies.  When  the  bladder  has  four 
lobes,  as  in  the  case  of  the  gold  fish,  that  fish  is  thus  en- 
abled to  vary  greatly  its  contractions  and  expansions.  It  rises, 
sinks,  bends,  erects,  or  turns  itself  in  a  thousand  ways,  and 
plays  in  the  water,  like  a  bird  in  the  air.  It  displays  all  the 
richness  of  the  colours  of  gold,  silver,  or  purple,  with  which 
Nature  has  adorned  it.  Its  attitudes  are  so  o-raceful,  and  its 
movements  so  varied,  that  the  Chinese,  from  whom  we  origi- 
nally received  it,  are  said  to  pass  whole  days  in  looking  at  it, 
in  the  basins  of  the  fountains  in  their  gardens,  or  in  crystal 
vessels.  It  is  evidently  indebted  for  the  ease  and  grace  of  its 
motions,  to  the  modulations  consequent  on  the  four  divisions 
of  its  air-bladder. 

Another  subject  of  curiosity  is.  The  Respiration  in 
Fishes. — Fish  derive  air  from  the  water  which  they  are  inac- 
cessantly  swallowing  through  the  mouth,  and  throwing  out 
by  the  gills.  The  gills  are  formed  with  infinite  skill,  and  may 
be  called  a  delicate  kind  of  sieve,  adapted  for  separating  air 
from  water.  Their  operation  proves  the  radical  difference 
between  these  two  elements,  and  leads  to  the  conclusion,  that 
they  are  not  joined  even  when  mixed.  The  gills  are  placed  in 
the  back  part  of  the  sides  of  the  head,  and  are  contained  in 
a  cavity  adapted  for  them.  They  are  a  kind  of  red  and  flexi- 
ble leaflets,  consisting  of  a  row  of  thin  plates,  like  the  blade  of 
a  knife,  pressed  against  each  other,  and  forming  a  succession  of 
barbs  or  fringed  substances,  similar  to  those  on  the  side  of  a 
goose-quill.  These  gills  are  covered  with  a  small  lid,  and 
with  a  membrane,  supported  by  cartilaginous  threads.  Both 
are  capable  of  being  raised  and  lowered  ;  and,  by  beino-  thus 
opened,  they  aflford  a  passage  to  the  water  swallowed  by  the 
animal.  A  prodigious  number  of  muscles  give  motion  to 
these  minute  particles.  It  may  appear  almost  incredible,  that 
the  number  of  particles  connected  with  the  respiration  of  the 
carp  is  not  fewer  than  4386.  Of  these,  sixty-nine  are  mus- 
cles;  while  the  arteries  of  the  gills,  in  addition  to  eight  prin- 
cipal branches,  throw  forth  4320  smaller  ramifications,  while 
each  of  the  latter  gives  birth  to  a  number  of  cross  arteries. 
Add  to  this,  that  the  quantity  of  nerves  is  not  smaller  than 
that  of  the  arteries ;  and  that  the  veins  are  divided  and 
subdivided,  like  the  arteries,  inasmuch  as  they  do  not  give 
rise  to  any  transverse  capillary  vessels.  In  this  manner  the 
blood  flowing  from  the  heart  of  the  fish  is  spread  over  all  the 
plates  or  blades  of  which  the  gills  are  composed;  so  that  a 
very  small  quantity  of  blood  is  exposed  to  the  action  of  the 
water,  for  the  purpose,  no  doubt,  that  each  part  may  be  easily 
penetrated  by  the  particles  of  air  detached  from  the  water. 


SHOWER  OF  FISHES.  205 

It  is  not  easy  to  explain  in  what  manlier  these  particles  are 
detached  from  the  water  by  the  operation  of  the  gills ;  but 
there  seems  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  nor  of  the  redness  of  the 
gills  being  a  consequence  of  the  operation  of  the  air.  That 
redness  is  exactly  similar  to  the  vermilion  of  the  blood  in  the 
veins  of  animals  with  lungs,  a  vermilion  considerably  brighter 
than  that  of  the  arteries. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  a 
Shower  of  Fishes. — in  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for 
1698,  Mr.  Robert  Conny  gives  the  following  account  of  a 
phenomenon  of  this  kind. 

On  Wednesday  before  Easter,  anno  1666,  a  pasture  field  at 
Cranstead,  near  Wrotham,  in  Kent,  about  two  acres,  which 
is  far  from  any  part  of  the  sea,  or  branch  of  it,  and  a  place 
where  there  are  no  fish-ponds,  but  a  scarcity  of  water,  was  all 
overspread  with  little  fishes,  conceived  to  be  rained  down, 
there  having  been  at  that  time  a  great  tempest  of  thunder  and 
rain  :  the  fishes  were  about  the  lenoth  of  a  man's  little  finoer. 
and  judged  by  all  who  saw  them  to  be  young  whitnigs. 
Many  of  them  were  taken  up,  and  shewed  to  several  persons. 
The  field  belonged  to  one  Ware,  a  yeoman,  who  was  at  that 
Easter  sessions  one  of  the  grand  inquest,  and  who  carried  some 
of  the  fish  to  the  sessions  of  Maidstone,  in  Kent,  and  shewed 
them,  among  others,  to  Mr.  Lake,  a  bencher  of  the  Middle 
Temple,  who  procured  one  of  them,  and  brought  it  to  London 
The  truth  of  it  was  averred  by  many  that  saw  the  fishes  lie 
scattered  all  over  the  field.  There  were  none  in  the  othei 
fields  adjoining  :  the  quantity  of  them  was  estimated  to  be 
about  a  bushel. 

It  is  probable  that  these  fishes  were  absorbed  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  by  the  electric  power  of  a  water-spout;  o: 
brushed  off  by  the  violence  of  a  hurricane.  The  phenomenon, 
though  surprising,  has  occurred  in  various  countries,  and 
occasionally  in  situations  far  more  remote  from  the  coast  than 
that  before  us. 


204  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   FISHES. 

CHAP.  XVII. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    FISHES. (  Cojichidca.) 

The  Whale — Whale  Fhhery — The  Kraken. 
The  whales 


Toss  in  foam  their  lashing  tails. 
Wallowing  unwieldly,  enormous  in  their  gait, 
f  hey  seem  a  moving  land,  and  at  their  gills 
Draw  in,  and  at  tlieir  trunk  spout  out,  a  sea." 

The  following  accountof  the  great  Northern,  ofGreenland 
Whale,  was  first  publislied  by  IMr.  W.  Scoresby,  jun.  M.W.  S 
in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Wernerian  Society,  vol.  I. 

"  The  whale,  when  fullgrown,  is  from  50  to  fi5  feet  in  length, 
and  from  30  to  40  in  circumference,  immediately  before 
the  fins.  It  is  thickest  a  little  behind  the  fins,  and  from 
thence  gradually  tapers  towards  the  tail,  and  slightly  towards 
the  neck.  It  is  cylindrical  from  the  neck  until  near  the  June 
tion  of  the  tail  and  body,  where  it  becomes  rigid. 

"  The  head  has  a  triangular  shape.  The  bones  of  the  head 
are  very  porous,  and  full  of  a  fine  kind  of  oil.  When  the  oil 
is  drained  out,  the  bone  is  so  light  as  to  swim  in  water.  The 
jaw-bones,  the  most  striking  portions  of  the  head,  are  from 
20  to  25  feet  in  length,  are  curved,  and  the  space  between, 
them  is  9  or  10  feet,  by  18  or  20.  They  give  shape  to  the 
under  part  of  the  head,  which  is  almost  perfectly  flat,  and  is 
about  20  feet  in  length  by  12  in  breadth.  The  tongue  is  of 
great  size,  and  yields  a  ton  or  more  of  oil.  The  lips,  which 
are  at  right  angles  to  the  flat  part  of  the  base  of  the  head,  are 
firm  and  hard,  and  yield  about  two  tons  of  oil. 

"  To  the  upper  jaw  is  attached  the  substance  called  whalebone, 
which  is  straight  in  some  individuals,  and  in  others  convex. 
The  laminse,  or  blades,  are  not  all  of  equal  length:  neither  are 
the  largest  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  series,  but  somewhat 
nearer  the  throat ;  from  this  point  they  become  gradually 
shorter  each  way.  In  each  side  of  the  mouth  are  about  200 
laminae  of  whalebone.  They  are  not  perfectly  flat ;  for  besides 
the  longitudinal  curvature  already  mentioned,  they  are  curved 
transversely.  The  largest  laminae  are  from  ten  to  fourteen  feet, 
very  rarely  fifteen  feet,  in  length.  The  breadth  of  the  largest, 
at  the  thick  ends,  or  where  they  are  attached  to  the  jaw,  is 
about  a  foot.  The  Greenland  fishers  estimate  the  size  of  the 
whale  by  the  length  of  the  whalebone  :  where  the  whalebone  is 
six  feet  long,  then  the  whale  is  said  to  be  a  size-fish.  In 
suckers,  or  young  whales  still  under  the  protection  of  t^-r^  mo 


THE  WHAte.  205 

ther,  the  whalebone  is  only  a  few  inches  long.  The  whale- 
bone is  immediately  covered  by  the  two  under  lips, the  edges 
of  which,  when  the  mouth  is  shut,  overlap  the  upper  part 
in   a  squamous  manner. 

"On  the  upper  part  of  the  head  there  is  a  double  opening 
called  the  spout-holes,  or  blow-holes.  Their  external  orifices 
are  like  two  slits,  which  do  not  lie  parallel,  but  form  an  acute 
angle  with  each  other.  Through  these  openings  the  animal 
breathes. 

*•  The  eyes  are  very  small,  not  larger  than  those  of  an  ox ; 
yet  the  whale  appears  to  be  quick  of  sight.  They  are  situated 
about  a  foot  above  where  the  upper  and  under  lip  join. 

"  In  the  whale,  the  sense  of  hearing  seems  to  be  rather  obtuse. 

"  The  throat  is  so  narrow  as  scarcely  to  admit  a  hen's  egg. 

"  The  fins  are  from  four  to  five  feet  broad,  and  eight  to  ten 
feet  long,  and  seem  only  to  be  used  in  bearing  off  their  young, 
in  turning,  and  giving  a  direction  to  the  velocity  produced  by 
the  tail. 

"  The  tail  is  horizontal,  from  20  to  30  feet  in  breadth,  in- 
dented in  the  middle,  and  the  two  lobes  pointed  and  turned 
outwards.  In  it  lies  the  whole  strength  of  the  animal.  By 
means  of  the  tail,  the  whale  advances  itself  in  the  water 
with  greater  or  less  rapidity;  if  the  motion  is  slow,  the  tail 
cuts  the  water  obliquely,  like  forcing  a  boat  forward  by  the 
operation  of  sculling  ;  but  if  the  motion  is  very  rapid,  it  is 
efiected  by  an  undulating  motion  of  the  rump. 

"  The  skin  in  some  whales  is  smooth  and  shining  ;  in  others, 
it  is  furrowed,  like  the  water-lines  in  laid  paper,  but  coarser. 

"The  colour  is  black,  gray,  and  white,  and  a  tinge  of  yellow 
about  the  lower  parts  of  the  head.  Tiie  back,  upper  part  of  the 
head,  most  of  the  belly,  the  fins,  tail,  and  part  of  the  under 
jaw,  are  deep  black.  The  fore  part  of  the  under  jaw,  and  a 
little  of  the  belly,  are  white,  and  the  junction  of  the  tail  with 
the  body  gray.  Such  are  the  common  colours  of  the  adult 
whale.  I  have  seen  piebald  whales.  Such  whales  as  are  below 
size  are  almost  entirely  of  a  bluish  black  colour.  The  skin 
of  suckers  is  of  a  pale  bluish  colour.  The  cuticle,  or  scarf- 
skin,  is  no  thicker  than  parchment ;  the  true  skin  is  from 
three-fourths  to  an  inch  in  thickness  all  over  the  body. 

"  Immediately  beneath  the  skin  lies  the  blubber,  or  fat,  from 
10  to  20  inches  in  thickness,  varying  in  difif'erent  parts  of  the 
body,  as  well  as  in  different  individuals.  The  colour,  also,  is 
not  always  the  same,  being  white,  red,  and  yellow  ;  and  it 
also  varies  in  denseness.  It  is  principally  for  the  blubber  that 
the  Greenland  fishery  is  carried  on.  It  is  cut  from  the  body 
in  large  lumps,  and  carried  on  board  the  ship,  and  then  cut 
into  smaller  pieces.  The  fleshy  parts,  and  skin  connected  with 
the   blubber,  are  next  separated  from  it,  and  it  is  again  cut 


206  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   FISHES. 

into  such  pieces  as  will  admit  of  its  being  passed  into  casks 
by  the  bung-hole,  which  is  only  three  or  four  inches  in  dia- 
meter. In  these  casks  it  is  conveyed  home,  where  it  is  boiled 
in  vessels  capable  of  containing  from  three  to  six  tons,  for  the 
purpose  of  extracting  the  oil  from  the  fritters,  which  are  ten- 
dinous fibres,  running  in  various  directions,  and  containing 
the  oil  or  rather  connecting  together  the  cellular  substance 
which  contains  it.  These  fibres  are  finest  next  the  skin,  thin- 
nest in  the  middle,  and  coarsest  near  the  flesh. 

"The  whales,  according  to  their  size,  produce  from  two  to 
twenty  tons  of  oil.  The  flesh  of  the  young  whale  is  of  a  fine 
red  colour  ;  that  of  the  old  approaches  to  black,  and  is  coarse, 
like  that  of  a  bull,  and  is  said  to  be  dry  and  lean  when  boiled, 
because  there  is  little  fat  intermixed  with  the  flesh. 

"  The  food  of  the  whale  is  generally  supposed  to  consist  of 
different  kinds  of  sepise,  medusae,  or  the  clio  limacina  of 
Linnaeus  ;  but  I  have  great  reason  to  believe,  that  it  is  chiefly, 
if  not  altogether,  of  the  squill  or  shrimp  tribe  ;  for,  on  exa- 
mining the  stomach  of  one  of  laroe  size,  nothing;  else  was 
found  in  it;  they  were  about  half  an  inch  long,  semi-trans- 
parent, and  of  a  pale  red  colour.  I  also  found  a  great  quan- 
tity in  the  mouth  of  another,  having  been  apparently  vomited 
by  it.  When  the  whale  feeds,  it  swims  with  considerable  velo- 
city under  water,  with  its  mouth  wide  open;  the  water  enters 
by  the  forepart,  but  is  poured  out  again  at  the  sides,  and  the 
food  is  entangled  and  sifted  as  it  were  by  the  whalebone, 
M  liich  does  not  suffer  any  thing  to  escape. 

"  It  seldom  remains  longer  below  the  surface  than  twenty  to 
thirty  minutes;  when  it  comes  up  again  to  blow,  it  will  per- 
haps remain  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  minutes  at  the  surface  of 
the  water,  when  nothing  disturbs  it.  In  calm  weather,  it 
sometimes  sleeps  in  this  situation.  It  sometimes  ascends  with 
so  much  force,  as  to  leap  entirely  out  of  the  water  ;  when  swim- 
ming at  its  greatest  velocity,  it  moves  at  the  rate  of  seven 
to  nine  miles  an  hour. 

"  Its  maternal  affection  deserves  notice.  The  young  one 
is  frequently  struck  for  the  sake  of  its  mother,  which  will 
soon  come  up  close  by  it,  encourage  it  to  swim  off",  assist  it 
by  taking  it  under  its  fin,  and  seldom  deserts  it  while  life  re- 
mains. It  is  then  very  dangerous  to  approach,  as  she  loses 
all  regard  for  her  own  safety  in  anxiety  for  the  preservation  of 
her  cub,  dashing  about  most  violently,  and  not  dreading  to 
rise  even  amidst  the  boats.  Except,  however,  when  the  vvhnle 
has  young  to  protect,  the  male  is  in  general  more  active  and 
dangerous  than  the  female,  especially  males  of  about  nine 
feet  bone." 

To  the  above  account  of  Mr.  Scoresby's,  we  shall  add  the 
following  particulars  : 


THE    WHALB.  207 

The  fidelity  of  whales  to  each  other  exceeds  whatever  w«- 
are  told  even  of  the  constancy  of  birds.  Some  fishers,  as 
Anderson  informs  us,  having  struck  one  of  two  whales,  a  male 
and  a  female,  that  were  in  company  together,  the  wounded 
fish  made  a  long  and  terrible  resistance  ;  it  struck  down  a  boat 
with  three  men  in  it,  with  a  single  blow  of  its  tail,  by  which 
all  went  to  the  bottom.  The  other  still  attended  its  companion, 
and  lent  it  every  assistance  ;  till,  at  last,  the  fish  that  was 
struck  sunk  under  the  number  of  its  vvounds  ;  while  its  faith- 
ful associate,  disdaining  to  survive  the  loss,  with  great  bel 
lowing  stretched  itself  upon  the  dead  fish,  and  shared  its 
fate. 

Inoffensive  as  the  whale  is,  it  is  not  without  enemies.  There 
is  a  small  animal,  of  the  shell-fish  kind,  called  the  whale- 
louse,  that  sticks  to  its  body  as  we  see  shells  sticking  to  the 
foul  bottom  of  a  ship.  This  insinuates  itself  chiefly  under 
the  fins  ;  and  whatever  efforts  the  great  animal  makes,  it  still 
keeps  its  hold,  and  lives  upon  the  fat,  which  it  is  provided 
with  instruments  to  arrive  at. 

The  sword-fish  is,  however,  the  whale's  most  terrible  enemy 
At  the  sight  of  this  little  animal,  the  whale  seems  agitated  in 
an  extraordinary  manner,  leaping  from  the  water  as  if  with 
affright,  vv'^-'^'ever  it  appears;  the  whale  perceives  it  at  a  drs- 
tance,  and  nies  from  it  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  whale 
has  no  instrument  of  defence  except,  the  tail ;  with  that  it 
endeavours  to  strike  the  enemy,  and  a  single  blow  taking 
place  would  effectually  destroy  its  adversary;  but  the  sword- 
fish  is  as  active  as  the  other  is  stronu-,  and  easily  avoids  the 
stroke  ;  then  bounding  into  the  air,  it  falls  u\)on  its  enemy, 
and  endeavours  not  to  pierce  with  its  pointed  beak,  but  to  cut 
with  its  toothed  edges.  The  sea  all  about  is  soon  dyed  with 
blood,  proceeding  from  the  wounds  of  the  whale  ;  while  the 
enormous  animal  vainly  endeavours  to  reach  its  invader,  and 
strikes  with  its  tail  against  the  surface  of  the  water  with 
impotent  fury,  making  a  report  at  each  blow  louder  than  the 
noise  of  a  cannon. 

There  is  still  another  powerful  enemy  of  this  fish,  which  is 
called  the  oria,  or  killer.  A  number  of  these  are  said  to  sur- 
round the  whale  in  the  same  manner  as  dogs  get  round  a  bull. 
Some  attack  it  with  their  teeth  behind  ;  others  attempt  it  be- 
fore ;  until,  at  last,  the  great  animal  is  torn  down,  and  its 
tongue  is  said  to  be  the  only  part  they  devour,  when  they 
have  made  it  their  prey. 

But  of  all  the  enemies  of  these  enormous  fishes,  man  is  the 
greatest  and  most  formidable ;  he  alone  destroys  more  in 
a  year  than  the  rest  in  an  age,  and  actually  has  thinned  theii 
numbers  in  that  part  of  the  world  where  they  are  chiefly 
sought 


208  CURIOSITIES   RTiSPECTING   FISHES. 

The  reader  will  be  inte.ested  in  the  following  account  of 
The  Whale  Fishepy. 

As  when  enclosing  harpooners  assail. 

In  hyperborean  seas,  the  slumbering  whale; 

Soon  as  their  javelins  pierce  tlie  scaly  side. 

He  jrroans,  he  darts  impetuous  down  the  tide ; 

And  rack'd  all  o'er  M'ith  laceratinp;  pain. 

He  Hies  remote  beneath  the  flood  in  vain.  Falconer. 

Whales  are  chiefly  caught  in  the  North  Sea  :  the  largest  sort 
are  found  about  Greenland,  or  Spitzbergen.  At  the  first 
discovery  of  this  country,  whales  not  being  used  to  be  dis- 
turbed, frequently  came  into  the  very  bays,  and  were  accord- 
ingly killed  almost  close  to  the  shore,  so  that  the  blubber  being 
cutoff,  was  immediately  boiled  into  oil  on  the  spot.  The  ships, 
in  those  times,  took  in  nothing  but  the  pure  oil  and  the  fins, 
and  all  the  business  was  executed  in  the  country  ;  by  which 
means,  a  ship  could  bring  home  the  product  of  many  more 
whales,  than  she  can  according  to  the  present  method  of  con- 
ducting this  trade.  The  fishery  also  was  then  so  plentiful, 
that  they  were  obliged  sometimes  to  send  other  ships  to  fetch 
off  the  oil  they  had  made,  the  quantity  being  more  than  the 
fishing  ships  could  bring  away.  But  time  and  change  of  cir- 
cumstances have  shifted  the  situation  of  this  trade.  The  shi]js 
coming  in  great  numbers  from  Holland,  Denmark,  Hamburgh, 
and  other  northern  countries,  all  intruders  upon  the  English, 
who  were  the  first  discoverers  of  Greenland,  disturbed  the 
"whales,  which  gradually,  as  other  fish  often  do,  forsaking  the 
place,  were  not  to  be  killed  so  near  the  shore  as  before;  but 
they  are  now  found,  and  have  been  so  ever  since,  in  the  open- 
ings and  spaces  among  the  ice,  where  they  have  deep  water, 
and  where  they  go  sometimes  a  great  many  leagues  from  the 
shore. 

The  whale  fishery  begins  in  May,  and  continues  all  June 
and  July;  but  whether  the  ships  have  good  or  bad  success, 
they  must  come  away,  and  get  clear  of  the  ice  by  the  end  of 
August,  so  that  in  the  month  of  September,  at  farthest,  they 
may  be  expected  home  ;  but  a  ship  that  meets  with  a  fortu- 
nate and  early  fishery  in  May,  may  return  in  June  or  July. 

The  manner  of  taking  whales  at  present  is  as  follows  :  As 
soon  as  the  fishermen  hear  the  whale  blow,  they  cry  out.  Fall! 
fall!  and  every  ship  gets  out  its  long-boat,  in  each  of  which 
there  are  six  or  seven  men,  who  row  till  they  become  pretty 
near  the  whale ;  then  the  harpooner  strikes  it  with  the  har- 
poon :  this  requires  great  dexterity,  for  through  the  bone  of 
his  head  there  is  no  striking,  but  near  his  spout  there  is  a 
soft  piece  of  flesh,  into  which  the  iron  sinks  with  ease.  As 
Roon  as  he  is  struck,  they  take  care  to  give  him  rope  enough, 
otherwise,  when  he  goes  down,  as  he  frequently  does,  he  would 


THE  WHALE   FISHERY,  209 

inevitably  sink  the  boat :  this  rope  lie  draws  with  such  vio- 
lence, that,  if  it  were  not  well  watered,  it  would,  by  its  friction 
against  the  sides  of  the  boat,  be  soon  set  on  fire.  The  line 
fastened  to  the  harpoon  is  six  or  seven  fathoms  long,  and  is 
called  the  fore-runner  ;  it  is  made  of  the  finest  and  softest 
hemp,  that  it  may  slip  the  easier:  to  this  they  join  a  heap  of 
lin€s  of  90  or  100  fathoms  each,  and  when  there  are  not 
enough  in  one  long-boat,  they  borrow  from  another.  The  man 
at  the  helm  observes  which  way  the  rope  goes,  and  steers  the 
boat  accordingly,  that  it  may  run  exactly  out  before  ;  for  the 
whale  runs  away  with  the  line  with  so  much  rapidity,  that  he 
would  overset  the  boat  if  it  were  not  kept  straight.  When 
the  whale  is  struck,  the  other  long-boats  row  before,  and  ob- 
serve which  way  the  line  stands,  and  sometimes  ])nll  it :  if 
they  feel  it  stifl",  it  is  a  sign  the  whale  still  pulls  in  strength  ; 
but  if  it  hangs  loose,  and  the  boat  lies  equally  high  before  and 
behind  upon  the  water,  they  pull  it  in  gently,  but  take  care  to 
coil  it,  that  the  whale  may  have  it  again  easily,  if  he  recovers 
strength  :  they  take  care,  however,  not  to  give  him  too  much 
line,  because  he  sometimes  entangles  it  about  a  rock,  and 
pulls  out  the  harpoon.  The  fat  whales  do  not  sink  as  soon  as 
dead,  but  the  lean  ones  do,  and  come  up  some  days  after- 
wards. As  long  as  they  see  whales,  they  lose  no  time  in  cut- 
ting up  what  they  have  taken,  yet  keep  fishing  for  others  : 
when  they  see  no  more,  or  have  taken  enough,  they  begin 
with  taking  off  the  fat  and  whiskers  in  the  following  manner. 
The  whale  being  lashed  alongside,  they  lay  it  on  one  side, 
and  put  two  ropes,  one  at  the  head  and  the  other  in  the  place 
of  the  tail,  (which,  together  with  the  fins,  is  struck  off  as 
soon  as  he  is  taken,)  to  keep  those  extremities  above  water. 
On  the  oft-side  of  the  whale  are  two  boats,  to  receive  the 
pieces  of  fat,  utensils,  and  men,  that  might  otherwise  fall  into 
the  water  on  that  side.  These  precautions  being  taken,  three 
or  four  men,  with  irons  at  their  feet  to  prevent  slipping,  get 
on  the  whale,  and  begin  to  cut  out  pieces  of  about  three  feet 
thick  and  eight  long,  which  are  hauled  up  at  the  capstan  or 
windlass.  When  the  fat  is  all  cut  off",  they  cut  off"  the  whis- 
kers of  the  upper  jaw  with  an  axe,  previously  lashing  them 
to2:ether  to  keep  them  firm,  which  also  facilitates  the  cut- 
ting, and  prevents  them  from  falling  into  the  sea  ;  when  on 
board,  five  or  six  of  them  are  bundled  together,  and  properly 
stowed  :  and  after  all  is  got  off,  the  carcase  is  turned  adrift, 
and  devoured  by  the  bears,  who  are  very  fond  of  it.  In  pro- 
portion as  the  large  pieces  of  fat  are  cut  off,  the  rest  of  the 
crew  are  employed  in  slicing  them  smaller,  and  picking  out 
all  the  lean.  When  this  is  prepared,  they  stow  it  under  the 
deck,  where  it  lies  till  the  fat  of  all  the  whales  is  on  board  ; 
then  cutting  it  still  smaller,  they  put  it  up  in  tubs  in  the  hold, 

2b 


210  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  FISHES. 

cramming  them  very  full  and  close.  Nothing  now  remains 
but  to  sail  homewards,  where  the  tat  is  to  be  boiled,  and  melted 
down  into  train  oil. 

During  the  summer  of  1821,  an  attempt  was  made  to  kill 
whales  with  Sir  William  Congreve's  rockets.  The  trial  was 
conducted  by  William  Scoresby,  Esq.  who  took  out  with  him, 
on  board  of  the  Fame,  in  which  he  sailed,  several  rockets-,  by 
way  of  experiment.  Success  attended  his  expectation  ;  and 
little  doubt  can  remain,  if  thev  continue  to  be  skilfully  a|)plied, 
that  the  danger  attending  the  harpoon  will  be  nearly  done 
away;  and,  consequently,  this  valuable  branch  of  commerce 
will  be  essenliallv  l)eneftted  by  the  discovery. 

We  shall  conclude  this  short  sketch  of  some  of  the  curiosi- 
ties respecting  fishes,  with  an  account  of  The  Kr  aken. — This 
is  a  most  amazingly  large  sea  animal,  said  to  be  seemingly  of  a 
crab-like  form  ;  the  credit  of  whose  existence  rests  upon  the 
evidence  produced  by  Bishop  Pontoppidan,  in  his  Natural 
History  of  Norway. 

"  Our  fishermen  (says  the  author)  unanimously  and  invari- 
ably affirm,  that,  when  they  are  several  miles  from  the  land, 
particularly  in  the  hot  summer  days,  and,  by  their  distance, 
and  the  bearings  of  some  points  of  land,  expect  from  eighty 
to  a  hundred  fathoms  depth,  and  do  not  find  but  from  twenty 
to  thirty, — and  especially  if  they  find  a  more  than  usual 
plenty  of  cod  and  ling, — they  judge  the  kraken  to  be  at  the 
bottom  :  but  if  they  find  by  their  lines  that  the  water  in  the 
same  place  still  shallows  on  them,  they  know  he  is  rising  to 
the  surface,  and  row  off'  with  the  greatest  expedition  till  they 
come  into  the  usual  soundings  of  the  place;  when,  lying  on 
their  oars,  in  a  few  minutes  the  monster  emerges,  and  shews 
himself  sufficiently,  though  the  whole  body  does  not  appear. 
Its  back  or  upper  part,  w  hich  seems  an  English  mile  and  a  . 
half  in  circumference,  (some  have  affirmed,  considerably  more 
than  this,)  looks  at  first  like  a  number  of  small  islands,  surround- 
ed with  something  that  floats  like  sea-weeds  ;  at  last  several 
bright  points  of  horns  appear,  which  grow  thicker  the  higher 
they  emerge,  and  sometimes  stand  up  as  high  and  large  as 
the  masts  of  middle-sized  vessels.  In  a  short  time  it  slowly 
sinks,  which  is  thought  as  dangerous  as  its  rising;  as  it 
causes  such  a  swell  and  whirlpool  as  draws  every  thing  down 
with  it,  like  that  of  Maelstrom." 

The  Bishop  justly  regrets  the  omission  of  probably  the  only 
opportunity  that  ever  has  or  may  be  presented  of  surveying  it 
alive,  or  seeing  it  entire  when  dead.  This,  he  informs  us, 
once  did  occur,  on  the  credit  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Friis,  minister 
at  Nordland,  and  vicar  of  the  college  for  promoting  Christian 
knowledge;  who  informed  him, that  in  1680, a  kraken (perhapsa 


THE    KRAKEN.  211 

young  and  careless  one,  as  they  generally  keep  several  leagues 
from  land)  came  into  the  waters  that  run  between  the  rocks 
and  cliffs  near  Alstahong  ;  where,  in  turning  about,  some  of 
its  long  horns  caught  hold  of  some  adjoining  trees,  which  it 
might  easily  have  torn  up,  but  that  it  was  also  entangled  in 
some  clefts  of  the  rocks,  whence  it  could  not  extricate  itself, 
but  putrefied  on  the  spot. 

Our  author  has  heard  of  no  person  destroyed  by  this  mon- 
ster; but  he  relates  a  reportof  the  danger  of  two  fishermen, 
who  came  upon  a  part  of  the  water  full  of  the  creature's  thick 
slimy  excrements,  (which  he  voids  for  some  months,  as  he  feeds 
for  some  other ;)  they  immediately  strove  to  row  off,  but  were 
not  quick  enough  in  turning  to  save  the  boat  from  one  of  the 
kraken's  horns,  which  so  crushed  the  head  of  it,  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  they  saved  their  lives  on  the  wreck,  though  the 
weather  was  perfectly  calm,  the  monster  never  appearing  at 
other  times.  His  excrement  is  said  to  be  attractive  of  other 
fish  on  which  he  feeds;  which  expedient  was  probably  neces- 
sary, on  account  of  his  slow  unwieldy  motion,  to  his  subsist- 
ence ;  as  this  slow  motion  again  may  be  necessary  to  the  secu- 
rity of  ships  of  the  greatest  force  and  burden,  which  must  be 
overwhelmed  o-n  encountering  such  an  immense  animal,  if  his 
velocity  were  equal  to  his  weight;  the  Norwegians  supposing, 
that  if  his  arms,  on  which  he  moves,  and  with  which  he  takes 
his  food,  were  to  lay  hold  of  the  largest  man  of  war,  they 
would  pull  it  down  to  the  bottom. 

In  confirmation  of  the  reality  of  this  animal,  our  learned 
author  cites  Debes's  Description  of  Faroe,  for  the  existence 
of  certain  islands,  which  suddenly  appear  and  as  suddenly 
vanish.  Many  seafaring  people,  he  adds,  give  accounts  of 
such,  particularly  in  the  North  Sea  ;  which  their  superstition 
has  either  attributed  to  the  delusion  of  the  Devil,  or  consi- 
dered as  inhabited  by  evil  spirits.  But  our  honest  historian, 
who  is  not  for  wronging  even  the  Devil  himself,  supposes  such 
mistaken  islands  to  be  nothing  but  the  kraken,  called  by  some 
the  soe  Irolden,  or  sea-mischief;  in  which  opinion  he  was 
greatly  confirmed  by  the  following  quotation  of  Dr.  Hierne,  a 
learned  Swede,  from  Baron  Grippenheilm ;  and  which  is  cer- 
tainly a  very  remarkable  passage,  viz.  "  Among  the  rocks 
about  Stockholm,  there  is  sometimes  seen  a  tract  of  land,  which 
at  other  times  disappears,  and  is  seen  again  in  another  place. 
Buraeus  has  placed  it  as  an  island,  in  his  map.  The  peasants, 
who  call  it  Gummars-ore,  say,  that  it  is  not  always  seen,  and 
that  it  lies  out  in  the  open  sea;  but  I  could  never  find  it.  One 
Sunday,  when  I  was  out  amongst  the  rocks,  sounding  the  coast, 
it  happened,  that  in  one  place  I  saw  something  like  three 
points  of  land  in  the  sea,  which  surprised  me  a  little,  and  I 
thought  I  had  inadvertently  passed  them  over  before.     Upon 


212  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   FISHES. 

this,  I  called  to  a  peasant,  to  inquire  for  Gummars-ore ;  but 
when  he  came,  we  could  see  nothing  of  it ;  upon  which,  the 
peasant  said,  all  was  well,  and  that  this  prognosticated  a  storm, 
or  a  great  quantity  of  fish."  To  which  our  author  subjoins, 
"  Who  cannot  discover  that  this  Gummars-ore,  with  its  points 
and  prognostications  of  fish,  was  the  kraken,  mistaken  by 
Bura>us  for  an  island,  which  may  keep  itself  about  that  spot 
where  he  rises?"  He  takes  the  kraken,  doubtless,  from  his 
numerous  tentaculi,  which  serve  him  as  feet,  to  be  of  the 
polypus  kind;  and  the  contemplation  of  its  enormous  bulk  led 
liim  to  adapt  a  passage  from  Ecclesiasticus,  xliii.  31,  32.  to  it. 
Whether  by  it  may  be  intended  the  "  dragon  that  is  in  the  sea," 
mentioned  Isaiah  xxvii.  1.  we  refer  to  the  conjecture  of  the 
reader. 

After  paying  but  a  just  respect  to  the  moral  character,  the 
reverend  function,  and  diligent  investigations,  of  our  author, 
we  must  admit  the  possibility  of  its  existence,  as  it  implies  no 
contradiction  ;  though  it  seems  to  encounter  a  general  prepos- 
session of  the  whale's  being  the  largest  animal  on  or  in  our 
globe,  and  the  eradication  of  any  long  prepossession  is  at- 
tended with  something  irksome  to  us.  But  were  we  to  sup- 
pose a  salmon  or  a  sturgeon  the  largest  fish  any  number  of 
persons  had  seen  or  heard  of,  and  the  whale  had  discovered 
himself  as  seldom,  and  but  in  part,  as  the  kraken,  it  is  easy 
to  conceive  that  the  existence  of  the  whale  had  been  as  indi- 
gestible to  such  persons  then,  as  that  of  the  kraken  may  be  to 
others  now. 

Some  may  incline  to  think  such  an  extensive  monster  would 
encroach  on  the  symmetry  of  nature,  and  would  be  over  pro- 
portionate to  the  size  of  the  globe  itself;  as  a  little  calculation 
will  inform  us,  that  the  breadth  of  what  is  seen  of  him,  sup- 
posing him  nearly  round,  must  be  full  2600  feet,  fif  more 
fv-al,  or  crab-like,  full  2000  feet,)  and  his  thickness,  which 
may  rather  be  called  altitude,  at  least  300  feet ;  our  au- 
thor declaring  he  has  chosen  the  least  circumference  men- 
tioned of  this  animal,  for  the  greater  certainty.  These  vast 
dimensions,  nevertheless,  we  apprehend  will  not  argue  con- 
clusively against  the  existence  of  the  animal,  though  consi- 
derably against  a  numerous  increase  or  propagation  of  it. 
In  fact,  the  great  scarcity  of  the  kraken,  his  confinement  to 
the  North  Sea,  and  perhaps  to  equal  latitudes  in  the  south  ; 
the  small  number  propagated  by  the  whale,  which  is  vivipa- 
rous ;  and  by  the  largest  land  animals,  of  which  the  elephant 
is  said  to  go  nearly  two  years  with  young;  all  induce  us  to  con- 
clude, from  analogy,  that  this  creature  is  not  numerous  ;  whicli 
coincides  with  a  passage  in  a  manuscript  ascribed  to  Svere, 
king  of  Norway,  and  it  is  cited  by  01.  Wormius,  in  his  Mu- 
seum, p.  280,  in  Latin,  which  we  shall  exactly  translate  : — 


THE    SCORPION.  213 

"There  remains  one  kind,  which  they  call  hasgufe,  whose 
magnitude  is  unknown,  as  it  is  seldom  seen.  Those  who  aiiiim 
they  have  seen  its  body,  declare,  it  is  more  like  an  island  tiian 
a  beast,  and  that  its  carcase  was  never  found  ;  whence  some 
imagine  that  there  are  but  two  of  the  kind  in  nature." 

Whether  the  vanishing  island  Lemair,  of  which  captain 
Rodney  went  in  search,  was  a  kraken,  we  submit  to  the  fancy 
of  our  readers.  In  fine,  if  the  existence  of  the  creature  is 
admitted,  it  will  seem  a  fair  inference,  that  he  is  the  scarcest 
as  w  ell  as  the  largest  in  our  world  ;  and  that  if  there  are  larger 
in  the  universe,  they  probably  inhabit  some  sphere  or  planet 
more  extended  than  our  own,  and  such  we  have  no  pretence  to 
limit ;  but  that  fiction  can  devise  a  much  gi eater  than  this,  is 
evident  from  the  cock  of  Mahomet,  and  the  whale  in  the  Bava 
Bathra  of  the  Talmud,  which  were  intended  to  be  credited; 
and  to  either  of  which,  our  kraken  is  a  very  shrimp  in  di- 
mensions. 

We  conclude  this  account  in  the  words  of  Goldsmith  :  "To 
believe  all  that  has  been  said  of  these  animals,  would  be  too 
credulous  ;  and  to  reject  the  possibility  of  their  existence, 
would  be  a  presumption  unbecoming  mankind." 


CHAP.  XVIII. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   SERPENTS  AND   WORMS. 

The  Scorpion — T/ie  Boa  Constrictor — 77?e  American  Sea  Ser- 
pent — Fascinating  Serpents — -  'ihe  Caterpillar — Caterpillar- 
Eaters — The  Silk- Worm — The  Tape- Worm — The  Ship- Worm 
— The  Lizard  imbedded  in  Coal. 

THE  SCORPION. 

Their  flaming  crests  above  the  waves  they  shew, 

Their  bellies  seem  to  burn  the  seas  below  ; 

Their  speckled  tails  advance  to  steer  their  course. 

And  on  the  soundinj?  shore  the  flying  billows  force. 

And  now  the  strand  and  now  the  plain  they  held ; 

Their  ardent  eyes  with  bloody  streaks  are  fill'd  ; 

Their  nimble  tongues  they  brandish'd  as  they  came, 

And  lick'd  their  hissing  jaws  that  sputter'd  flame.       Dry  den. 

Of  all  the  classes  of  noxious  insects,  the  scorpion  is  the 
most  terrible.  Its  shape  is  hideous;  its  size  among  the  insects 
is  enormous ;  and  its  sting  is  generally  fatal.  Happily  for 
Britain,  the  scorpion  is  entirely  unknown  among  us.  In  se- 
veral parts  of  the  continent  of  Europe,  it  is  too  well  known, 
though  it  seldom  grows  above  four  inches  long ;  but  in  the 


214  CURIOSITIES SERPENTS  AND  WORMS. 

warm  tropical  climates,  it  is  seen  a  foot  in  length,  and  in 
every  respect  as  large  as  a  lobster,  which  it  somewhat  resem- 
bles in  shape.  There  have  been  enumerated  nine  different 
kinds  of  this  dangerous  insect,  including  species  and  varie- 
ties, chiefly  distinguished  by  their  colour  ;  there  being  scor- 
pions yellow,  brown,  and  ash-coloured  ;  others  that  are  the 
colour  of  rusty  iron,  green,  pale  yellow,  black,  claret  colour, 
white,  and  gray.  There  are  four  principal  parts  distinguish- 
able m  this  creature;  the  head,  the  breast,  the  belly,  and  the 
tail.  The  scorpion's  head  seems,  as  it  were,  jointed  to  the 
breast,  in  the  middle  of  which  are  seen  two  eyes ;  and  a  little 
more  forward,  two  eyes  more,  placed  in  the  fore  part  of  the 
head  ;  these  eyes  are  so  small,  that  they  are  scarcely  per- 
ceivable, and  it  is  probable  the  creature  has  but  little  occa- 
sion for  them.  The  mouth  is  furnished  with  two  jaws;  tiie 
undermost  is  divided  into  two,  and  the  parts  notched  into  each 
other,  which  serve  the  creature  as  teeth,  and  with  which  it 
breaks  its  food,  and  thrusts  it  into  its  mouth  ;  these  the  scor- 
pion can  at  pleasure  pull  back  into  its  mouth,  so  that  no  part 
of  them  can  be  seen.  On  each  side  of  the  head  are  two  arms, 
each  composed  of  four  joints  ;  the  last  of  which  is  large,  with 
strong  muscles,  and  made  in  the  manner  of  the  claw  of  a 
lobster.  Below  the  breast  are  eight  articulated  legs,  each 
divided  into  six  joints  ;  the  two  hindmost  of  which  are  each 
provided  with  two  crooked  claws,  here  and  there  covered  with 
hair.  The  belly  is  divided  into  seven  little  rings  ;  from  the 
lowest  of  which  is  continued  a  tail,  composed  of  six  joints, 
which  are  bristly,  and  formed  like  little  globes,  the  last  being 
armed  with  a  crooked  sting.  This  is  that  fatal  instrument 
which  renders  this  insect  so  formidable;  it  is  long,  pointed, 
hard,  and  hollow  ;  it  is  pierced  near  the  base  with  two  small 
holes,  through  which,  when  the  creature  stings,  it  ejects  a 
drop  of  poison,  which  is  white,  caustic,  and  fatal.  The 
reservoir  in  which  this  poison  is  kept,  is  a  small  bladder  near 
the  tail,  into  which  the  venom  is  distilled  by  a  peculiar  appa- 
ratus. If  this  bladder  be  greatly  pressed,  the  venom  will  be 
seen  issuing  out  through  the  two  holes  above  mentioned  ;  it 
therefore  appears,  that  when  the  creature  stings,  the  bladder  is 
pressed,  and  the  venom  issues  through  the  two  apertures  into 
the  wound. 

There  are  few  animals  more  formidable,  or  more  truly  mis- 
chievous, than  the  scorpion.  As  it  takes  refuge  in  a  small 
place,  and  is  generally  found  sheltering  in  houses,  it  must 
frequently  sting  those  among  whom  it  resides.  In  some  of 
the  towns  of  Italy,  and  in  France,  in  the  ci-devant  province 
of  Languedoc,  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  pests  that  torment  man- 
kind ;  but  its  malignity  in  Europe  is  trifling,  when  compared  to 
what  the  natives  of  Africa  and  the  East  are  known  to  expei  ience 


THE  SCORPION.  215 

In  Eatavia,  where  they  grow  twelve  inches  long,  there  is  no 
removing  any  piece  of  furniture  without  the  utmost  danger  of 
being  stung  by  them.  Bosnian  assures  us,  that  along  the 
Gold  Coast  they  are  often  found  larger  tlian  a  lobster,  and 
that  their  sting  is  inevitably  fatal. 

In  Europe,  however,  they  are  by  no  means  so  large,  so  ve- 
nomous, or  so  numerous.  The  general  size  of  this  animal 
does  not  exceed  two  or  three  inches,  and  its  sting  is  very 
seldom  fatal.  No  animal  in  the  creation  seems  endued  with 
such  an  irascible  nature;  they  have  often  been  seen,  when 
taken  and  put  into  a  place  of  security,  to  exert  all  their  rage 
against  the  sides  of  the  glass  vessel  that  contained  them. 
They  will  attempt  to  sting  a  stick  when  put  near  them,  and 
attack  a  mouse  or  a  frog,  while  these  animals  are  far  from  of- 
fering  any  injury.  Maupertuis  put  three  scorpions  and  a 
mouse  into  the  same  vessel  together,  and  they  soon  stung  the 
little  animal  in  different  places.  The  mouse,  th\is  assaulted, 
stood  for  some  time  upon  the  defensive,  and  at  last  killed 
them  all,  one  after  another.  He  tried  these  experiments,  in 
order  to  see  whether  the  mouse,  after  it  had  killed,  would  eat 
the  scorpions ;  but  the  little  quadruped  seemed  satisfied  with 
the  victory,  and  even  survived  the  severity  of  the  wounds  it 
had  received. 

Wolkemar  tried  the  courage  of  the  scorpion  against  the 
large  spider,  and  inclosed  several  of  both  kinds  in  glass  ves- 
sels for  tliat  purpose.  The  success  of  this  combat  was  very 
remarkable.  The  spider  at  first  used  all  his  efibrts  to  entangle 
the  scorpion  in  his  web,  which  it  immediately  began  spinning; 
but  the  scorpion  rescued  itself  from  the  danger,  by  stinging 
its  adversary  to  death  ;  and  soon  after  cut  off,  with  its  claws, 
all  the  legs  of  the  spider,  and  then  sucked  all  the  internal 
parts  at  its  leisure.  If  the  scorpion's  skin  had  not  been  so 
hard,  Wolkemar  is  of  opinion  that  the  spider  would  have 
obtained  the  victory ;  for  he  had  often  seen  one  of  these  spi- 
ders destroy  a  toad. 

The  fierce  spirit  of  this  animal  is  equally  dangerous  to  its  own 
species,  for  scorpions  are  the  cruellest  enemies  to  each  other. 
Maupertuis  put  about  a  hundred  of  them  together  in  the 
same  glass  ;  and  they  scarcely  came  in  contact  before  they 
began  to  exert  all  their  rage  in  mutual  destruction  :  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  one  universal  carnage,  without  any 
distinction  of  age  or  sex  ;  so  that  in  a  few  days  there  remained 
only  fourteen,  which  had  killed  and  devoured  all  the  rest. 
But  their  unnatural  malignity  is  still  more  apparent,  in  their 
cruelty  to  their  offspring.  He  inclosed  a  female  scorpion, 
big  with  young,  in  a  glass  vessel,  and  she  was  seen  to  devour 
them  as  fast  as  they  were  excluded  ;  there  was  but  one  of 
the.  number  that  escaped  the  general  destruction,  by  taking 


2]()  CURIOSITIES — SERPENTS    AND  WORMS. 

refuge  on  the  back  of  its  parent ;  and  this  soon  after  revenged 
the  cause  of  its  brethren,  by  killing  the  old  one  in  its  turn. 
Such  is  the  terrible  and  unrelenting  nature  of  this  insect,  that 
it  is  asserted,  when  driven  to  an  extremity,  that  the  scorpion 
will  even  destroy  itself.  The  following  experiment  was  inef- 
fectually tried  by  Maupertuis :  "  But  (says  Mr.  Goldsmith)  I 
am  so  well  assured  of  it  by  many  eye-witnesses,  who  have  seen 
it  both  in  Italy  and  America,  that  I  have  no  doubt  remaining 
of  its  veracity.  A  scorpion  newly  caught  is  placed  in  the 
midst  of  a  circle  of  burning  charcoal,  and  thus  an  egress  pre- 
vented on  every  side  ;  the  scorpion,  as  I  am  assured,  runs  about 
a  minute  round  the  circle,  in  hopes  of  escaping,  but  finding 
that  impossible,  it  stings  itself  on  the  back  of  the  head,  and 
in  this  manner  the  undaunted  suicide  instantly  expires." 

It  is  happy  for  mankind  that  these  animals  are  so  destructive 
to  each  other  ;  since  otherwise  they  would  multiply  in  so  great 
a  degree  as  to  render  some  countries  uninhabitable.  The  male 
and  iemale  of  this  insect  are  very  easily  distinguishable  ;  the 
:iiale  being  smaller,  and  less  hairy.  The  female  brings  forth 
her  young  alive,  and  perfect  in  their  kind.  Redi  having  bought 
a  quantity  of  scorpions,  selected  their  females,  and,  puttino- 
them  in  separate  glass  vessels,  kept  them  for  some  days  with- 
out food.  In  about  five  days  one  of  them  brought  forth  thirty- 
eight  young  ones,  well  shaped,  and  of  a  milk-white  colour, 
which  changed  every  day  more  and  more  into  a  dark  rusty  hue. 
Another  female,  in  a  different  vessel,  brought  forth  twenty- 
seven  of  the  same  colour  ;  and  the  day  following,  the  young- 
ones  seemed  all  fixed  to  the  back  and  belly  of  the  female.  For 
near  a  fortnight  all  these  continued  alive  and  well,  but  after- 
wards some  of  them  died  daily  ;  until,  in  al)out  a  month,  they 
all  died,  except  two.  Were  it  worth  the  trouble,  these  animals 
might  be  kept  living  as  long  as  curiosity  should  think  proper. 
Their  chief  food  is  worms  and  insects;  and  upon  a  proper  sup- 
ply of  these,  their  lives  might  be  lengthened  to  their  natural 
extent  :  how  long  that  may  be  we  are  not  told  ;  but,  if  we 
may  argue  from  analogy,  it  cannot  be  less  than  seven  or  eijiht 
years,  and  perhaps,  in  the  larger  kind,  double  that  duration. 
As  they  have  somewhat  the  form  of  a  lobster,  so  they  resem- 
ble that  animal  in  casting  their  shell  ;  or,  more  properly,  their 
skin,  since  it  is  softer  by  far  than  the  covering  of  the  lobster, 
and  set  with  hairs,  which  grow  from  it  in  great  abundance, 
particularly  at  the  joinings.  The  young,  prior  to  their  birth, 
lie  each  covered  up  in  its  own  membrane  to  the  number  of  forty 
or  fifty,  and  united  to  each  other  by  an  oblong  thread,  so  as  to 
exhibit  altogether  the  form  of  a  chaplet. 

Such  is  the  manner  in  which  the  common  scorpion  produces 
its  young;  but  there  is  a  scorpion  of  America,  produced  from 
the  egg,  in  the  manner  of  the  spider.     The  eggs  are  no  larger 


THE    BOA   CONSTRICTOR.  217 

than  pin's  points ;  and  they  are  deposited  in  a  web,  which 
they  spin  from  their  bodies,  and  carry  about  with  them  till 
they  arc  hatched.  As  soon  as  the  young  ones  are  excluded 
from  the  shell,  they  get  upon  the  back  of  the  parent,  who  turns 
her  tail  over  them,  and  delends  them  with  her  sting.  It  seems 
probable,  therefore,  that  captivity  produces  that  unnatural 
disposition  in  the  scorpion,  which  induces  it  to  destroy  its 
young  ;  since,  at  liberty,  it  is  found  to  protect  them  with  such 
unceasing  assiduity. 

Another  subject  of  curiosity  belonging  to  this  class,  is,  Th  e 
Boa  Constrictor. — A  serpent  very  remarkable  for  its  vast 
size  ;  some  of  the  principal  species  of  which  are  met  with  in  In- 
dia, Africa,  and  South  America,  and  have  been  seen  between 
thirty  and  forty  feet  long,  possessed  of  so  much  strength  as  to  be 
able  to  kill  cattle  by  twisting  around  them,  and  crushing  them 
to  death  by  pressure,  after  which  they  devour  them,  eating  till 
they  are  almost  unable  to  move  ;  and  in  that  state  they  may 
be  easily  shot.  Dr.  Shaw  observes, that  these  gigantic  serpents 
are  become  less  common,  in  proportion  to  the  increased  popu- 
lation of  the  parts  where  they  are  found  ;  they  are,  however, 
still  to  be  seen,  and  they  will  approach  the  abodes  of  man  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  residence.  This  species  is  beautifully  varie- 
gated with  rhombic  spots;  the  belly  is  whitish  ;  it  is  of  vast 
strength,  and  from  thirty  to  thirty-six  feet  long.  With  respect 
to  age,  sex,  and  climate,  it  is  subject  to  great  variations. 

It  is  supposed  that  an  individual  of  this  species  once  diffused 
terror  and  dismay  through  a  whole  Roman  army ;  a  fact 
alluded  to  by  Livy  in  one  of  the  books  that  have  not  come  to 
us,  but  which  is  quoted  by  Valerius  Maximus,  in  words  to 
the  following  effect:  "  Since  we  are  on  the  subject  of  uncom- 
mon phenomena,  we  may  here  mention  the  serpent  so  elo- 
quently recorded  by  Livy,  who  says,  that  near  the  river  Ba- 
grada,  in  Africa,  a  snake  was  seen  of  such  enormous  magni- 
tude, as  to  prevent  the  army  of  Attilius  Regulus  from  the  use 
of  the  river  ;  and  after  snatching  up  several  soldiers  with  its 
enormous  mouth,  and  devouring  them,  and  killing  several 
more  by  striking  and  squeezing  them  with  the  spires  of  its  tail, 
it  was  at  length  destroyed  by  assailing  it  with  all  the  force  of 
military  engines  and  showers  of  stones,  after  it  had  withstood 
the  attack  of  their  spears  and  darts  ;  that  it  was  regarded  by 
the  whole  army  as  a  more  formidable  enemy  than  even  Car- 
thage itself;  and  that  the  whole  adjacent  region  being  tainted 
with  the  pestilential  effluvia  proceeding  from  its  remains,  and 
the  waters  with  its  blood,  the  Roman  army  was  obliged  to 
remove  its  station.  The  skin  of  the  monster  was  120  feet  long, 
and  was  sent  to  Rome  as  a  trophy." 

Another  account  says,  that  "  it  caused  so  much  trouble  to 

2  E 


218  CURIOSITIES — SERPENTS  AND   WORMS. 

Regulus,  that  he  found  it  necessary  to  contest  the  possession 
of  the  river  with  it,  by  enij)loying  the  whole  force  of  the  army, 
during  which  a  considerable  number  of  soldiers  were  lost, 
while  the  serpent  could  neither  be  vanquished  nor  wounded  j 
the  strong  armour  of  its  scales  easily  repelling  the  force  of  all 
the  weapons  that  were  directed  against  it:  upon  which  re- 
course was  had  to  battering;  enoines,  with  which  the  animal 
was  attacked  in  the  manner  of  a  fortified  tower,  and  vtas  thus 
at  length  overpowered.  Several  discharges  were  made  against 
it  without  success,  till  its  back  being  broken  by  an  immense 
stone,  the  monster  began  to  lose  its  powers,  and  was  with 
difficulty  destroyed,  after  having  diffused  such  a  horror  among 
the  army,  that  they  confessed  they  would  rather  attack  Car- 
thage itself,  than  such  another  monster." 

The  flesh  of  the  serpent  is  eaten  by  the  Indians  and  Negroes 
of  Africa,  and  they  make  its  skin  into  garments. 

The  following  account  of  The  American  Sea  Serpent, 
is  given  in  the  words  of  an  eye-witness  : — "  I,  the  undersigned 
Joseph  Woodward,  captain  of  the  Adamant  schooner,  of  Hing- 
ham,  being  on  my  rout  from  Penobscot  to  Hingham,  steering 
W.  N.  W.,  and  being  about  ten  leagues  from  the  coast,  per- 
ceived, last  Sunday,  at  two  p.  m.  something  on  the  surface  of 
the  water,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  of  the  size  of  a  large 
boat.  Supposing  that  it  might  be  part  of  the  wreck  of  a  siiip, 
I  approached  ;  but  when  I  was  within  a  few  fathoms  of  it,  it 
appeared,  to  my  great  surprise,  and  that  of  my  whole  crew, 
that  it  was  a  monstrous  serpent.  When  I  approached  nearer, 
it  coiled  itself  up,  instantly  uncoiling  itself  again,  and  with- 
drew with  extreme  rapidity.  On  my  approaching  again,  it 
coiled  itself  up  a  second  time,  and  placed  itself  at  the  distance 
of  sixty  feet  at  most,  from  the  bow  of  the  ship. 

"  1  had  one  of  my  guns  loaded  with  a  cannon  ball  and  mus- 
ket bullets.  I  fired  it  at  the  head  of  the  monster;  my  crew 
and  myself  distinctly  heard  the  ball  and  bullets  strike  against 
the  body,  from  which  they  rebounded,  as  if  they  had  struck 
against  a  rock.  The  serpent  shook  his  head  and  tail  in  an 
extraordinary  manner,  and  advanced  toward  the  ship  with 
open  jaws.  I  had  caused  the  cannon  to  be  reloaded,  and 
pointed  it  at  his  throat;  but  he  had  come  so  near,  that  all  the 
crew  were  seized  with  terror,  and  we  thought  only  of  getting 
out  of  his  way.  He  almost  touched  the  vessel,  and  had  not  1 
tacked  as  I  did,  he  would  certainly  have  come  on  board.  He 
dived  ;  but  in  a  moment  we  saw  him  a|)pear  again,  with  his 
head  on  one  side  of  the  vessel,  and  his  tail  on  the  other,  as 
if  he  was  going  to  lift  us  up  and  upset  us.  However,  we  did 
not  feel  any  shock.  He  remained  five  hours  near  us,  only 
going  backward  and  forward. 


FASCINATION  OF  SERPENTS. — THE  CATERPILLAR.      219 

"  The  fears  with  which  he  at  first  inspired  us  having  sub- 
sided, we  were  able  to  examine  him  attentively.  I  estimate, 
that  his  length  is  at  least  twice  that  of  my  schooner,  that  is 
to  say,  130  feet;  his  head  is  full  twelve  or  fourteen  ;  the  dia- 
meter of  the  body  below  the  neck,  is  not  less  than  six  feet; 
the  size  of  the  head  is  in  proportion  to  that  of  the  body.  He 
is  of  a  blackish  colour,  his  ear-holes,  (ornes,)  are  about  twelve 
feet  from  the  extremity  of  his  head.  'In  short,  the  whole  has 
a  terrible  look.  When  he  coils  himself  up,  he  places  his  tail 
in  such  a  manner,  that  it  aids  him  in  darting  forward  with 
great  force  :  he  moves  in  all  directions  with  the  greatest  faci- 
lity and  astonishing  rapidity. 

(Sign-ed,)  ''  Joseph  Woodward." 

"  Hui^       i,  Moy  12,  1818." 

This  declaration  is  attested  by  Peter  Holmes  and  John 
Mayo,  who  made  affidavit  of  the  truth  of  it  before  a  justice 
of  peace 

On  the  Fascinating  Power  of  Serpents. — Major 
Alexander  Garden,  of  South  Carolina,  has,  in  a  paper  read 
to  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  attributed  the  supposed 
power  of  fascination  possessed  by  serpents,  to  a  vapour  which 
they  can  spread  arolmd  them,  and  to  objects  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, at  pleasure.  He  first  reduces  the  exaggerated  idea 
which  has  been  entertained  of  this  power,  and  then  adduces 
instances  of  the  effect  of  a  sickening  and  stuj^ifying  vapour, 
perceived  to  issue  from  the  animal.  A  negro  is  mentioned, 
w,ho,  from  a  very  peculiar  acuteness  in  smell,  could  discover 
the  rattlesnake  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet,  when  in  the 
exercise  of  this  power  ;  and  on  following  this  indication,  always 
found  some  animal  sufferino-  from  its  influence. 

We  shall  now  give  some  curiosities  respecting  Worms  ;  and 
first,  of  The  Caterpillar. — The  larvse  of  butterflies  are  uni- 
versally known  by  the  name  of  caterpillars,  and  are  extremely 
various  in  their  forms  and  colours,  some  being  smooth,  others 
beset  with  either  simple  or  ramified  spines,  and  some  are  ob- 
served to  protrude  from  their  front,  when  disturbed,  a  pair  of 
short  tentacula,  or  feelers,  somewhat  analogous  to  those  of  a 
snail.  A  caterpillar,  when  grown  to  its  full  size,  retires  to 
some  convenient  spot,  and,  securing  itself  properly  by  a  small 
quantity  of  silken  filaments,  either  suspends  itself  by  the  tail, 
hanging  with  its  head  downwards,  or  else  in  an  upright  posi- 
tion, with  the  body  fastened  round  the  middle  by  a  numbei 
of  filaments.  It  then  casts  off  the  caterpillar-skin,  and  com- 
mences chrysalis,  in  which  state  it  continues  till  the  butterfly 
is  ready  for  birth,  which,  liberating  itself  from  the  skin  of  the 
chrysalis,  remains  till  its  wings,  which  are  at  first  short,  weak. 


220  CURIOSITIES SERPENTS   AND  WORMS. 

and  covered  with  moisture,  are  fully  extended  ;  this  happens 
in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  the  animal  suddenly  quits 
the  state  of  inactivity  to  which  it  had  been  so  long-  confined, 
and  becomes  at  pleasure  an  inhabitant  of  the  air. 

It  will  now  be  proper  to  give  some  account  of  The  Cater- 
pillar-Eaters.— Caterpillar-eaters  are  a  species  of  worms 
bred  in  the  body  of  the  caterpillar,  and  which  eat  its  Hesh. 
These  are  produced  by  a  certain  kind  of  fly,  that  lodges  her 
eggs  in  the  body  of  this  insect;  and  they,  after  their  proper 
changes,  become  flies  like  their  parents.  Mr.  Reaumur  has 
given  us,  in  his  History  of  Insects,  some  very  curious  parti- 
culars respecting  these  little  worms.  Each  of  them  spins 
itself  a  very  beautiful  case,  of  a  cylindric  figure,  of  a  very 
strong  sort  of  silk,  in  which  this  animal  spends  its  state  of 
chrysalis  ;  and  they  have  a  mark  by  which  they  may  be  known 
from  all  other  animal  productions  of  this  kind,  which  is,  that 
they  have  alwt.ys  a  broad  stripe  or  band  surrounding  their 
middle,  which  is  black  when  the  rest  of  the  case  is  white, 
and  white  when  that  is  black.  Mr.  Reaumur  has  had  the  pa- 
tience to  find  out  the  reason  of  this  singularity.  The  whole 
shell  is  spun  of  a  silk  produced  out  of  the  creature's  body  ; 
this  at  first  runs  all  white,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  spin- 
ning turns  black.  The  outside  of  the  case  must  necessarily 
be  formed  first,  as  the  creature  works  from  within  ;  conse- 
quently this  is  truly  white  all  over,  but  it  is  transparent,  and 
shews  the  last  spun,  or  black  silk,  throuoh  it.  It  mioht  be 
supposed  that  the  whole  inside  of  the  shell  should  be  black; 
but  this  is  not  the  case  :  the  whole  is  fashioned  before  this  black 
silk  comes  ;  and  this  is  employed  by  the  creature,  not  to  line 
the  whole,  but  to  fortify  certain  parts  only  ;  and  therefore  is 
all  applied  either  to  the  middle, — or  to  the  two  ends,  omitting 
the  middle, — or  a  blackness  at  both  ends,  leaving  the  white  in 
the  middle  to  appear.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  a  sort  of 
small  cases,  in  garden  walks,  which  appear  to  move  of  them- 
selves; when  these  are  opened,  they  are  found  to  contain  a  small 
living  worm.  This  is  one  of  the  species  of  these  caterpillar- 
eaters ;  which,  as  soon  as  it  comes  out  of  the  body  of  that 
animal,  spins  itself  a  case  for  its  transformation,  and  lives  in 
it  without  food  till  that  change  comes  on,  when  it  becomes  a 
fly,  like  that  to  which  it  owed  its  birth. 

In  the  next  place  we  shall  introduce  a  subject  of  great  curio- 
gity,  well  known  by  the  name  of  The  Silk-worm. — The 
silk-worm  is  a  species  of  caterpillar,  and,  like  it,  is  formed  of 
several  moveable  rings,  and  is  well  furnished  with  feet  and 
claws,  to  rest  and  fix  itself  where  it  pleases.  It  has  two  rows 
of  teeth,  which  do  not  move  upwards  and  downwards,  but 


THE  SILK-WORM.  221 

from  right  to  left,  which  enables  it  to  press,  cut,  and  tear  the 
leaves  in  every  direction.  Along  the  whole  length  of  its  back 
we  perceive  through  its  skin  a  vessel  which  performs  the  func- 
tions of  a  heart.  On  each  side  of  this  insect  are  nine  orifices, 
which  answer  to  as  many  lungs,  and  assist  the  circulation  of 
the  chyle,  or  nutritive  juice.  Under  the  mouth  it  has  a  kind  of 
reel  with  two  holes,  through  which  pass  two  drops  of  the 
gum  with  which  its  bag  is  filled  ;  they  act  like  two  distaffs, 
continually  furnishing  it  with  the  materials  of  which  it  makes 
its  silk.  The  gum  which  distils  through  the  two  holes  takes 
their  form,  lengthens  into  a  double  thread,  which  suddenly 
loses  the  fluidity  of  the  liqvud  gum,  and  acquires  the  consist- 
ence necessary  to  support  or  to  envelope  the  worm.  When 
that  time  arrives,  it  joins  the  two  threads  together,  by  gluing 
them  one  over  the  other  with  its  fore  feet.  This  double  thread 
is  not  only  very  fine,  but  also  very  strong,  and  of  great  length. 
Each  bag  has  a  thread  which  is  nearly  five  hundred  ells  long; 
and  as  this  thread  is  double,  and  joined  together  through©ut 
its  length,  each  bag  will  be  found  to  contain  a  thousand  ells 
of  silk,  though  the  whole  weight  does  not  exceed  two  grains 
and  a  half. 

The  life  of  this  insect  in  its  vermiform  state  is  very  short, 
and  it  passes  through  different  states  till  it  gradually  arrives 
at  its  greatest  degree  of  perfection.  When  it  first  emerges 
from  the  egg,  it  is  extremely  small,  perfectly  black,  and  its 
head  of  a  still  brighter  black  than  the  rest  of  its  body  :  in  a 
few  days  it  begins  to  grow  white,  or  of  an  ash  colour;  its 
coat  becomes  dirty  and  ruffled  ;  it  casts  it  off,  and  appears  in 
a  new  dress  ;  it  becomes  larger  and  much  whiter,  though  a 
little  tinged  with  green,  from  feeding  upon  green  leaves. 
After  a  few  more  days  (the  length  of  time  varving  according 
to  the  degree  of  heat  and  quality  of  its  nourishment)  it  ceases 
to  eat,  and  sleeps  for  about  two  days  ;  it  then  agitates  and 
frets  itself  extremelv,  becoming  red  with  the  efforts  it  makes; 
its  skin  wrinkles  and  shrivels  up,  and  it  throws  it  off  a  second 
time,  together  with  its  feet.  Within  the  space  of  three  week? 
or  a  month,  we  see  it  fresh  dressed  three  times.  It  now  begins 
to  eat  apain,  and  mioht  be  taken  for  a  different  creature,  so 
much  is  the  appearance  of  its  head,  colour,  and  figure,  altered. 
After  continuing  to  eat  for  some  days,  it  falls  again  into  a 
l^tharoic  state  :  on  recoverino;  from  which,  it  once  more 
changes  its  coat,  which  makes  the  third  since  it  issued  from 
its  shell.  It  continues  to  eat  for  some  time,  then,  entirely 
ceasing  to  take  any  nutriment,  prepares  for  itself  a  retreat, 
and  draws  out  a  silken  thread,  which  it  wraps  round  its  body 
in  the  same  manner  as  we  might  wind  thread  round  an  oval 
piece  of  wood.  It  remains  quietly  in  the  bag  it  has  formed, 
and  at  the  end  of  fifteen  days  would  pierce  it,  to  issue  forth. 


;222  CURIOSITIES — serpents  and  worms. 

if  it  was  not  killed  by  being  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
or  shut  up  in  an  oven.  The  silk-bags  are  thrown  into  hot 
tva^er,  and  stirred  about  with  birch  twigs  to  draw  out  the 
heads  or  beginning  of  the  threads,  and  tlie  silk  is  afterwards 
wound  upon  reels  made  for  the  purpose.  Thus  we  are  in- 
debted to  this  little  insect  for  our  greatest  luxury  in  clothing : 
a  reflection  which  ought  to  humble  our  pride  ;  for  how  carx 
we  be  vain  of  the  silk  which  covers  us,  when  we  reflect  to 
A'hat  we  are  indebted  for  it,  and  how  little  we  are  instru- 
mental in  the  formation  of  those  beauties  in  our  clothing,  of 
which  we  are  vain?  Thus  we  find  the  most  insignificant  and 
despicable  objects  are  the  instruments  of  ornament  and  ad- 
vantage to  man  ;  an  insect  that  we  scarcely  condescended  to 
look  at,  becomes  a  blessing  to  thousands  of  human  beings, 
forms  an  important  article  of  trade,  and  is  the  source  of  great 
riches. 

Our  next  subject  is.  The  Tape-worm. — This  genus  of 
worms  is  destined  to  feed  on  the  juices  of  various  animals, 
and  they  inhabit  the  internal  parts  of  almost  every  species  of 
living  beings.  The  structure  and  physiology  of  the  taenia  are 
curious,  and  it  may  be  amusing  as  well  as  instructive  to  con- 
sider it  with  attention.  The  taenia  appears  destined  to  feed 
upon  such  juices  of  animals  as  are  already  animalized  ;  and 
it  is  therefore  most  commonly  found  in  the  alimentary  canal, 
and  in  the  upper  part,  where  there  is  the  greatest  abundance  of 
chyle,  for  chyle  seems  to  be  the  natural  food  of  the  taenia. 
As  it  is  thus  supported  by  food  which  is  already  digested,  it 
is  destitute  of  the  complicated  organs  of  digestion.  As  the 
taenia  solium  is  most  frequent  in  this  country,  it  may  be  proper 
to  describe  it  more  particularly. 

It  is  from  three  to  thirty  feet  long ;  some  say  sixty  feet.  It 
is  composed  of  a  head,  in  which  are  a  mouth  adapted  to  drink 
up  fluids,  and  an  apparatus  for  giving  the  head  a  fixed  situa- 
tion. The  body  is  composed  of  a  great  number  of  distinct 
pieces  articulated  together,  each  joint  having  an  organ  by 
which  it  attaches  itself  to  the  neighbouring  part  of  the  inner 
court  of  the  intestine.  The  joints  nearest  the  head  are  always 
small,  and  they  become  gradually  enlarged  as  they  are  farther 
removed  from  it;  but  towards  the  tail  a  few  of  the  last  joints 
again  become  diminished  in  size.  The  extremity  of  the  body 
is  terminated  by  a  small  semicircular  joint,  which  has  no 
opening  in  it. 

The  head  of  this  animal  is  composed  of  the  same  kind  of 
materials  as  the  other  parts  of  its  body ;  it  has  a  rounded 
opening  at  its  extremity,  which  is  considered  to  be  its  mouth. 
This  opening  is  continued  by  a  short  duct  into  two  canals ; 
these  canals  pass  round  every  joint  of  the  animal's  body,  and 


THE  TAPE-WORM.  223 

convey  the  aliment.  Surrounding-  the  opening  of  the  mouth, 
are  placed  a  number  of  projecting  radii,  which  are  of  a  fibrous 
texture,  and  whose  direction  is  longitudinal.  These  radii  appear 
to  serve  the  purpose  of  tentacula,  for  fixing  the  orifice  of  the 
mouth,  from  their  being  inserted  along  the  brim  of  that  open- 
ing. After  the  rounded  extremity  or  head  has  been  narrowed 
into  the  neck,  the  lower  part  becomes  flatted,  and  has  two 
small  tubercles  placed  on  each  flatted  side ;  the  tubercles  are 
concave  in  the  middle,  and  appear  destined  to  serve  the  purpose 
of  suckers,  for  attaching  the  head  more  eflectually.  The 
internal  structure  of  the  joints  composing  the  body  of  this 
animal  is  partly  vascular  and  partly  cellular;  the  substance 
itself  is  white,  and  somewhat  resembles  in  its  texture  the 
coagulated  lymph  of  the  human  blood.  The  alimentary  canal 
passes  along  each  side  of  the  animal,  sending  a  cross  canal 
over  the  bottom  of  each  joint,  which  connects  the  two  lateral 
canals  together. 

Mr.  Carlisle  injected,  with  a  coloured  size,  at  a  single 
push  with  a  small  syringe,  three  feet  in  length  of  these  canals, 
in  the  direction  from  the  mouth  downwards.  He  tried  the 
injection  the  contrary  way,  but  it  seemed  to  be  stopped  with 
valves.  The  alimentary  canal  is  impervious  at  the  extreme 
joint,  where  it  terminates  without  any  opening  analogous  to 
an  anus.  Each  joint  has  a  vascular  joint  occu'jiying  the  mid- 
dle part,  which  is  composed  of  a  longitudinal  canal,  from 
which  a  great  number  of  lateral  canals  branch  off  at  right 
angles.     These  canals  contain  a  fluid  like  milk. 

The  teenia  seems  to  be  one  of  the  simplest  vascular  animals 
in  nature.  The  way  in  which  it  is  nourished  is  singular;  the 
food  being  taken  in  by  the  mouth,  passes  into  the  alimentary 
canal,  and  is  thus  made  to  visit  in  a  general  Avay  the  different 
parts  of  the  animal.  As  it  has  no  excretory  ducts,  it  would 
appear  that  the  whole  of  its  alimentary  fluid  is  fit  for  nourish- 
ment; the  decayed  parts  probably  dissolve  into  a  fluid,  which 
transudes  through  the  skin,  which  is  extremely  porous. 

This  animal  has  nothing  resembling  a  brain  or  nerves,  and 
seems  to  have  no  organs  of  sense,  but  those  of  touch.  It  is 
most  probably  propagated  by  ova,  which  may  easily  pass 
alono-  the  circulating  vessels  of  other  animals.  We  cannot 
otherwise  explain  the  phenomena  of  worms  being  found  rn  the 
eggs  of  fowls,  and  in  the  intestines  of  a  foetus  before  birth, 
except  by  supposing  their  ova  to  have  passed  through  the  cir- 
culating vessels  of  the  mother,  and  by  this  means  to  have  been 
conveyed  to  the  foetus. 

The  chance  of  an  ovum  being  placed  in  a  situation  where  it 
will  be  hatched,  and  the  young  find  convenient  subsistence, 
must  be  very  small ;  hence  the  necessity  for  their  being  very 
prolific.     If  they  had  the  same   powers  of  fecundity  which 


224  CURIOSITIES— SERPENTS  AND   WORMS. 

they  now  possess,  and  their  ova  were  afterwards  very  readily 
hatched,  then  the  multiplication  of  these  animals  would  be 
immense,  and  become  a  nuisance  to  the  other  parts  of  the 
creation. 

Another  mode  of  increase  allowed  to  tsenia,  (if  we  may  call 
it  increase,)-  is  by  an  addition  to  the  number  of  their  joints. 
If  we  consider  the  individual  joints  as  distinct  beings,  it  is 
so;  and  uhen  we  reflect  upon  the  power  of  individuality  given 
to  each  joint,  it  makes  this  conjecture  the  more  probable. 
We  can  hardly  suppose  that  an  ovum  of  a  taenia,  which  at  its 
full  growth  is  thirty  feet  long,  and  composed  of  four  hundred 
joints,  contained  a  young  taenia  composed  of  this  number  of 
pieces;  but  we  have  seen  young  teenia  not  half  a  foot  long, 
and  not  possessed  of  fifty  joints,  which  still  were  entire  worms. 
We  have  also  many  reasons  to  believe,  that  when  a  part  of 
this  animal  is  broken  oft' from  the  rest,  it  is  capable  of  forming 
a  head  for  itself,  and  of  becoiiiino-  an  independent  beino-.  The 
simple  construction  of  the  head  makes  its  regeneration  a  much 
more  easy  operation  than  that  of  the  tails  and  feet  of  lizards, 
which  are  composed  of  bones  and  complicated  vessels ;  but 
this  last  operation  has  been  proved  by  the  experiments  of 
Spallanzani,  and  many  other  naturalists. 

An  article  of  great  curiosity  is,  The  Ship-worm. — This 
worm  has  a  very  slender,  smooth,  cylindrical  shell ;  it  inhabits 
the  Indian  seas,  whence  it  was  imported  into  Europe.  It 
penetrates  easily  into  the  stoutest  oak  planks,  and  produces 
dreadful  destruction  to  the  ships,  by  the  holes  it  makes  in 
their  sides  :  and  it  is  to  avoid  the  effects  of  this  insect  that 
vessels  require  sheathing. 

The  head  of  this  creature  is  coated  with  a  strong  armour, 
and  furnished  with  a  mouth  like  that  of  the  leech.  A  little 
above  this  it  has  two  horns,  which  seem  a  kind  of  continua- 
tion of  the  shell ;  the  neck  is  furnished  with  several  strong 
muscles  ;  the  rest  of  the  body  is  only  covered  by  a  very  thin 
transparent  skin,  through  which  the  motion  of  the  intestines  is 
plainly  seen  by  the  naked  eye.  This  creature  is  wonderfully 
miniite  when  newly  excluded  from  the  egg,  but  it  grows  to 
the  length  of  four  or  six  inches,  and  sometimes  more.  When 
the  bottom  of  a  vessel,  or  any  piece  of  wood  which  is  con- 
stantly under  water,  is  inhabited  by  these  worms,  it  is  full  of 
small  holes ;  but  no  damage  appears  till  the  outer  parts  are 
cut  away.  Then  their  shelly  habitations  come  into  view,  in 
which  there  is  a  large  space  for  inclosing  the  animal,  and 
surrounding  it  with  water.  There  is  an  evident  care  in  these 
creatures  never  to  injure  each  other's  habitations;  by  which 
means  each  case  or  shell  is  preserved  entire.  These  worms 
will  appear,  on  a  very  little  consideration,  to  be  most  impor- 


THE  SILK-WORM.  22f 

tant  beings  in  the  great  chain  of  creation,  and  pleasing  demon- 
strations of  the  infinitely  wise  and  gracious  Power,  which 
formed,  and  still  preserves  the  whole,  in  such  wonderful  order 
and  beauty  ;  for  if  it  were  not  for  the  rapacity  of  these  and  such 
animals,  tropical  rivers,  and  indeed  the  ocean  itself,  would 
be  choked  with  the  bodies  of  trees  which  are  annually  carried 
down  by  the  rapid  torrents,  as  many  of  them  would  last  for 
ages,  and  probably  be  productive  of  evils,  of  which,  happily, 
we  cannot  in  the  present  state  of  things  form  any  idea;  whereas, 
being  consumed  by  these  animals,  they  are  more  easily 
broken  in  pieces  by  the  waves;  and  the  fragments  which  are 
not  devoured  become  specifically  lighter,  and  are  conse- 
quently more  readily  and  more  effectually  thrown  on  shore, 
where  the  sun,  wind,  insects,  and  various  other  instruments, 
speedily  promote  their  entire  dissolution. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  a  singu- 
lar curiosity  that  was  found  in  a  colliery.  It  is  A  living 
Lizard,  imbedded  in  Coal. — This  animal,  preserved  in 
spirits,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  James  Scholes,  engi- 
neer to  Mr.  Fenton's  colliery,  near  Wakefield.  It  is  about 
five  inches  long  ;  its  back  of  a  dark  brown  colour,  and  it 
appears  rough  and  scaly;  its  sides  are  of  a  lighter  colour,  and 
spotted  Avith  yellow  ;  the  belly  yellow,  streaked  with  bands 
of  the  same  colour  as  the  back.  Mr.  S.  related  to  me  the 
following  circumstances  of  its  being  found.  In  August  last, 
they  were  sinking  a  new  pit  or  shaft,  and  after  passing  through 
measures  of  stone,  gray-bind,  and  blue  stone,  and  some  thin 
beds  of  coal,  to  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  they 
came  upon  that  intended  to  be  worked,  which  is  about  four 
feet  thick.  When  they  had  excavated  about  three  inches  of 
it,  one  of  the  miners  (as  he  supposed)  struck  his  pick,  or 
mattock,  into  a  crevice,  and  shattered  the  coal  around  into 
small  pieces;  he  then  discovered  the  animal  in  question,  and 
immediately  carried  it  to  Mr.  S. :  it  continued  very  brisk  and 
lively  for  about  ten  minutes,  then  drooped  and  died.  About 
four  inches  above  the  coal  in  which  the  animal  was  found, 
numbers  of  muscle-shells,  in  a  fossil  state,  lay  scattered  in  a 
loose  gray  earth. 


it 


226  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   BIRDS. 

CHAP.  XIX 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

The  Common  Peacock — The  Egi^ptian  Vulture — The  Secretary 
Vulture — The  Stork — The  Great  Pelican — The  Bird  of  Para- 
dise—  The  Ostrich — The  Mocking- Bird  of  America — The 
Social  Grosbeak — The  Bengal  Grosbeak — The  Humming-Bird 
— The  Go/den  Eagle. 

THE   PEACOCK. 

I  How  rich  the  peacock  !  what  bright  glories  run 

"  From  plume  to  plume,  and  vary  in  the  sun  ! 

He  proudly  spreads  them  to  the  golden  ray, 

And  gives  his  colours  to  adorn  the  day  ; 

With  conscious  state  the  spacious  round  displays, 

And  slowly  moves  amid  the  waving  blaze.  Young. 

This  very  beautifu4  and  interesting  bird  has  a  compressed 
crest  and  solitary  spurs.  It  is  about  the  size  of  a  turkey; 
the  length  from  the  top  of  the  bill  to  the  end  of  the  tail  beiiig 
three  feet  eight  inches.  The  bill  is  nearly  two  inches  long^, 
and  is  of  a  brown  colour.  The  irides  are  yellow.  On  tlie 
crown  there  is  a  sort  of  crest,  composed  of  twenty-four  tea- 
thers,  not  webbed,  except  at  the  ends,  which  are  gilded  green. 
The  shafts  are  of  a  whitish  colour;  and  the  head,  neck,  and 
breast,  are  of  a  green  gold  colour.  Over  the  eye  there  is  a 
streak  of  white,  and  beneath  there  is  the  same.  The  back  and 
rump  are  of  a  green  gold  colour,  glossed  over  with  copper ; 
the  feathers  are  distinct,  and  lie  over  each  other  like  shells 
Above  the  tail  springs  an  inimitable  set  of  long  beautiful  fea- 
thers, adorned  with  a  variegated  eye  at  the  end  of  each  ;  these 
reach  considerably  beyond  the  tail,  and  the  longest  of  them 
in  many  birds  are  four  feet  and  a  half  long.  This  beau- 
tiful train,  or  tail,  as  it  is  improperly  called,  may  be  expanded 
in  the  manner  of  a  fan,  at  the  will  of  the  bird.  The  true 
tail  is  hid  beneath  this  group  of  feathers,  and  consists  of 
eighteen  gray-brown  feathers,  one  foot  and  a  half  long,  marked 
on  the  sides  with  rufous  gray  ;  the  scapulars,  and  lesser  wing 
coverts,  are  reddish  cream  colour,  variegated  with  black  ;  the 
middle  coverts  deep  blue,  glossed  with  green  gold  ;  tiie  great- 
est and  bastard  wing,  rufous  ;  the  quills  are  also  rufous,  some 
of  them  variegated  with  rufous,  blackish,  and  green  ;  the  belly 
and  vent  are  greenish  black,  the  thighs  yellowish,  the  legs 
stout,  those  of  the  male  furnished  with  a  strong  spur,  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  length,  the  colour  of  which  is  gray- 
brown. 


1  HE   PEACOCK.  297 

These  birds,  now  so  common  in  Europe,  are  of  Eastern 
origin.  They  are  fomid  wild  in  the  islands  of  Ceylon  and 
Java,  in  the  East  Indies;  and  at  St.  Helena,  Barbuda,  and 
other  West  India  islands.  They  are  not  natural  to  China  ;  but 
they  are  found  in  many  places  in  Asia  and  Africa.  Thev  are, 
however,  no  where  so  large  or  so  fine  as  in  India,  in  the  neio-ji- 
bourhood  of  the  Ganges,  whence  they  have  spread  into  all 
parts,  increasing  in  a  wild  state  in  the  warmer  climates,  biit 
requiring  care  in  the  colder  regions.  In  ours,  this  species 
does  not  come  to  its  full  plumage  till  the  third  year.  The  fe- 
male lays  five  or  six  grayish  white  eggs  ;  in  hot  climates  twenty, 
the  size  of  those  of  a  turkey.  These,  if  let  alone,  she  lavs 
in  some  secret  place,  at  distance  from  the  usual  resort,  to 
prevent  their  being  broken  by  the  male,  which  he  is  apt  to  do 
if  he  find  them.  The  time  of  sitting  is  from  twentv-seven  to 
thirty  davs.  The  young  mav  be  i'ed  with  curds,  chopped  leeks, 
barley-meal,  8vC.  moistened  ;  and  they  are  fond  of  grasshop- 
pers, and  some  other  insects.  In  five  or  six  months  they  will 
feed  as  the  old  ones,  on  wheat  and  barley,  with  what  else  they 
can  pick  up  in  the  circuit  of  their  confinement.  Thev  seem 
to  prefer  the  most  elevated  places  to  roost  on  during  the  night; 
such  as  high  trees,  tops  of  houses,  and  the  like.  Their  cry 
is  loud  and  inharmonious, — a  perfect  contrast  to  their  external 
beauty.  They  are  caught  i-n  India,  by  carrying  lights  to  the 
trees  where  they  roost,  and  having  painted  representations  of 
the  bird  presented  to  them  at  the  same  time  ;  when  they  put 
out  the  neck  to  look  at  the  figure,  the  sportsman  slips  a  noose 
over  the  head,  and  secures  his  game.  In  most  ages  they  have 
been  esteemed  a  salutary  food.  Hortensius  gave  the  example 
at  Rome,  where  it  was  counted  the  highest  luxury,  and  sold 
dear  ,  and  a  young  peacock  is  thought  a  dainty,  even  in  the 
present  times.  The  life  of  these  birds  is  reckoned  by  some 
at  about  twenty-five  years  ;  by  others  a  hundred. 

So  beautiful  a  species  of  birds  as  the  peacock  could  not 
long  remain  unknown  :  so  early  as  the  days  of  Solomon,  we 
find,  among  the  articles  imported  in  his  Tarshish  navies,  apes 
and  peacocks.  iElian  relates,  that  they  were  brought  into 
Greece  from  some  barbarous  country  ;  and  that  they  were  held 
in  such  high  esteem,  that  a  male  and  female  were  valued  at 
Athens  at  1000  drachmae,  or  £32.  5s.  lOd.  At  Samos  they  were 
preserved  about  the  temple  of  Juno,  being  sacred  to  that  god- 
dess; and  Gellius,  in  his  Noctes  Atlicce,  c.  xvi.  commends  the 
excellency  of  the  Samian  peacocks.  When  Alexander  was  in 
India,  he  found  vast  numbers  of  wild  ones  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hyarotis;  and  was  so  struck  with  their  beauty,  as  to  appoint  a 
severe  punishment  on  any  person  that  killed  them.  Peacocks' 
crests,  in  ancient  times,  were  among  the  oniaments  of  the  kings 
'♦f  Eaoland.     Ernald  de  Aclent  was  fined  to  king  John  in  one 


228  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

hundred  and  forty  palfreys,  with  sackbuts,  loranis,  gilt  spurs, 
and  peacocks'  crests,  such  as  would  be  tor  his  credit. 

We  shall  now  introduce  The  Egyptian  Vulture. — The 

appearance  of  tnis  bird  is  as  horrid  as  can  well  be  imagined. 
The  face  is  naked  and  wrinkled  ;  the  eyes  are  large  and  black  ; 
the  beak  black  and  hooked  ;  the  talons  large,  and  extended, 
ready  for  prey;  and  the  whole  body  polluted  with  filth  :  these 
are  qualities  enough  to  make  the  beholder  shudder  with  hor- 
ror. Notwithstanding  this,  the  inhabitants  of  Egypt  cannot 
be  thankful  enough  to  Providence  for  this  bird.  All  the  places 
round  Cairo  are  filled  with  the  dead  bodies  of  asses  and  camels, 
and  thousands  of  these  birds  fly  about  and  devour  the  car- 
cases before  they  putrefy,  and  fill  the  air  with  noxious  exhala- 
tions. The  inhabitants  of  Egypt  say,  (and  after  them  Maillet, 
in  his  description  of  Egypt,)  that  they  yearly  follow  the 
caravan  to  Mecca,  and  devour  the  filth  of  the  slaughtered 
beasts,  and  the  carcases  of  the  camels  which  die  on  the  jour- 
ney. They  do  not  fly  high,  nor  are  they  afraid  of  men.  If 
one  of  them  is  killed,  all  the  rest  surround  it  in  the  same 
manner  as  do  the  Royston  crows  ;  they  do  not  quit  the  ])laces 
they  frequent,  though  frightened  by  the  explosion  of  a  gun, 
but  immediately  return. 

The  Secretary  Vulture. — This  is  a  most  singular  spe- 
cies, being  particularly  remarkable  from  the  great  length  of 
its  legs,  which  at  first  sight  would  induce  us  to  think  it 
belonged  to  waders  :  but  the  characters  of  the  vulture  are  so 
strongly  marked  throughout,  .4S  to  leave  no  doubt  to  which 
class  it  belonos.  This  bird,  when  standing  erect,  is  full  three 
feet  from  the  top  of  the  head  to  the  ground.  The  bill  is  black, 
sharp,  and  crooked,  like  that  of  an  eagle;  the  head,  neck, 
breast,  and  upper  parts  of  the  body,  are  of  a  bluish  ash-colour; 
the  legs  are  very  long,  stouter  than  those  of  a  heron,  and  of 
a  brown  colour  ;  claws  shortish,  but  crooked,  not  very  sharp, 
and  of  a  black  colour.  From  behind  the  head  spring  a  number 
of  long  feathers,  which  hang  loose  behind,  like  a  pendfnt 
crest ;  these  feathers  rise  by  pairs,  and  are  longer  as  they 
are  lower  down  on  the  neck  ;  this  crest,  the  bird  can  erect  or 
depress  at  pleasure ;  it  is  of  a  dark  colour,  almost  black  ;  the 
webs  are  equal  on  both  sides,  and  rather  curled,  and  the  fea- 
thers, when  erected,  somewhat  incline  towards  the  neck  ;  the 
two  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  are  twice  as  long  as  any  of  the 
rest.  This  singular  species  inhabits  the  internal  parts  ol 
Africa,  and  is  frequently  seen  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It 
is  also  met  with  in  the  Philippine  islands.  As  to  the  manners 
of  this  bird,  it  is  on  all  hands  allowed  that  it  principally  feeds 
on  rats,  lizards,  snakes,  and  the  like ;  and  that  it  will  becom« 


THE    STORK. — THE    PELICAN. 


90  a 


familiar;  whence  Sonnerat  is  of  opinion,  that  it  might  be 
made  useful  in  some  of  our  colonies,  if  encouraged,  towards 
the  destruction  of  those  pests.  They  call  it  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Yi.o[)e,tifnig-eater,  i.  e.  snake-eater.  A  great  peculiarity 
belongs  to  it,  perhaps  observed  in  no  other,  which  is,  the  fa- 
culty of  striking  forwards  witli  its  legs,  never  backwards.  Dr. 
Solander  saw  one  of  these  birds  take  up  a  snake,  small  tor- 
toise, or  such  like,  in  its  claws  ;  when,  dashing  it  against  the 
ground  with  great  violence,  if  the  victim  were  not  killed  at 
first,  it  repeated  the  operation  till  that  end  was  answered  ; 
after  which  it  ate  it  up  quietly.  Dr.  J.  R.  Forster  mentioned 
a  further  circumstance,  which  he  says  was  supposed  to  be  pe- 
culiar to  this  bird, — that  should  it  by  any  accident  break  the 
leg,  the  bone  would  never  unite  again. 

The  curious  reader  will  be  interested  by  the  following  sin- 
gular particulars  respecting  The  Stork. — The  veneration 
shewn  by  the  Germans  for  storks,  is  a  very  I'emarkable  super- 
stition. The  houses  which  these  birds  light  upon,  are  consi- 
dered as  under  the  special  favour  of  Heaven.  It  is  usual  to 
contrive  a  small  flat  square  spot  on  the  top  of  the  roof,  for 
them  to  rest  upon,  and  build  their  nests.  Catholic  curates, 
as  well  as  Protestant  ministers,  endeavour  to  allure  them  to 
their  churches.  "  I  observed  (says  a  French  traveller)  four 
or  five  steeples  dignified  by  such  visitors.  There  are  people 
so  lucky  as  to  attract  some  of  them  into  their  poultry-yard, 
where  they  stalk  about  with  the  hens,  but  without  yielding  up 
any  particle  of  their  freedom.  Were  any  one  to  kill  a  stork, 
he  would  be  pursued  like  an  Egyptian  of  old  for  killing  an 
ibis,  or  for  fricaseeing  a  cat." 

In  a  fire,  by  which  the  town  of  Delft  in  Holland  was  burnt 
to  ashes,  a  stork,  which  had  built  her  nest  upon  a  chimney, 
strove  all  she  could  to  save  her  little  ones  :  she  was  seen 
spreading  her  wings  around  them,  to  keep  off  the  sparks  and 
burning  embers.  Already  the  flame  began  to  seize  upon  her, 
but,  unmindful  of  herself,  she  cared  only  for  her  oflspring, 
bemoaning  their  loss,  and  at  length  fell  a  prey  to  the  fire, 
under  the  eyes  of  a  sympathizing  crowd;  prefering  death  with 
the  pledges  of  her  love,  to  life  without  them.  This  interest- 
ing anecdote  was  celebrated  by  a  Flemish  poet,  who  lived  in 
1503,  in  an  eff'usion  bearing  the  title  of  the  "  Stork  of  Delft ; 
or,  the  Model  of  Maternal  Love." 

The  Great  Pelican. — This  bird  is  sometimes  of  the 
weight  of  twenty-five  pounds,  and  of  the  width,  between  the 
extreme  points  of  the  wings,  of  fifteen  feet;  the  skin,  between 
the  sides  of  the  upper  mandible,  is  extremely  dilatable,  reach- 
ing more  than  half  a  foot  down  the  neck,  and  capable  of  con 


230  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  BIRDS. 

tainiiig  many  quarts  of  water.  The  skin  is  often  used  by  sailors 
for  tobacco-pouches,  and  has  been  occasionally  converted  into 
ladies'  elegant  work  bags.  About  the  Caspian  and  Black 
seas,  these  birds  are  very  numerous  ;  and  they  are  chiefly  to 
be  found  in  the  warmer  regions,  inhabiting  almost  every 
country  of  Africa.  They  build  in  the  small  isles  of  lakes,  far 
from  the  habitations  of  man.  The  nest  is  a  foot  and  a  half  in 
diameter ;  and  the  female,  if  molested,  will  remove  her  eggs 
into  the  water  till  the  cause  of  annoyance  is  removed,  and  then 
return  them  to  her  nest  of  reeds  and  grass.  These  birds, 
though  living  principally  upon  fish,  often  build  in  the  midst 
of  deserts,  where  that  element  is  rarely  to  be  found.  They 
are  extremely  dexterous  in  diving  for  their  jirey,  and,  after 
having  filled  their  pouch,  will  retire  to  some  rock,  and  swal- 
low what  they  have  taken  at  their  leisure.  They  are  said  to 
unite  with  other  birds  in  th-e  pursuit  of  fish.  The  pelicans 
dive,  and  drive  the  fish  into  the  shallows ;  the  cormorants 
assist  by  flapping  their  wings  on  the  surface,  and,  forming  a 
crescent,  perpetually  contracting,  they  at  length  accomplish 
their  object,  and  compel  vast  numbers  into  creeks  and  shal- 
lows, where  they  gratify  their  voracity  with  perfect  ease,  and 
to  the  most  astonishing  excess. 

Another  curiosity  is.  The  Bird  of  Paradise. — In  natural 
history,  a  genus  of  birds  of  the  order  Picas.  Generic  charac- 
ter :  bill  covered  at  the  base  with  downy  feathers  ;  nostrils 
covered  by  the  feathers  ;  tail  of  ten  feathers,  two  of  them,  in 
some  species,  very  long ;  legs  and  feet  very  large  and  strong. 
These  birds  chiefly  inhabit  North  Guinea,  whence  they  emigrate 
in  the  dry  season  to  the  neighbouring  islands.  Their  feathers 
are  used  in  these  countries  as  ornaments  for  the  head-dress; 
and  the  Japanese,  Chinese,  and  Persians,  import  them  for 
the  same  purpose.  The  rich  and  great  among  the  latter  attach 
these  brilliant,  collections  of  plumage,  not  only  to  their  own 
turbans,  but  to  the  housings  and  harnesses  of  their  horses. 
They  are  found  only  within  a  few  degrees  of  the  equator. 
Gmelin  enumerates  twelve  species,  and  Latham  eight.  P.  apo- 
da,  or  the  greater  Paradise  bird,  is  about  as  large  as  a  thrush. 
They  pass  in  companies  of  thirty  or  forty  together,  headed 
by  one  whose  flight  is  higher  than  that  of  the  rest.  They  are 
often  distressed  by  means  of  their  long  feathers,  in  sudden 
shiftings  of  the  wind,  and  unable  to  proceed  in  their  flight; 
are  easily  taken  by  the  natives,  who  catch  them  with  bird- 
lime, and  shoot  them  with  blunted  arrows.  They  are  sold  at 
Aroo  for  an  iron  nail  each,  and  at  Banda  for  half  a  rix-dollar. 
Their  food  is  not  ascertained,  and  they  cannot  be  kept  alive 
in  confinement.  The  smaller  bird  of  Paradise  is  supposed,  by 
Latham,  to  be  a  mere  variety  of  the  above.     It  is  found  only 


CO     ^ 


O    o 


O     a*' 

w   2 


THE  OSTRICH.  231 

in  the  Papuan  islands,  where  it  is  caught  by  the  natives  often 
by  the  hand,  and  exenterated  and  seared  with  a  hot  iron  in 
the  inside,  and  then  put  into  the  hollow  of  a  bamboo,  to 
secure  its  plumage  from  injury. 

The  following  account  of  the  curiosities  of  The  Os- 
trich, is  taken  from  Lichtenstein's  Travels  in  South  Africa, 
vol.  II. — "  The  habits  of  the  ostrich  are  so  remarkable,  and 
have  been  so  imperfectly  described  by  travellers  in  general, 
that  I  cannot  forbear  bringing  together  here  all  ihe  knowledge 
I  acquired  upon  the  subject,  both  in  this  and  subsequent  jour- 
neys. I  have  noticed,  on  a  former  occasion,  a  lar^e  flock  of 
ostriches,  which  we  met  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Romberg. 
In  that  country,  the  drought  and  heat  sometimes  compel 
these  gigantic  birds  to  leave  the  plains,  aiwl  then  they  pursue 
their  course  together  in  large  flocks  to  the  heights,  where  they 
find  themselves  more  commodiously  lodged.  At  the  time  of 
sittino-  there  are  seldom  more  than  four  or  five  seen  to";ether, 
of  which  only  one  is  a  cock,  the  rest  are  hens.  These  hens 
lay  their  eggs  all  together  in  the  same  nest,  which  is  nothing 
more  than  a  round  cavity  made  in  the  clay,  of  such  a  size 
as  to  be  covered  by  one  of  the  birds,  when  sitting  upon 
it.  A  sort  of  wall  is  scraped  up  round  with  their  feet,  against 
which  the  eggs  in  the  outermost  circle  rest.  Every  egg  stands 
upon  its  point  in  the  nest,  that  the  greatest  possible  number 
may  be  stowed  within  the  space.  When  ten  or  twelve  eggs 
are  laid,  they  begin  to  sit,  the  hens  taking  their  turns,  and 
relieving  each  other  during  the  day  ;  at  night  the  cock  alone 
sits,  to  guard  the  eggs  against  the  jackals  and  wild  cats,  who 
will  run  almost  any  risk  to  procure  t»!iem.  Great  numbers  of 
these  smaller  beasts  of  prey  have  often  been  found  crushed  to 
death  about  the  nests ;  a  proof  that  the  ostrich  does  not  fight 
with  them,  but  knows  very  well  how  to  conquer  them  at  once 
by  her  own  resistless  power;  for  it  is  certain,  that  a  stroke  of 
her  large  foot  trampling  upon  them,  is  enough  to  crush  any 
such  animal. 

"  The  hens  continue  to  lay  during  the  time  they  are  sitting, 
and  that,  not  only  till  the  nest  is  full,  which  happens  when 
about  thirty  eggs  are  laid,  but  for  some  time  after.  The  eggs 
laid  after  the  nest  is  filled  are  deposited  round  about  it,  and 
seem  designed  by  nature  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  above- 
mentioned  enemies,  since  they  very  much  prefer  the  new-laid 
eggs  to  those  which  have  been  brooded.  But  they  seem  also 
to  have  a  more  important  designation,  that  is,  to  assist  in  the 
nourishment  of  the  young  birds.  These,  when  first  hatched, 
are  as  large  as  a  common  pullet,  and  since  their  tender  sto- 
machs cannot  digest  the  hard  food  eaten  by  the  old  ones,  the 
spare  eggs  serve  as  their  first  nourishment.     The  increase  of 


232  CUISIOStTIES    RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

the  ostrich  race  would  be  incalculable,  had  they  not  so  many 
enemies,  by  which  great  numbers  of  the  young  are  destroyed 
after  they  quit  the  nest. 

"  The  ostrich  is  a  very  prudent,  wary  creature,  which  is  not 
easily  ensnared  in  the  open  field,  since  it  sees  to  a  very  great 
distance,  and  takes  to  flight  upon  the  least  idea  of  danger. 
For  this  reason  the  quaggas  generally  attach  themselves,  as  it 
were  instinctively,  to  a  troop  of  ostriches,  and  fly  with  them, 
without  the  least  idea  that  they  are  followed.  Xenophon 
relates,  that  the  army  of  Cyrus  met  ostriches  and  wild  asses 
together,  in  the  plains  of  Syria. 

"  The  ostriches  are  particularly  careful  to  conceal,  if  possible, 
the  places  where  their  nests  are  made.  They  never  go  directly 
to  them,  but  run  round  in  a  circle  at  a  considerable  distance 
before  they  attempt  to  approach  the  spot.  On  the  contrary,  they 
always  run  directly  up  to  the  springs  where  thev  drink,  nud  the 
impressions  they  make  on  the  ground,  in  the  desolate  places 
they  inhabit,  are  often  mistaken  for  the  footsteps  of  men.  The 
females,  in  sitting,  when  they  are  to  relieve  each  otiier,  either 
both  remove  awhile  to  a  distance  from  the  nest,  or  chan^.  a 
hastily,  that  any  one  who  might  by  chance  be  spying  about, 
could  never  see  both  at  once.  In  the  day-tiu)e,  thev  occa- 
sionally quit  the  nest  entirely,  and  leave  the  care  of  wanning 
the  eggs  to  the  sun  alone.  If  at  any  time  thev  find  thiU  the 
place  of  their  nest  is  discovered,  that  either  a  man  or  a  beast 
of  prey  has  been  at  it.  and  has  disturbed  the  airanutment  of 
the  eggs,  or  taken  any  away,  they  immediately  destroy  the 
nest  themselves,  break  all  the  eggs  to  pieces,  and  seek  out 
some  other  spot  to  make  a  new  one.  When  the  colonist  there- 
fore  finds  a  nest,  he  contents  himself  with  taking  one  or  two 
of  the  spare  eggs  that  are  lying  near,  observing  carefully  to 
smooth  over  any  footsteps  which  may  have  been  made,  so  that 
they  may  not  be  perceived  by  the  birds.  Thus  visits  to  the 
nest  may  be  often  repeated,  and  it  may  be  converted  into  a 
storehouse  of  very  pleasant  food,  where,  every  two  or  three 
days,  as  many  eggs  may  be  procured  as  are  wanted  to  regale 
the  whole  household. 

••  An  ostrich's  egg  weighs  commonly  near  three  pounds,  and 
IS  considered  as  equal  in  its  square  contents  to  twenty-tour 
hen's  eggs.  The  yolk  has  a  very  pleasant  flavour,  yet,  it  must 
be  owned,  not  the  delicacy  of  a  hen's  egg.  It  is  so  nourish- 
ing and  so  soon  satisfies,  that  no  one  can  eat  a  great  deal  at 
once.  Four  very  hungry  ncTannc  would  be  requisite  to  eat  a 
whole  ostrich's  egg  ;  and  eight  Atricans,  who  are  used  to  so 
much  harder  living,  might  make  a  meal  of  it.  These  eggs 
will  keep  for  a  very  long  time  :  they  are  often  brought  to  the 
Cape  Town,  where  they  are  sold  at  the  price  of  half  a  dollar 
each. 


THE  OSTRICH. THK  MOCKING-BIRD.  233 

"  In  the  summer  months  of  July,  August,  and  September,  the 
greatest  number  of  ostriches*  nests  are  to  be  found  ;  but  the 
feathers,  which  are  always  scattered  about  tiie  nest  at  the 
time  of  sitting,  are  of  very  little  value.  I  have,  however,  at 
all  times  of  the  year,  found  nests  with  eggs  that  have  been 
brooded  :  the  contrasts  of  the  seasons  being  much  less  forci- 
ble in  this  part  of  the  world  than  in  Europe,  the  habits  of 
animals  are  consequently  much  less  fixed  and  regular.  The 
ostrich  sits  from  thirty-six  to  forty  days  before  the  young  are 
hatched. 

"  It  is  well  known  that  the  male  alone  furnishes  the  beautiful 
white  feathers  which  have  for  so  long  a  time  been  a  favourite 
ornament  in  the  head-dress  of  our  European  ladies.  They  are 
purchased  from  the  people  who  collect  them,  for  as  high  as  three 
or  four  shillings  each  ;  they  are,  liowever,  given  at  a  lower 
price,  in  exchange  for  European  wares  and  clothing.  Almost 
all  the  colonists  upon  the  borders  have  a  little  magazine  of 
these  feathers  laid  by,  and  when  they  would  make  a  friendly 
present  to  a  guest,  it  is  generally  an  ostrich's  feather.  Few 
of  them  are,  however,  prepared  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be 
whollv  fit  for  the  use  of  the  European  dealers.  The  female 
ostriches  are  entirely  black,  or  rather,  in  their  youth,  of  a  very 
dark  gray,  but  have  no  white  feathers  in  the  tail.  In  every 
other  respect,  the  colour  excepted,  their  feathers  are  as  good 
as  those  of  the  males.  It  is  very  true,  as  Mr.  Bar  ow  says, 
that  small  stones  are  sometimes  found  in  the  ostrich's  eggs ; 
jt  is  not,  however,  very  common  ;  and,  among  all  that  I  ever 
saw  opened,  I  never  met  with  one." 

We  must  not  omit  to  give  some  account  of  The  Mocking- 
BiRD  OF  America. — Those  who  have  not  heard  the  mocking- 
bird, can  have  no  conception  of  his  great  superiority  of  song: 
he  seems  the  merryandrew  among  birds,  and  the  most  serious 
and  laboured  efforts  of  the  best  performers  appear  to  him  only 
sport :  he  performs  an  antic  dance  to  the  sound  of  his  own 
music;  like  jack-pudding,  too,  he  seems  to  make  game  of  his 
audience,  for  often,  when  he  has  secured  the  attention  by  the 
most  delightful  warblings,  he  will  stop  suddenly,  and  surprise 
them  by  the  quack  of  a  duck,  the  hiss  of  a  goose,  the  mon- 
strous note  of  the  whip-poor-will,  or  any  other  unexpected 
sound  :  he  possesses  also  the  power  of  a  ventriloquist,  in 
being  able  to  deceive  his  hearers  as  to  the  direction  of  the 
sound.  When  he  is  not  seen,  and  while  his  listeners  are  looking 
for  the  enchanter  on  the  roof  of  their  own  houses,  he  is  per- 
haps playing  his  antic  tricks  on  the  chimney-top  of  some 
house  at  a  considerable  distance.  When,  however,  there  are 
no  spectators  during  the  stillness  of  night,  he  lays  aside  his 
frolic,  and  pours  his  "  love-laboured  songs  ;*'  and  surely,  if 

2G 


234  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     BIRDS. 

there  is  fascination  in  sweet  sounds,  it  must  be  in  the  song  ol 
this  delightful  bird,  perched  on  the  chimney-top,  or  on  some 
tree  near  to  the  dwelling  of  man.     He  seems  never  to  tire. 

The  next  subject  of  curiosity  is  The  Social  Grosbeak. — 
This  bird  inhabits  the  interior  country  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  where  it  was  discovered  by  Mr.  Paterson.  These  birds 
live  together  in  large  societies,  and  their  mode  of  nidification 
is  extremely  uncommon.  They  build  in  a  species  of  mimosa, 
which  grows  to  an  uncommon  size,  and  which  they  seem  to 
select  for  that  purpose,  as  well  on  account  of  its  ample  head, 
and  the  great  strength  of  its  branches,  calculated  to  admit 
and  to  support  the  extensive  buildings  which  they  have  to 
erect,  as  for  the  tallness  and  smoothness  of  its  trunk,  which 
their  great  enemies,  the  serpent  tribe,  are  unable  to  climb. 

The  method  in  which  the  nests  ihemselves  are  fabricated, 
is  highly  curious.  In  the  one  described  by  Mr.  Paterson, 
there  could  be  no  less  a  number  (he  says)  than  from  eight 
hundred  to  a  thousand,  residing  under  the  same  roof.  He 
calls  it  a  roof,  because  it  perfectly  resembles  that  of  a  thatched 
house;  and  the  ridge  forms  an  angle  so  acute  and  so  smooth, 
projecting  over  the  entrance  of  the  nest  below,  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  any  reptile  to  approach  them.  The  industry  of 
these  birds  is  almost  equal,  in  his  opinion,  to  that  of  the  bee: 
through(  ut  the  day  they  appear  to  be  busily  employed  in 
carrying  d  fine  species  of  grass,  which  is  the  principal  material 
they  employ  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  this  extraordinary 
work,  as  well  as  for  additions  and  repairs. — "Though  my 
short  stay  in  the  country  was  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  me,  by 
ocular  proof,  that  they  added  to  their  nest  as  they  annually 
increased  in  numbers,  still,  from  the  many  trees  which  I  have 
seen  borne  down  with  the  weight,  and  others  which  I  have 
observed  with  their  boughs  completely  covered  over,  it  would 
appear,  that  this  is  really  the  case  ;  when  the  tree,  which  is 
the  support  of  this  aerial  city,  is  obliged  to  give  way  to  the 
increase  of  weight,  it  is  obvious  they  are  no  longer  protected, 
and  are  under  the  necessity  of  building  in  other  trees. 

"  One  of  these  deserted  nests  I  had  the  curiosity  to  break 
down,  so  as  to  inform  myself  of  the  internal  structure  of  it, 
and  found  it  equally  ingenious  with  that  of  the  external. 
There  many  entrances,  each  of  which  forms  a  regular  street, 
with  nests  on  both  sides,  at  about  two  inches  distant  from 
each  other.  The  grass  with  which  they  build,  is  called,  the 
Boshman's  grass;  and  I  believe  the  seed  of  it  to  be  their  prin- 
cipal food ;  though,  on  examining  their  nests,  I  found  the 
wings  and  legs  of  different  insects.  From  every  appearance, 
the  nest  which  I  dissected  had  been  inhabited  for  many  years  ; 
and  some  parts  of  it  were  much  more  complete  than  others ; 


THE    BENGAL  GROSBEAK.  235 

this  therefore  I  conceive  nearly  to  amount  to  a  proof,  that  the 
animals  added  to  it  at  different  times,  as  they  found  necessary 
from  the  increase  of  the  family,  or  rather  of  the  nation  or 
community. 

The  Bengal  Grosbeak. — This  is  an  Indian  bird,  and 
is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Latham.  "  This  little  bird  (called 
baya,  in  Hindu;  berbera,  in  Sanscrit;  babili,  in  the  dialect  of 
Bengal;  cibii,  in  Persian;  and  tenauwit,  in  Arabic,  from  its 
remarkably  pendent  nest)  is  rather  larger  than  a  sparrow,  with 
yellow  brown  plumage,  a  yellowish  head  and  feet,  a  light 
coloured  breast,  and  a  conic  beak,  very  thick  in  proportion 
to  his  body.  This  bird  is  exceedingly  common  in  Hindostan; 
he  is  astonishingly  sensible,  faithful,  and  docile,  never  volun- 
tarily deserting  the  place  where  his  young  were  hatched,  but 
not  averse,  like  most  other  birds,  to  the  society  of  mankind, 
and  easily  taught  to  perch  on  the  hand  of  his  master.  In  a 
state  of  nature,  he  generally  builds  his  nest  on  the  highest 
tree  that  he  can  find,  especially  on  the  palmyra,  or  on  the 
Indian  fig-tree,  and  he  prefers  that  which  happens  to  over- 
hancr  a  well  or  rivult^t :  he  makes  it  of  o-rass,  which  he  weaves 
like  cloth,  and  shapes  like  a  large  bottle,  suspending  it  firmly 
on  the  branches,  but  so  as  to  rock  with  the  wind,  and  placing  it 
with  its  entrance  downwards,  to  secure  it  from  birds  of  prey. 
His  nest  usually  consists  of  two  or  three  chambers  ;  and  it  is 
the  popular  belief  that  he  lights  them  with  fire-flies,  which 
he  catches  alive  at  night,  and  confines  with  moist  clay  or 
cow-dung.  That  such  flies  are  often  found  in  his  nest,  where 
pieces  of  cow-dung  are  also  stuck,  is  indubitable  :  but  as 
their  light  could  be  of  little  use. , to  him,  it  seems  probable 
that  he  only  feeds  on  them.  He  may  be  taught  with  ease  to 
fetch  any  small  thing  that  his  master  points  out  to  him  :  it  is 
an  attested  fact,  that  if  a  ring  be  dropped  into  a  deep  well, 
and  a  signal  be  given  to  him,  he  vylU  fly  down  with  amazing 
celerity,  catch  the  ring  before  it  touches  the  water,  and  bring 
it  up  with  apparent  exultation;  and  it  is  asserted,  that  if  a 
house  or  any  other  place  be  shewn  to  him  once  or  twice,  he 
will  carry  a  note  thither  immediately  on  a  proper  signal. 

"  One  instance  of  his  docility,  I  can  myself  mention  with 
confidence,  having  often  been  an  eye-witness  of  it.  The 
young  Hindoo  women  at  Benares,  and  in  other  places,  wear 
very  thin  plates  of  gold,  called  ticas,  slightly  fixed  by  way  of 
ornament  between  their  eye-brows ;  and  when  they  pass 
through  the  streets,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  youthful  liber- 
tines, who  amuse  themselves  with  training  bayas,  to  give  them 
a  signal,  which  they  understand,  and  send  them  to  pluck  the 
pieces  of  gold  from  the  foreheads  of  their  mistresses,  which 
they  bring  in  triumph  to  the  lovers.     The  baya  feeds  naturally 


236  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

on  grasshoppers  and  other  insects,  but  will  subsist,  when 
tame,  on  pulse  macerated  in  water :  his  flesh  is  warm  and 
Jrying,  and  easy  of  digestion.  The  fem;ile  lays  many  beau- 
tiful eggs,  resembling  large  pearls;  the  white  of  them, 
when  boiled,  is  transparent,  and  the  flavour  is  exquisitely 
delicate.  When  many  bayas  are  assembled  on  a  high  tree, 
they  make  a  lively  din,  but  it  is  rather  chirping  than  singing; 
their  want  of  musical  talents  is,  however,  amply  supplied  by 
their  wonderful  sagacity,  in  which  they  are  not  excelled  by 
any  feathered  inhabitant  of  the  forest." 

Another  subject  of  acknowledged  curiosity  is.  The  Hum- 
ming Bird. — There  are  sixty  species  enumerated  by  Latham, 
and  Gmelin  has  sixty-five.  The  birds  of  this  genus  are  the 
smallest  of  all  birds.  These  diminutive  creatures  subsist  on 
the  juices  of  flowers,  which  they  extract,  like  bees,  while  on 
the  wing,  fluttering  over  their  delicate  repast,  and  making  a 
considerable  humming  sound,  from  which  they  derive  their 
designation.  They  are  gregarious,  and  build  their  nests  with 
great  neatness  and  elegance,  lining  them  with  the  softest  ma- 
terials they  can  possibly  procure. 

The  red-throated  humming-bird  is  rather  more  than  three 
inches  long,  and  is  frequent  in  various  parts  of  North  America. 
Its  plumage  is  highly  splendid  and  varying;  it  extracts  the 
nectar  of  flowers,  particularly  those  of  a  long  tube,  like  the 
convolvulus  or  tulip.  They  will  suffer  themselves  to  be  ap- 
proached very  near,  but  on  observing  an  effort  to  seize  them, 
dart  off"  with  the  rapidity  of  an  arrow.  A  flower  is  frequently 
the  subject  of  bitter  conflict  between  two  of  these  birds  ;  they 
will  often  enter  an  open  window,  and,  after  a  short  contest, 
retire.  They  sometimes  soar  perpendicularly  to  a  considerable 
height,  with  a  violent  scream.  If  a  flower  which  they  enter 
furnishes  them  with  no  supply,  they  pluck  it,  as  it  were  in 
punishment  and  revenge,  from  its  stalk.  They  have  been  kept 
alive  in  cages  for  several  weeks,  but  soon  perish  for  want  of 
the  usual  food,  for  which  no  adequate  substitute  has  yet  been 
found.  Latham,  however,  mentions  a  curious  circumstance 
of  their  being  preserved  alive  by  Captain  Davies  for  four 
months,  by  the  expedient  of  imitating  tubular  flowers  with 
paper  appropriately  painted,  and  filling  the  bottom  of  f^e 
tubes  with  sugar  and  water  as  often  as  they  were  emptied. 
They  then  took  their  nourishment  in  the  same  manner  as  when 
unconfined,  and  soon  appeared  familiarized  and  happy.  They 
build  on  the  middle  of  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and  lay  two  eggs 
in  an  extremely  small  and  admirably  constructed  nest. 

The  smallest  of  all  the  species  is  said,  when  just  killed,  to 
weigh  no  more  than  twenty  grains.  Its  total  length  is  an  inch 
and  a  quarter.     It  is  found  in  the  West  Indies  and  South  Ame- 


THE    GOLDEN     EAGLE.  237 

rica,  nnd  is  exceeded  both  in  weight  and  magnitude  by  several 
species  of  bees. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  The  Golden 
Eagle. — This  bird  weighs  above  twelve  pounds,  and  is  about 
three  feet  long,  the  wings,  when  extended,  measuring  seven 
feet  four  inches.  The  sight  and  sense  of  smelling  are  very 
acute ;  the  head  and  neck  are  clothed  with  narrow,  sharp- 
pointed  feathers,  of  a  deep  brown  colour,  bordered  with  tawny  ; 
the  hind  part  of  the  head  is  of  bright  rust  colour.  These  birds 
are  very  destructive  to  fawns,  lambs,  kids,  and  all  kinds  of 
game,  particularly  in  the  breeding  season,  when  they  bring 
a  vast  quantity  of  prey  to  their  young.  Smith,  in  his  History 
of  Kerry,  relates,  that  a  poor  man  in  that  country  got  a  com- 
fortable subsistence  for  his  family,  during  a  summer  of  famine, 
out  of  an  eagle's  nest,  by  robbing  the  eaglets  of  the  food  the 
old  ones  brought,  whose  attendance  he  protracted  beyond  the 
natural  time,  by  clipping  the  wings  and  retarding  the  flight 
of  the  former.  It  is  very  unsafe  to  leave  infants  in  places 
where  eagles  frequent ;  there  having  been  instances  in  Scot 
land  of  two  being  carried  off'  by  them ;  but,  fortunately,  the 
thefts  were  discovered  in  time,  and  the  children  were  restored 
unhurt  out  of  the  eagles'  nests.  In  order  to  extirpate  these 
pernicious  birds,  there  is  a  law  in  the  Orkney  isles,  which  en- 
titles every  person  that  kills  an  eagle  to  a  hen  out  of  every 
house  in  the  parish  where  it  was  killed.  Eagles  seem  to  give 
the  preference  to  the  carcases  of  dogs  and  cats.  People  who 
make  it  their  business  to  kill  those  birds,  lay  one  of  these  car- 
cases by  way  of  bait ;  and  then  conceal  themselves  within 
gun-shot.  They  fire  the  instant  the  eagle  alights;  for  she 
that  moment  looks  about  before  she  begins  to  prey.  Yet, 
quick  as  her  sight  may  be,  her  sense  of  hearing  seems  still 
more  exquisite.  If  hooded  crows  or  ravens  happen  to  be 
nearer  the  carrion,  and  resort  to  it  first,  and  give  a  single  croak, 
the  eagle  instantly  repairs  to  the  spot.  These  eagles  are  re- 
markable for  their  longevity,  and  for  sustaining  a  long  absti- 
nence from  food.  Mr.  Keysler  relates,  that  an  eagle  died  at 
Vienna  after  a  confinement  of  104  years.  This  pre-eminent 
length  of  days  is  alluded  to  by  the  Psalmist,  "Thy  youth  is 
renewed  like  the  eagle's." 

One  of  this  species,  which  was  nine  years  in  the  possession 
of  Owen  Holland,  Esq.  of  Conway,  lived  thirty-two  years 
with  the  gentleman  who  made  him  a  present  of  it;  but  what 
its  age  was,  when  the  latter  received  it  from  Ireland,  is  un- 
known. The  same  bird  also  furnishes  us  with  a  proof  of  the 
truth  of  the  other  remark  ;  having  once,  through  the  neglect 
of  servants,  endured  hunger  for  twenty-one  days  without  any 
sustenance  whatever. 


238  cuniosiTiEs  respecting  birds 

Here  it  is  proper  to  take  notice  of  a  very  singular  variety 
of  the  Golden  Eagle,  described  by  Mr.  Bruce,  in  his  Travels 
in  Abyssinia;  for,  whether  it  properly  belongs  to  this  species 
or  not,  we  do  not  find  that  it  has  been,  as  yet,  either  arranged 
under  any  other,  or  ranked  as  a  diti'erent  genus,  (which  indeed 
it  appears  to  be,)  by  Mr.  Kerr,  or  any  other  ornithologist. 
Mr.  Bruce  says,  it  is  not  only  the  largest  of  the  eaole  kind, 
but  the  largest  bird  that  flies.  By  the  natives  it  is  vulgarly 
called  abou  duchem,  or,  father  long-beard.  It  is  not  an  object 
of  any  chase,  nor  stands  in  need  of  any  stratagem  to  bring  it 
within  reach.  Upon  the  highest  top  of  mount  Lamalmon, 
while  Mr.  Bruce's  servants  were  refreshing  themselves  after 
their  toilsome  ascent,  and  enjoying  the  pleasure  of  a  most  de- 
lightful climate,  eating  their  dinner  in  the  open  air,  with  seve- 
ral largii  dishes  of  boiled  goat's  flesh  before  them,  thi^  eagle 
suddenly  made  its  appearance  ;  he  did  not  stoop  rapidly  from  a 
height,  but  came  flying  slowly  along  the  ground,  and  sat  down 
close  to  the  meat,  within  the  ring  the  men  had  made  around  it. 
A  great  shout,  or  rather  cry  of  distress,  which  they  raised, 
made  the  bird  stand  for  a  minute  as  if  to  recollect  himself;  but 
while  the  servants  ran  for  their  lances  and  shields,  his  atten- 
tion was  fully  fixed  upon  the  flesh.  He  put  his  foot  into  the 
pan,  where  was  a  lar2;e  piece  in  water  nearly  boiling  ;  but  feel- 
ing the  smart,  he  withdrew  it,  and  forsook  the  piece  which  he 
held.  There  were  two  large  pieces,  a  legend  a  shoulder,  lying 
on  a  wooden  platter :  into  these  he  struck  his  claws,  and  carried 
them  off,  skimming  slowly  along  the  ground,  as  he  had  come, 
till  he  disappeared  behind  a  cliff.  But  being  observed,  at  his 
departure,  to  look  wistfully  at  the  large  piece  which  remained 
in  the  warm  water,  it  was  conchuled  that  he  would  soon  return  ; 
in  expectation  of  which,  Mr.  Bruce  loaded  a  rifle  gun  with 
ball,  and  sat  down  close  to  the  platter  by  the  meat.  It  was 
not  many  minutes  before  he  came  ;  and  a  prodigious  shout  was 
raised  by  the  attendants,  "He  is  coming,  he  is  coming!" 
enough  to  have  discouraged  a  less  courageous  animal.  Whe- 
ther he  was  not  quite  so  hungry  as  at  his  first  visit,  or  sus- 
pecting something  from  Mr.  Bruce's  appearance,  he  made  a 
small  turn,  and  sat  down  about  ten  yards  from  him,  the  pan 
with  the  meat  being  between  them.  In  this  situation  Mr.  Bruce 
fired,  and  shot  him  with  the  ball  through  the  middle  of  his  body, 
about  two  inches  below  the  wing,  so  that  he  lay  down  upon 
the  grass  without  a  single  flutter.  Upon  laying  hold  of  his 
monstrous  carcase,  our  author  was  not  a  little  surprised  at 
seeing  his  hands  covered  and  tinged  with  yellow  dust.  Upon 
turning  him  upon  his  belly,  and  examining  the  feathers  of  his 
back,  they  ])roduced  a  brown  dust,  the  colour  of  the  feathers 
there.  The  dust  was  not  in  small  quantities,  for,  upon  striking 
his  breast,  the   yellow  powder  flew  in  a  greater  quantity  than 


THE    GOLDEN    EAGLE.  239 

from  a  hair-dresser's  powder-pufF.  The  feathers  of  the  belly 
and  breast,  which  were  of  a  gold  colour,  did  not  appear  to  have 
any  thing  extraordinary  in  their  formation,  but  the  large  fea- 
thers in  the  shoulders  and  wings  seemed  apparently  to  be  fine 
tubes,  which,  upon  pressure,  scattered  the  brown  dust  upon 
the  finer  part  of  the  feathers.  Upon  the  side  of  the  wino-,  the 
ribs,  or  hard  part  of  the  feather,  seemed  to  be  bare,  as  if  worn, 
or,  in  our  author's  opinion,  were  rather  renewing  themselves, 
having  before  failed  in  their  function.  What  the  reason  is  of  this 
extraordinary  provision  of  nature,  Mr.  Bruce  does  not  attempt 
to  determine.  But  as  it  is  an  unusual  one,  it  is  probably  meant, 
he  thinks,  for  a  defence  against  the  climate  in  favour  of  those 
birds,  which  live  in  those  almost  inaccessible  heights  of  a 
country,  doomed  even  in  its  lower  parts  to  several  months'  of 
excessive  rain. 

This  bird,  from  wing  to  wing,  was  eight  feet  four  inches; 
and  from  the  tip  of  his  tail  to  the  point  of  his  beak,  four 
feet  seven  inches.  He  was  remarkably  short  in  the  legs,  being 
only  four  inches  from  the  foot  to  the  junction  of  the  leg  with 
the  thigh  ;  and  from  that  to  the  body  six  inches.  The  thickness 
of  his  thigh  was  little  less  than  four  inches;  it  was  extremely 
muscular,  and  covered  with  flesh.  His  middle  claw  was  about 
two  inches  and  a  half  long,  not  very  sharp  at  the  point,  but  ex- 
tremely strong.  From  the  root  of  the  bill  to  the  point  was 
three  inches  and  a  quarter,  and  one  inch  and  three-quarters  in 
breadth  at  the  root.  A  forked  brush  of  strong  hair,  divided 
at  the  point  into  two,  proceeded  from  the  cavity  of  his  lower 
jaw  at  the  beginning  of  hi^  throat.  His  eye  was  remarkably 
small  in  proportion  to  his  bulk,  the  aperture  being  scarcely 
half  an  inch.  The  crown  of  his  head,  and  the  front,  where  the 
bill  and  skull  joined,  were  bald. 


240  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   BIRDS. 

CHAP.  XX 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    BIRDS. — (Continued.) 

The  Cuckoo — J'he  Cormorant — The  Great  Bustard  —  'The  A /arm- 
Bird —  The  Carrier,  or  Courier,  Pigeon — The  Wild  Pigeon, 
its  multipii/ing  Poiver — Singular  Bird,  inhabiting  a  Volcano 
in  Guadaloupe — Curious  Adventure  of  an  Owl — Curious  Fads 
in  Natural  Historij — The  Chick  in  the  Fgg- 

The  Cuckoo. — We  shall  introduce  this  curii>us  bird,  with 
the  following  well-known  beautirnl  piece  of  poetry  : — 

Hail,  beauteous  stranger  of  the  wood. 

Attendant  on  tlie  spring  ! 
Now  heav'n  repairs  thy  rural  seat. 

And  woods  thy  welcome  sing. 

Soon  as  the  daisy  decks  the  green, 

Thy  certain  voice  we  hear : 
Hast  thou  a  star  to  guide  thy  path, 

Or  mark  the  rolling  year? 

Delightful  visitant!  with  thee 

1  hail  the  time  of  flow'rs. 
When  heaven  is  fill'd  with  music  sweet 

Of  birds  among  the  bow'rs. 

The  school-boy,  wand'ring  in  the  wood, 

To  pull  the  flow'rs  so  gay. 
Starts,  thy  curious  voice  to  hear, 

And  imitates  thy  lay. 

Soon  as  the  pea  puts  on  the  bloom,  * 

Thou  fly'st  tliy  vocal  vale. 
An  annual  guest,  in  other  lands. 

Another  spring  to  hail. 

Sweet  bird  !  thy  bow'r  is  ever  green, 

Thy  sky  is  ever  clear; 
Tliou  hast  no  sorrow  in  thy  song, 

No  winter  in  thy  year ! 

O  could  I  fly,  I'd  fly  with  thee ; 

We'd  make,  with  social  wing 
Our  annual  visit  o'er  the  globe, 

Companions  of  the  spring 

This  bird  is  described,  in  natural  history,  as  a  genus  of  the 
order  of  Picas.  Generic  character  :  bill  smooth,  somewhat 
bending  and  weak ;  nostrils  surrounded  by  a  small  rim ;  tongue 
short  and  arrowed  ;  toes,  two  forward  and  two  backward  ;  tail 
wedge-formed,  of  ten  soft  feathers.     Gmelin  enumerates  fifty- 


THE  cucxoo.  241 

five  species,  and   Latham  forty-six.     The  following  are  the 
most  general  characteristics  of  the  Cuckoo  : — 

This  bird  is  about  fourteen  inches  long.  It  is  found  in 
Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa.  Its  food  consists  of  insects  and 
the  larvoe  of  moths,  but  when  domesticated,  which  it  may  be 
without  much  difficulty,  it  will  eat  bread,  fruits,  eggs,  and 
evin  flesh.  When  fattened,  it  is  said  to  be  excellent  for  the 
table.  It  is  in  this  country  a  bird  of  passage,  appearing  first 
about  the  middle  of  April,  and  cheering  the  vicinity  of  its 
habitation  with  that  well-known  note,  with  which  so  many 
exquisite  ideas  and  feelings  are  associated.  This  note  is  used 
only  by  the  male  bird,  and  this  is  the  intimation  of  love. 
It  has  been  heard,  (though  very  rarely,)  like  the  song  of 
the  nightingale,  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  About  the  close  of 
June  this  note  ceases,  but  the  cuckoo  remains  in  England  till 
towards  the  end  of  September.  It  is  imagined  sometimes  to 
continue  in  the  country  for  the  whole  of  the  year,  as  it  has 
occasionally  been  seen  here  so  early  as  February.  Cuckoos 
are  supposed  to  winter  in  Africa,  as  they  are  seen  twice  a  year 
in  the  island  of  Malta. 

With  the  history  of  these  birds  have  been  blended  much  fable 
and  superstition  ;  their  manners,  however,  are  unquestionably 
very  curious;  and  fable  in  this,  as  in  many  other  cases,  is  in 
a  great  degree  connected  with  fact.  It  is  almost  universally 
agreed  by  naturalists,  that  the  cuckoo  does  not  hatch  its  own 
eggs,  but  deposits  them  in  the  nest  of  some  other  bird.  Buf- 
fon  mentions  the  names  of  twenty  birds,  or  more,  on  which 
the  cuckoo  passes  this  fraud.  Those  most  frequently  duped 
by  it,  however,  in  this  manner,  are  the  yellow-hammer,  the 
water-wagtail,  and  the  hedge-sparrow;  and  of  these  three,  by 
far  more  than  the  other  two,  the  hedge-sparrow.  The  most 
minute  and  attentive  examiner  into  this  extraordinary  peculi- 
arity, is  Mr.  Edward  Jenner;  from  whose  observations  on  this 
interesting  subject  we  shall  select  a  few  of  the  most  impor- 
tant. 

He  states,  that  the  hedge-sparrow  is  generally  four  or  five 
days  in  completing  her  number  of  eggs,  during  which  time  the 
cuckoo  finds  an  opportunity  of  introducing  one  of  its  own  into 
the  nest,  leaving  the  future  management  of  it  to  the  hedge- 
sparrow;  and  that,  though  it  frequently  occurs  that  the  latter 
is  much  discomposed  by  this  intrusion,  and  several  of  the 
egffs  are  injured  by  her,  and  obliged  to  be  removed  from  the 
nest,  yet  the  egg  of  the  cuckoo  is  never  of  this  number. 
When  the  usual  time  of  incubation  is  completed,  and  the 
young  sparrows  and  cuckoo  are  disengsged  from  the  eggs, 
the  former  are  ejected  from  the  nest,  and  the  stranger  obtains 
exclusive  possession.  A  nest,  built  in  a  situation  extremely 
convenient  for  minute  observation,  fell  under  the  particular 

2H 


242  CVRIOSITII^S   RESPECTING  BIRDS. 

examination  of  this  gentleman,  and  was  found  on  the  first  day 
to  contain  a  cuckoo's  and  three  hedge-sparrows'  eggs.  On  the  « 
day  following,  he  observed  a  young  cuckoo  and  a  hedge-spar- 
row, and  as  he  could  distinctly  perceive  every  thing  passing, 
he  was  resolved  to  watch  the  events  which  might  take  place. 
He  soon,  with  extreme  surprise,  saw  the  young  cuckoo,  hatched 
only  the  day  before,  exerting  itself  with  its  rump  and  VMiigs 
to  take  the  young  sparrow  on  its  back,  which  it  actually 
accomplished,  and  then  climbed  backwards  with  its  burden 
to  the  verge  of  the  nest,  from  which,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  it 
clearly  threw  off  its  load ;  after  which  it  dropped  back  into 
the  nest,  having  first,  however,  felt  about  with  the  extremi- 
ties of  its  wings,  as  if  to  ascertain  whether  the  clearance  were 
completely  effected.  Several  eggs  were  afterwards  put  in  to 
the  young  usurper,  which  were  all  similarly  disposed  of. — He 
observes,  that  in  another  instance,  two  cuckoos  and  a  hedge- 
sparrow  were  hatched  in  the  same  nest,  and  one  hedge-spar- 
row's egg  remained  unhatched.  Within  a  few  hours,  a  conHict 
began  between  the  two  cuckoos  for  the  possession  of  the 
nest,  which  was  conducted  with  extreme  spirit  and  vigour, 
and  in  which  each  appeared  occasionally  to  have  the  advan- 
tage, lifting  its  adversary  to  the  very  brink  of  the  nest,  and 
then,  from  exhaustion  of  strength,  sinking  with  it  again  to 
the  bottom.  These  vicissitudes  of  success  were  repeated  and 
reiterated  ;  but  towards  the  close  of  the  following  day,  the 
contest  was  decided  by  one  of  them,  which  was  rather 
the  larger  of  the  two,  completely  expelling  his  rival ;  after 
which,  the  egg  and  the  young  hedge-sparrow  were  dislodged 
with  extreme  facility.  The  infant  conqueror  was  brought  up 
by  the  step-mother  with  the  most  assiduous  affection.  The 
sagacity  of  the  female  cuckoo  appears  not  inconsiderable,  in  her 
introducing  her  egg  into  the  nests  of  birds  whose  young  are 
inferior  in  size  and  strength  to  the  young  cuckoo,  and  which 
the  latter  is  consequently  able  to  exclude  without  difficultv 
from  its  usurped  dominions. 

We  shall  now  call  the  reader's  attention  to  The  Cormo- 
rant.— This  bird,  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  a  goose,  is  found 
in  many  places  both  of  the  old  and  the  new  world  ;  it  is  to 
be  met  with  in  the  northern  parts  of  this  island,  and  one  of 
them,  not  very  long  since,  was  shot  while  perched  on  the 
castle  of  Carlisle.  These  birds  are  shy  and  crafty,  but  fre- 
quently eat  to  so  great  an  excess,  as  to  induce  a  species  of  ^ 
lethargy,  in  which  they  are  caught  by  nets  thrown  over  them  »• 
without  their  making  an  effort  to  escape.  They  are  trained 
by  the  Chinese  to  fish  for  them.  By  a  ring  placed  round  their 
necks,  they  are  prevented  from  swallowing  what  they  take, 
and,  when  their  pouches  are  filled,  they  unload  them,   and 


THE  GREAT   BUSTARD. — THE  ALARM-BIRD.  243 

at  tlie  command  of  their  owners,  renew  their  divings.  Two 
will  sometimes  be  seen  combining  their  efforts  to  secure  a 
fish  too  large  for  the  management  of  one  only.  When  their 
work  is  finished  to  the  employer's  satisfaction,  the  birds  have 
a  full  allotment  of  the  spoil,  for  their  reward  and  encourage- 
ment. In  Macao,  also,  these  birds  are  thus  domesticated, 
taking  extreme  delight  in  the  exercise,  and  constituting  a 
source  of  very  considerable  profit  to  their  owners.  They  were 
formerly  trained,  and  used  in  the  same  manner  in  England; 
and  Charles  1.  had  an  officer  of  his  household,  called  master 
of  the  cormorants. 

The  next  curiosity  among  birds  which  we  shall  introduce, 
is,  The  Great  Bustard. — This  bird  is  found  in  the  plains 
of  F.urope,  Asia,  and  Africa,  but  it  has  never  been  observed 
in  the  New  Continent.  In  England,  it  is  occasionally  met 
with  on  Salisbury  Plain,  and  on  the  wolds  of  Yorkshire,  and 
formerly  it  was  not  uncommonly  seen  in  flocks  of  forty  or 
fifty.  It  is  the  largest  of  British  land  birds,  weighing  often 
twenty-five  or  thirty  pounds.  It  runs  with  great  rapidity,  so 
as  to  escape  the  pursuit  of  common  dogs,  but  falls  speedily  a 
victim  to  the  greyhound,  which  often  overtakes  it  before  it 
has  power  to  commence  its  flight,  the  preparation  for  which, 
in  this  bird,  is  slow  and  laborious.  The  female  lays  her  eggs 
on  the  bare  ground,  never  more  than  two  in  number,  in  a  hole 
scratched  by  her  for  the  pnr)  •,  and  if  these  are  touched  or 
soiled  during  her  occasional  absence,  she  immediately  aban- 
dons them.  The  male  is  distinguished  by  a  large  pouch,  begin- 
nino;  under  the  tongrue,  and  reachino-  to  the  breast,  capable  of 
holdino-,  accordino;  to  Linnsus,  seven  quarts  of  water,  ihis  is 
sometimes  useful  to  the  female  during  incubation,  and  to  the 
young  before  they  quit  their  nest;  and  it  has  been  observed 
to  be  eminently  advantageous  to  the  male  bird  himself,  who, 
on  being  attacked  by  birds  of  prey,  has  often  discomfited  his 
enemies  by  the  sudden  and  violent  discharge  of  water  upon 
them.  These  birds  are  solitary  and  shy,  and  feed  principally 
upon  grasses,  worms,  and  grain.  They  were  formerly  much 
hunted  with  dogs,  and  considered  as  supplying  no  uninterest- 
ing diversion.  They  swallow  stones,  pieces  of  metal,  and 
other  hard  substances.  Buffon  states,  that  one  was  opened 
bv  the  academicians  of  France,  which  contained  in  its  sto- 
mach ninety  doubloons,  and  various  stones,  all  highly  smoothed 
by  the  attrition  of  the  stomach. 

The  following  deserves  tb  be  ranked  among  the  curiosities 
of  the  feathered  tribe;  The  Alarm-Bird. — Near  the  Copper- 
mine River,  which  falls  into  Hudson's  Bay,  live  a  tribe  of 
Indians,  who  traverse  the  immense  and  dreary  solitudes  that 


244  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    JIRDS. 

surround  them,  in  pursuit  of  deer  or  other  game,  from  which 
they  derive  their  only  subsistence.  The  animals,  however, 
taught  by  experience  to  shun  the  haunts  of  men,  and  instinct- 
ively led  to  conceal  themselves  in  the  most  sequestered  spots, 
would  with  difficulty  be  discovered,  were  it  not  for  one  of  the 
winoed  tribe  of  the  owl  genus,  called  the  alarm-bird. 

No  sooner  does  this  bird  descry  man  or  beast,  than  it  directs 
its  flight  towards  them,  and,  hovering  over  them,  forms  gyra- 
tions round  their  head.  Should  two  objects  at  once  arrest  its 
attention,  it  flies  from  one  to  the  other  alternately,  with  a 
loud  screaming,  resembling  the  crying  of  a  child  ;  and  in  this 
manner  it  will  follow  travellers,  or  attend  a  herd  of  deer,  for 
the  space  of  a  day. 

By  means  of  this  guide,  whose  qualities  so  well  correspond 
with  its  name,  the  Copper  Indians  aie  apprised  of  the  approach 
of  strangers,  or  directed  to  the  herds  of  deer  and  musk-oxen, 
which  otherwise  they  would  frequently  miss.  Is  it  to  be 
wondered  at,  then,  that  they  hold  the  alarm-bird  in  the  highest 
veneration?  It  seems,  indeed,  to  have  been  intended  by 
Providence  for  the  solace  and  friend  of  the  miserable  inhabit- 
ants of  those  wild  and  sterile  regions;  and  will  furnish 
a  new  evidence  of  that  superintending  care  which  watches 
over  all. 

The  Cuculus  Indicator,  so  celebrated  in  the  wanner  climates 
for  detecting  the  treasures  of  the  bees,  in  the  deep  recesses 
of  the  woods,  within  the  hollow  trunks  of  trees,  has,  or  mav 
be  thought  to  have,  a  view  and  an  object  in  its  services.  It 
feels  the  want  of  human  assistance,  to  enable  it  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  its  discoveries,  and  therefore  instinctively  calls  for 
it,  in  hopes  of  being  recompensed  with  a  share  of  the  honey, 
which,  we  are  told,  the  natives  readily  allow  it;  but  the 
alarm-bird  appears  perfectly  disinterested  in  its  labours,  it 
answers  no  purpose  of  its  own,  and  therefore  may  be  consi- 
dered as  one  of  the  bounties  of  Heaven,  to  a  people  and  a 
country  almost  shut  out  from  the  participation  of  the  common 
blessings  of  life.  It  confers  benefits  without  the  prospect 
of  a  reward ;  and,  for  this  reason,  is  entitled  to  the  greater 
regard. 

To  contemplate  the  various  animals  that  are  dispersed  over 
the  globe,  and  the  various  blessings  and  advantages  of  dif- 
ferent climates,  will  naturally  lead  us  to  the  Source  and 
Dispenser  of  all ;  and  though  some  parts  of  the  works  of 
Creation  are  more  conspicuously  beneficial,  and  cannot  escape 
the  most  common  observer,  yet  we  may,  from  analogy  and 
reason,  conceive  that  nothing  was  made  in  vain. 

A  subject  of  great  curiosity,  and  pleasing  admiration,  is. 
The  Carrier,  or.  Courier  Pigeon. — These  birds,  though 


THE  COURIER   PIGEON. — THE  WILD   PIGEON.  245 

carried,  hoodwinked,  twenty,  thirty,  or  even  a  hundred  miles, 
will  find  their  way  in  a  very  little  time  to  the  place  where 
they  were  bred.  They  are  trained  to  this  service  in  Turkey 
and  Persia;  and  are  carried  first,  while  young,  short  flights 
of  half  a  mile,  afterwards  more,  till  at  length  they  will  return 
from  the  farthest  part  of  the  kingdom.  Every  bashaw  has  a 
basket  of  these  pigeons  bred  in  the  seraglio,  which  from  a 
distance,  upon  any  emergent  occasion,  (as  an  insurrection,  or 
the  like,)  he  dispatches,  with  letters  braced  under  their  wings, 
to  the  seraglio  ;  which  proves  a  more  speedy  method,  as  well 
as  a  more  safe  one,  than  any  other  :  he  sends  out  more  than 
one  pigeon,  however,  for  fear  of  accidents.  Lithgow  assures 
us,  that  one  of  these  birds  will  carry  a  letter  from  Babylon  to 
Aleppo,  which  is  thirty  days'  journey,  in  forty-eight  hours. 
This  practice  is  very  ancient :  Hirtius  and  Brutus,  at  the  siege 
of  Modena,  held  a  correspondence  by  pigeons;  and  Ovid 
tells  us,  that  Taurosthenes,  by  a  pigeon  stained  with  purple, 
gave  notice  to  his  father  of  his  victory  at  the  Olympic  games, 
sending  it  to  him  at  iEgina.  In  modern  times,  the  riiost 
noted  were  the  pigeons  of  Aleppo,  which  served  as  couriers 
at  Alexandretta  and  Bagdad.  But  this  use  of  them  has  been 
laid  aside  for  tlie  last  thirty  or  forty  years,  because  the  Curd 
robbers  killed  the  pigeons.  The  manner  of  sending  advice  by 
them,  was  this :  they  took  pairs  which  had  young  ones, 
and  carried  them  on  horseback  to  the  place  whence  they 
wished  them  to  return,  taking  care  to  let  them  have  a  full 
view.  When  the  news  arrived,  the  correspondent  tied  a  billet 
to  the  pigeon's  foot,  and  let  her  loose.  The  bird,  impatient 
to  see  its  young,  flew  off"  like  lightning,  and  arrived  at  Aleppo 
in  ten  hours  from  Alexandretta,  and  in  two  days  from  Bagdad. 
It  was  easy  for  them  to  find  their  way  back,  as  Aleppo  may 
be  discovered  at  an  immense  distance.  This  pigeon  has  no- 
thing peculiar  in  its  form,  except  its  nostrils,  which,  instead 
of  being  smooth  and  even,  are  swelled  and  rough. 

It  is  presumed  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  insert  the  fol- 
lowing curious  particulars  respecting  the  Multiplying 
Power  of  the  Wild  Pigeon. — The  following  account  is 
extracted  from  Janson's  Stranger  in  America.  Mr.  Richard 
Hazen,  a  land-surveyor,  who,  in  1741,  drew  the  line  which 
divides  Massachusetts  from  Vermont,  gives  an  interesting 
account  of  the  multiplying  power  of  nature  in  the  wild  pigeon,: 
"  For  three  miles  together,  (says  he,)  the  pigeons'  nests  were 
so  thick,  that  five  hundred  might  be  reckoned  on  beech-trees 
at  one  time,  and,  could  they  have  been  counted  on  the  hem- 
locks ao  well,  he  did  not  doubt  that  five  thousand  might  be 
seen  at  one  turn  round.  Twenty-five  nests  were  frequently 
found  in  one  beech-tree,  in  New  England.     The  earth  was 


246  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

covered  with  these  trees  and  with  hemlocks,  thus  loaded  with 
the  nests  of  pigeons.  For  one  hundred  acres  together,  the 
ground  was  covered  with  their  dung,  to  the  depth  of  two 
inches.  Their  noise  in  the  evening  was  extremely  troublesome, 
and  so  great,  that  the  traveller  could  not  get  any  sleep  where 
their  nests  abounded.  About  an  hour  before  sun-rise  they 
rose  in  such  quantities  as  to  darken  the  air.  When  the  voun-j- 
pigeons  were  grown  to  a  proper  size,  it  was  common  for  the 
first  settlers  to  cut  down  the  trees,  and  gather  a  horse-load  in 
a  few  minutes.  The  markets  at  this  season,  even  at  Philadel- 
])hia,  are  often  overstocked  with  them  ;  a  score  of  them  have 
lately  been  purchased  for  sixpence.  But  as  the  land  becomes 
settled,  they  retire  into  the  back  forests,  where  they  are  at 
this  day  in  equal  numbers  !  In  North  Carolina,'  wild  pigeons 
or  doves  pass  over  the  country  in  such  numbers  as  to  darken 
the  air,  devouring  all  kinds  of  grain  in  their  progress.  A  large 
musket,  loaded  with  small  shot,  fired  among  them,  has  killed 
scores  ;  and  boys  knock  them  down  with  sticks  and  stones. 
I  did  not  see  this  destructive  phenomenon  ;  but  was  credibly 
informed  at  Edenton,  that  it  occurs  once  in  seven,  and  some- 
times in  ten  years.  During  my  residence  in  that  state,  1  cut 
holes  in  the  top  of  my  barn,  and,  by  placing  food  on  the  roof, 
soon  enticed  about  half  a  dozen  from  the  adjacent  woods.  In 
a  short  time  they  became  domesticated,  and  fed  with  the  fowl, 
affording  a  constant  and  an  agreeable  food.  When  I  left  my 
residence,  they  had,  notwithstanding  the  use  I  made  of  the 
young  ones,  increased  to  many  scores.  They  grew  so  familiar, 
that  they  would  watch  iny  appearance  in  the  morning,  and 
perch  upon  me,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  food,  with  which  it  was 
my  practice  to  supply  them.  They  distinguished  me  from  my 
domestics,  whom  they  would  not  sutfer  to  approach  them. 
They  would  permit  me  to  go  into  their  dovecot,  wilho'iit  reV 
treating ;  but  the  dam  would  often  oppose  my  taking  her 
young  ones." 

The  following  account  of  a  singular  Bird  inhabiting 
A  Volcano  in  Guadaloupe,  is  taken  from  a  respectable 
source. 

Father  Dutertre,  in  his  Description  of  Guadaloupe,  the  best 
and  most  beautiful,  in  his  opinion,  of  all  the  Leeward  islands, 
speaks  of  an  extraordinary  bird  which  inhabits  its  volcanic 
mountain,  called  La  Souffriere.  This  creature,  called  the 
Devil  by  the  inhabitants,  on  account  of  its  deformity,  is  both 
a  night  and  sea  bird.  During  the  day,  its  vision  appears  to  be 
indistinct,  and  it  takes  refuge  near  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
where  it  has  its  nest  in  the  ground,  and  where  it  hatches  its 
eggs.  During  the  night,  it  flies  about,  and  goes  to  prey  on 
fish.     Its  flesh  is  so  delicate,  (adds  Father  Dutertre,)  that  no 


ADVKNlliKK    Ol-     AN     OWL.  247 

huntsman  returns  from  the  SouHriere  without  ardently  desiring 
to  have  a  dozen  of  these  birds  suspended  at  his  neck.  Labat, 
the  colleague  of"  Dutertre,  confirms  and  adds  to  the  account 
of  the  latter.  "  The  bird  culled  the  Devil,  of  La  Souifriere, 
has  (he  says)  membranes  at  his  feet  like  a  duck,  and  claws 
like  a  bird  of  prey,  a  sharp  and  curved  beak,  large  eyes,  which 
cannot  bear  the  light  of  day,  or  discern  almost  any  object,  so 
that  when  surprised  in  the  day-time,  at  a  distance  from  his 
nest,  he  runs  against  every  thing  in  his  way,  and  falls  to  the 
ground  ;  but  during  the  night  he  is  active  in  extractino-  his 
prey  from  the  sea."  He  adds,  that  "  he  is  a  bird  of  passage, 
and  is  considered  a  kind  of  petrel.  1  have  taken  pleasure  in 
occasionally  observing  fishermen  catch  fish  during  the  night 
by  the  light  of  a  straw  torch  ;  but  here  we  have  a  sea-bird  ot 
much  greater  ingenuity,  which  fishes  by  the  !i  ■'  '  ^f  a  volcano, 
and  hatches  his  eggs  by  the  warmth  ol  j^o  siil|)hureou;s 
discharge." 

The  following  story  is  recorded  in  history  as  a  fact,  under 
the  title  of  A  curious  Adventure  of  an  Owl. 

In  a  council  held  at  Rome  by  Pope  John  XX II  I.  at  the  first 
session,  happened  the  Adventure  of  the  Owl. — "  After  the  mass, 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  being  seated,  and  John  sitting  on  his 
throne,  suddenly  a  frightful  owl  came  screaming  out  of  his 
hole,  and  placed  himself  just  before  the  pope,  staring  earn- 
estly upon  him.  The  arrival  of  this  nocturnal  bird  in  the 
day-time,  caused  many  speculations  :  some  took  it  for  an  ill 
omen,  and  were  terrified  ;  others  smiled,  and  whispered  to 
each  other.  As  to  the  Pope,  he  blushed,  was  in  a  sweat,  arose, 
and  brake  up  the  assembly.  But  at  the  next  session,  the  owl 
took  his  place  again,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  John  ;  who  was  more 
dismayed  than  before,  and  ordered  the  bird  to  be  driven  away. 
A  pleasant  sight  it  was,  to  behold  the  prelates  occupied  in 
hunting  him,  for  he  would  not  decamp  !  At  last  they  killed 
him,  as  an  incorrigible  heretic,  by  throwing  their  canes  at 
him." — Jortins  Ecclesiastical  History,  vol.  v.  p.  485,  486. 

We  shall  next  record  some  Curious  Facts  in  Natural 
History. — We  often  meet  in  our  aviaries  with  what  are  called 
mule  canary  birds,  that  is,  the  offspring  of  the  gray  linnet  and 
the  canary.  *'  In  the  country,  where  the  domestic  fowls  are 
accustomed  to  wander  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  farm- 
yard, I  believe  it  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  a  chicken 
to  make  its  appearance,  that  is  evidently  the  offspring  of  the 
partridge  and  common  hen.  Indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  breed  between  fowls  of  the  same  genus  are  oftener 
crossed  than  we  are  aware  of." 

It  is  a  common  practice  in  the  country,  to  set  a  hen,  as  it  is 


248  CURIOSITIES    RESrECTINS    BIRDS. 

called,  with  ducks'  eggs  ;  and   the  agony  which  she  suffers, 
when   she  sees  her  young  charge  first  take  to  their  natural 
element,  the  water,  has  often  been  observed  with  sympathy. 
The  following  anecdote  may  be  relied  upon,  as  the  circum 
stance  was  observed  by  a  gentleman  of  science  : — 

A  hen,  which  was  employed  to  hatch  some  ducks'  eggs  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  a  dyer's  mill,  where  there  was  a  small 
pond,  was  observed  to  exhibit  the  usual  symptoms  of  terror 
and  alarm  when  the  ducklings  first  took  to  the  water;  but 
by  degrees  she  became  quite  reconciled  to  their  habits,  and 
was  accustomed  to  enjoy  herself,  in  great  quietness,  on  the 
banks,  while  they  gamboled  in  the  pool.  For  two  or  three 
years  she  uniformly  brought  out  ducklings,  and  at  last,  as 
regularly  led  them  to  the  water  as  their  natural  dam  would 
have  done. 

In  the  course  of  time,  however,  she  brought  out  a  brood  of 
chickens.  These  she  immediately  led  to  the  side  of  the  pool 
also  ;  but,  on  finding  they  did  not  enter  the  water,  she  became 
quite  uneasy,  invited  them  close  to  it,  made  every  motion 
for  them  to  enter  it,  flew  over  the  pond,  and  then  called  them 
to  follow,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  When  she  found  that  nothing 
would  entice  them  to  enter  the  water,  she  actually  seized 
upon  one  or  two  of  them,  and  threw  them  into  it;  and,  if  she 
had  not  been  prevented,  it  is  believed  she  would  have  drowned 
her  whole  progeny.  This  shews  how  much  the  native 
habits,  even  of  fowls,  may  be  changed  by  circumstances ;  and 
proves,  in  some  degree,  the  existence  of  memory  without 
judgment  in  the  feathered  tribes. 

Some  years  ago,  a  farmer  in  the  lower  district  of  Annandale, 
took  it  into  his  head  to  rol)  a  wild  duck  of  her  eggs,  and  to 
place  them  under  one  of  his  tame  ducks,  that  was  sitting  at 
that  time.  The  young  brood  (twelve  in  number)  came 
into  the  world  at  the  usual  period,  but  one  only  continued 
with  her  stepdame.  This  extraordinary  bird,  however,  never 
perfectly  acquired  the  habits  or  dispositions  of  her  new  sister- 
hood :  she  never  would  associate  with  the  tame  drakes,  but 
every  spring  left  the  farm-yard,  and  proceeded  to  the  wilds  in 
quest  of  mates  ;  and,  what  was  remarkably  singular,  she  seemed 
to  have  a  malicious  pleasure  in  leading  them  into  a  snare, 
and  was  at  great  pains  to  draw  them  into  such  situations  as 
admitted  of  their  being  easily  shot,  or  otherwise  destroyed. 
She  always  hatched  her  young  in  a  peat  moss,  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  but  never  failed  to  bring  them  to  the 
farm-yard,  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  follow  her.  When 
this  duck  was  about  four  years  old,  the  owner  was  visited  by 
a  kinsman  from  Fife,  who  was  so  much  taken  up  with  her, 
that  he  begged  for,  and  obtained  her,  as  a  present.  She  was 
put  into  a  cage,  and  by  him  conveyed  to  his  house  near  Kin- 


THE   CHICK   IN   THE  EGG.  249 

ro3S.  She  was  kept  in  confinement  for  a  night  and  a  day; 
ulien,  seeming  perfectly  contented,  she  was  let  out  into  the 
yard,  where  she  set  about  adjusting  herself  for  some  time; 
siie  then  suddenly  took  wing,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours 
was  among  her  old  companions  in  Annandale.  She  was  a 
second  time  conveyed  to  Fife,  and  her  wings  clipped. 

She  continued  perfectly  happy,  to  appearance,  till  her  fea- 
thers grew,  when  she  again  bade  her  new  friends  farewell. 
She  was  shot  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Biggar,  by  a  gentleman, 
who  communicated  the  circumstance  to  the  owner,  whose 
name  he  learned  from  the  collar  that  was  found  about  her 
neck,  containing  his  name  and  place  of  abode. 

Formation  of  the  Chick  in  the  Egg. — Scarcely  has 
the  hen  sat  upon  the  eggs  twelve  hours,  before  some  lineaments 
of  the  head  and  body  of  the  chick  are  discernible  in  the  em- 
bryo; at  the  end  of  the  second  day,  the  heart  begins  to  beat, 
but  no  blood  is  to  be  seen.  In  forty-eight  hours  we  may 
distinguish  two  vesicles  with  blood,  the  pulsation  of  which 
is  evident;  one  of  them  is  the  left  ventricle,  the  other,  the 
root  of  the  great  artery;  soon  after,  one  of  the  auricles  of  the 
heart  is  perceptible,  in  which  pulsation  may  be  remarked  as 
well  as  in  the  ventricle.  So  early  as  the  seventh  hour,  the 
wings  may  be  distinguished,  and  on  the  head  two  globules 
for  the  brain,  one  for  the  beak,  and  two  others  for  the  front 
and  hind  part  of  the  head.  Towards  the  end  of  the  fourth 
day,  the  two  auricles,  now  distinctly  visible,  approach  nearer 
the  heart  than  they  did  before.  About  the  fiftli  day  the  liver 
may  be  perceived  ;  at  the  end  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
hours,  the  lungs  and  stomach  become  visible  ;  and  in  n  few 
hours  more,  the  intestines,  veins,  and  upper  jaw.  On  the 
seventh  day,  the  brain  begins  to  assume  a  more  consistent 
form.  One  hundred  and  ninety  hours  after  incul)ation,  the 
beak  opens,  and  flesh  appears  on  the  breast.  In  two  hundred 
and  ten,  the  ribs  are  formed,  and  the  gall  bladder  is  visible. 
The  bile,  in  a  few  hours  more,  is  seen  of  a  green  colour;  and 
if  the  chick  be  separated  from  its  coverings,  it  will  be  seen 
to  move.  The  feathers  begin  to  shoot  towards  the  two  hun- 
dred and  fortieth  hour,  and  at  the  same  time  the  skull  becomes 
cartilaginous  ;  in  twenty-four  hours  more,  the  eyes  appear  ; 
at  the  two  hundred  and  eighty-eighth,  the  ribs  are  perfected; 
and  at  the  three  hundred  and  thirty-first,  the  lungs,  the  sto- 
mach, and  the  breast,  assume  their  natural  appearance.  On 
the  eighteenth  day  of  incubation,  the  first  faint  piping  of  the 
chick  is  heard.  It  then  continually  increases  in  size  and  in 
strength  till  it  emerges  from  its  prison. 

By  so  many  diflrerent  gradations  does  the  adorable  wisdom 
of  God  conduct  these  creatures  into  life;  all  their  progressive 

2  I 


250  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   BIRDS. 

evolutions  are  arranged  with  order,  and  there  arc  none  with- 
out sufficient  cause.  If  the  liver  is  always  formed  on  the  fifth 
day,  it  is  from  the  preceding-  state  of  the  chick.  No  part  of 
its  body  could  appear  sooner  or  later,  without  some  injury  to 
the  embryo,  and  each  of  its  members  appears  at  the  most 
convenient  moment.  The  wise  and  invariable  order  in  the 
production  of  this  little  body,  is  evidently  the  work  of  super- 
nal power;  and  we  shall  be  more  convinced  of  it,  if  we  consi- 
der the  manner  in  which  the  chick  is  formed  from  the  parts 
which  compose  the  egg. 

How  admirable  is  that  principle  of  life,  the  source  of  a  new 
being,  contained  in  the  egg;  all  the  parts  of  the  animal  being 
invisible  till  they  become  developed  by  warmth  !  What  a 
wonderful  order  and  regularity  is  observed  in  this  amazing 
process, — the  same  evolutions  taking  place  at  once  in  twenty 
eggs  !  Neither  does  changing  the  position  of  the  egg  at  all 
injure  the  embryo,  or  retard  the  formation  of  the  chick; 
which,  at  the  time  when  it  breaks  the  shell,  is  found  to  be 
heavier  than  the  whole  egg  was  at  first.  These,  however  ad- 
mirable, are  far  from  being  all  the  wonders  displayed  in  the 
progress  of  incubation.  The  microscope,  and  the  penetrating 
investigations  of  the  curious,  have  only  discovered  what  comes 
more  immediately  under  the  observation  of  our  senses  ;  whilst 
the  discovery  of  many  things  reniains  for  those  who  are  to 
follow  us,  or  perhaps  they  may  never  be  known  in  this  state 
of  our  existence.  Much  might  be  asked  concerning  the  mys- 
tery connected  with  the  formation  of  animal  bodies,  which  at 
present  is  impenetrable  to  our  researches ;  but  let  not  this 
discourage  us ;  let  us  only  endeavour  to  improve,  and  make 
a  good  use  of,  the  little  knowledge  we  are  permitted  to  acquire, 
and  we  shall  have  a  sufficiency  to  discover  at  every  step  the 
wisdom  and  power  of  God,  and  enough  to  employ  for  the 
benefit  of  our  fellow-creatures. 


biros'  nests.  261 

CHAP.  XXI 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  BIRDS. — (Concluded.) 

Birds*  Nests — Migration  of  Birds — Curious  Method  oj  Bird- 
Catching  in  the  Faro  Isles — Song  of  Birds. 

birds'  n  ests. 

It  wins  my  admiration, 


To  view  the  structure  of  that  Utile  work, 

A  bird's  nest :  mark  it  well  within,  without; 

No  tool  had  he  that  wroug:ht,  no  knife  to  cut, 

No  nail  to  fix,  no  bodkin  to  insert, 

No  glue  to  join  !  his  little  beak  was  all ; 

And  yet  how  neatly  finish'd  !  Hurdis. 

The  structure  of  Bird's  Nests  discovers  to  us  many  curious 
objects,  which  cannot  be  uninteresting  to  the  reflecting  mind. 
And  who  does  not  admire  those  little  regular  edifices  com- 
posed of  so  many  different  materials,  collected  and  arranged 
with  so  much  pains  and  skill,  and  constructed  with  so  much 
industry,  elegance,  and  neatness,  with  no  other  tools  than 
a  bill  and  two  feet  ?  That  men  can  erect  great  buildings 
according  to  certain  rules  of  art,  is  not  surprising,  when  we 
consider  that  they  enjoy  the  reasoning  faculty,  and  that  they 
possess  tools  and  instruments  of  various  kinds,  to  facilitate 
their  work  ;  but  that  a  delicate  little  bird,  in  want  of  almost 
every  thing  necessary  for  such  an  undertaking,  with  only  its 
bill  and  claws,  should  know  how  to  combine  so  much  skill, 
regularity  of  form,  and  solidity  of  composition,  in  constructing 
its  nest,  is  truly  wonderful,  and  never  enough  to  be  admired. 
We  shall  therefore  consider  it  more  minutely. 

Nothing  is  more  curious  than  the  nest  of  a  goldfinch  or  a 
chaffinch.  The  inside  of  it  is  lined  with  cotton,  wool,  and 
fine  silky  threads,  while  the  outside  is  interwoven  with 
thick  moss  ;  and  that  the  nest  may  be  less  remarkable,  and 
less  exposed  to  the  eye  of  observers,  the  colour  of  the  moss 
resembles  that  of  the  bark  of  the  tree,  or  of  the  hedge,  where 
the  nest  is  built.  In  some  nests,  the  hair,  the  down,  and  the 
straws,  are  curiously  laid  across  each  other,  and  interwoven 
together.  There  are  others,  all  the  parts  of  which  are  neatly 
joined  and  fastened  together  by  a  thread  which  the  bird  makes 
of  flax,  horse  or  cow  hair,  and  often  of  spiders'  webs.  Other 
birds,  as  the  blackbird  and  the  lapwing,  after  having  con- 
structed their  nest,  plaster  the  outside  with  a  thin  coating  of 
mortar,  which  cements  and  binds  together  all  the  lower  parts, 
and  which,  with  the  help  of  some  cow-hair  or  moss,  stuck  to 


1  \  8  R  A 


252  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   BIRDS. 

It  whilst  the  plaster  is  wet,  keeps  it  compact  and  warm.  The 
nests  of  swallows  are  differently  constructed  from  the  rest. 
They  use  neither  sticks,  straws,  nor  strings  ;  but  they  com- 
pose a  sort  of  cement,  with  which  they  make  themselves  nests, 
perfectly  neat,  secure,  and  convenient.  To  moisten  the  dust 
of  which  they  form  their  nests,  they  frequently  skim  over  the 
surface  of  some  lake  or  river,  and,  dipping  their  breasts  into 
the  water,  shake  their  wet  feathers  upon  the  dust  till  it  is 
sufficiently  moist,  and  then  knead  it  up  into  a  kind  of  clay 
with  their  bills. 

But  the  nests  most  worthy  of  our  admiration  are  those  of 
certain  Indian  birds,  which  suspend  them  with  great  art  from 
the  branches  of  trees,  that  they  may  be  secure  from  the  pur- 
suit of  several  animals  and  insects.  In  general,  each  species 
of  bird  has  a  peculiar  mode  of  fixing  its  nest ;  some  build  them 
on  houses,  others  in  trees,  some  in  the  grass,  others  on  the 
ground,  and  always  in  that  way  which  is  most  adapted  for 
the  rearing  of  their  young,  and  the  preservation  of  their 
species.  Such,  therefore,  is  the  wonderful  instinct  of 
birds,  even  in  the  structure  and  disposition  of  their  nests 
alone,  that  we  may  safely  conclude  they  cannot  be  mere  ma- 
chines. But  is  it  not  also  apparent,  that  in  all  their  works 
they  propose  to  themselves  certain  ends?  They  construct 
their  nests  hollow,  forming  the  half  of  a  sphere,  that  the  heat 
may  be  more  concentric.  The  nest  is  covered  without  by 
substances  more  or  less  coarse,  not  only  to  serve  as  a  foun- 
dation, but  to  prevent  the  wind  and  insects  from  entering. 
Within,  it  is  lined  with  the  most  delicate  materials,  such  as 
wool  and  feathers,  that  the  nestlings  may  be  soft  and  warm. 
Is  it  not  something  nearly  approaching  to  reason,  which 
teaches  the  bird  to  place  its  nest  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be 
sheltered  from  rain,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  destructive  ani- 
mals ?  Where  have  they  learned  that  they  are  to  produce 
eggs,  which  will  require  a  nest  to  prevent  them  from  being 
broken,  and  to  keep  them  in  the  necessary  temperature  ? 
that  the  heat  would  not  be  sufficiently  concentrated  if  the 
nest  were  larger ;  and  that,  if  it  were  smaller,  all  the  young 
ones  could  not  be  contained  in  it?  Who  has  taught  them 
not  to  mistake  the  time,  but  to  calculate  so  exactly,  that  the 
eggs  are  not  laid  before  the  nest  is  finished?  These  ques- 
tions have  never  been  satisfactorily  answered,  neither  can  this 
mystery  in  nature  be  clearly  explained;  all  we  can  do  is,  to 
refer  it  to  an  instinct,  which  some  animals  seem  to  possess  in 
a  manner  almost  equal  to  reason  :  and  instinct  to  them  is 
much  more  happy  and  beneficial  than  reason  would  be  ;  for 
they  seem  to  enjoy  all  the  sweets  of  life  without  their  moments 
being  imbittered  by  the  consideration  of  their  inferior  rank 
in  the  creation,  and  without  the  pain  of  anticipating  evil. 


MIGRATION    OF    BIRDS.  253 

The  following  account  is  principally  abridged  from  that 
very  interesting  work,  The  Contemplative  Philosopher.  The 
present  compiler  acknowledges  his  obligations  to  that  work 
on  many  occasions,  and  gives  it  his  warmest  recommenda- 
tions to  the  public. 

Migration  of  Birds. — The  migration  of  birds  has  been 
justly  considered  as  one  of  the  most  wonderful  exhibitions  of 
nature.  This  migration,  which  is  common  to  the  quail,  the  stork, 
the  crane,  the  fieldfare,  the  woodcock,  the  cuckoo,  the  martin, 
the  swallow,  and  various  others,  is,  indeed,  a  very  curious 
article  in  natural  history,  and  furnishes  a  very  striking  in- 
stance of  a  powerful  instinct  impressed  by  the  Creator.  Dr. 
Derham  observes  two  circumstances  remarkable  in  this  migra- 
tion :  the  first,  that  these  untaught,  unthinking  creatures, 
should  know  the  proper  times  for  their  passage,  when  to  come 
and  when  to  go ;  as  also,  that  some  should  come  when  others 
retire.  No  doubt,  the  temperature  of  the  air  as  to  heat  and 
cold,  and  their  natural  propensity  to  breed  their  young,  are 
the  iireat  incentives  to  these  creatures  to  chano;e  their 
habitations.  But  why  should  they  at  all  change  their  habi- 
tations? And  why  is  some  certain  place  to  be  found,  in  all 
the  terraqueous  globe,  that,  all  the  year  round,  can  afford 
them  convenient  food  and  habitation? — The  second  remark- 
able circumstance  is,  that  they  should  know  which  way  to 
steer  their  course,  and  whither  to  go.  What  instinct  is  it 
that  can  induce  a  poor  foolish  bird  to  venture  over  vast  tracts 
of  land  and  sea.  If  it  be  said,  that  by  their  high  ascents  into 
the  air,  they  can  see  across  the  seas  ;  yet  what  shall  instruct 
or  persuade  them,  that  another  land  is  more  proper  for  their 
purpose  than  this?  that  Great  Britain,  for  instance,  should 
afford  them  better  accommodation  than  Egypt,  the  Canaries, 
Spain,  or  any  of  the  other  intermediate  countries? — Fhi/sico- 
Tlieology,  book  vii.  chap.  3. 

Birds  of  passage,  moreover,  are  all  peculiarly  accommo- 
dated, by  the  structure  of  their  parts,  for  long  flights;  and  it 
is  remarked,  that  in  their  migrations,  they  observe  a  w^onder- 
ful  order  and  polity  :  they  fly  in  troops,  and  steer  their  course, 
without  the  aid  of  a  compass,  to  vast  unknown  regions.  The 
flight  of  the  wild  geese,  in  a  wedge-like  figure,  has  been  often 
observed  ;  to  which  it  is  added,  by  the  natural  historian  of 
Norway,  that  the  three  foremost,  who  are  the  soonest  tired, 
retreat  behind,  and  are  relieved  by  others,  who  are  again 
succeeded  by  the  rest  in  order.  But  this  circumstance  has 
been  observed,  many  ages  before,  by  Pliny,  who  describes 
certain  birds  of  passage  flying  in  the  form  of  a  wedge,  and 
spreading  wider  and  wider;  those  behind  resting  upon  those 
before,  till  the  leaders  being  tired,  are,  in  their  turn,  received 
into  the  rear. 


254  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   BIRDS. 

"Wild  ducks  and  cranes  (says  Abbe  de  la  Pluche)  fly,  at 
the  apjoroach  of  winter,  in  quest  of  more  favourable  climates. 
They  all  assemble  at  a  certain  day,  like  swallows  and  quails. 
They  decamp  at  the  same  time,  and  it  is  very  agreealile  to 
observe  their  flight.  They  generally  range  themselves  in  a 
long  column  like  an  I,  or  in  two  lines  united  in  a  point  like  a 
>  reversed."     And  thus,  as  Milton  says 

"  Rang'd  in  figure,  wedge  the  way." 

"  The  duck  or  quail  that  forms  the  point  (adds  the  Abbe) 
cuts  the  air,  and  facilitates  a  passage  to  those  that  follow  :  but 
he  is  charged  with  this  commission  only  for  a  certain  time,  at 
the  conclusion  of  which  he  wheels  into  the  rear,  and  another 
takes  his  post."     And  thus  again,  as  Milton  says. 

With  mutual  wing: 


Easing  their  flight." 

It  has  been  observed  of  the  storks,  that  for  about  the  space 
of  a  fortnight  before  they  pass  from  one  country  to  another, 
they  constantly  resort  together,  from  all  the  circumjacent 
parts,  to  a  certain  plain,  and  there  forming  themselves  once 
every  day  into  a  doii-waune,  (according  to  the  phrase  of  the 
people,)  are  said  to  determine  the  exact  time  of  their  depar- 
ture, and  the  places  of  their  future  abode. 

Mr.  Biberg,  an  ingenious  naturalist  of  Sweden,  has  observed, 
that  "  the  starling,  finding,  after  the  middle  of  summer,  that 
worms  are  less  plentiful  in  that  country,  goes  annually  into 
Scania,  Germany,  and  Denmark.  The  female  chaffinches, 
every  winter,  about  Michaelmas,  go  in  flocks  to  Holland  ;  but 
as  the  males  stay  in  Sweden,  the  females  come  back  next 
spring.  In  the  same  manner,  the  female  Carolina  yellow- 
hammer,  in  the  month  of  September,  while  the  rice  on  which 
she  feeds  is  laid  up  in  granaries,  goes  towards  the  south,  and 
returns  in  the  spring  to  seek  her  mate.  Our  aquatic  birds 
(continues  he)  are  forced  by  necessity  to  fly  toward  the  south 
every  autumn,  before  the  water  is  frozen.  Thus  we  know, 
that  the  lakes  of  Poland  and  Lithuania  are  filled  with  swans 
and  geese  every  aiitumn,  at  which  time  they  go  in  great  flocks, 
along  many  rivers,  as  far  as  the  Euxine  Sea.  But  in  the  be- 
ginning of  spring,  as  soon  as  the  heat  of  the  sun  molests 
them,  they  return  back,  and  go  again  to  the  northern  ponds 
and  lakes,  in  order  to  lay  their  eggs.  For  there,  and  espe- 
cially in  Lapland,  there  is  a  vast  abundance  of  gnats,  which 
afford  them  excellent  nourishment,  as  all  of  this  kind  live  in 
the  water  before  they  get  their  wings." — Mr.  Biberg  proceeds 
to  enumerate  many  other  birds  that  migrate  to  different  regions; 
and  he  then  adds  :  "  By  these  migrations,  birds  become  useful 
to  many  different  countries,  and  are  distributed  almost  over 


MIGRATION    OF    UIRDS.  255 

all  the  olobe  ;  and  I  cannot  here  forbear  expressin*^  my  admi- 
ration, that  all  of  them  exactly  observe  the  times  of  coming 
and  going,  and  that  they  never  mistake  their  way." — liiherg  on 
the  Economi/  of  Nature,  in  Sti//ingjieet's  Misc.  'J'lacfs. 

The  principal  food  of  the  birds  of  passage,  while  in  Great 
Britain,  is  the  fruit  of  the  whitethorn,  or  haws,  which  hang 
on  our  hedges  in  winter  in  prodigious  plenty ;  but  where  they 
breed,  and  seem  to  be  most  at  ease,  as  in  Sweden,  &,c.  there 
are  no  haws  ;  nor  indeed  in  many  of  the  countries  through 
which  they  journey  on  their  way  :  so  that  it  is  evident  they 
change  their  food  in  their  passage. 

The  manner  in  which  the  birds  of  passage  journey  to  their 
southern  abodes  is  supposed  to  vary,  according  to  the  different 
structure  of  their  bodies,  and  their  power  of  supporting  them- 
selves in  the  air.  The  birds  with  short  wings,  such  as  the  vevl- 
start,  black-cap,  &c.  though  they  are  incapable  of  such  long 
flights  as  the  swallow,  or  of  flying  with  such  celerity,  yet  may- 
pass  to  less  distant  places,  and  by  slower  movements.  Swal- 
lows and  cuckoos  may  perform  their  passage  in  a  very  short 
time;  but  there  is  for  them  no  necessity  for  speed,  since  every 
day's  passage  affords  them  an  increase  of  warmth,  and  a  conti- 
nuance of  food. 

Swallows  are  often  observed,  in  innumerable  flocks,  on 
churches,  rocks,  and  trees,  previous  to  their  departure  hence  ; 
and  Mr.  Collinson  proves  their  return  here,  perhaps  in  equal 
numbers,  by  two  curious  relations  of  undoubted  credit ;  the 
one  communicated  to  him  by  Mr.  Wright,  the  master  of  a 
ship,  and  the  other  by  Admiral  Sir  Charles  Wager. — "  Re- 
turning home,  (says  Sir  Charles,)  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
as  I  came  into  soundings  in  our  channel,  a  great  flock  of  swal- 
lows came  and  settled  on  my  rigging;  every  rope  was  covered; 
they  hung  on  one  another,  like  a  swarm  of  bees  ;  the  decks 
and  awning  were  filled  with  them.  They  seemed  almost  fa- 
mished and  spent,  and  were  only  feathers  and  bones  ;  but, 
being  recruited  with  a  night's  rest,  they  took  their  flight  in 
the  morning."  This  apparent  fatigue  proves  that  they  must 
have  had  a  long  journey,  considering  the  amazing  swiftness  of 
these  birds  ;  so  that,  in  all  probability,  they  had  crossed  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  and  were  returning  from  the  shores  of  Sene- 
gal, or  other  parts  of  Africa. 

Naturalists  are  much  divided  in  their  opinion  concerning 
the  periodical  appearance  and  disappearance  of  swallows. — 
Some  assert,  that  they  remove  from  climate  to  climate,  at  those 
particular  seasons  when  winged  insects,  their  natural  food, 
fail  in  one  coimtry  and  are  plentiful  in  another,  where  they 
likewise  find  a  temperature  of  air  better  suited  to  their  con- 
stitution. In  support  of  this  opinion,  we  have  the  testimony 
of  Sir  Charles  Wager,  and  of  Mr.  Adamson,  who,  in  the   ac- 


256  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  BIRDS. 

couni  of  his  voyage,  informs  us,  tha-t,  about  fifty  leagues  from 
the  coast  of  Senegal,  four  swallows  settled  upon  the  ship,  on 
the  6th  day  of  October ;  that  these  birds  were  taken  ;  and  that 
he  knew  them  to  be  the  true  swallow  of  Europe,  which  he  con- 
jectures were  then  returning  to  the  coast  of  Africa. 

But  Mr.  Daines  Barrington,  in  a  curious  essay  on  this  sub- 
ject, has  adduced  many  arguments  and  facts,  to  prove  that  no 
birds,  however  strong;  and  swift  in  their  fliiiht,  can  possibly 
fly  over  such  large  tracts  of  ocean  as  has  been  commonly  sup- 
posed. He  is  of  opinion,  therefore,  that  the  swallows  men- 
tioned by  Mr.  Adamson,  instead  of  being  on  their  passage 
from  Europe,  were  only  fluttering  from  the  Cape  de  Verde 
islands  to  the  continent  of  Al'rica  ;  a  much  nearer  flight,  but 
to  which  they  seemed  to  be  unequal,  as  they  were  obliged, 
from  fatigue,  to  alight  upon  the  ship,  and  full  into  the  hands 
of  the  sailors.  And  Mr.  Kalm,  another  advocate  for  the  tor- 
pidity of  swallows  during  the  winter,  having  remarked,  how- 
ever, that  he  himself  had  met  with  them  nine  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  from  any  land  ;  Mr.  Barrington  endeavours  to 
explain  these,  and  similar  facts,  by  su])posing  that  birds  dis- 
covered in  such  situations,  instead  of  attempting  to  cross 
large  branches  of  the  ocean,  have  been  forcibly  driven  from 
some  coast  by  storms,  and  that  they  m  ould  naturally  perch 
upon  the  first  vessel  they  could  see. 

In  a  word,  Mr.  Barrington  is  further  of  opinion,  with  some 
other  naturalists,  that  the  swallows  do  not  leave  this  island  at 
the  end  of  autumn,  but  that  they  lie  in  a  torpid  state,  till  the 
beginning  of  summer,  in  the  banks  of  rivers,  in  the  hollows 
of  ^'ecayed  trees,  the  recesses  of  old  buildings,  the  holes  of 
sand-banks,  and  in  similar  situations.  Amonix  other  facts, 
Mr.  Barrington  communicated  one  to  Mr.  Pennant,  that 
"  numbers  of  swallows  have  been  found  in  old  dry  walls,  and 
in  sand-hills,  near  the  seat  of  the  late  Lord  Belhaven,  in  East 
Lothian  ;  not  once  only,  but  from  vear  to  year  ;  and  that,  when 
they  were  exposed  to  the  warmth  of  a  fire,  they  revived." 

These,  and  other  facts  of  the  same  kind,  are  allowed  to  be 
incontrovertible;  and  Mr.  Pennant,  in  particular,  infeis  from 
them,  that  "  we  must  divide  our  belief  relative  to  these  two  so 
different  opinions,  and  conclude,  that  one  part  ©f  the  swallow 
tribe  migrate,  and  that  others  have  their  winter  quarters  near 
home." 

But  there  are  still  more  wonderful  facts  related.  Mr.  Kalm 
remarks,  that  "  swallows  appear  in  the  Jerseys  about  the  begin- 
ning of  April ;  that,  on  their  first  arrival,  they  are  wet,  because 
they  have  just  emerged  from  the  sea  or  lakes,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  they  had  remained,  in  a  torpid  state,  during  the  whole 
winter."  Other  naturalists  have  asserted,  that  swallows  pass 
the  winter  immersed  under  the  ice,  at  the  bottom  of  lakes,  or 


MIGRATION    OF    BIKDS.  257 

beneath  the  waters  of  the  sea.  Olaus  Maonus,  archbishop  of 
Upsal,  seems  to  have  been  the  first  who  adopted  this  opinioji. 
He  informs  us,  that  "  swallows  are  found  in  great  clusters  at 
the  bottoms  of  the  northern  lakes,  with  mouth  to  mouth,  wing 
to  wing,  foot  to  foot,  and  that  in  autumn  they  creep  down  the 
reeds  to  their  subaqueous  retreats."  In  other  instances,  Mr. 
Pennant  remarks,  the  good  archbishop  did  not  want  credulity. 
But  the  submersion  of  the  swallows  under  water  does  not  rest 
upon  his  testimony  alone.  Klein  asserts  the  same  ;  and  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  manner  of  their  retiring,  which 
he  had  from  some  countrymen  : 

"  They  asserted,  that  the  swallows  sometimes  assembled  in 
numbers  on  a  reed,  till  it  broke,  and  sunk  them  to  the  bottom  ; 
that  their  immersion  was  preceded  by  a  kind  of  dirge,  which 
lasted  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ;  that  others  united,  laid 
hold  of  a  straw  with  their  bills,  and  plunged  down  in  society  ;^^ 
that  others,  by  clinging  together  with  their  feet,  tbrmed  a  layge 
mass,  and  in  this  manner  committed  themselves  to  the  deep." 
Bishop  Pontoppidan  asserts,  that  clusters  of  swallows,  in  i^heir 
torpid  winter  state,  have  sometimes  been  found  by  fishe^men^ 
among  reeds  and  bushes  in  lakes  ;  and  he  charges  Mr.  Edwards 
with  having,  in  his  Natural  History  of  Birds,  groundlessl-v 
contradicted  this  incontestable  truth.  And  Mr.  Heerkens,  a 
celebrated  Dutch  naturalist,  in  a  poem  on  the  birds  of  Fries- 
land,  speaks  in  positive  terms  of  the  torpid  state,  and  submer- 
sion, of  the  swallows  : 

**  Ere  winter  his  somniferous  power  exerts. 

Six  dreary  months  the  swallow-trihes  are  see-n 
In  various  haunts  conccal'd  ;  in  rocks,  and  caves, 
And  structures  rude,  by  cold  benumb'd,  asleep  ; 
Bill  within  bill  inserted,  clust'ring  thick  : 
Or  solitary  some,  of  mate  bereft. 
But,  wonderful  to  tell !  some  lie  immers'd, 
Inanimate,  beneath  the  frigid  waves, 
As  if  a  species  of  the  finny  kinds." 

Mr.  Hcerkens,  after  reciting  many  instances,  and  producing 
in  his  notes  many  authorities,  of  swallows  having  been  found 
a  a  torpid  state,  proceeds,  in  his  poem,  to  describe,  very  mi- 
nutely, their  ascent  out  of  the  water.  The  drowsy  birds  appear 
on  the  shore,  as  if  unconscious  still  of  life.  Some  inhale 
the  soft  breeze,  like  one  of  the  finny  tribe  exiled  from  its 
stream.  Some  begin  to  adjust  their  dishevelled  wings. — 
Others,  almost  revived,  essay,  with  busy  bill,  to  assist  their 
aged  companions.  All,  at  length,  restored  to  the  unre- 
strained use  of  their  wings,  range,  in  numerous  flights,  the 
alerial  way. 

Two  reasons  have  been  adduced  to  prove  this  supposed  sub- 
mersion of  swallows  impossible.     "  In  the  first  place,    (says 

2  K 


258  CUlllOSITlES   RESPECTING    BIRDS. 

Mr.  Smellie,)  no  land  uuimal  can  exist  so  long  \vithout  some 
degree  of  respiration.  The  otter,  the  seal,  and  water  fowls 
of  all  kinds,  when  confined  under  the  ice,  or  entangled  in 
nets,  soon  perish  ;  yet  it  is  well  known,  that  animals  of  this 
kind  can  remain  much  longer  under  water  than  those  who  are 
destitute  of  that  peculiar  structure  of  the  heart,  which  is  ne- 
cessary for  any  considerable  residence  beneath  that  peneti  ating 
element." 

Mr.  John  Hunter,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Pennant,  informs  us, 
"  that  he  had  dissected  many  swallows,  but  found  nothing  in 
them  different  from  other  birds,  as  to  the  organs  of  respira 
tion  ;  that  all  those  animals  which  he  had  dissected,  of  the 
class  that  sleep  during  the  winter,  such  as  lizards,  frogs,  Stc. 
had  a  very  different  conformation  as  to  those  organs;  that 
all  those  animals,  he  believes,  do  breathe  in  their  torpid 
state,  and,  as  far  as  his  experience  reaches,  he  knows  they 
do  ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  esteems  it  a  very  wild  opinion, 
that  terrestrial  animals  can  remain  any  long  time  under  water 
without  drowning."  Another  argument  against  their  submer- 
sion arises  from  the  sp-ecific  gravity  of  the  animals  themselves. 
Of  all  birds,  the  swallow  tribes  are  perhaps  the  lightest. 
Their  plumage,  and  the  comparative  smallness  of  their  weight, 
indicates  that  Nature  destined  them  to  be  almost  perjietually 
on  the  wing,  in  quest  of  food.  From  this  specific  lightness, 
the  submersion  of  swallows,  and  their  continuing  for  months 
under  water,  amount  to  a  physical  impossibility.  Even  water 
fowls,  when  they  wish  to  dive,  are  obliged  to  rise  and  pluno-e 
with  considerable  exertion,  in  order  to  overcome  the  resist- 
ance of  the  water.  Klein's  idea  of  swallows  employing  reeds 
and  straws  as  means  of  submersion,  is  rather  ludicrous;  for 
these  light  substances,  instead  of  being  proper  instruments 
for  assisting  them  to  reach  the  bottom,  would  infallibly  con- 
tribute to  support  them  on  the  surface,  and  prevent  the  very 
object  of  their  intention.  Besides,  admitting  the  possibility 
of  their  reaching  the  bottom  of  lakes  and  seas,  and  supposing 
they  could  exist  for  several  months  without  respiration,  what 
would  be  the  consequence?  The  whole  would  soon  be  devoured 
by  otters,  seals,  and  fishes,  of  various  kinds.  Nature  is  al- 
ways anxious  for  the  preservation  of  its  species.  But  if  the 
swallow  tribes  were  destined  to  remain  torpid  during  the 
winter  months,  at  the  bottom  of  lakes  and  seas,  she  would  act 
in  opposition  to  her  own  intentions;  for,  in  a  season  or  two, 
the  whole  genus  would  be  annihilated. 

This  reasoning  is  very  ingenious,  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
ihe  facts  related  above  are  very  stubborn  ;  and  the  celebrated 
Buftbn  does  not  hesitate  to  yield  to  the  force  of  such  strong 
and  concurrent  evidence.  He  had  procured  some  chimney- 
Bwallows,  and  kept  them  some  time  in  an  icehouse,  in  order 


MIGRATION   OF   BIUDS  259 

to  ascertain  whether  they  were  of  the  torpid  kind,  and  he  thus 
reh\tes  the  result  of  his  experiments.  "  None  of  them  fell 
into  the  torpid  state  ;  the  greater  part  died,  and  not  one  of 
them  levived  by  being  moved  into  the  warmth  of  the  sun. 
Those  that  had  not  long  sufi'ered  the  cold  of  the  icehouse,  had 
all  their  movements,  and  went  out  briskly.  From  these  expe- 
riments I  thought  I  might  conclude,  that  this  species  of  the 
swallow  was  not  liable  to  that  state  of  torpor  an^l  insensibility, 
which  supposes,  notwithstanding,  and  very  necessarily,  the 
fact  of  their  remaining  at  the  bottom  of  the  water  during  the 
winter.  Having-  had  recourse,  moreover,  to  the  most  credit- 
able  travellers,  I  found  them  agreed  as  to  the  passage  of 
swallows  over  the  Mediterranean.  And  Mr.  Adamson  has 
positively  assured  me,  that  during  the  long  stay  he  made 
in  Senegal,  he  observed  the  long-tailed  swallow,  the  same 
with  the  chimney-swallow  we  are  now  speaking  of,  arrive 
constantly  ir^  Senegal  about  the  time  it  leaves  France, 
and  as  constantly  leave  Senegal  in  the  spring.  It  cannot, 
therefore,  be  doubted,  that  this  species  of  the  swallow  passes 
from  Europe  into  Africa  in  the  autumn,  and  from  Africa  to 
Europe  in  the  spring  ;  of  consequence,  it  neither  sleeps  nor 
hides  itself  in  holes,  nor  plunges  into  the  water  on  tlie  ap- 
proach of  winter.  There  is,  besides,  another  well  authenti- 
cated fact,  which  comes  in  proof  here,  and  shews  that  this 
swallow  is  not  reduced  to  a  torpid  state  by  cold,  which  it  can 
bear  to  a  certain  degree,  (and  if  that  degree  is  exceeded,  it 
dies,)  for  if  we  observe  these  birds  towards  the  end  of  the  warm 
season,  we  shall  see  them,  a  little  before  their  departure, 
flying  together  in  families,  the  father,  the  mother,  and  the 
young  brood.  Afterwards  several  families  unite,  and  form 
themselves  into  flocks,  more  or  less  numerous  in  proportion 
as  the  time  of  their  departure  draws  near.  At  last  they  go  all 
together,  three  or  four  days  before  the  end  of  September,  or 
about  the  beoinnino;  of  October.  Still,  however,  some  remain, 
and  do  not  set  ofl"  till  a  week,  a  fortnight,  or  three  weeks 
after  the  rest:  and  some  too  there  are  which  do  not  go  at  all, 
but  stay  and  perish  under  the  first  rigours  of  the  cold.  Tiiese 
swallows  that  delay  their  flight,  or  never  undertake  it,  are 
such  as  find  their  young  too  weak  to  follow  them  ;  such  as 
have  had  the  riiisfortune  to  have  their  nests  destroyed  after 
layinsi,  and  have  been  obliged  to  rebuild  them  a  second  or, 
a  third  time.  They  stay  for  the  love  of  their  little  ones, 
and  choose  rather  to  endure  the  rigour  of  the  season,  than  to 
abandon  their  offspring.  Thus  they  remain  some  time  after 
the  rest  for  the  purpose  of  taking  their  young  with  them;  and 
if  they  are  unable  to  carry  them  off  in  the  end,  they  perish 
with  them. 

•  These  facts  then  plainly  demonstrate  (concludes  Mr.  B.uf- 


260  CIJRIOSITIES    IIESPECTING     BIRDS. 

fon)  that  the  chimney-swallows  pass  successively  and  alter- 
nately from  our  climate  to  another  that  is  warmer;  that  they 
spend  their  summer  here,  and  their  winter  there ;  and  of 
consequence  never  fall  into  a  state  of  insensibility.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  what  have  we  to  oppose  to  the  precise  testi- 
mony of  those,  who,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  have  seen 
these  swallows  in  troops  throw  themselves  into  the  water; 
nay,  not  only  this,  but  have  seen  them  taken  out  in  nests 
from  beneath  the  ice?  What  answer  shall  we  make  to  those 
who  have  beheld  them  in  the  torpid  state,  and  seen  them 
gradually  recover  motion  and  life,  when  they  were  brought 
into  the  warmth,  and  moved  cautiously  towards  a  fire?  I  know 
but  of  one  means  of  reconciling  these  fiicts  :  we  must  sup- 
pose that  the  sleeping  and  travelling  swallow  are  of  different 
species,  though  the  difference,  for  want  of  attention,  has  not 
been  observed." 

Thus  this  great  philosopher  concurs  with  Mr.  Pennant,  in 
his  solution,  already  mentioned,  of  the  difficulty,  by  supposing 
two  species — the  migrating,  and  the  sleeping  swallow.  With 
respect  to  the  principal,  objects  of  this  wonderful  instinct,  that 
teaches  such  various  kinds  of  the  feathered  race  to  migrate  to 
difierent  countries,  it  is  obvious,  from  what  has  already  been 
said,  that  they  are  governed  by  their  food,  temperature  of  air, 
and  convenient  situations  for  breedino-. 

We  shall  now  give  an  account  of  the  Curious  Method 
OF  Bird-Catching  in  the  Faro  Isles. — The  manner  of 
bird-catchino;  in  the  Faro  Islands,  is  exceedinolv  strange  and 
Qxazardous.  Necessity  compels  man  to  wonderful  attempts. 
The  cliffs  which  contain  the  objects  of  their  search,  are  often 
two  hundred  fathoms  in  height,  and  are  attempted  both  from 
above  and  below.  In  the  first  case,  the  fowlers  provide  them- 
selves with  a  rope  eighty  or  a  hundred  fathoms  in  length. 
The  fowler  fastening  one  end  about  his  waist,  and  between 
his  legs,  recommends  himself  to  the  protection  of  the  Almighty, 
and  is  lowered  down  by  six  others,  who  place  a  piece  of 
timber  on  the  margin  of  the  rock,  to  preserve  the  rope  from 
wearing  against  the  sharp  edge.  They  have,  besides,  a  small 
line  fastened  to  the  body  of  the  adventurer,  by  which  he  gives 
signals,  that  they  may  lower  or  raise  him,  or  shift  him  from 
place  to  place.  The  last  Oj)eration  is  attended  with  great 
danger,  by  the  loosening  of  the  stones,  which  often  fall  on 
his  head,  and  would  infallibly  destroy  him,  were  he  not  pro- 
tected by  a  strong  thick  cap  ;  but  even  this  is  found  unequal 
to  save  him  against  the  weight  of  the  larger  fragments  of  rock. 
The  dexterity  of  the  fowlers  is  amazing;  they  will  place  their 
feet  against  the  front  of  the  preci])ice,  and  dart  themselves 
some  fathoms  from  it ;  with  a  cool  eye  survey  the  places  where 


BiRn-CA  rcHiN(;. — song  or  biiids.  261 

the  birds  nestle,  and  ngnin  shoot  into  their  haunts,  Tn  some 
places  the  birds  lodge  in  deep  recesses.  The  fowler  will  alight 
there,  disengage  himself  from  the  rope,  fix  it  to  a  stone,  and 
at  his  leisure  collect  the  booty,  fasten  it  to  his  girdle,  and 
resume  his  pendulous  seat.  At  times  he  will  again  spring 
from  the  rock,  and  in  that  attitude,  with  a  fowling-net  placed 
on  a  staff,  catch  the  old  birds  that  are  flying  to  and  from  their 
retreats.  Wiien  he  has  finished  his  dreadful  employ,  he 
gives  a  signal  to  his  friends  above,  who  pull  him  up,  and 
share  his  hard-earned  profit.  The  feathers  are  preserved  for 
exportation  :  the  flesh  is  partly  eaten  fresh,  but  the  greater 
part  is  dried  for  winter's  provision. 

The  fowling  from  below  has  also  its  share  of  danger.  The 
party  goes  on  the  expedition  in  a  boat;  and  when  it  has  at- 
tained tlie  base  of  the  precipice,  one  of  the  most  daring,  having 
fastened  a  rope  about  his  waist,  and  furnished  himself  with  a 
long  pole,  with  an  iron  hook  at  one  end,  either  climbs  or  is 
thrust  up  by  his  companions,  who  place  a  pole  under  his 
breech,  to  the  next  footing  spot  he  can  reach.  He,  by  means 
of  the  rope,  brings  up  one  of  the  l)oat's  crew ;  the  rest  are 
drawn  up  in  the  same  manner,  and  each  is  furnished  with  his 
rope  and  fowling-staff.  They  then  continue  their  progress 
upwards  in  the  same  manner,  till  they  arrive  at  the  regions  of 
the  birds,  and  wander  about  the  face  of  the  cliff  in  search  of 
them.  They  then  act  in  pairs  ;  one  fastens  himself  to  the  end 
of  his  associate's  rope,  and,  in  places  where  the  birds  have 
nestled  beneath  iiis  footing,  he  permits  himself  to  be  lowered 
down,  depending  for  his  security  on  the  strength  of  his  com- 
panion, who  has  to  haul  him  up  again  ;  but  it  sometimes 
happens  that  the  person  above  is  overpowered  by  the  weight, 
and  both  inevitably  perish.  They  fling  the  fowl  into  the 
boat,  which  attends  their  motions,  and  receives  the  booty. 
They  often  pass  seven  or  eight  days  in  this  tremendous  em- 
ploy, and  lodge  in  the  crannies  which  they  find  in  the  face 
of  the  precipice. 

We  shall  close  this  division  of  our  work  with  A  curious 
Account  of  the  Song  of  Birds. — We  introduce  the  sub- 
ject by  the  following  poetical  quotations  ;  which,  we  have  no 
doubt,  will  interest  every  admirer  of  nature,  and  nature's 
God. 

■ Every  copse 

Deep-tangled,  tree  irregular,  and  busli 

Binding  with  dewy  moisture,  o'er  llie  heads 

Of  tlie  coy  choristers  that  lodge  within, 

Arc  prodigal  of  harmony.  Thomson. 

• Each  bird, 

Or  high  in  air,  or  secret  in  the  shade, 

Rejoicing,  warbles  wild  his  grateful  h3mn.  Mallet 


262  cujiiosiTi  i£s   ri:si'i:cii.NG    uiiids 

From  branch  to  branuli  llie  s.iiallcr  birds  witli  song 

Solace  the  woods,  and  spread  their  painted  wings 

Till  even  ;  nor  then  the  solemn  nij^litin^ale 

Ceases  to  warble :  in  shadiest  covert  hid, 

She  all  the  night  tunes  her  soft  lays.  Milton. 

Again : — 

-The  sweet  poet  of  the  vernal  groves 


Agai 


Melts  all  the  night  in  strains  of  am'rous  woe.  Armstrong. 

•When  the  spring  renews  the  flow'ry  field, 


And  warns  the  pregnant  nigl)tingale  to  build. 

She  seeks  the  safest  shelter  of  the  wood, 

Where  she  may  trust  her  little  tuneful  brood. 

Fond  of  the  chosen  place,  she  views  it  o'er, 

Sits  there,  and  wanders  through  the  grove  no  more : 

Warbling,  she  charms  it  each  returning  night  ; —  Rowt, 

And  gives  the  pensive  mind  a  calm  delight. 

The  lark,  that  shuns  on  lofty  boughs  to  build 

Her  humble  nest,  sits  silent  in  the  field; 

Hut  if  the  promise  of  a  cloudless  day, 

(Aurora  smiling,)  bids  her  rise  and  play. 

Then  straight  she  shews  'twas  not  for  want  of  voice. 

Or  pow'r  to  climb,  she  made  so  low  a  ciioice  ; 

Sim^ing  she  mounts,  her  airy  wings  are  stretch'd 

TowVds  heaven,  as  if  from  heav'n  her  note  she  fetch'd.   Walh'' 

-Birds  of  sweetest  song 


Attune  from  native  boughs  their  various  lay. 

And  cheer  the  forest ;  those  of  brighter  plume 

With  busy  pinion  skim  tlie  glitt'ring  wave, 

Or  tempt  the  sun,  ambitious  to  display 

Their  several  merit.  Shenstone. 

The  Song  of  Birds  is  defined,  by  the  Hon.  Daines  Barring- 
ton,  to  be  a  succession  of  three  or  more  diti'erant  notes,  which 
are  continued  without  interruption,  during  the  same  interval, 
with  a  musical  bar  of  four  crotchets,  in  an  adagio  movement*  or 
whilst  a  pendulum  swings  four  seconds.  It  is  affirmed,  that 
the  notes  of  birds  are  no  more  innate  tlian  language  in  man, 
and  tliat  they  depend  upon  imitation,  as  tar  as  their  organs 
will  enal)le  them  to  imitate  the  sounds  which  they  have  fre- 
quent opportunities  of  hearing  :  and  their  adhering  so  steadily, 
even  in  a  wild  state,  to  the  same  song,  is  owing  to  the  nestling 
attending  only  to  the  instruction  of  the  parent  bird,  whilst 
they  disregard  the  notes  of  all  others  that  may  be  singing 
around  them.  Birds  in  a  wild  state  do  not  usually  sing  above  ten 
weeks  in  the  year;  whereas  birds  that  have  plenty  of  food  in 
a  cage,  sing  the  greatest  part  of  the  year  :  the  female  of  no 
species  of  birds  ever  sings.  This  is  a  wise  provision,  because 
her  song  would  discover  her  nest.  In  the  same  manner,  we 
may  account  for  her  inferiority  of  plumage.  The  faculty  of 
singing  is  confined  to  the  cock  birds;  and  accordingly  Mr. 
Hunter,  in  dissecting  birds  of  several  species,  found  the  mus- 


THE    SONG    OF     BIRDS.  263 

cles  of  the  larynx  to  be  stronger  in  the  nightingale  than  in  any- 
other  bird  of  the  same  size  ;  and  in  all  those  instances  where 
he  dissected  both  cock  and  hen,  the  same  muscles  were 
stronger  in  the  cock. 

It  is  an  observation  as  ancient  as  the  time  of  Pliny,  that  a 
capon  does  not  crow.  Some  ascribe  the  singing  of  the  cock 
in  the  spring  solely  to  the  motive  of  pleasing  his  mate  during 
incubation  ;  others,  who  allow  that  it  is  partly  for  this  end, 
believe  it  is  partly  owing  to  another  cause,  viz.  the  great  abun- 
dance of  plants  and  insects  in  spring,  which  are  the  proper 
food  of  singing  birds  at  that  time  of  the  year,  as  well  as  seeds. 
Mr.  Barrington  remarks,  that  there  is  no  instance  of  any  sink- 
ing bird  which  exceeds  our  blackbird  in  size  ;  and  this,  he 
supposes,  may  arise  from  the  difficulty  of  concealing  itself, 
should  it  call  the  attention  of  its  enemies,  not  only  by  its  bulk, 
but  by  the  proportionate  loudness  of  its  notes.  He  further 
observes,  that  some  passages  of  the  song  in  a  few  kinds  of 
birds  correspond  with  the  intervals  of  our  musical  scale,  of 
which  the  cuckoo  is  a  striking  and  known  instance;  but  the 
greater  part  of  their  song  cannot  be  reduced  to  a  musical  scale  ; 
partly  because  the  rapidity  is  often  so  great,  and  it  is  also  so 
uncertain  when  they  may  stop,  that  we  cannot  reduce  the  pas- 
sages to  form  a  musical  bar  in  any  time  whatsoever ;  partly 
also,  because  the  pitch  of  most  birds  is  considerably  higher 
than  the  most  shrill  notes  of  those  instruments  which  have  the 
greatest  compass  ;  and  principally,  because  the  intervals  used 
by  birds  are  commonly  so  minute,  that  we  cannot  judge  of 
them  from  the  more  gross  intervals  into  which  we  divide  our 
musical  octave.  This  writer  apprehends,  that  all  birds  sing 
in  the  same  key  ;  and  he  found  by  a  nightingale,  as  well  as  a 
robin  which  was  educated  under  him,  that  the  notes  reducible 
to  our  intervals  of  the  octave  were  always  precisely  the  same. 
Most  people,  who  have  not  attended  to  the  notes  of  birds, 
suppose,  that  every  species  sing  exactly  the  same  notes  and 
passages:  but  this  is  not  true;  though  there  is  a  general  re- 
semblance. Thus  the  London  bird-catchers  prefer  the  song  of 
the  Kentish  goldfinches,  and  Essex  chaffinches  ;  and  some  of 
the  nightingale  fanciers  prefer  a  Surrey  bird  to  those  of  Mid- 
dlesex. 

Of  all  singing  birds,  the  song  of  the  nightingale  has  been 
most  universally  admired  ;  and  its  superiority  consists  in  the 
following  particulars  :  its  tone  is  much  more  mellow  than  that 
of  any  other  bird,  though,  at  the  same  time,  by  a  proper  ex- 
ertion of  its  musical  powers,  it  can  be  very  brilliant.  An- 
other superiority  is,  its  continuance  of  song  without  a  pause, 
which  is  sometimes  twenty  seconds;  and  when  respiration  be- 
comes necessary,  it  takes  it  with  as  much  judgment  as  an 
opera  singer.     The  skylark,   in   this  particular,  as  well   as  in 


264  CURiOSlTiKS    liESPECTlNG    BIRDS. 

compass  and  variety,  is  only  second  to  tlie  nightingale.  The 
nightingale  also  sings  willi  judgment  and  taste.  iNIr.  Bar- 
rington  says,  that  his  nightingale  began  softly,  like  the  ancient 
orators,  reserving  its  breath  to  swell  certain  notes,  which  thus 
had  a  most  astonishii>g  eti'ect.  He  adds,  that  the  not«!S  of 
birds  which  are  annually  imported  from  Asia,  Africa,  and 
America,  both  singly  and  in  concert,  are  not  to  be  compared 
to  those  of  European  birds.  He  has  also  formed  a  table,  to 
exhibit  the  comparative  merits  of  the  British  singing  birds  ; 
wherein  twenty  being  the  point  of  perfection,  he  states  the 
nightingale  at  nineteen  ;  the  woodlark  and  skylark  at  eighteen; 
the  blackcap  at  fourteen  ;  the  titlark,  linnet,  goldfinch,  and 
robin,  at  twelve  ;  with  some  variations  respecting  mellowness, 
sprightliness,  execution,  &.c.  for  which,  with  the  proportional 
diflerences  of  other  birds,  we  refer  to  his  work. 

We  cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  insert  the  following  well- 
known 

INVITATION     TO     THE    FEATHERED     BACE. 
Written  at  Claverton,  near  Bath 

Again  the  balmy  zephyr  blows, 

Fresh  verdure  decks  the  grove  ; 
Each  bird  with  vernal  rapture  glows, 

And  tunes  his  notes  to  love. 

Ye  gentle  warblers,  hither  fly. 

And  shun  the  noontide  heat ; 
My  shrubs  a  cooling  shade  supply. 

My  groves  a  safe  retreat. 

Here  freely  hop  from  spray  to  spray, 

Or  weave  the  mossy  nest. 
Here  rove  and  sing  tlie  live-long  day, 

At  night  here  sweetly  rest. 

Amidst  this  cool  translucent  rill, 

That  trickles  down  the  glade, 
Here  bathe  your  plumes,  here  drink  your  fill 

And  revel  in  the  shade. 

No  achoolboy  rude,  to  mischief  prone 

E'er  shows  his  ruddy  face, 
Or  twangs  his  bow,  or  hurls  a  stone, 

In  this  sequester'd  place. 

Hither  tl»c  vocal  thrush  repairs, 

Secure  the  linnet  sings  : 
The  goldfinch  dreads  no  slimy  snares, 

To  clog  her  painted  wings. 

Sad  Philomel !  ah,  quit  thy  haunt. 

Yon  distant  woods  among, 
And  round  my  friendly  grotto  chaunt 

Tliy  sweetly  plaintive  sonj;. 


THE   HON  EY    DEE. 

Let  not  the  harmless  redbreast  fear, 

Domestic  bird,  to  coiiio 
And  seek  a  sure  asylum  here, 

With  one  that  loves  his  home. 

My  trees  for  you,  ye  artless  tribe, 
Shall  store  of  fruit  preserve  : 

O  let  me  thus  your  friendship  bribe! 
Come,  feed  witiiout  reserve. 

For  you  these  cherries  I  protect, 
To  you  these  plums  belong  ; 

Sweet  is  the  fruit  that  you  have  pick'd. 
But  sweeter  far  vour  song. 

Let  then  this  league  betwixt  us  made, 

Our  mutual  int'rest  guard  ; 
Mine  be  the  gift  of  fruit  and  shade 

Your  songs  be  my  reward. 


'2oo 


Graves 


CHAP.  XXII. 
CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 


THE   HONEY   BEE. 

To  their  delicious  task  the  fervent  bees. 

In  swarming  millions,  tend  ;  around,  athwart. 

Through  the  soft  air  the  busy  nations  fly, 

Cling  to  tiie  bud,  and  with  inserted  tube 

Suck  its  pure  essence,  its  ethereal  soul ; 

And  oft,  with  bolder  wing,  they,  soaring,  dare 

The  purple  lieatli,  or  where  the  wild  thyme  grow, 

And  yellow  load  them  with  the  luscious  spoil.  Thomson* 

What  various  wonders  may  observers  see 

In  a  small  insect — the  sagacious  bee  ! 

Mark  how  the  little  untaught  builders  squar 

Their  rooms,  and  in  the  dark  t-lieir  lodgings  rear; 

Nature's  mechanics,  they  unwearied  strive 

And  fill,  with  curious  labyrinths,  the  hive. 

See  what  bold  strokes  of  architecture  shine 

Through  the  whole  frame,  what  beauty,  what  design!     Blackmore. 

This  important  insect  lias  been  long  and  justly  celebrated 
for  its  wonderful  polity,  the  neatness  and  precision  with  which 
it  constructs  its  cells,  and  the  diligence  with  which  it  provides, 
dining  the  warmth  of  summer,  a  supply  of  food  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  hive  during  the  rigours  of  the  succeeding  winter. 
The  general  history  of  this  interesting  insect  has  been  amply 
detailed  by  various  authors,  as  Swammerdam,  Reaumur,  &.C. 
&.C.  Among  the  most  elaborate  accounts  of  later  times,  may 
be  menlionetl  that  of  Mr.  John  Hunter,  which  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  the  year  1792; 

2L 


266  ruiMosniEs  resi'eciinc.   insects. 

and  that  of  M.  Huber^  contained  in  his  Nouvelles  Observa- 
tions sur  les  Abeilles,  addressed  to  M.  Bonnet,  the  celebrated 
author  of  the  "  Contemp/atio/is  de  la  Nature."  The  following 
a^^count  is  drawn  principally  from  Hunter  and  Huber. 

There  are  three  periods,  observes  Hunter,  at  which  the 
history  of  the  bee  may  commence  :  first,  in  the  spring,  when 
the  queen  begins  to  lay  her  eggs;  in  the  summer,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  a  new  colony  ;  or  in  the  autumn,  when  they  go 
into  winter-quarters.  We  shall  begin  the  particular  history 
of  the  bee  with  the  new  colony,  when  nothing  is  formed. 
When  a  hive  sends  off  a  colony,  it  is  commonly  in  the  month 
of  June;  but  that  will  vary  according  to  the  season,  for,  in  a 
mild  spring,  bees  sometimes  swarm  in  the  middle  of  May,  and 
very  often  at  the  latter  end  of  it.  Before  they  come  off,  they 
conunonly  hang  about  the  mouth  of  the  hole  or  door  of  the 
hive  for  some  days,  as  if  they  had  not  sufficient  room  within 
for  such  hot  weather,  which  we  believe  is  very  much  the  case; 
for  if  cold  or  wet  weather  come  on,  they  stow  themselves  very 
well,  and  wait  for  fine  weather.  But  swarming  appears  to  be 
rather  an  operation  arising  from  necessity;  for  they  do  not 
seem  to  remove  voluntarily,  because  if  they  have  an  empty 
space  to  fill,  they  do  not  swarm;  therefore,  by  increasing  the 
size  of  the  hive,  the  swarming  is  prevented.  This  period  ismuch 
longer  in  some  than  in  others.  For  some  evenings  before  they 
come  oft",  is  often  heard  a  singular  noise,  a  kind  of  ring,  or 
sound  of  a  small  tnmipet ;  by  comparing  it  with  the  notes  of 
a  piano-forte,  it  seemed  to  be  the  same  sound  with  the  lower 
A  of  the  treble.  The  swarm  commonly  consists  of  three 
classes  ;  a  female  or  females,  males,  and  those  commonly 
called  mules,  which  are  supposed  to  be  of  no  sex,  and  are  the 
labourers  ;  the  whole,  about  two  quarts  in  bulk,  making  about 
six  or  seven  thousand.  It  is  a  question  that  cannot  easily  be 
deteimined,  whether  this  old  stock  sends  off  only  young  of 
the  same  season,  and  whether  the  whole  of  their  young  ones, 
or  only  a  part. 

As  the  males  are  entirely  bred  in  the  same  season,  part  go 
off;  but  part  must  stay,  and  most  probably  it  is  so  with  the 
others.  They  commonly  come  oft"  in  the  heat  of  the  day, 
often  immediately  after  a  shower.  When  one  goes  off,  they 
all  inmiediately  follow,  and  fly  about,  seemingly  in  great  con- 
fusion, although  there  is  one  principle  actuating  the  whole. 
They  soon  appear  to  be  directed  to  some  fixed  place  ;  such  as 
the  branch  of  a  tree  or  bush,  the  cavities  of  old  trees,  or  holes 
of  houses  leading  into  some  hollow  place ;  and  whenever  the 
stand  is  made,  they  immediately  repair  to  it  till  thev  aie  all 
collected.  But  it  would  seem,  in  some  cases,  that  they  had 
not  fixed  upon  any  resting-place  before  they  come  oft,  or,  if 
they  had,  that  they  were  either  disturbed,  if  it  was  near,  or 


THE    HONEY    15  En.  26? 

that  it  was  at  a  great  distance  ;  for,  after  hovernig  some  time, 
as  if  undetermined,  they  fly  a\v;iy,  mount  up  into  the  air,  and 
go  off  with  great  velocity.  When  they  have  fixed  u|)on  ther; 
future  habitation,  they  immediately  begin  to  make  their  combs 
for  they  have  the  materials  within  themselves.  "  I  havb 
reason,"  says  Mr.  Hunter,  "  to  believe  that  they  fill  theii 
crops  with  honey  when  they  come  away,  probably  from  the 
stock  in  the  hive.  I  killed  several  of  those  that  came  away, 
and  found  their  crops  full,  while  those  that  remained  in  the 
hive  had  their  croj)S  not  near  so  fvdl  :  some  of  them  came  away 
•with  farina  on  their  legs,  which  I  conceive  to  be  rather  acci- 
dental. I  may  just  observe  here,  that  a  hive  commonly  sends 
off  two,  sometimes  three  swarms  in  a  summer,  but  that  the 
second  is  commonly  less  than  the  first,  and  the  third  less  than 
the  second  ;  and  this  last  has  seldom  time  to  provide  for  the 
winter. 

"  The  materials  of  their  dwelling  or  comb,  which  is  the  wax, 
is  the  next  consideration,  with  the  mode  of  forming,  preparing, 
or  disposing  of  it.  In  oiving  a  totally  new  account  of  the 
w-ax,  I  shall  first  shew  it  can  hardly  be  what  it  has  been  sup- 
posed to  be.  First,  I  shall  observe  that  the  materials,  as  they 
are  found  composing  the  comb,  are  not  to  be  found  in  the 
same  state  (as  a  composition)  in  any  vegetable,  where  they 
have  been  supposed  to  be  got.  The  substance  brought  in  on 
the  legs,  which  is  the  farina  of  the  flowers  of  plants,  is,  in 
conmion,  I  believe,  imagined  to  be  the  materials  of  which  the 
wax  is  made,  for  it  is  called  by  most,  the  wax:  but  it  is  the 
farina,  for  it  is  always  of  the  same  colour  as  the  farina  of  the 
flower  where  they  are  gathering  ;  and,  indeed,  we  see  them 
gathering  it,  and  we  also  see  them  covered  almost  all  over 
with  it  like  a  dust:  nevertheless,  it  has  been  supposed  to  be 
the  wax,  or  that  the  wax  was  extracted  from  it.  Reaumur  is 
of  this  opinion. 

"  I  made  several  experiments,  to  see  if  there  was  such  a 
quantity  of  oil  in  it,  as  would  account  for  the  quantity  of  wax 
to  be  formed,  and  to  learn  if  it  was  composed  of  oil.  I  held 
it  near  the  candle  ;  it  bm'nt,  but  did  not  smell  like  wax,  and 
had  the  same  smell  when  burning,  as  farina  when  it  was  burnt. 
I  observed,  that  this  substance  was  of  different  colours  on 
different  bees,  but  always  of  the  same  coloirr  on  both  legs  of 
the  same  bee  ;  whereas  a  new-made  comb  was  all  of  one  co 
lour.  I  observed,  that  it  was  gathered  with  more  avidity  for 
old  hives,  where  the  comb  is  complete,  than  for  those  hives 
where  it  was  only  begun,  which  we  could  hardly  conceive, 
admitting  it  to  be  the  materials  of  wax.  Also  we  may  observe, 
that  at  the  very  beginning  of  a  hive,  the  bees  seldom  bring  in 
any  substance  on  their  legs  for  two  or  three  days,  and  after 
that,  the  farina  gatherers  begin   to   increase  ;  for  now  some 


268  CURIOSITIES   RKSI'ECTING    INSECTS. 

cells  are  formed  to  hold  it  as  a  store,  and  some  eggs  are  laid, 
which,  when  hatched,  will  require  this  substance  as  food,  and 
which  will  be  ready  when  the  weather  is  wet. 

"  The  wax  is  formed  by  the  bees  themselves ;  it  may  be  called 
an  external  secretion  of  oil,  and  I  have  found  that  it  is  formed 
between  each  scale  of  the  under  side  of  the  belly.  When  I 
first  observed  this  substance,  in  my  examination  of  the  work- 
ing bee,  1  was  at  a  loss  to  say  what  it  was  :  I  asked  myself  if 
it  were  scales  forming,  and  whether  they  cast  the  old,  as  the 
lobster,  &.c.  does?  but  it  was  to  be  found  only  between  the 
scales  on  the  lower  side  of  the  belly.  On  examining  the  bees 
through  glass  hives,  while  they  were  climbing  up  the  glass,  I 
could  see  that  most  of  them  had  this  substance,  for  it  looked 
as  if  the  lower  or  posterior  edge  of  the  scale  was  double,  or 
that  there  were  double  scales  ;  but  I  perceived  it  was  loose, 
not  attached.  Finding  that  the  substance  brought  in  on  their 
legs  was  farina,  intended,  as  appeared  from  every  circum- 
stance, to  be  the  food  of  the  bee,  and  not  to  make  wax  ;  and 
not  having  yet  perceived  any  thing  that  could  give  me  the 
least  idea  of  wax  ;  1  conceived  these  scales  might  be  it,  at 
least  I  thought  it  necessary  to  investigate  them.  I  therefore 
took  several  on  the  point  of  a  needle,  and  held  the;n  to  a 
candle,  where  they  melted,  and  immediately  formed  themselves 
into  round  globules  ;  upon  which  I  no  longer  doubted  that 
this  was  the  wax,  which  opinion  was  confirmed  to  me  by  not 
finding  those  scales  but  in  the  building  season. 

"The  cells,  or  rather  the  congeries  of  cells,  which  compose 
the  comb,  may  be  said  to  form  perpendicular  plates,  or  parti- 
tions, which  extend  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  cavity  in  which 
they  build,  and  work  downwards;  but  if  the  upper  part  of 
this  vault  to  which  their  combs  are  fixed,  is  removed,  and  a 
dome  is  put  over,  they  begin  at  the  upper  edge  of  the  old  comb, 
and  work  up  into  the  new  cavity  at  the  top.  They  generally  may 
be  guided,  as  to  the  directions  of  their  new  plates,  by  forming 
ridges  at  top,  to  which  they  begin  to  attach  their  combs.  In  a 
long  hive,  if  these  ridges  are  longitudinal,  their  plates  of  comb 
will  be  longitudinal;  if  placed  transversely,  so  will  be  the  plates; 
and  if  obliquely,  the  ])lates  of  comb  will  be  oblique  also.  Each 
plate  consists  of  a  double  set  of  cells,  whose  bottoms  form 
the  partition  between  each  set.  The  plates  themselves  are  not 
very  regularly  arranged,  not  forming  a  regular  plane  where 
they  might  have  done  so,  but  are  often  adapted  to  the  situa- 
tion or  shape  of  the  cavity  in  which  they  are  built 

"  The  bees  do  not  endeavour  to  shape  their  cavity  to  their 
work,  as  the  wasps  do,  nor  are  the  cells  of  equal  depths,  also 
fitting  them  to  their  situation ;  but  as  the  breeding  cells  must 
all  be  of  a  given  depth,  they  reserve  a  suflicient  number  for 
breeding  in,  and  they  put  the  honey  into  the  others,  as  also 


THE     HONEY    liEE.  269 

into  the  shallow  ones.  The  attachment  of  the  comb  round 
the  cavity  is  not  continued,  but  interrupted,  so  as  to  form 
passages  in  the  middle  of  the  plates,  especially  if  there  be 
a  cross-stick  to  support  the  comb;  these  allow  of  bees 
to  go  across  from  plate  to  plate.  The  substance  which 
they  use  for  attaching  their  combs  to  surrounding  parts,  is 
not  the  same  as  the  common  wax ;  it  is  softer  and  tougher, 
a  good  deal  like  the  substance  with  which  they  cover  in 
their  chrysalis,  or  the  bumblebee  surrounds  her  eggs.  It 
is  probably  a  mixture  of  wax  with  farina.  The  cells  are 
placed  nearly  horizontal,  but  not  exactly  so ;  the  mouth 
raised  a  little,  which  probably  may  be  to  retain  the  honey 
the  better:  however,  this  rule  is  not  strictly  observed,  for 
often  they  are  horizontal,  and  towards  the  lower  edge  of 
a  plane  of  comb  they  are  often  declining.  The  first  combs 
that  a  hive  forms  are  the  smallest,  and  much  neater  than 
the  last  or  lowermost.  Their  sides  or  partitions,  between  cell 
and  cell,  are  much  thinner,  and  the  hexagon  is  much  more 
perfect,  'llie  wax  is  purer,  being  probably  little  else  but  wax, 
and  it  is  more  brittle.  The  lower  combs  are  considerably 
larger,  and  contain  much  more  wax,  or  perhaps,  more  pro- 
perly, more  materials  ;  and  the  cells  are  at  such  distances  as 
to  allow  them  to  be  of  a  round  figure  ;  the  wax  is  softer,  and 
there  is  something  mixed  with  it.  I  have  observed  that  the 
cells  are  not  all  of  equal  size,  some  being  a  degree  larger  than 
others;  and  that  the  small  are  the  first  formed,  and  of 
course  at  the  upper  part,  where  the  bees  begin  ;  and  the  larger 
are  nearer  the  lower  part  of  the  comb,  or  last  made  :  however, 
in  hives  of  a  particular  construction,  where  the  bees  may 
begin  to  work  at  one  end,  and  can  work  both  down  and  towards 
the  other  end,  we  often  find  the  larger  cells  both  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  combs,  and  also  at  the  opposite  end  ;  these  are 
formed  for  the  males  to  be  bred  in :  in  the  hornet  and 
wasp  combs  there  are  larger  cells  for  the  queens  to  be  bred  in  ; 
these  are  also  formed  in  the  lower  tier,  and  are  the  last 
formed. 

"  The  first  comb  made  in  a  hive  is  all  of  one  colour,  viz. 
almost  white  ;  but  is  not  so  white  towards  the  end  of  the  sea- 
son, having  then  more  of  a  yellow  cast." 

What  follows  is  principally  abridged  from  Huber,  who  in 
many  instances  is  more  correct  than  Hunter. — A  hive  contains 
three  kind  of  bees.  1.  A  single  queen  bee,  distinguishable 
by  the  great  length  of  her  body,  and  the  proportional  short- 
ness of  her  wings.  2.  Working-bees,  female  non-breeders, 
or,  as  they  were  formerly  called,  neuters,  to  the  amount  of 
many  thousands;  these  are  the  smallest  bees  in  the  hive,  and 
are  armed  with  a  sting.  3.  Drones,  or  males,  to  the  number 
perhaps  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  ;  these  are  larger 


270  CURlOblTIKS    RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

than  the  workers,  and  of  a  dark  colour;  they  make  a  <:^reat 
noise  in  flying,  and  have  no  sting.  The  whole  labour  ot*  the 
community  is  performed  by  the  workers  :  thev  elaborate  the 
wax,  and  construct  the  cells  ;  they  collect  the  honey,  and  feed 
the  brood.  The  drones,  numerous  as  they  are,  serve  no  other 
purpose  than  to  ensure  the  increase  of  the  hive,  and  are  regu- 
larly massacred  by  the  workers  at  the  beginning  of  autumn. 

It  is  the  office  of  the  queen-bee  to  lay  the  eggs.  These  re- 
main about  three  days  in  the  cells  before  they  are  hatched. 
A  small  white  worm  then  makes  its  appearance,  (called  indif- 
ferently, worm,  larva,  maggot,  or  grub  ;)  this  larva  is  fed  with 
honey  for  some  days,  and  then  changes  into  a  nymph  or  pupa. 
After  passing  a  certain  period  in  this  state,  it  comes  forth  a 
perfect  winged  insect. 

M.  Huber,  after  noticing  the  propagation  of  this  industrious 
race,  next  states  the  accidental  discovery  of  the  very  singular 
and  unexpected  consequences  which  follow  from  retarding 
the  impregnation  of  the  queen-bee  beyond  the  twentieth  or 
twenty-first  day  of  her  life.  In  the  natural  order  of  things,  or 
when  impregnation  is  not  retarded,  the  queen  begins  to  lay 
the  eggs  of  workers  forty-six  hours  after,  and  she  continues 
for  the  subsequent  eleven  months  to  lay  none  but  these  ;  "  and 
it  is  only  after  this  period,  that  a  considerable  and  uninter- 
rupted laying  of  the  eggs  of  drones  commences.  When,  on 
the  contrary,  impregnation  is  retarded  after  the  twenty-eighth 
day,  the  queen  begins,  from  the  forty-sixth  hour,  to  lay  the 
eggs  of  drones  ;  and  she  lays  no  other  kind  during  her  whole 
life."  would  be   tedious  to  detail   the   experiments  ;  they 

were  numerous,  and  the  results  uniform,  "  I  occupied  myself 
(says  M.  Huber)  the  remainder  of  1787,  and  the  two  subse- 
quent years,  with  experiments  on  retarded  fecundation,  and 
had  constantly  the  same  results."  It  is  undoubted,  therefore, 
tiiat  when  the  course  of  natural  instinct  is  retarded  beyond 
the  twentieth  day,  only  an  imperfect  generation  is  produced  ; 
as  the  queen,  instead  of  laying  the  eggs  c  f  workers  and  of 
males  equally,  will  lay  those  of  males  only 

This  discovery  is  entirely  M.  Huber's  own  :  and  so  difficult 
is  it  to  offer  any  plausible  explanation  of  the  fact,  that  he  him- 
self has  scarcely  attempted  it. 

The  working-bees  had  been  for  ages  considered  as  entirely 
destitute  of  sex;  and  hence,  in  the  writings  of  many  authors, 
they  are  denominated  neuters,  but  from  the  experiments  of 
Schirach  and  Huber,  it  seems  now  to  be  clearly  ascertained, 
that  the  workers  are  really  of  the  female  sex. 

M  Huber  confirms  the  curious  discovery  of  M.  Schirach, 
that  when  bees  are  by  any  accident  deprived  of  their  queen, 
thoy  have  the  ])Ower  of  selecting  one  or  two  grubs  of  workers, 
and   of  converting  them  into  queens  ;  ami   that  they  accom- 


THE    HONEY     BEE.  ~7 1 

plish  this  by  greatly  enlarging  the  cells  of  those  selected  lar- 
vae, bv  supplying  them  more  copiously  with  food,  and  with 
that  of  a  more  pungent  sort  than  is  given  to  the  common 
larvre, 

M.  Huber  gives  the  following  curious  account  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  bees  proceed  in  forming  capacious  cells  for  the 
workers'  grubs  destined  to  royalty. — "  Bees  soon  become  sen- 
sible of  having  lost  their  queen,  and  in  a  few  hours  commence 
the  labour  necessary  to  repair  their  loss.  First  they  select  the 
young  common  worms,  which  the  requisite  treatment  is  to 
convert  into  queens,  and  immediately  begin  with  enlarging 
the  cells  where  they  are  deposited.  Their  mode  of  proceed- 
ing is  curious;  and  the  better  to  illustrate  it,  I  shall  describe 
the  labour  bestowed  on  a  single  cell,  which  will  apply  to  all 
the  rest  containing  worms  destined  for  queens.  Having  cho- 
sen a  worm,  they  sacrifice  three  of  the  contiguous  cells  ;  next 
they  supply  it  with  food,  and  raise  a  cylindrical  enclosure 
around,  by  which  the  cell  becomes  a  perfect  tube,  with  a  rhom- 
boidal  bottom  ;  for  the  parts  forming  the  bottom  are  left  un- 
touched. If  the  bees  damaged  it,  they  would  lay  open  three 
corresponding  cells  on  the  opposite  surface  of  the  comb,  and 
consequently  destroy  their  worms,  which  would  be  an  unne- 
cessary sacrifice,  and  nature  has  opposed  it.  Therefore,  leaving 
the  bottom  rhomboidal,  they  are  satisfied  with  raising  a  cylindri- 
cal tube  around  the  worm,  which,  like  the  other  cells  in  the  comb, 
are  horizontal.  But  this  habitation  remains  suitable  to  the 
worm  called  to  the  royal  state,  only  during  the  first  three  days 
of  its  existence  :  another  situation  is  requisite  for  the  other 
two  days  it  is  a  worm.  During  that  time,  though  so  small  a 
portion  of  its  life,  it  must  inhabit  a  cell  nearly  of  a  pyramidi- 
cal  figure,  and  hanging  perpendicularly.  The  workers,  there- 
fore gnaw  away  the  cells  surrounding  the  cylindrical  tube, 
mercilessly  sacrifice  their  worms,  and  use  the  wax  in  construct- 
ing a  new  pyramidical  tube,  which  they  solder  at  right  angles 
to  the  first,  and  work  it  downwards.  The  diameter  of  this 
pyramid  decreases  insensibly  from  the  base,  which  is  very 
wide,  to  the  point.  In  proportion  as  the  worm  grows,  the  bees 
labour  in  extending  the  cell,  and  bring  food,  which  they  place 
before  its  mouth,  and  near  its  body,  forming  a  kind  of  cord 
around  it.  The  worm,  which  can  move  only  in  a  spiral  di- 
rection, turns  incessantly  to  take  the  food  before  its  head  :  it 
insensibly  descends,  and  at  length  arrives  at  the  orifice  of  the 
cell.  Now  is  the  time  of  transformation  to  a  nymph.  As  any 
farther  care  is  unnecessary,  the  bees  close  the  cell  with  a  pecu- 
liar substance  appropriated  for  it,  and  there  the  worm  under- 
goes both  its  metamorphoses." 

M.  Huber  relates  some  experiments  which  confirm  the  sin 
gular  discovery  of  M.  Riems,  concerning  common  worknigf 


2''2  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

bees  tliat  are  capable  of  laying"  eggs, — -which,  we  may  remark, 
is  certainly  a  most  convincing  proof  of  their  being  of  the  fe- 
male sex.  Eggs  were  observed  to  increase  in  number  daily, 
in  a  hive  in  which  there  were  no  queens  of  the  usual  appear- 
ance ;  but  small  queens  considerably  resemble  workers,  and 
to  discriminate  them,  required  minute  inspection.  "  My 
assistant,"  (says  M.  Huber,)  then  oftered  to  perform  an  opera- 
tion that  required  both  courage  and  patience,  and  which  I 
could  not  resolve  to  suggest,  though  the  same  expedient  had 
occurred  to  myself.  He  proposed  to  examine  eacii  bee  in  the 
hive  separately,  to  discover  whether  some  small  queen  had 
not  insinuated  herself  among  them,  and  escaped  our  first  re- 
searches. It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  seize  every  one  of 
the  bees,  notwithstanding  their  irritation,  and  to  examine 
their  specific  character  with  the  utmost  care.  This  my  assist- 
ant undertook,  and  executed  with  great  address.  Eleven  days 
were  employed  in  it;  and,  during  all  that  time,  he  scarcely 
allowed  himself  any  relaxation  but  what  the  relief  of  his  eyes 
required.  He  took  every  bee  in  his  hand  ;  he  attentively  ex- 
amined the  trunk,  the  hind  limbs,  and  the  sting  ;  and  he  found  , 
that  there  was  not  one  without  the  characteristics  of  the  com- 
mon bee,  that  is,  the  little  basket  on  the  hind  legs,  the  long 
trunk,  and  the  straight  sting." 

When  a  supernumerary  queen  is  produced  in  a  hive,  or  is 
introduced  into  it  in  the  course  of  experiment,  either  she  or 
the  rightful  owner  soon  perishes.  The  German  naturalists, 
Schirach  and  Riems,  imagined  that  the  working  bees  assailed 
the  stranger,  and  stung  her  to  death.  Reaumur  considered  it 
as  more  })robable,  that  the  sceptre  was  made  to  depend  on  the 
issue  of  a  single  combat  between  the  claimants  ;  and  this 
conjecture  is  verified  by  the  observations  of  Huber.  The  same 
hostility  towards  rivals,  and  destructive  vengeance  against 
royal  cells,  animates  all  queens,  whether  they  be  virgins,  or 
in  a  state  of  impregnation,  or  mothers  of  numerous  broods. 
The  working  bees,  it  may  here  be  remarked,  remain  quiet 
spectators  of  the  destruction,  by  the  first-hatched  queen,  of 
the  remaining  royal  cells;  they  approach  only  to  share  in  the 
])iunder  presented  by  their  havock-making  mistress,  greedily 
devouring  any  food  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  cells,  and  even 
sucking  the  fluid  from  the  abdomen  of  the  nymphs  before 
they  toss  out  the  carcase. 

The  following  fact,  connected  with  this  subject,  is  one  of 
the  most  curious  perhaps  in  the  whole  history  of  this  wonder- 
ful insect.  V/henever  the  workers  perceive  that  there  are  two 
rival  queens  in  the  hive,  numbers  of  them  crowd  around  each; 
they  seem  to  be  perfectly  aware  of  the  approaching  deadly 
conflict,  and  willing  to  jjrompt  their  Amazonian  chieftains  to 
the  battle  ;  for  as  often  as  the  queens  shew    a  disinclination 


THE   HONEY   BEE.  2T3 

to  fight,  or  seem  inclined  to  recede  from  each  other,  or  to  flv 
off,  the  bees  immediately  surround  and  detain  them;  but 
when  either  combatant  shews  a  disposition  to  approach  her 
antagonist,  all  the  bees  forming  the  clusters  instantly  give 
way,  to  allow  her  full  liberty  for  the  attack.  It  seems  strange 
that  those  bees,  who  in  general  shew  so  much  anxiety  about 
the  safety  of  their  queen,  should,  in  particular  circumstances, 
oppose  her  preparations  to  avoid  impending  danger, — should 
seem  to  promote  the  battle,  and  to  excite  the  fury  of  the  com- 
batants. 

When  a  queen  is  removed  from  a  hive,  the  bees  do  not 
immediately  perceive  it;  they  continue  their  labours,  "  watch 
over  their  young,  and  perform  all  their  ordinary  occupations. 
But,  in  a  few  hours,  agitation  ensues;  all  appears  a  scene 
of  tumult  in  the  hive.  A  singular  humming  is  heard;  the 
bees  desert  their  young,  and  rush  over  the  surface  of  the 
.  combs  with  a  delirious  impetuosity."  They  have  now  evi- 
dently discovered  that  their  sovereign  is  gone  ;  and  the  rapi- 
dity with  which  the  bad  news  spreads  through  the  hive,  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  combs,  is  very  remarkable.  On 
replacing  the  queen  in  the  hive,  tranquillity  is  almost  instantly 
restored.  The  bees,  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  recognize  the 
individual  person  of  their  own  queen.  If  another  be  palmed 
upon  them,  they  seize  and  surround  her,  so  that  she  is  either 
suffocated,  or  perishes  by  hunger;  for  it  is  very  remarkable, 
that  the  workers  are  never  known  to  attack  a  queen  bee  with 
their  stings.  If,  however,  more  than  eighteen  hours  have 
elapsed  before  the  stranger  queen  be  introduced,  she  has  some 
chance  to  escape:  the  bees  at  first  seize  and  confine  her,  but 
less  rigidly;  and  they  soon  begin  to  disperse,  and  at  length 
leave  her  to  reign  over  a  hive,  in  which  she  was  at  first  treated 
as  a  prisoner.  If  twenty-four  hours  have  elapsed,  the  stranger 
will  be  well  received  from  the  first,  and  at  once  admitted  to 
the  sovereignty  of  the  hive.  In  sliort,  it  appears  that  the  bees, 
when  deprived  of  their  queen,  are  thrown  into  great  agitation; 
that  they  wait  about  twenty  hours,  apparently  in  hopes  of 
her  return  ;  but  that,  after  this  interregnum,  the  agitation 
ceases,  and  they  set  about  supplying  their  loss  by  beginning 
to  construct  royal  cells.  It  is  when  they  are  in  this  temper, 
and  not  sooner,  that  a  stranger  queen  will  be  graciously  re- 
ceived ;  and  upon  her  being  presented  to  them,  the  royal 
cells,  in  whatever  state  of  forwardness  they  may  happen  to  be, 
are  instantly  abandoned,  and  the  larvee  destroyed.  Reaumur 
must  therefore  have  mistaken  the  result  of  his  own  experi 
ments,  when  he  asserts,  that  a  stranger  queen  is  instantly 
well  received,  though  presented  at  the  moment  when  the  other 
is  withdrawn.  He  had  seen  the  bees  crowding  around  her  at 
the  entrance  of  the  hive,  and  laying  their  antennae  over  her 
12.  2  M 


*274  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   INSECTS 

and  this  he  seems  to  have  taken  for  caressing.  The  structure 
of  the  hivei"  he  employed  prevented  him  from  seeing  further: 
had  he  used  the  leaf-hive,  or  one  of  similar  construction,  he 
would  have  perceived  that  the  apparent  caresses  of  the  guards 
were  only  the  prelude  to  actual  imprisonment 

It  is  well  known,  that  after  the  season  of  swarmino-,  a  ge- 
neral massacre  of  the  drones  is  commenced.  Several  authors 
assert,  in  their  writings,  that  the  workers  do  not  sting  the 
drones  to  death,  but  merely  harass  them  till  they  are  banished 
from  the  hive  and  perish.  M.  Huber  contrived  a  glass  table, 
on  which  he  placed  several  hives,  and  he  was  thus  able  to  see 
distinctly  what  passed  at  the  bottom  of  the  hive,  which  is 
generally  dark  and  concealed  :  he  witnessed  a  real  and  furious 
massacre  of  the  males,  the  workers  thrusting  their  stings  so 
deep  into  the  bodies  of  the  defenceless  drones,  that  they  were 
obliged  to  turn  on  themselves  as  on  a  pivot,  before  they  could 
extricate  them.  The  work  of  death  commenced  in  all  the 
hives  much  about  the  same  time.  It  is  not,  however,  by  a 
blind  or  indiscriminating  instinct,  that  the  workers  are  impelled 
thus  to  sacrifice  the  males  ;  for  if  a  hive  be  deprived  of  its 
queen,  no  massacre  of  the  males  takes  place  in  it,  while  the 
hottest  persecution  rages  in  all  the  surrounding  hives.  In  this 
case,  the  males  are  allowed  to  survive  the  winter.  Mr.  Bon- 
ner had  observed  this  fact ;  he  supposed,  however,  that  the 
workers  thus  tolerated  the  drones  for  the  sake  of  the  addi- 
tional heat  they  generated  in  the  hive ;  but  we  now  see  the 
true  reason  to  be,  that  without  them  the  new  queen  would 
not  be  fruitful.  The  drones  are  also  suffered  to  exist  in  hives 
that  possess  fertile  workers,  but  no  proper  queen;  and,  what 
is  remarkable,  they  are  likewise  spared  in  hives  governed  by 
a  queen  whose  fecundity  has  been  retarded.  Here,  then,  we 
perceive  a  counter-instinct  opposed  to  that  which  would  have 
impelled  them  to  the  usual  massacre. 

Upon  the  subject  of  swarming,  M.  Huber  commences  with 
an  interesting  account  of  the  hatching  of  the  queen  bee. 
When  the  pupa  is  about  to  change  into  the  perfect  insect,  the 
bees  render  the  cover  of  the  cell  thinner,  by  gnawing  away 
part  of  the  wax  ;  and  with  so  much  nicety  do  they  perform 
this  operation,  that  the  cover  at  last  becomes  pellucid,  owing 
to  its  extreme  thinness.  This  must  not  only  facilitate  the 
exit  of  the  fly,  but,  M.  Huber  remarks,  it  may  possibly  be 
useful  in  permitting  the  evaporation  of  the  superabundant 
fluids  of  the  nymph.  After  the  transformation  is  complete, 
the  young  queens  would,  in  common  course,  immediately 
emerge  from  their  cells,  ns  workers  and  drones  do  ;  but  the 
bees  always  keep  them  prisoners  for  some  days  in  their  cells, 
supplying  them  in  tlie  mean  time  with  honey  for  food  ;  a  small 
nole  being  made  in  the  door  of  each  cell,  through  which  the 


TIIK   HONEY    BEE.  275 

confined  bee  extends  its  proboscis  to  receive  it.  The  royal 
prisoners  continually  utter  a  kind  of  song,  the  modulations  of 
which  are  said  to  vary.  The  final  cause  of  this  temporary 
imprisonment,  it  is  suggested,  may  possibly  be,  that  they  may 
be  able  to  take  flight  at  the  instant  they  are  liberated.  When 
a  young  queen  at  last  gets  out,  she  meets  with  rather  an  awk- 
ward reception  ;  she  is  pulled,  bitten,  and  chased,  as  often  as 
she  happens  to  approach  the  other  royal  cells  in  the  hive. 
The  purpose  of  nature  here  seems  to  be,  that  she  should  be  im- 
pelled to  go  off  with  a  swarm  as  soon  as  possible.  A  curious 
fact  was  observed  on  these  occasions:  when  the  queen  found 
herself  much  harassed,  she  had  only  to  utter  a  peculiar  noise, 
(the  commanding  voice,  we  may  presume,  of  sovereignty,)  and 
all  the  bees  were  instantaneously  constrained  to  submission 
and  obedience.  This  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  most  marked 
instances  in  which  the  queen  exerts  her  sovereign  power. 

The  conclusions  at  which  M.  Huber  arrives  on  the  subject 
of  swarms  are  the  following: — 

First,  "  A  swarm  is  always  led  off  by  a  single  queen,  either 
the  sovereign  of  the  parent  hive,  or  one  recently  brougiit  into 
existence.  If,  at  the  return  of  spring,  we  examine  a  hive  well 
peopled,  and  governed  by  a  fertile  queen,  we  shall  see  her 
lay  a  prodigious  number  of  male  eggs  in  the  course  of  May, 
and  the  workers  will  choose  that  moment  for  constructing 
several  royal  cells."  This  laying  of  male  eggs  in  May, 
M.  Huber  calls  the  great  laying ;  and  he  remarks,  that  no 
queen  ever  has  a  great  laying  till  she  be  eleven  months  old. 
It  is  only  after  finishing  this  layincr,  that  she  is  able  to  under- 
take the  journey  implied  in  leading  a  swarm  ;  for,  previously 
to  this,  "  lalum  trahit  ahum"  which  unfits  her  for  flying. 
There  appears  to  be  a  secret  relation  between  the  production 
of  the  male  eggs,  and  the  construction  of  royal  cells.  The 
great  laying  commonly  lasts  thirty  days  ;  and  regularly,  on  the 
twentieth  or  twenty-first,  several  royal  cells  are  founded. 

Secondly,  "  When  the  larvae  hatched  from  the  eggs  laid  by 
the  queen  in  the  royal  cells  are  ready  to  transform  to  nymphs, 
this  queen  leaves  the  hive,  conducting  a  swarm  along  with 
her  ;  and  the  first  swarm  that  proceeds  from  the  hive  is  uni- 
formly conducted  by  the  old  queen."  M.  Huber  remarks, 
that  it  was  necessary  that  instinct  should  impel  the  old  queen 
to  lead  forth  the  first  swarm  ;  for,  that  she  being  the  strongest, 
would  never  have  failed  to  have  overthrown  the  younger  com- 
petitors for  the  throne.  An  old  queen,  as  has  already  been 
said,  never  quits  a  hive  at  the  head  of  a  swarm,  till  she  has 
finished  her  laying  of  male  eggs;  but  this  is  of  importance, 
not  merely  that  she  may  be  lighter  and  fitter  for  flight,  but 
that  she  may  be  ready  to  begin  with  the  laying  of  workers' 
eggs  in  her  new  habitation,  workers  being  the  bees  first  needed. 


276  CUKIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

in  order  to  secure  the  continuance  and  prosperity  of  the  newly- 
founded  commonwealth. 

Thirdly,"  After  the  old  queen  has  conducted  the  first  swarm 
from  the  hive,  the  remaining  bees  take  particular  care  of  the 
royal  cells,  and  prevent  the  young  queens,  successively 
hatched,  from  leaving  them,  unless  at  an  interval  of  several 
days  between  each."  Under  this  head  he  introduces  a  number 
of  general  remarks,  some  of  which  may  prove  useful.  "  A 
swarm  (he  observes)  is  never  seen  unless  in  a  fine  day,  or,  to 
speak  more  correctly,  at  a  time  of  the  day  when  the  sun  shines, 
and  the  air  is  calm.  Sometimes  we  have  observed  all  the  pre- 
cursors of  swarmina:,  disorder  and  aoitation  :  but  a  cloud 
passed  before  the  sun,  and  tranquillity  was  restored  ;  the  bees 
thought  no  more  of  swarming.  An  hour  afterwards,  the  sun 
having  again  appeared,  the  tumult  was  renewed  ;  it  rapidly 
augmented,  and  the  swarm  departed."  A  certain  degree  of 
tumult  commences  as  soon  as  the  young  queens  are  hatched, 
and  begin  to  traverse  the  hive  :  the  agitation  soon  pervades 
the  whole  bees ;  and  such  a  ferment  soon  rages,  that  M.  Ru- 
ber has  often  observed  the  thermometer  in  the  hive  to  rise  sud- 
denly from  about  92°  to  above  104°  :  this  suffocating  heat  he 
considers  as  one  of  the  means  employed  by  nature  for  urging 
the  bees  to  go  off  in  swarms.  In  warm  weather,  one  strong 
hive  has  been  known  to  send  off  four  swarms  in  eighteen  days. 

The  cause  of  the  bees,  which  has  been  so  eloquently  and 
pathetically  pleaded  by  the  Poet  of  the  Seasons,  is  supported 
Ijy  M.  Huber,  on  a  principle  more  intelligible,  perhaps,  and 
more  persuasive,  to  most  country  bee-masters,  viz.  interest. 
He  deprecates  the  destruction  of  bees,  and  recommends  to 
the  cultivator  to  be  content  with  a  reasonable  share  of  the 
wealth  of  the  hive  ;  arguing  very  justly,  we  believe,  that  a  little 
taken  from  each  of  a  number  of  hives,  is  ultimately  much 
more  profitable  than  a  greater  quantity  obtained  by  a  total 
destruction  of  a  few. 

We  conclude  our  observations  on  this  curious  insect  by  two 
poetical  quotations. 

"  Of  all  the  race  of  animals,  alone 

The  bees  have  coninion  cities  of  their  own. 
Mindful  of  coming  cold,  they  share  the  pain, 
And  hoard  for  winter's  use  the  summer's  gain. 
Some  o'er  the  public  magazines  preside. 
And  some  arc  sent  new  forage  to  provide  ; 
Tliese  drudge  in  fields  abroad,  and  those  at  home 
Lay  deep  foundations  for  the  labour'd  comb  ; 
To  pitch  tlie  waxen  llooring  some  contrive; 
Some  nurse  the  future  nation  of  the  hive. 
Their  toil  is  conunon,  connnon  is  their  sleep  ; 
Tliey  shake  tiieir  wings  when  morn  begins  to  peep: 
Ivush  tlirough  tlie  city  gates  Mithout  delay, 
Nor  ends  tlieir  work  but  with  declining  day." 


THE    HONEY     i,EF..  277 

Churchill,  after  the  following  beautiful  and  picturesque  de- 
scription, introduces  a  sovereign,  drawing  from  it,  in  a  soli- 
loquy, the  most  natural  reflections  on  the  momentous  duti'ss 
of  his  station. 


Streng;th  in  her  limbs,  and  on  her  wings  dispatch, 

The  bee  goes  forth ;  from  herb  to  herb  she  flies, 

From  flovvr  to  tlow'r,  and  loads  her  lab'ring  thighs 

With  treasur'd  sweets,  robbing  those  flow'rs,  which  left. 

Find  not  themselves  made  poorer  by  the  theft, 

Their  scents  as  lively,  and  their  looks  as  fair, 

As  if  the  pillager  had  not  been  there. 

Ne'er  doth  she  flit  on  pleasure's  silken  wing, 

Ne'er  doth  she  loit'ring  let  the  bloom  of  spring 

Unrifled  pass,  and  on  the  downy  breast 

Of  some  fair  flow'r  indulge  untimely  rest. 

Ne'er  doth  she,  drinking  deep  of  those  rich  dews 

Which  chemist  Night  prepar'd,  that  faith  abuse 

Due  to  the  hive,  and,  selfish  in  her  toils. 

To  her  own  private  use  convert  the  spoils. 

Love  of  the  stock  first  call'd  her  forth  to  roam. 

And  to  the  stock  she  brings  her  honey  home." 

CHAP.  XXIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

WILD   BEES. 

The  Clothier  Bee.— The  Carpenter  Bee.— The  Mason  Bee. —The 
Upholsterer  Bee. —  The  Leaf -cutter  Bee. — Curious  Account  of 
an  Idiot  Boy  and  Bees. — Mr.  Wildman's  Curious  Exhibitions 
oj  Bees  explained. 

THE   CLOTHIER   BEE. 

Learn  each  small  people's  genius,  policies, 

The  ants'  republic,  and  the  realm  of  bees  ; 

How  those  in  common  all  their  wealth  bestow 

And  anarchy  without  confusion  know  ; 

And  these  for  ever,  though  a  monarch  reign, 

Their  separate  cells  and  properties  maintain. 

Mark  what  unvary'd  laws  preserve  each  state. 

Law s,  wise  as  Nature,  and  as  lixt  as  Fate.  Pope. 

The  following  curious  account  of  wild  bees  is  principally- 
abridged  from  Kirby  and  Spence's  very  interesting  work  on 
entomology. 

The  clothier  bee  is  a  lively  and  gay  insect.  It  does  not 
excavate  holes  for  their  reception,  but  places  them  in  the 
cavities  of  old  trees,  or  of  any  other  object  that  suits  its  pur- 
pose. Sir  Thomas  Cullum  discovered  the  nest  of  one  in  the 
inside  of  the  lock  of  a  garden  gate,  in  which  Mr.  Kirby  also 


2/8  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

since  twice  found  them.  It  should  seem,  however,  that  such 
situations  would  be  too  cold  tor  the  o'rubs  without  a  coating 
of"  some  non-conducting  substance.  The  parent  bee,  therefore, 
after  having  constructed  the  cells,  laid  an  egg  in  each,  and 
filled  them  with  a  store  of  suitable  food,  plasters  them  with  a 
covering  of  vermiform  masses,  apparently  composed  of  honey 
and  pollen  ;  and  having  done  this,  aware  (long  before  Count 
Ilumford's  experiments)  what  materials  conduct  heat  most 
slowly,  she  attacks  the  woolly  leaves  of  Stachy's  lanata,  Agro- 
stemma  coronaria,  and  similar  plants,  and  with  her  mandi- 
bles industriously  scrapes  off  the  wool,  which  with  her  fore  legs 
she  rolls  into  a  little  ball,  and  carries  to  her  nest.  This  wool 
she  sticks  upon  the  plaster  that  covers  her  cells,  and  thus 
closely  envelopes  them  with  a  warm  coating  of  down,  imper- 
vious to  every  change  of  temperature. 

The  Carpenter  Bee. — A  numerous  family  of  wild  bees 
may  properly  be  compared  to  carpenters,  boring  with  incredi- 
ble labour,  out  of  the  solid  wood,  long  cylindrical  tubes,  and 
dividing  them  into  various  cells.  Amongst  these,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  is  the  Apis  violacea,  L.  (Xylacopa,  Latr.)  a 
large  species,  a  native  of  southern  Europe,  distinguished  by 
beautiful  wings  of  a  deep  violet  colour,  and  found  conmionly 
in  gardens,  in  the  upright  putrescent  espaliers,  or  vine  props, 
of  which,  and  occasionally  in  the  garden  seats,  doors,  and 
window-shutters,  she  makes  her  nest.  In  the  beginning  of 
spring,  after  repeated  and  careful  surveys,  she  fixes  upon  a 
piece  of  wood  suitable  for  her  purpose,  and  with  her  strong 
mandibles  begins  the  process  of  boring.  First  proceeding 
obliquely  downwards,  slie  soon  points  her  course  in  a  direc- 
tion parallel  with  the  sides  of  the  wood,  and  at  length  with 
unwearied  exertion  forms  a  cylindrical  hole  or  tunnel  not  less 
than  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  long,  and  half  an  inch  broad. 
Sometimes,  where  the  diameter  will  admit  of  it,  three  or  four 
of  these  pipes,  nearly  parallel  with  each  other,  are  bored  in 
the  same  piece.  Herculean  as  this  task  (which  is  the  labour 
of  several  days)  appears,  it  is  but  a  small  part  of  what  our 
industrious  bee  cheerfully  undertakes.  As  yet  she  has  com- 
pleted, but  the  shell  of  the  destined  habitation  of  her  ofispring ; 
each  of  which,  to  the  number  of  ten  or  twelve,  will  require 
a  separate  and  distinct  apartment.  In  excavating  her  tunne), 
she  has  detached  a  large  quantity  of  fibres,  which  lie  on  the 
ground  like  a  heap  of  saw-dust.  This  material  supplies  all 
her  wants.  Having  deposited  an  egg  at  the  bottom  of  the 
cylinder,  along  with  the  requisite  store  of  pollen  and  honey, 
she  next,  at  the  height  of  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch, 
(which  is  the  depth  of  each  cell,)  constructs  of  particles 
of  the   saw-dust  glued   together,  and    also  to    the    sides    of 


THE    CAlM'ENTEa    BEE.  279 

the  tunnel,  what  may  be  called  an  annular  stage  or  scaffolding. 
When  this  is  sufficiently  hardened,  its  interior  cage  affords 
support  tor  a  second  ring  of  the  same  materials,  and  thus  the 
ceiling  is  gradually  formed  of  these  concentric  circles,  till 
there  remains  only  a  small  orifice  in  its  centre,  which  is  also 
closed  with  a  circular  mass  of  agglutinated  particles  of  saw- 
dust. When  this  partition,  which  serves  as  the  ceiling  of  the 
first  cell,  and  the  flooring  of  the  second,  is  finished,  it  is  about 
the  thickness  of  a  crown  piece,  and  exhibits  the  appearance  of 
as  many  concentric  circles  as  the  animal  has  made  pauses  m 
her  labour.  One  cell  being  finished,  she  proceeds  to  another, 
■which  she  furnishes  and  completes  in  the  same  manner,  and  so 
on,  until  she  has  divided  her  whole  tunnel  into  ten  or  twelve 
apartments. 

Such  a  laborious  undertaking;  as  the  constructing;  and  fur- 
nishing  these  cells,  cannot  be  the  work  of  one,  or  even  ot  two 
days.  Considering  that  every  cell  requires  a  store  of  honey 
and  pollen,  not  to  be  collected  but  with  long  toil,  and  that  a 
considerable  interval  must  be  spent  in  agglutinating  the  floors 
of  each,  it  will  be  very  obvious  that  the  last  egg  in  the  last 
cell  must  be  laid  many  days  after  the  first.  We  are  certain^ 
therefore,  th.at  the  first  egg  will  become  a  grub,  and  conse- 
quently a  perfect  bee,  niany  days  before  the  last.  What  then 
becomes  of  it?  It  is  impossible  that  it  should  make  its  escape 
though  eleven  superincumbent  cells,  without  destroying  the 
immature  tenants;  and  it  seems  equally  impossible  that  it 
should  remain  patiently  in  confinement  below  them  until  they 
are  all  disclosed.  This  dilemma  our  heaven-taught  architect 
has  provided  against.  With  forethought,  never  enough  to  be 
admired,  she  has  not  constructed  her  tunnel  with  one  opening 
only,  but  at  the  farther  end  has  pierced  another  orifice,  a  kind 
of  back  door,  through  which  the  insects  produced  by  the  first- 
laid  eggs  successively  emerge  into  day.  In  fact,  all  the  young 
bees,  even  the  uppermost,  go  out  by  this  roafl  ;  for,  by  an  ex- 
quisite instinct,  each  grub,  when  about  to  become  a  pupa, 
places  itself  in  its  cell,  with  its  head  downwards,  and  thus  is 
necessitated,  when  arrived  at  its  last  state,  to  pierce  its  cell  in 
this  direction. 

We  shall  now  describe  The  Mason-Bee. — There  is  a 
family  of  wild  bees  which  carry  on  the  trade  of  masons,  build- 
ing their  solid  houses  solely  of  artificial  stone.  The  first  step 
of  the  mother  bee.  Apis  nniruria,  Oliv.  ( Anthophara,  F.  Me- 
gachile,  Latr.)  is  to  fix  upon  a  proper  situation  for  the  future 
mansion  of  her  offspring.  For  this  she  usually  selects  an  angle, 
sheltered  by  any  projection,  on  the  south  side  of  a  stone  wall. 
Her  next  care  is  to  provide  materials  for  the  structure.  The 
chief  of  these  is   sand,  which    she  carefully  selects,  grain  by 


2S0  cLuiosirics  ulspeci::\-g  bees. 

gTciin,  from  such  as  contain  some  mixture  of  earlli  ;  these 
grains  she  glues  together  with  her  viscid  saliva  into  masses 
the  size  of  small  shot,*  and  transports  by  means  of  her  jaws 
to  tile  site  of  her  castle.  With  a  number  of  these  masses, 
which  are  the  artificial  stone  of  which  her  building  is  to  be 
composed,  united  by  a  cement  preferable  to  ours,  she  first 
forms  the  basis  or  foundation  of  the  whole.  Next  she  raises 
the  walls  of  a  cell,  which  is  an   inch  lono-  and  half  an  inch 

.  .  .  .  ^ 

broad,  and,  before  its  orifice  is  closed,  in  form  resembles  a 
thimble.  This,  after  depositing  an  egg,  and  a  supply  of  honey 
and  pollen,  she  covers  in,  and  then  proceeds  to  the  erection 
of  a  second,  which  she  finishes  in  the  same  manner,  until  the 
whole  number,  which  varies  from  four  to  eight,  is  completed. 
The  vacuities  between  the  cells,  which  are  not  placed  in  any 
regular  order,  some  being  parallel  to  the  wall,  others  being- 
perpendicular  to  it,  and  others  inclined  to  it  at  different  angles, 
this  laborious  architect  fills  uj)  w  ith  the  same  material  of  which 
the  cells  are  composed,  and  then  bestows  upon  the  whole 
group  a  common  covering  of  coarser  grains  of  sand.  The 
form  of  the  whole  nest,  which,  when  finished,  is  a  solid  mass 
of  stone,  so  hard  as  not  to  be  easily  penetrated  with  the  blade 
of  a  knife,  is'an  irregular  oblong,  of  the  same  colour  as  the 
sand,  and,  to  a  casual  observer,  more  resembling  a  splash  of 
mud  than  an  artificial  structure.  These  bees  sometimes  are 
more  economical  of  their  labour,  and  repair  old  nests,  for  the 
possession  of  which  they  have  very  desperate  combats.  One 
would  have  supposed  that  the  inhabitants  of  a  castle  so  forti- 
fied might  defy  the  attack  of  an  insect  marauder.  Yet  an 
ichneumon,  and  a  beetle  (Clerius  apiarins,  F.)  both  contrive 
to  introduce  their  eggs  into  the  cells,  and  the  larvae  proceed- 
ing from  them  devour  their  inhabitants. — lieaum.  vi.  57,  58 
Mon.  Ap.  Aiigl.  i.  179. 

Other  bees  of  the  same  family  use  different  materials  in  the 
construction  of  their  nests.  Some  employ  fine  earth  made  into 
a  kind  of  mortar  made  with  gluten.  Another,  (A.  carulescens, 
L.)  as  we  learn  from  De  Geer,  forms  its  nest  of  argillaceous 
earth,  mixed  with  chalk,  upon  stone  walls,  and  sometimes  pro- 
bably builds  in  chalk-pits.  Apis  bkornis,  L.  selects  the 
hollows  of  large  stones  for  the  site  of  its  dwelling;  whilst 
others  prefer  the  holes  in  wood. 

We  now  proceed  to  The  Upholster er-Bee. — Such  may 
those  be  denominated  which  line  the  holes  excavated  in  the 
earth  for  the  reception  of  their  young,  with  an  elegant  coating 

•  Reaumur  plausibly  supposes,  that  it  lias  been  from  observinjET  this 
bee  thus  loaded,  that  the  talc  mentioned  by  Aristotle  and  Pliny,  of  the 
hive-bee's  ballastiu};  itself  with  a  bit  of  stone,  previous  to  Hying  home  in 
ft  high  wind,  has  arisen. 


THE    LEAF-CUTTER    BEE.  281 

of  flowers  or  of  leaves.  Amongst  the  most  interesting  of  these 
is  Apis  Papaven's,  (Megochile,  Lntr.,  Anthophora,  J\)  a  spe- 
cies whose  manners  have  been  achnirably  described  by  Reau- 
mur. This  little  bee,  as  though  fascinated  with  the  colour 
most  attractive  to  our  eyes,  invariably  chooses  for  the  hang- 
ings of  her  apartments  the  most  brilliant  scarlet,  selecting 
for  its  material  the  petals  of  the  wild  poppy,  which  she  dex- 
terously cuts  into  the  proper  form.  Her  first  process  is  to  ex- 
cavate in  some  pathway  a  burrow,  cylindrical  at  the  entrance, 
but  swelled  out  below,  to  the  depth  of  about  three  inches. 
Having  polished  the  walls  of  this  little  apartment,  she  next 
flies  to  a  neighbouring  field,  cuts  out  oval  portions  of  the 
flowers  of  poppies,  seizes  them  between  her  legs,  and  returns 
with  them  to  her  cell ;  and  though  separated  from  the  wrin- 
kled petal  of  a  half-expanded  flower,  she  knows  how  to  straighten 
their  folds,  and,  if  too  large,  to  fit  them  for  her  purpose  by 
cutting  off  the  superfluous  parts.  Beginning  at  the  bottom, 
she  overlays  the  walls  of  her  mansion  with  this  brilliant  tapestry, 
extendino-  it  also  on  the  surface  of  the  oround  round  the  mar- 
gin  of  the  orifice.  The  bottom  is  rendered  warm  by  three  oi 
four  coats,  and  the  sides  have  never  less  than  two.  The  little 
upholsterer,  having  completed  the  hangings  of  her  apartment, 
next  fills  it  with  pollen  and  honey  to  the  height  of  about  hall 
an  inch  ;  then,  after  committing  an  egg  to  it,  she  wraps  over 
the  popj)y  lining,  so  that  even  the  roof  may  leave  this  mate- 
rial ;  and  lastly,  closes  its  mouth  with  a  small  hillock  of  earth. 
— lieauni.  6. 139  to  148.  The  great  depth  of  the  cell,  compared 
with  the  space  which  the  single  egg  and  the  accompanying 
food  deposited  in  it  occupy,  deserves  particular  notice.  This 
is  not  more  than  half  an  inch  at  the  bottom,  the  remaining  two 
inches  and  a  half  being  subsequently  filled  with  earth. 

The  Leaf-cutter  Bee, — There  is  a  species  of  wild  bee, 
that  cover  the  walls  of  tiieir  cells  with  coatings  of  sober- 
coloured  materials,  generally  selecting  for  their  hangings  the 
leaves  of  trees,  especially  of  the  rose,  whence  they  have  been 
known  by  the  name  of  the  leaf-cutter  bees.  They  differ  also 
from  A.  Papaveris  in  excavating  longer  burrows,  and  filling 
them  with  several  thimble-shaped  cells,  composed  of  portions 
of  leaves  so  curiously  convoluted,  that,  if  we  were  ignorant 
in  what  school  they  have  been  taught  to  construct  them,  we 
should  never  credit  their  beino-  the  work  of  an  insect.  Their 
entertaining  history,  so  long  ago  as  1670,  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  our  countrymen,  Ray,  Lister,  Willoughby,  and  Sir  Edw. 
King;  but  we  are  indebted  for  the  most  complete  accouni  of 
the  procedure,  to  lleaimiur 

The  mother  bee  first  excavates  a  cylindrical  hole  eight 
or  ten  inches  long,  in  a  horizontal   direction,  either  in   the 

2  N 


282  CtR'OSlTIES    UESPKCTING    INSECTS. 

ground  or  h  the  trunk  of  a  rotten  willow-tree,  or  occasionally 
in  other  decaying  wood.  This  cavity  she  fills  with  six  or  seven 
cells,  wholly  composed  of  portions  of  leaf  in  the  shape  of  a 
thimble,  the  convex  end  of  one  closely  fitting  into  the  open 
end  of  another.  Her  first  process  is  to  form  the  exterior 
coating,  which  is  composed  of  three  or  four  pieces,  of  larger 
dimensions  than  the  rest,  and  of  an  oval  form.  The  second 
coating  is  formed  of  portions  of  equal  size,  narrow  at  one  end, 
but  gradually  widening  towards  the  other,  \vher§  the  width 
equals  half  the  length.  One  side  of  these  pieces  is  the  serrate 
margin  of  the  leaf  from  which  it  was  taken,  which,  as  the 
pieces  are  made  to  lap  one  over  the  other,  is  kept  on  the  out- 
side, and  that  which  has  been  cut  within.  The  little  animal 
now  forms  a  third  coating  of  similar  materials,  the  middle  of 
which,  as  the  most  skilful  workman  would  do  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances, she  places  over  the  margins  of  those  that  form  the 
first  tube,  thus  covering  and  strengthening  the  junctures. 
Repeating  the  same  process,  she  gives  a  fourth  and  some- 
times a  fifth  coating  to  her  nest,  taking  care,  at  the  closed  end 
or  narrow  extremity  of  the  cell,  to  bend  the  leaves  so  as  to 
form  a  convex  termination.  Having  thus  finished  a  cell,  her 
next  business  is  to  fill  it,  to  within  half  a  line  of  the  orifice, 
with  a  rose-coloured  conserve,  composed  of  honey  and  pollen, 
usually  collected  from  the  flowers  of  thistles  ;  and  then  having 
deposited  her  egg,  she  closes  the  orifice  w'ith  three  pieces  of 
leaf  so  exactly  circular,  that  a  pair  of  compasses  could  not 
define  their  margin  with  more  truth,  and  coinciding  so  pre- 
cisely with  the  walls  of  the  cell,  as  to  be  retained  in  their 
situation  merely  by  the  nicety  of  their  adaptation.  After  this 
covering  is  fitted  in,  there  remains  still  a  concavity,  which 
receives  the  convex  end  of  the  succeeding  cell;  and  in  this 
manner  the  indefatigable  little  animal  proceeds  until  she  has 
completed  the  six  or  seven  cells  com  -ing  her  cylinder. 
The  process  which  one  of  these  bees  employs  in  cutting  the 

Sieces  of  leaf  that  compose  her  nest,  is  worthy  of  attention, 
othing  can  be  more  expeditious;  she  is  not  longer  about  it 
than  we  should  be  with  a  pair  of  scissors.  After  hovering  for 
some  moments  over  a  rose  bush,  as  if  to  reconnoitre  the 
ground,  the  bee  alights  upon  the  l-saf  which  she  has  selected, 
usually  taking  her  station  upon  its  edge,  so  that  the  margin 
passes  between  her  legs.  With  her  strong  mandibles  she  cuts 
without  intermission  in  a  curve  line,  so  as  to  detach  a  tri- 
angidar  portion.  When  this  hangs  by  the  last  fibre,  lest  its 
weigiit  shoidd  carry  her  to  the  ground,  she  balances  her  little 
wings  for  flight,  and  the  very  moment  it  parts  from  the  leaf, 
flies  of}"  with  it  in  triumph;  the  detached  portion  remaining 
bent  between  her  legs  in  a  direction  perpendicular  to  her  body. 
Thus  without  rule  or  compasses  do  these  diminutive  creatures 


IDIOT   BOY,  AND    BEES.  283 

mete  out  the  materials  of  their  work  into  j)ortions  of  an  ellipse, 
into  ovals  or  circles,  accurately  accommodating  the  dimensions 
of  the  several  pieces  of  each  figure  to  each  other.  What  other 
architect  could  carry  impressed  upon  the  tablet  of  his  memory 
the  entire  idea  of  the  edifice  which  he  has  to  erect,  and,  des- 
titute of  square  or  plumb-line,  cut  out  his  materials  in  their 
exact  dimensions  without  makino-  a  single  mistake?  Yet  this 
is  what  our  little  bee  invariably  does.  So  far  are  human  art 
and  reason  excelled  by  the  teaching  of  the  Almighty. — Reaum 
vi.  971—94.  Mor.  Aji.  Angl.  i.  157^  Apis  c.  2. 

A  CURIOUS  Account  of  an  Idiot  Boy,  and  Bees. — Mr 
White  has  oiven  the  foUowino;  curious  account  of  an  idiot 
boy.  From  a  child  he  shewed  a  strong  propensity  to  bees. 
They  were  his  food,  his  amusement,  his  sole  object.  In  the 
winter  he  dozed  away  his  time  in  his  father's  house,  by  the 
fire-side,  in  a  torpid  state,  seldom  leaving  the  chimney-corner: 
but  in  summer  he  was  all  alert,  and  in  quest  of  his  game 
Hive-bees,  humble-bees,  and  wasps,  were  his  prey,  wherever 
he  found  them.  He  had  no  apprehension  from  their  stings, 
but  would  seize  them  with  naked  hands,  and  at  once  disarm 
them  of  their  weapons,  and  suck  their  bodies  for  the  sake  of 
their  honey-bags.  Sometimes  he  would  fill  his  bosom  between 
his  shirt  and  skin  with  these  insects  ;  and  sometimes  he  en- 
deavoured to  confine  them  in  bottles.  He  was  very  injurious 
to  men  that  kept  bees,  for  he  would  glide  into  their  bee-gar- 
dens, and,  sitting  down  before  the  stools,  would  rap  with 
his  fingers,  and  so  take  the  bees  as  they  came  out.  He  has 
even  been  known  to  overturn  the  hives  for  the  sake  of  the 
honey,  of  which  he  was  passionately  fond.  Where  metheglin 
was  making,  he  would  linger  round  the  tubs  and  vessels, 
begging  a  draught  of  what  he  called  bee-wine.  As  he  ran 
about,  he  used  to  make  a  humming  noise  with  his  lips,  resem- 
bling the  buzzing  of  bees.  This  lad  was  lean  and  sallow,  and 
of  a  cadaverous  complexion  ;  and,  except  in  his  favourite 
pursuit,  in  which  he  was  wonderfully  adroit,  discovered  no 
manner  of  understanding.  Had  his  capacity  been  better,  and 
directed  to  the  same  object,  he  had  perhaps  abated  much  of 
our  wonder  at  the  feats  of  a  more  modern  exhibiter  of  bees; 
and  we  may  justly  say  of  him  now, 

Thon 


Had  thy  presiding  star  propitious 

Shouldst  Wildman  be.  White's  Natural  History. 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  explanation  of  the   pre 
ceding  lines. 

Mr.  Wildman's   curious  Exhibitions   of  Bees. — Mr. 
Wildrjian,  by  his  dexterity  in  the  management   of  bees,  some 


284  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     INSECTS. 

years  ago,  surprised  the  whole  kingdom.  He  caused  swarms 
to  light  where  he  pleased,  almost  instantaneously  ;  he  ordered 
them  to  settle  on  his  head,  then  removed  them  to  his  hand, 
and  commanded  them  to  settle  on  a  window,  table,  &c.  at 
pleasure.  We  subjoin  the  method  of  performing  these  feats, 
in  his  own  words  :  "  Long  experience  has  taught  me,  that  as 
soon  as  1  turn  up  a  hive,  and  give  it  some  taps  on  the  sides 
and  bottom,  the  queen  immediately  appears,  to  know  the  cause 
of  this  alarm;  but  soon  retires  again  among  her  people.  Being 
accustomed  to  see  her  so  often,  1  readily  perceive  her  at  first 
glance  ;  and  long  practice  has  enabled  me  to  seize  her  instantly, 
with  a  tenderness  that  does  not  in  the  least  endanger  her  per- 
son. This  is  of  the  utmost  importance  ;  for  the  least  injury 
done  to  her  brings  immediate  destruction  to  the  hive,  if  you 
have  not  a  spare  queen  to  put  in  her  place,  as  I  have  too  often 
experienced  in  my  first  attempts.  When  possessed  of  her,  I 
can,  without  injury  to  her,  or  exciting  that  degree  of  resent- 
ment that  may  tempt  her  to  sting  me,  slip  her  into  my  other 
hand,  and,  returning  the  hive  to  its  place,  hold  her  there,  till 
the  bees  missing  her,  are  all  on  wing,  and  in  the  utmost  con- 
fusion. When  the  bees  are  thus  distressed,  I  place  the  queen 
wherever  I  would  have  the  bees  to  settle.  The  moment  a  few 
of  them  discover  her,  they  give  notice  to  those  near  them,  and 
those  to  the  rest;  the  knowledge  of  which  becomes  so  ge- 
neral, that  in  a  few  minutes  they  all  collect  themselves  round 
her,  and  are  so  happy  in  having  recovered  this  sole  support 
of  their  state,  that  they  will  long  remain  quiet  in  their  situa- 
tion :  nay,  the  scent  of  her  body  is  so  attractive  of  them,  that 
the  slightest  *ouch  of  her  along  any  place  or  substance,  will 
attach  the  bees  tc  it,  and  induce  them  to  any  path  she  takes." 
— This  was  the  only  witchcraft  used  by  Mr.  Wildman,  and  is 
that  alone  which  is  practised  by  othprs.  who  have  since  made 
tiimilar  exhibitions. 


IIIE  WASP  285 

CHAP.  XXIV.       . 

runiosiTiES  respecting  iissECTS. — (Continued.) 

The  Wasp. 

The  laws  of  life,  why  need  I  call  to  mind, 

Obey'd  by  insects,  too,  of  ev'ry  kind  ! 

Of  these,  none  uncontroH'd  and  lawless  rove, 

But  to  some  destin'd  end  spontaneous  move : 

Led  by  that  instinct  Heav'n  itself  inspires, 

Or  so  much  reason  as  their  state  requires. 

See  all  with  skill  acquire  their  daily  food, 

All  use  those  arms  wliich  nature  has  bestow'd; 

Produce  their  tender  progeny,  and  feed 

With  care  parental,  while  that  care  they  need. 

In  these  lov'd  offices  completely  blest, 

No  hopes  beyond  them,  nor  vain  fears  molest.       Jenyns. 

For  the  following  account  of  the  Wasp,  we  are  indebted  to 
Kirby  and  Spence  ;  and  we  take  this  opportunity  of  making 
a  general  acknowledgment  of  our  obligations  to  those  gentle- 
men, for  the  assistance  we  have  derived  from  their  highly  inte- 
resting treatise,  in  drawing  up  this  account  of  the  curiosities 
respecting  insects. 

Compared  with  hive-bees,  wasps  may  be  considered  as  a 
horde  of  thieves  and  brigands  :  while  the  bees  are  peaceful, 
honest,  and  industrious  subjects  ;  the  wasps  attack  their  per- 
sons, and  plunder  their  property.  Yet,  with  all  this  love  of 
pillage  and  other  bad  propensities,  they  are  not  altogether 
disagreeable  or  unamiable  ;  they  are  brisk  and  lively  ;  they 
do  not  usually  attack  unprovoked  ;  and  their  object  in  plun- 
dering us  is  not  purely  selfish,  but  is  principally  to  provide 
for  the  support  of  the  young  brood  of  their  colonies. 

The  societies  of  wasps,  like  those  of  ants,  and  other  social 
Hi/meiioptera,  consist  of  females,  males,  and  workers.  The 
females  may  be  considered  as  of  two  sorts  :  first,  the  females, 
by  way  of  eminence,  are  much  larger  than  any  other  indivi- 
duals of  the  community ;  they  equal  six  of  the  workers  (from 
which  in  other  respects  they  do  not  materially  differ)  in  weight, 
and  lay  both  male  and  female  eggs  :  then  the  small  females, 
not  larger  than  the  workers,  which  lav  only  male  eggs.  This 
last  description  of  females,  whicli  are  found  also  both  amongst 
the  humble-bees  and  hive-bees,  were  first  observed  among 
wasps,  by  M.  Perrot,  a  friend  of  Huber's.  The  large  females  are 
produced  later  than  the  workers,  and  make  their  appearance  in 
the  next  spring ;  and  whoever  then  destroys  one  of  them,  destroys 
an  entire  colony,  of  which  she  would  be  the  founder. 

Different  from  the  queen-bee,  the  female  wasp  is  at  first  an 
insulated  being,  that  has  had  the  fortune  to  survive  the  rio-our'9 


286  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECT* 

of  winter.  When  in  the  sprino;  she  lays  the  foundation  of  he.- 
future  em])ire,  she  has  not  a  single  worker  at  her  disposal; 
with  her  own  hands  and  teeth  she  often  hollows  out  a  cave 
wherein  she  may  lay  the  first  foundations  of  her  paper  metro- 
polis :  she  must  herself  build  the  first  houses,  and  produce 
from  her  own  body  their  first  inhabitants;  which  in  their 
infant  state  she  must  feed  and  educate,  before  they  can  assist 
her  in  her  oreat  desion.  At  length  she  receives  the  reward  of 
her  perseverance  and  labour  ;  and  from  being  a  solitary  uncon- 
nected individual,  in  the  autumn  is  enabled  to  rival  the  queen 
of  the  hive  in  the  number  of  her  children  and  subjects,  and 
in  the  edifices  which  they  inhabit — the  number  of  cells  in  a 
vespiary  sometimes  amounting  to  more  than  sixteen  thousand, 
almost  all  of  which  contain  either  an  egg,  a  grub,  or  a  jiupa, 
and  each  cell  serving  for  three  generations  in  a  year  ;  which, 
after  making  every  allowance  for  failures  and  other  casualties, 
will  give  a  population  of  at  least  thirty  thousand.  Even  at 
this  time,  when  she  has  so  numerous  an  army  of  coadju- 
tors, the  industry  of  this  creature  does  notecase,  but  she  con- 
tinues to  set  an  example  of  diligence  to  the  rest  of  the  com- 
munity. If  by  any  accident,  before  the  other  females  are 
hatched,  the  queen-mother  perishes,  the  neuters  cease  their 
labours,  lose  their  instincts,  and  die. 

The  number  of  females  in  a  populous  vespiary  is  considerable, 
amounting  to  several  hundreds  ;  they  emerge  from  the  pupa 
about  the  latter  end  of  Au^rust,  at  the  same  time  with  the 
males,  and  fly  in  September  and  October,  when  they  pair. 
Of  this  large  number  of  females,  very  few  survive  the  winter. 
Those  that  are  so  fortunate,  remain  torpid  till  the  vernal  sun 
recalls  them  to  life  and  action.  They  then  fiy  forth,  collect 
provision  for  their  young  brood,  and  are  engaged  in  the  other 
labours  necessary  for  laying  the  foundation  of  their  empire; 
but  in  the  summer  months  they  are  never  seen  out  of  the 
nest. 

The  male  wasps  are  much  smaller  than  the  female,  but  they 
weigh  as  much  as  two  workers.  Their  antennee  are  longer  than 
those  of  either,  not,  like  theirs,  thicker  at  the  end,  but  per- 
fectly filiform  ;  and  their  abdomen  is  distinguished  by  an  addi- 
tional segment.  Their  numbers  about  equal  those  of  the  fe 
males,  and  they  are  produced  at  the  same  time.  They  are 
not  so  wholly  given  to  pleasure  and  idleness  as  the  drones  of 
the  hive.  They  do  not,  indeed,  assist  in  building  the  nest, 
and  in  the  care  of  the  young  brood  ;  but  they  are  the  scaven- 
gers of  the  community,  for  they  sweep  the  passages  and  streets, 
and  carry  ofiall  the  filth.  They  also  remove  the  bodies  of  the 
dead,  which  are  sometimes  heavy  burdens  for  them  ;  in  which 
case  two  unite  their  strength,  to  accomplish  the  work  ;  or,  if 
a  [lartner  be  not  at  hand,  the  wasp  thus  em])loyed  cuts  off  the 


THE    WASP  287 

nead  of  the  defunct,  and  so  effects  its  purpose.  As  they  make 
themselves  so  useful,  they  are  not,  like  the  male  bees,  devoted 
by  the  workers  to  an  universal  massacre  when  the  great  end 
of  their  creation  is  answered  ;  but  they  share  the  general 
lot  of  the  community,  and  are  suffered  to  survive  till  the  cold 
cuts  off  them  and  the  workers  together. 

The  workers  are  the  most  numerous,  and  to  us  the  only 
troublesome  part  of  the  community ;  upon  whom  devolves  the 
main  business  of  the  nest.  In  the  summer  and  autumnal  months 
they  go  forth  by  myriads  into  the  neighbouring  country  to 
collect  provisions ;  and  on  their  return  to  the  common  den, 
after  reserving  a  sufficiency  for  the  nutriment  of  the  young- 
brood,  they  divide  the  spoil  with  great  impartiality  ;  part  being 
given  to  the  females,  part  to  the  males,  and  part  to  those 
workers  that  have  been  enoacred  in  extendino-  and  fortifyino; 
the  ves])iary.  This  division  is  voluntarily  made,  without  the 
slightest  symptom  of  compulsion.  Several  wasps  assemble 
round  each  of  the  returning  workers,  and  receive  their  re- 
spective portions.  It  is  curious  and  interesting  to  observe 
their  motions  on  this  occasion.  As  soon  as  a  wasp  that  has 
been  filling  itself  with  the  juice  of  fruits  arrives  at  the  nest, 
it  perches  upon  the  top,  and,  disgorging  a  drop  of  its  saccha- 
rine fluid,  is  attended  sometimes  by  two  at  once,  who  share 
the  treasure  ;  this  being  thus  distributed,  a  second,  and  some- 
times a  third  drop,  is  produced,  which  falls  to  the  lot  of 
others. 

Wasps,  though  ferocious  and  cruel  towards  their  fellow- 
insects,  are  civilized  and  polished  in  their  intercourse  with 
each  other,  and  form  a  community  whose  architectural  labours 
will  not  suffer  on  comparison  even  with  those  of  the  ])eaceful 
inhabitants  of  a  bee-hive.  Like  these,  the  great  object  of  their 
industry  is  the  erection  of  a  structure  for  their  beloved  pro- 
geny, towards  which  they  discover  the  greatest  affection  and 
tenderness,  and,  like  bees,  construct  combs  consisting  of  hexa- 
gonal cells  for  their  reception  ;  but  the  substance  which  they 
make  use  of  is  very  dissimilar  to  the  wax  employed  by  bees,  and 
the  general  plan  of  their  city  differs  in  many  respects  from  that 
of  a  bee-hive.  The  common  wasp's  nest,  usually  situated  in 
a  cavity  under  ground,  is  of  an  oval  figure,  about  sixteen  or 
eighteen  inches  long,  by  twelve  or  thirteen  broad.  Externally, 
It  is  surrounded  by  a  thick  coating  of  numerous  leaves  of  a 
sort  of  grayish  paper,  which  do  not  touch  each  other,  but  have 
a  small  interval  between  each,  so  that  if  the  rain  should  chance 
to  penetrate  one  or  two  of  them,  its  progress  is  speedily  ar- 
rested. On  removing  this  external  covering,  we  perceive  that 
the  interior  consists  of  from  twelve  to  sixteen  circular  combs 
of  different  sizes,  not  ranged  vertically,  as  in  a  bee-hive,  but 
horizontally,    so  as   to    form  so  many  distinct  and  parallel 


288  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS 

Stories.  Each  comb  is  composed  of  a  numerous  assembiage 
of  hexagonal  cells,  formed  of  the  same  paper-like  substance  as 
the  exterior  covering  of  the  nest,  and,  according  to  a  disco- 
very of  Dr.  Barclay,  each,  as  in  those  of  bees,  a  distinct  cell, 
the  partition  walls  being  double. — Memoirs  of  the  Wenierian 
Societj/,  ii.  260.  These  cells,  which,  as  wasps  do  not  store 
up  any  food,  serve  merely  as  the  habitations  of  their  young, 
are  not,  like  those  of  the  honey-bee,  arranged  in  two  opposite 
layers,  but  in  one  only,  their  entrance  being  always  down- 
wards :  consequently  the  upper  part  of  the  comb,  composed 
of  the  bases  of  the  cells,  which  are  not  pyramidal,  but  slightly 
convex,  forms  a  nearly  level  floor,  on  which  the  inhabitants 
can  conveniently  pass  and  repass,  spaces  of  about  half  an  inch 
high  being  left  between  each  comb.  Although  the  combs  are 
fixed  to  the  sides  of  the  nest,  they  would  not  be  sufficiently 
strong  without  further  support.  The  ingenious  builders,  tiiere- 
fore,  connect  each  comb  to  that  below  it  by  a  number  of 
strong  cylindrical  columns  or  pillars,  having,  according  to  the 
rules  of  architecture,  their  base  and  capital  wider  than  the 
shaft,  and  composed  of  the  same  paper-like  material  used  in 
other  parts  of  the  nest,  but  of  a  more  compact  substance.  The 
middle  combs  are  connected  by  a  rustic  colonnade  of  from 
forty  to  fifty  of  these  pillars  ;  the  upper  and  lower  combs  by  a 
smaller  number. 

The  cells  are  of  different  sizes,  corresponding  to  that  of  the 
three  orders  of  individuals  which  compose  the  community ;  the 
largest  for  the  grubs  of  females,  the  smallest  for  those  of 
workers.  The  last  always  occupy  an  entire  comb,  while  the 
cells  of  the  males  and  females  are  often  intermixed.  Besides 
openings  which  are  left  between  the  walls  of  the  combs  to 
admit  of  access  from  one  to  the  other,  there  are  at  the  bottom 
of  each  nest  two  holes,  by  one  of  which  the  wasps  uniformly 
enter,  and  through  the  other  issue  from  the  nest,  and  thus 
avoid  all  confusion  or  interruption  of  their  common  labours. 
As  the  nest  is  often  a  foot  and  a  half  under  ground,  it  is  requi- 
site that  a  covered  way  should  lead  to  its  entrance.  This  ia 
excavated  by  the  wasps,  who  are  excellent  miners,  and  is  often 
very  long  and  tortuous  forming  a  beaten  road  to  the  subter- 
ranean city,  well  known  to  the  inhabitants,  though  its  entrance 
is  concealed  from  curious  eyes.  The  cavity  itself,  which  con- 
tains the  nest,  is  either  the  abandoned  habitation  of  moles  or 
field-mice,  or  a  cavern  purposely  dug  out  by  the  wasps,  which 
exert  themselves  with  such  industry  as  to  accomplish  the  ar- 
duous undertaking  in  a  few  days. 

When  the  cavity  and  entrance  to  it  are  completed,  the  next 
part  of  the  process  is  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  city  to  be 
included  in  it,  which,  contrary  to  the  usual  customs  of  builders, 
wasps  begin  at  the  top,  continuing  downwards.     It  has  already 


THE  WASP.  28r 

been  observed,  that  the  coatings  which  compose  the  dome, 
are  a  sort  of  rough  but  thin  paper,  and  that  the  rest  of  the 
nest  is  composed  of  the  same  substance  variously  applied. 
"  Whence  do  the  wasps  derive  it?"  They  are  manufacturers 
of  the  article,  and  prepare  it  from  a  material  even  more  sin- 
gular than  any  of  those  which  have  of  late  been  proposed  for 
this  purpose;  namely,  the  fibres  of  wood.  These  they  detach 
by  means  of  their  jaws  from  window-frames,  posts,  and  rails, 
&c,  and,  when  they  have  amassed  a  heap  of  the  filaments, 
moisten  the  whole  with  a  few  drops  of  a  viscid  glue  from  their 
mouth,  and,  kneading  it  with  their  jaws  into  a  sort  of  paste,  or 
papier  macht,  fly  off' with  it  to  their  nest.  This  ductile  mass 
they  attach  to  that  part  of  the  building  upon  which  they  are 
at  work,  walking  backwards,  and  spreading  it  into  laminse  of 
the  requisite  thinness  by  means  of  their  jaws,  tongue,  and  legs. 
This  operation  is  repeated  several  times,  until  at  length,  by 
aid  of  fresh  supplies  of  the  material,  and  the  combined  exer- 
tions of  so  many  workmen,  the  proper  number  of  layers  of 
paper,  that  are  to  compose  the  roof,  is  finished.  This  paper  is 
as  thin  as  the  leaf  you  are  reading;  and  you  may  form  an  idea 
of  the  labour  which  even  the  exterior  of  a  wasp's  nest  requires, 
on  being  told  that  no  fewer  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  sheets  of  it 
are  usually  placed  above  each  other,  with  slight  intervening 
spaces,  making  the  whole  upwards  of  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
thickness.  When  the  dome  is  completed,  the  uppermost  comb 
is  next  begun,  in  which,  as  well  as  all  the  other  parts  of  the 
building,  precisely  the  same  material  and  the  same  process, 
with  little  variation,  are  employed.  In  the  structure  of  the 
connecting  pillars,  there  seems  a  greater  quantity  of  glue 
made  use  of  than  in  the  rest  of  the  work,  doubtless  with  the 
view^  of  giving  them  superior  solidity.  When  the  first  comb 
is  finished,  the  continuation  of  the  roof  or  walls  of  the  build- 
ing is  brought  down  lower;  a  new  comb  is  erected  ;  and  thus 
the  work  successively  proceeds  until  the  whole  is  finished. 
As  a  comparatively  small  proportion  of  the  society  is  engaged 
in  constructing  the  nest,  its  entire  completion  is  the  work  of 
several  months  :  yet,  though  the  fruit  of  such  severe  labour, 
it  has  scarcely  been  finished  a  few  weeks  before  winter  comes 
on,  when  it  merely  serves  for  the  abode  of  a  few  benumbed 
females,  and  is  entirely  abandoned  at  the  approach  of  spring, 
as  wasps  are  never  known  to  use  the  same  nest  for  more  than 
one  season. 

There  is  good  reason  for  thinking,  and  the  opinion  had  the 
sanction  of  the  late  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  that  wasps  have  senti- 
nels placed  at  the  entrances  of  their  nests,  which,  if  you  can 
once  seize  and  destroy,  the  remainder  will  not  attack  you. 
This  is  confirmed  by  an  observation  of  Mr.  Knight,  in  the 
Philosophical  Transactions,  (vol.  I.  2d  Ed.  p.  505;)  that  if  a 

20 


290  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

nest  of  wasps  be  approached  without  alarming  the  inhabit- 
ants, and  all  communication  be  suddenly  cut  off  between 
those  out  of  the  nest  and  those  within  it,  no  provocation  will 
induce  the  former  to  defend  it  and  themselves.  But  if  one 
escapes  from  within,  it  comes  with  a  very  diiiercnt  temper, 
and  apjjeurs  commissioned  to  avenge  public  wrongs,  and  pre- 
pared to  sacrifice  its  life  in  the  execution  of  its  orders.  He 
discovered  this  when  quite  a  boy. 

In  October,  wasps  seem  to  become  less  savage  and  sangui- 
nary ;  for  even  flies,  of  which,  earlier  in  the  summer,  they  are 
the  pitiless  destroyers,  may  be  seen  to  enter  their  nests  with 
impunity.  It  is  then,  probably,  that  they  begin  to  be  first 
art'ected  by  the  approach  of  the  cold  season,  when  nature 
teaches  them  it  is  useless  longer  to  attend  to  their  young. 
They  themselves  all  |)erish,  except  a  few  of  the  fem.iles,  upon 
the  first  attack  of  frost. 

Reaumur,  from  whom  most  of  these  observations  are  taken, 
put  the  nests  of  wasps  under  glass  hives,  and  succeeded  so 
effectually  in  reconciling  these  little  restless  creatures  to  them, 
that  they  carried  on  their  various  works  under  his  eye. 


CHAP.  XXV. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. — (Contivued.) 

Ants — White  Ants — Green  Ants — Visiting  Ants — The  A?it-Li(m> 

These  emmets,  how  little  they  are  in  our  eyes ! 
We  tread  them  to  dust,  and  a  troop  of  them  dies 

Without  our  rcfcard  or  concern  : 
Yet,  as  wise  as  we  are,  if  we  went  to  their  school, 
There's  many  a  sluji^ard,  and  many  a  fool, 

A  lesson  of  wisdom  might  learn.  Watts 

The  societies  of  Ants,  as  also  of  other  Hymenoptera,  differ 
from  those  of  the  Termites,  in  having  inactive  larva?  and  pupse, 
the  neuter,  or  workers,  combining  in  themselves  both  the  mili- 
tary and  civil  functions.  Besides  the  helpless  larvse  and 
papiK,  which  have  no  locomotive  powers,  these  societies  con- 
sist of  females  and  workers.  The  office  of  the  females,  at 
their  first  exclusion  distinguished  by  a  pair  of  ample  wings, 
(which  however,  they  soon  cast,)  is  the  foundation  of  new 
colonies,  and  the  furnishing  of  a  constant  supply  of  eggs,  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  population  in  the  old  nests,  as  well  as 
in  the  new.  These  are  usually  the  least  numerous  part  of  the 
community. 


ANTS.  29 

Gould  indeed  says,  that  the  males  and  females  are  nearly 
equal  in  number,  p.  62;  but  from  Ruber's  observations  it 
seems  to  follow  that  the  former  are  the  most  numerous,   p.  96. 

Upon  the  workers  devolves,  except  in  nascent  colonies,  all 
the  work,  at  well  as  the  defence  of  the  conununity,  of  which 
they  are  the  most  numerous;  portion. 

In  the  warm  days  that  occur  from  the  end  of  July  to  the 
beginning  of  September,  and  sometimes  later,  the  habitations 
of  the  various  species  of  ants  may  be  seen  to  swarm  with 
winged  insects,  which  are  the  males  and  females,  preparing 
to  quit  for  ever  the  scene  of  their  nativity  and  education. 
Every  thing  is  in  motion  :  and  the  silver  wings,  contrasted 
with  the  jet  bodies  which  compose  the  animated  mass,  add  a 
degree  of  splendour  to  the  interesting  scene.  The  bustle  in 
creases,  till  at  length  the  males  rise,  as  it  were  by  a  gene- 
ral impulse,  into 'the  air,  and  the  females  accomijany  them. 
The  whole  swarm  alternately  rises  and  falls  with  a  slow  move- 
ment to  the  height  of  about  ten  feet,  the  males  Hying  obliquely 
with  a  rapid  zigzag  motion;  and  the  females,  though  they  fol 
low  the  general  movement  of  the  column,  appealing  suspended 
in  the  air,  like  balloons,  seemingly  with  no  individual  motion, 
and  having  their  heads  turned  towards  the  wind. 

Sometimes  the  swarmg  of  a  whole  district  unite  their  infi- 
nite myriads,  and,  seen  at  a  distance,  produce  an  effect  resem- 
bling: the  flashing:  of  an  aurora  borealis.  Risins:  with  incre- 
dible  velocity  in  distinct  columns,  they  soar  above  the  clouds. 
Each  column  looks  like  a  kind  of  slender  net-work,  and  has  a 
tremulous  undulating  motion,  which  has  been  observed  to  be 
produced  by  the  regular  alternate  rising  and  falling  just  alluded 
to.  The  noise  emitted  by  myriads  and  myriads  of  these  crea- 
tures, does  not  exceed  the  hum  of  a  single  wasp.  The  slight- 
est zephyr  disperses  them ;  and  if  in  their  progress  they 
chance  to  be  over  your  head,  if  you  walk  slowly  on,  they  will 
accompany  you,  and  regulate  their  motions  by  yours. 

Captain  Haverfield,  R.  N.  gives  an  account  of  an  extraor 
dinary  appearance  of  ants  observed  by  him  in  the  Medwav,  in 
the  autumn  of  1814,  when  he  was  first-lieutenant  of  the  Clo- 
rinde  ;  which  is  confirmed  by  the  following  letter,  addressed 
by  the  surgeon  of  that  ship,  now  Dr.  Bromley,  to  Mr.  Mac 
Leay. 

"  In  September,  1814,  being  on  the  deck  of  the  bulk  to  the 
Clorinde,  my  attention  was  drawn  to  the  water  by  the  first- 
lieutenant  (Haverfield)  observing  there  was  something  bla- ' 
floating  down  with  the  tide.  On  looking  with  a  glass,  I  dis- 
covered they  were  insects.  The  boat  was  sent,  and  brought  a 
bucket  full  of  them  on  board  ;  thcv  proved  to  be  a  large  spe- 
cies of  ant,  and  extended  from  the  upper  part  of  Salt-pan 
Reach  out  towards  the  Great  Nore,  a  distance  of  five   or  six 


292  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING  INSECTS. 

miles.  The  column  appeared  to  be  in  breadth  eight  or  ten  feet, 
and  in  height  about  six  inches,  which  I  suppose  must  have 
been  from  their  resting  one  upon  another."  Purchas  seems 
to  have  witnessed  a  similar  phenomenon  on  shore.  "  Other 
sorts  (of  ants),"  says  he,  "there  are  many,  of  which  some  be- 
come winged,  and  fill  the  air  with  swarms,  which  sometimes 
happens  in  England.  On  Bartholomew-day,  1613,  I  was  in 
the  island  of  Foulness,  on  our  Essex  shore,  where  were  such 
clouds  of  these  flying  pismires,  that  we  could  no  where  flee 
fiom  them,  but  they  filled  our  clothes  ;  yea,  the  floors  of  some 
houses  where  they  fell  were  in  a  manner  covered  with  a  black 
carpet  of  creeping  ants;  which,  they  say,  drown  themselves 
about  that  time  of  the  year  in  the  sea." — Pilgrimage,  1090. 
These  ants  were  winged  ;  but  whence  this  immense  column 
came,  was  not  ascertained.  From  the  numbers  here  accumu- 
lated, one  would  think  that  all  the  ant-hills  x)f  the  counties  o\ 
Kent  and  Surrey  could  scarcely  have  furnished  a  sufficient 
number  of  males  and  females  to  form  it. 

When  Colonel  Sir  Augustus  Frazer,  of  the  Horse  Artillery, 
was  surveying,  on  the  6th  of  October,  1813,  the  scene  of  the 
battle  of  the  Pyrenees,  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain  call- 
ed Pena  de  Aya,  or  Les  Quatre  Couronnes,  he  and  his  friends 
were  enveloped  with  a  swarm  of  ants,  so  numerous  as  entirely 
to  intercept  their  view,  so  that  they  were  glad  to  remove  to 
another  station,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  these  troublesome  little 
creatures. 

The  females  that  escape  from  the  injury  of  the  elements 
and  their  various  enemies,  become  the  founders  of  new  colo- 
nies, doing  all  the  work  that  is  usually  done  by  the  neuters. 
M.  P.  Huber  has  found  incipient  colonies,*  in  which  were  only 
a  few  workers  engaged  with  their  mother  in  the  care  of  a  small 
number  of  larvae;  and  M.  Perrot,  his  friend,  once  discovered 
a  small  nest,  occupied  by  a  solitary  female,  who  was  attend- 
ing upon  four  pupa  only.  Such  is  the  foundation  and  first 
establishment  of  those   populous  nations  of  ants  i  which 

we  every  where  meet. 

Bui  though  the  majority  of  females  produced  in  a  nest  pro- 
bably thus  desert  it,  all  are  not  allowed  this  liberty.  The  pru- 
dent workers  are  taught  by  their  instinct,  that  the  existence  of 
their  community  depends  upon  the  presence  of  a  sufficient 
number  of  females.  Some,  therefore,  that  are  fecundated  in 
or  near  the  spot,  they  forcibly  detain,  pulling  off  their  wings, 
and  keeping  them  prisoners  till  they  are  ready  to  lay  their  eggs, 
or  are  reconciled  to  their  fate.     De  Geer,  in  a  nest  of  F.  rufn, 

*  M.  Ilubrr  observes,  tliat  fecundated  females,  after  they  have  lost 
their  winj^s,  make  tliemselves  a  subterranean  cell,  some  singly,  others  in 
connnon.  From  which  it  appears  that  some  colonies  have  more  than  one 
female  from  their  first  establishment. 


ANTS. 


293 


observed  that  the  workers  compelled  some  females  that  were 
come  out  of  the  nest  tore-enter  it;  (vol.  ii.  1071,)— and  from 
M.  P.  Huber  we  learn,  that,  being  seized  at  the  moment  of 
fecundation,  they  are  conducted  into  the  interior  of  the  for- 
micary, when  they  become  entirely  dependent  upon  the  neu- 
ters, who,  hanging  pertinaciously  to  each  leg,  prevent  their 
going  out,  but  at  the  same  time  attend  upon  them  with  the 
greatest  care,  feeding  them  regularly,  and  conducting  them 
where  the  temperature  is  suitable  to  them,  but  never  quitting 
them  a  single  moment.  By  degrees  these  females  become  re- 
conciled to  their  condition,  and  lose  all  desire  of  making  their 
escajje ;  their  abdomen  enlarges,  and  they  are  no  longer  de- 
tained as  prisoners,  yet  each  is  still  attended  by  a  body-guard, 
a  single  ant,  which  always  accompanies  her,  and  prevents  her 
wants.  Its  station  is  remarkable,  being  mounted  upon  her 
abdomen,  with  its  posterior  legs  upon  the  ground.  These 
sentinels  are  constantly  relieved  ;  and  to  watch  the  moment 
when  the  female  begins  the  important  work  of  oviposition, 
and  carry  off  the  eggs,  of  which  she  lays  four  or  five  thousand 
or  more  in  the  course  of  the  year,  seems  to  be  their  principal 
office. 

When  the  female  is  acknowledged  as  a  mother,  the  workers 
begin  to  pay  her  a  homage  very  similar  to  that  which  the  bees 
render  to  their  queen.  All  press  round  her,  offer  her  food, 
conduct  her  by  her  mandibles  through  the  difficult  or  steep 
passages  of  the  formicary ;  nay,  they  sometimes  even  carry 
her  about  their  city  :  she  is  then  suspended  upon  their  jaws, 
the  ends  of  which  are  crossed  ;  and,  being  coiled  up  like  the 
tongue  of  a  butterfly,  she  is  packed  so  close  as  to  incommode 
the  carrier  but  little.  When  these  set  her  down,  others  sur- 
round and  caress  her,  one  after  another  tapping  her  on  the 
head  with  their  antennse. 

"  In  whatever  apartment  (says  Gould)  a  queen  condescends 
to  be  present,  she  commands  obedience  and  respect.  A  uni- 
versal gladness  spreads  itself  through  the  whole  cell,  which 
is  expressed  by  particular  acts  of  joy  and  exultation.  They 
have  a  particular  way  of  skipping,  leaping,  and  standing  upon 
their  hind-legs,  and  prancing  with  the  others.  These  frolics 
they  make  use  of,  both  to  congratulate  each  other  when  they 
meet,  and  to  shew  their  regard  for  the  queen  :  some  of  them 
walk  gently  over  her,  others  dance  round  her  ;  she  is  generally 
encircled  with  a  cluster  of  attendants,  who.  if  you  separate 
them  from  her,  soon  collect  themselves  into  a  body,  and 
inclose  her  in  the  midst."  Nay,  even  if  she  dies,  as  if  they 
were  unwilling  to  believe  it,  they  continue  sometimes  for 
months  the  same  attentions  to  her,  and  treat  her  with  the  same 
courtly  formality  as  if  she  were  alive,  and  they  will  brush  her 
and  lick  her  incessantly. 


294  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

That  the  ants,  though  they  are  mute  animals,  have  the 
means  of  communicating  to  each  other  information  of  various 
occurrences,  and  use  a  kind  of  language  which  is  mutually 
understood,  will  appear  evident  from  the  following  facts. 

If  those  at  the  surface  of  a  nest  are  alarmed,  it  is  wondfr- 
ful  in  how  short  a  time  the  alarm  spreads  through  the  whole 
nest.  It  runs  from  quarter  to  quarter  ;  the  greatest  inquietude 
seems  to  possess  the  community  ;  and  they  carry  with  all  pos 
sible  dispatch  their  treasures,  the  larvae  and  pupa?,  down  to 
the  lowest  apartments.  Amongst  those  species  of  ants  that 
do  not  go  much  from  home,  sentinels  seem  to  be  stationed  at 
the  avenues  of  their  city.  "Disturbing  once  the  little  heaps  ot 
earth  thrown  up  at  the  entrances  into  the  nest  of  F.Jiava,  which 
is  of  this  description,  (says  Huber,)  I  was  struck  by  observing 
a  single  ant  immediately  come  out,  as  if  to  see  what  was  the 
matter,  and  this  three  separate  times." 

The  F.  herculanea,  L.  inhabits  the  trunks  of  hollow  trees  on 
the  Continent,  for  it  has  not  yet  been  found  in  England,  upon 
which  they  are  often  passing  to  and  fro.  M.  Huber  observed, 
that  when  he  disturbed  those  that  were  at  the  greatest  distance 
from  the  rest,  they  ran  towards  them,  and,  striking  their  heaC 
against  them,  communicated  their  cause  of  fear  or  anger  • 
that  these,  in  their  turn,  conveyed  in  the  same  way  the  intelli- 
gence to  others,  till  the  whole  colony  \\  as  in  a  ferment,  those 
neuters  which  were  within  the  tree  running  out  in  crowds  to 
join  their  companions  in  the  defence  of  their  habitation.  The 
same  signals  that  excited  the  courage  of  the  neuters,  produced 
fear  in  the  males  and  females,  which,  as  soon  as  (he  news  of 
the  danger  was  thus  communicated  to  them,  retreated  into  the 
tree  as  to  an  asylum. 

The  legs  of  one  of  this  gentleman's  artificial  formicaries 
were  plunged  into  pans  of  water,  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the 
ants  ;  this  proved  a  source  of  great  enjoyment  to  these  little 
beings,  for  they  are  a  very  thirsty  race,  and  Ian  water  like 
dogs.— (Gow/ri,  92.  De  Geer,  ii.  1087.  Huber,  5,'l32.)  One 
day,  when  he  observed  many  of  them  tippling  very  merrily, 
he  was  so  cruel  as  to  disturb  them,  which  sent  most  of  the 
ants  in  a  fright  to  the  nest;  but  some,  more  thirsty  than  the 
rest,  continued  their  potations  :  upon  this,  one  of  those  that 
had  retreated,  returns  to  inform  his  thoughtless  comj)anions  ot 
their  danger  ;  one  he  pushes  with  his  jaws  ;  another  he  striker 
firsi  upon  the  belly,  and  then  upon  the  breast ;  and  so  oblige? 
three  of  them  to  leave  off  their  carousing,  and  march  home 
wards  ;  but  the  fourth,  more  resolute  to  drink  it  out,  is  not 
to  be  discomfited,  and  pays  not  the  least  regard  to  the  kind 
blows  with  which  his  compeer,  solicitous  for  his  safety,  re 
peatedly  belabours  him ;  at  length,  determined  to  have  his 
way,  he  seizes  him  by  one  of  his  hind-legs,  and  gives  him  a 


ANTS. 


295 


violent  pull :  upon  this,  leaving  his  liquor,  the  loiterer  turns 
round,  and  opening  his  threatening  jaws  with  every  appeiir- 
ance  of  anger,  goes  very  coolly  to  drinking  again  ;  but  his 
monitor,  without  further  ceremony,  rushing  before  liim,  seizes 
him  by  his  jaws,  and  at  last  drags  him  oil'  in  triumph  to  the 
formicary. — Huber,  133. 

The  language  of  ants,  however,  is  not  confined  merely  to 
giving  intelligence  of  the  approach  or  presence  of  danger;  it 
is  also  co-extensive  with  all  their  other  occasions  for  commu- 
nicating their  ideas  to  each  other,  or  holding  any  intercourse. 
Some  engage  in  military  expeditions,  and  often  previously 
send  out  spies,  to  collect  information.  These,  as  soon  as  they 
return  from  exploring  the  vicinity,  enter  the  nest;  upon  which, 
as  if  they  had  communicated  their  intelligence,  the  army 
immediately  assembles  in  the  suburbs  of  their  city,  and  begins 
its  march  towards  that  quarter  whence  the  spies  had  avri\ed. 
Upon  the  march,  communications  are  perpetually  making 
between  the  van  and  the  rear ;  and  when  arrived  at  the  camp 
of  the  enemy,  and  the  battle  begins,  if  necessary,  couriers  are 
dispatched  to  the  formicary  for  reinforcements. — Huber,  167, 
217,  237. 

If  you  scatter  the  ruins  of  an  ant's  nest  in  your  apartment, 
you  will  be  furnished  with  another  proof  of  their  language. 
fhe  ants  will  take  a  thousand  different  paths,  each  going  by 
itself,  to  increase  the  chance  of  discovery  ;  they  will  meet  and 
cross  each  other  in  all  directions,  and  perhaps  will  wander 
long  before  they  can  find  a  spot  convenient  tor  their  re-union. 
No  sooner  does  any  one  discover  a  little  chink  in  the  floor, 
through  which  it  can  pass  below,  than  it  returns  to  its  com- 
panions, and,  by  means  of  certain  motions  of  its  antennae, 
makes  some  of  them  comprehend  what  route  they  are  to  pursue 
to  find  it,  sometimes  even  accompanying  them  to  the  spot; 
these,  in  their  turn,  become  the  guides  of  others,  till  all  know 
which  way  to  direct  their  steps. — Huber,  137. 

It  is  well  known  also,  that  ants  give  each  other  information 
when  they  have  discovered  any  store  of  provision.  Bradley 
relates  a  striking  instance  of  this.  A  nest  of  ants  in  a  noble- 
man's garden  discovered  a  closet,  many  yards  within  the 
bouse,  in  which  conserves  were  kept,  which  they  constantly 
attended  till  the  nest  was  destroyed.  Some  in  their  rambles 
must  have  first  discovered  this  depot  of  sweets,  and  infoiuied 
the  rest  of  it.  It  is  remarkable  that  they  always  went  to  it 
by  the  same  track,  scarcely  varying  an  inch  from  it,  though 
they  had  to  pass  through  two  apartments ;  nor  could  the 
sweeping  and  cleaning  of  the  rooms  discomfit  them,  or  cause 
them  to  pursue  a  different  route. — Bradlej/,  134. 

Here  may  be  related  a  very  amusing  experiment  of  Gould's. 
Having  deposited  several  colonies  of  ants  (Jp.y«»ca)  in  flower- 


29CI  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

pottJ,  lie  placed  them  in  some  earthen  pans  of  water,  which 
prevented  them  from  making  excursions  from  their  nest. 
When  they  had  been  accustomed  s-ome  days  to  this  imprison- 
ment, he  f\istened  small  threads  to  the  upper  part  of  the  pots, 
and  extending  them  over  the  water-pans,  fixed  them  in  the 
ground.  The  sagacious  ants  soon  found  out  that  by  these 
bridges  they  could  escape  from  their  moated  castle.  The  dis- 
covery was  communicated  to  the  whole  society,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  threads  were  filled  with  trains  of  busyworkers 
passing  to  and  fro. — Gould,  85. 

Legion's  account  of  the  ants  in  Barbadoes,  affords  another 
most  convincing  proof  of  this  :  as  he  has  told  his  tale  in  a 
very  lively  and  interesting  manner,  it  shall  be  given  nearly  in 
his  own  words. 

"  The  next  of  these  moving  little  animals  are  ants,  or  pis- 
mires: these  are  but  of  a  small  size,  but  great  in  industry;  and 
that  which  gives  them  means  to  attain  to  this  end  is,  they 
have  all  one  soul.  If  I  should  say  they  are  here  or  there.  I 
should  do  them  wrong,  for  they  are  every  where  :— underground, 
where  any  hollow  or  loose  earth  is ;  amongst  tiie  roots  of 
trees;  upon  the  bodies,  branches,  leaves,  and  fruit  of  ;i  11  trees; 
in  all  places  without  the  houses  and  within  ;  upon  the  sides, 
walls,  windows,  and  roofs,  without;  and  on  the  floors,  side- 
walls,  ceilings,  and  windows,  within  ;  tables,  cupboards,  beds, 
stools,  all  are  covered  with  them,  so  that  they  are  a  kind  of 
iibiquitaries.  We  sometimes  kill  a  cockroach,  and  throw 
him  oji  the  ground;  and  mark  what  they  will  do  with  him: 
his  body  is  bigger  than  a  hundred  of  them,  and  yet  they  will 
find  tlie  means  to  take  hold  of  him,  and  lift  him  up  ;  and 
having  him  above  ground,  away  they  carry  him,  and  some  go 
by  as  ready  assistants,  if  any  be  weary  ;  and  some  ate  the 
officers  that  lead  and  shew  the  way  to  the  hole  into  which  he 
must  pass  ;  and  if  the  vancouriers  perceive  that  the  body  of 
the  cockroach  lies  across,  and  will  not  pass  through  the  hole 
or  arch  through  which  they  mean  to  carry  him,  order  is  given, 
and  the  body  turned  endwise,  and  this  is  done  a  foot  before 
they  come  to  the  hole,  and  that  without  any  stop  or  stay  ;  and 
it  is  observable,  that  they  never  pull  contrary  ways.  A  table 
being  cleared  with  great  care,  (by  way  of  experiment.)  of 
all  the  ants  that  are  upon  it,  and  sugar  being  put  upon  it, 
some,  after  a  circuitous  route,  will  be  observed  to  arrive  at  it; 
and  again  departing,  without  tasting  the  treasure,  will  hasten 
away  to  inform  their  friends  of  the  discovery,  who,  upon 
this,  will  come  by  myriads  :  you  may  then,  while  they  are 
thickest  upon  the  table,  clap  a  large  book,  or  any  thing 
fit  for  that  purpose,  upon  them,  so  hard  as  to  kill  all  that  are 
under  it ;  and  when  you  have  done  so,  take  away  the  book, 
Mid  leave  them  to  themselves  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and 


ANTS. 


007 


when  you  come  again,  you  shall  find  all  these  bodies  carried 
away. — Other  trials  we  make  of  their  ingenuity,  as  thus  :  Take 
a  pewter  dish,  and  fill  it  half  full  of  water,  into  which  put  a 
little  galli|jot  filled  with  sugar,  and  the  ants  will  presently 
find  it,  and  come  upon  the  table,  but  when  they  perceive  it 
environed  with  water,  they  try  about  the  brims  of  the  dish 
where  the  gallipot  is  nearest;  and  there  the  most  venturous 
amongst  them  commits  hijrnself  to  the  water,  though  he  be 
conscious  how  bad  a  swimmer  he  is,  and  is  drowned  in  the 
adventure  ;  the  next  is  not  warned  by  his  example,  but  ven 
tures  too,  and  is  alike  drowned ;  and  many  more,  so  that 
there  is  a  small  foundation  of  their  bodies  to  venture  ;  and 
then  they  come  faster  than  ever,  and  so  make  a  bridge  of  their 
own  bodies." — Hist,  of  Baibadoes,  p.  63. 

The  fact  bein^  certain,  that  ants  impart  their  ideas  to  each 
other,  we  are  next  led  to  inquire  by  what  means  this  is  ac- 
complished. It  does  not  appear  that,  like  the  bees,  they  emit 
any  significant  sounds ;  their  language,  therefore,  must 
consist  of  signs  or  gestures,  some  of  which  I  shall  now  detail. 
In  communicating  their  fear,  or  expressing  their  anger,  they 
run  from  one  to  another  in  a  semicircle,  and  strike  with 
their  head  or  jaws  the  trunk  or  abdomen  of  the  ant  to  which 
they  mean  to  give  information  on  any  subject  of  alarm.  But 
those  remarkable  organs,  their  antenna,  are  the  principal 
instruments  of  their  speech,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  supplying  the 
place  both  of  voice  and  words.  When  the  military  ants  before 
alluded  to  go  upon  their  expeditions,  and  are  out  of  the  for- 
micary, previously  to  setting  off,  they  touch  each  other  on 
the  trunk  with  their  antennae  and  forehead  ;  this  is  the  signal 
for  marching,  for,  as  soon  as  any  one  has  received  it,  he  is 
innnediately  in  motion.  When  they  have  any  discoveiy  to 
communicate,  they  strike  with  them  those  that  they  meet  in 
a  [.articularly  impressive  manner.  If  a  hungry  ant  wants  to 
oe  fed,  it  touches  with  its  two  antennae,  moving  them  very 
rapidly,  those  of  the  individual  from  which  it  expects  its 
meal : — and  not  only  ants  understand  this  language,  but  even 
aphides  and  cocci,  which  are  the  milch  kine  of  our  little 
pismires,  do  the  same,  and  will  yield  them  their  saccharine 
fluid  at  the  touch  of  these  imperative  organs.  The  helpless 
larvae  also  of  the  ants  are  informed,  by  the  same  means,  when 
they  may  open  their  mouths  to  receive  their  food. 

Next  to  their  language,  and  scarcely  different  from  it,  are 
the  modes  by  which  they  express  their  affections  and  aver- 
sions. Whether  ants,  with  man  and  some  of  the  larger  ani- 
mals, experience  any  thing  like  attachment  to  individuals,  is 
not  easily  ascertained  ;  but  that  they  feel  the  full  force  of  the 
sentiment  which  we  term  patriotism,  or  the  love  of  the  com- 
munity to  wl:)ich  they  belong,  is  evident  from  the  whole  serie* 
lo.  2P 


298  CURIOSITIES     KKSPECTING     INSECTS. 

of  their  proceedings,  which  all  tend  to  promote  the  general 
good.  Distress  or  ditHtulty  falling  upon  any  member  of  their 
society,  gener'ally  excites  their  sym|Kithy,  and  they  do  their 
utmost  to  relieve  it.  M.  Latreiile  once  cut  off  the  antennae  of 
an  ant;  and  its  companions,  evidently  pitying  its  sufferings, 
anointed  the  wounded  part  with  a  drop  of  transparent  fluid 
from  their  mouth  :  and  whoever  attends  to  what  is  going  for- 
ward in  the  neighbourhood  of  one  of  their  nests,  will  be 
pleased  to  observe  the  readiness  with  which  they  seem  dis- 
posed to  assist  each  other  in  difficulties.  When  a  burden  is 
too  heavy  for  one,  another  will  soon  come  to  ease  it  of  part  of 
the  weight ;  and  if  one  is  threatened  with  an  attack,  all  hasten 
to  the  spot,  to  join  in  repelling  it. 

The  satisfaction  they  express  at  meeting  after  absence  is 
very  striking,  and  gives  some  degree  of  individuality  to  their 
attachment.  M.  Huber  witnessed  the  gesticulations  of  some 
ants,  originally  belonging  to  the  same  nest,  that,  having  been 
entirely  separated  from  each  other  four  months,  were  after- 
wards brought  together.  Though  this  was  equal  to  one-fourth 
of  their  existence  as  perfect  insects,  they  immediately  recog- 
nized each  other,  saluted  mutually  with  their  antennse,  and 
united  once  more  to  form  one  family. 

Thev  are  also  ever  intent  to  promote  each  other's  welfare, 
and  ready  to  share  with  their  absent  companions  any  good 
thing  that  they  may  meet  with.  Those  that  go  abroad  feed 
those  which  remain  in  the  nest,  and  if  they  discover  any  stock 
of  favourite  food,  they  inform  the  whole  community,  as  we 
have  seen  above,  and  teach  them  the  way  to  it.  M.  Huber, 
for  a  particular  reason,  having  produced  heat,  by  means  of  a 
flambeau,  in  a  certain  part  of  an  artificial  formicary,  the  ants 
that  happened  to  be  in  that  quarter,  after  enjoying  it  for  a 
time,  hastened  to  convey  the  welcome  intelligence  to  their 
compatriots,  whom  they  even  carried  suspended  upon  their 
jaws  (their  usual  mode  of  transporting  each  other)  to  the  spot, 
till  hundreds  might  be  seen  thus  laden  with  their  friends. 

If  ants  feel  the  force  of  love,  they  are  equally  susceptible 
of  the  emotions  of  anger ;  and  when  they  are  menaced  or 
attacked,  no  insects  shew  a  oreater  decree  of  it.  Providence, 
moreover,  has  furnished  them  with  weapons  and  faculties 
which  render  them  extremely  formidable  to  their  insect  enemies, 
and  sometimes,  as  I  have  related  on  a  former  occasion,  a  great 
annoyance  to  man  himself,  (vol.  i.  2d  ed.  p.  123.)  Two 
strong  mandibles  arm  their  mouth,  with  which  they  sometimes 
fix  themselves  so  obstinately  to  the  object  of  their  attack, 
that  they  will  sooner  be  torn  limb  from  limb  than  let  go  their 
hold;  and,  after  their  battles,  the  head  of  a  conquered  enemy 
may  often  be  seen  suspended  to  the  antennae  or  legs  of  the 
victor,  a  trophy  of  his  valour,  which,  however  troublesome, 


ANTS.  299 

he  will  be  compelled  to  carry  about  with  him  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  Their  abdomen  is  also  furnished  with  a  poison- 
bag,  f/o^e/jwrn,)  in  which  is  secreted  a  powerful  and  venomous 
fluid,  long  celebrated  in  chemical  researches,  anct  once  called 
formic  acid,  tliough  now  considered  a  modification  of  the 
acetic  and  malic;*  which,  when  their  enemy  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  their  mandibles,  (it  is  spoken  here  particularly  of  the 
hill  ant,  or  F.  rufa,)  standing  erect  on  their  hind  legs,  they 
discharge  from  their  anus  with  considerable  force,  so  that 
from  the  surface  of  the  nest  ascends  a  shower  of  poison,  ex- 
haling a  strong  sulphurous  odour,  sufficient  to  overpower  or 
repel  any  insect  or  small  animal.  Such  is  the  fury  of  some 
species,  that  with  the  acid,  according  to  Gould,  p.  34.  they 
sometimes  partly  eject  the  poison-bag  itself.  If  a  stick  be 
stuck  into  one  of  the  nests  of  the  hill  ant,  it  is  so  saturated 
with  the  acid  as  to  retain  the  scent  for  many  hours.  A  more 
formidable  weapon  arms  the  species  of  the  genus  Myrmica 
lair.;  for,  besides  the  poison-bag,  they  are  furnished  with  a 
sting  ;  and  their  aspect  is  also  often  rendered  peculiarly  revolt- 
ing, by  the  extraordinary  length  of  their  jaws,  and  by  the 
s;)iiies  which  defend  their  head  and  trunk. 

But  weapons  without  valour  are  of  but  little  use;  and  this 
is  one  distinguishing  feature  of  this  pigmy  race.  Their  cou- 
rage and  pertinacity  are  unconquerable,  and  are  often  sublimed 
into  the  most  inconceivable  rage  and  fury.  It  makes  no  dif- 
ference to  them  whether  tliey  attack  a  mite  or  an  elephant ; 
and  man  himself  instils  no  terror  into  their  warlike  breasts. 
Point  your  finger  towards  any  individual  of  F.ruja;  instead 
of  running  away,  it  instantly  faces  about,  and,  that  it  may 
make  the  most  of  itself,  stiffening  its  le^s  into  a  nearly  straight 
line,  it  gives  its  body  the  utmost  elevation  it  is  capable  of; 
and  thus — 

"  Collecting  all  its  might,  dilated  stands," 

prepared  to  repel  your  attack.  Put  your  finger  a  little  nearer, 
it  immediately  opens  its  jaws  to  bite  you,  and  rearing  upon 
its  hind  legs,  bends  its  abdomen  between  them,  to  eject  its 
venom  into  the  wound.^- 

This  angry  people  so  well  armed  and  so  courageous,  we 
may  readily  imagine,  are  not  always  at  peace  with  their  neigh- 
bours ;  causes  of  dissension  may  arise,  to  light  the  flame  of 
war  between  the  inhabitants  of  nests  not  far  distant  from  each 
other.  To  these  little  bustling  creatures,  a  square  foot  of  earth 
is  a  territory  worth  contending  for ;  their  droves  of  aphides 
being  equally  valuable  with  the  flocks  and  herds  that  cover 

*  See  Fourcroy,  Annales  du  Musium,  No.  5,  p.  .338,  342.  Some,  how 
ever,  still  regard  it  as  a  distinct  acid. 

\  See  Fourcroy,  Annales  du  Museum,  No.  6.  p.  343. 


300  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

our  plains ;  and  the  body  of  a  fly  or  a  beetle,  or  a  cargo  of 
straws  and  bits  of  stick,  an  acquisition  as  important  as  the 
treasures  of  a  Lima  fleet  to  our  seamen.  Their  wars  are  usually 
between  nests  of  different  species;  sometimes,  however,  those 
of  the  same,  when  so  near  as  to  interfere  with  and  incommode 
each  other,  have  their  battles ;  and  with  respect  to  ants  of 
one  species,  Mj/nnica  rubra,  combats  occasionally  take  place, 
contrary  to  the  general  habits  of  the  tribe  of  ants,  between 
those  of  the  same  nest. 

The  wars  of  the  red  ant  ( M.  rubra)  are  usually  between  a 
small  number  of  the  citizens;  and  the  object,  according  to 
Gould,  is  to  get  rid  of  a  useless  member  of  the  community, 
(it  does  not  argue  much  in  favour  of  their  humanity,  that  it  is 
all  one  if  it  be  by  sickness  that  this  member  is  disabled,)  ra- 
ther than  any  real  civil  contest.  The  red  colonies,  (says  this 
author,)  are  the  only  ones  I  could  ever  observe  to  feed  upon 
their  own  species.  You  may  frequently  discern  a  party  of 
from  five  or  six  to  twenty,  surrounding  one  of  their  ov\n  kind, 
or  even  fraternity,  and  pulling  it  to  pieces.  The  ant  they 
attack  is  generally  feeble,  and  of  a  languid  comi)lexion,  oc- 
casioned perhaps  by  some  accident  or  other. — Gould,  104. 

"  I  once  saw  one  of  these  ants  dragged  out  of  the  nest  by 
another,  without  its  head;  it  was  still  alive,  and  could  crawl 
about.  A  lively  imagination  might  have  fancied  that  this 
poor  ant  was  a  criminal,  condemned  by  a  court  of  justice  to 
suffer  the  extreme  sentence  of  the  law.  It  was  more  |)robably, 
however,  a  champion  that  had  been  decapitated  in  an  unequal 
combat,  unless  we  admit  Gould's  idea,  and  suppose  it  to  have 
sulfered  because  it  was  an  unprofitable  member  of  the  com- 
munity.* At  another  time  I  found  three  individuals  that  were 
fighting  with  great  fury,  chained  together  by  their  mandibles  ; 
one  of  these  had  lost  two  of  the  legs  of  one  side,  yet  it  ap- 
peared to  walk  well,  and  was  as  eager  to  attack  and  seize  its 
opponents,  as  if  it  was  unhurt.  This  did  not  look  like  languor 
or  sickness." 

The  wars  of  ants  that  are  not  of  the  same  species  take  place 
usually  between  those  that  ditfer  in  size;  and  the  great  endea- 
vouring to  oppress  the  small,  are  nevertheless  often  outnum- 
bered by  them,  and  defeated.  Their  battles  have  long  been 
celebrated ;  and  the  dates  of  them,  as  if  they  were  events  of  the 
first  importance,  have  been  formally  recorded.  iEneas  Syl- 
vius, after  giving  a  very  circumstantial  account   of  one  con- 

*  One  would  tliink  the  writer  of  the  account  of  ants,  in  Mouffet,  had 
been  witness  to  something  similar.  "  If  they  see  any  one  idle,"  (says  he,) 
"they  not  only  drive  him  as  spurious,  without  food,  from  the  nest;  but 
likewise,  a  circle  of  all  ranks  being:  assembled,  cut  otf  his  head  before 
the  fjates,  that  he  may  be  a  warninjr  to  their  children,  not  to  pive  tiiem- 
selves  up  for  the  future  to  idleness  ajid  effeiainacy." — Theatr.  Ins.  p.  2-11. 


WHITE   ANTS,    OK  TERMITES.  301 

tested  with  much  obstinacy  by  a  great  and  small  species,  on 
the  trunk  of  a  pear-tree,  gravely  states,  "  This  action  was 
fought  in  the  pontificate  of  Eugenius  the  Fourth,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Nicholas  Pistoriensis,  an  eminent  lawyer,  who  re- 
lated the  whole  history  of  the  battle  with  the  greatest  fide- 
lity !"  A  similar  engagement  between  great  and  small  ants  is 
recorded  by  Olaus  Magnus,  in  which  the  small  ones  being 
victorious,  are  said  to  have  buried  the  bodies  of  their  own  sol- 
diers, but  left  those  of  their  giant  enemies  a  prey  to  the  birds. 
This  event  happened  previous  to  the  expulsion  of  the  tyrant 
Christian  the  Second  from  Sweden. —  Moujjet,  Theatr.  Ins. 
242. 

M.  P.  Huber  is  the  only  modern  author  that  appears  to  have 
been  witness  to  these  combats.  He  tells  us,  that  when  the 
great  attack  the  small,  they  seek  to  take  them  by  surprise, 
(probably  to  avoid  their  fastening  themselves  to  their  legs,) 
ind,  seizing  them  by  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  they  strangle 
them  with  their  mandibles  ;  but  when  the  small  have  time  to 
foresee  the  attack,  they  give  notice  to  their  companions,  who 
rush  in  crowds  to  their  succour.  Sometimes,  however,  after 
suffering  a  signal  defeat,  the  smaller  species  are  obliged  to 
shift  their  quarters,  and  to  seek  an  establishment  more  out  of 
the  way  of  danger.  In  order  to  cover  their  march,  many  small 
bodies  are  then  posted  at  a  little  distance  from  the  nest.  As 
soon  as  the  large  ants  approach  the  camp,  the  foremost  senti- 
nels instantly  fly  at  them  with  the  greatest  rage  ;  a  violent 
struggle  ensues,  multitudes  of  their  friends  come  to  their 
assistance,  and,  though  no  match  for  their  enemies  singly,  by 
dint  of  numbers  they  prevail,  and  the  giant  is  either  slain  or 
led  captive  to  the  hostile  camp.  The  species  whose  proceed- 
ings M.  Huber  observed,  were  jF.  herculanea,  L.  and  F.  san- 
guinea,  Latr. ;  neither  of  which  have  yet  been  discovered  in 
Britain. — Huber,  160. 

The  White  Ants,  or  Termites. — The  majority  of  these 
animals  are  natives  of  tropical  countries,  though  two  species 
are  indigenous  to  Europe  ;  one  of  which,  thought  to  have 
been  imported,  is  come  so  near  to  us  as  Bourdeaux.  Their 
society  consists  of  five  different  descriptions  of  individuals  : 
workers  or  larvse,  nymphs  or  pupae,  neuters  or  soldiers  males, 
and  females. 

1.  The  workers  or  larvae,  answering  to  the  hymenopterous 
neuters,  are  the  most  numerous,  and,  at  the  same  time,  most 
active  part  of  the  community  ;  upon  whom  devolves  the  office 
of  erecting  and  repairing  the  buildings,  collecting  provision, 
attending  upon  the  female,  conveying  the  eggs,  when  laid,  to 
the  nurseries,  and  feeding  the  young  larvse  till  they  are  old 
enough  to  take  care  of  themselves.     They   are  distinguished 


302  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

from  the  soldiers  by  their  diminutive  size,  by  their  round  heads, 
and  shorter  mandibles. 

2.  The  nymphs,  or  pupee,  differ  in  nothing  from  the  larvae, 
and  probably  are  equally  active,  except  that  they  have  rudi- 
ments of  wings,  or  rather  wings  folded  up  in  cases. 

3.  The  neuters  are  much  less  numerous  than  the  workers, 
bearing  the  proportion  of  one  to  one  hundred,  and  exceeding 
them  greatly  in  bulk.  They  are  also  distinguishable  by  their 
long  and  large  heads,  armed  with  very  long  tubulate  mandibles. 
Their  office  is  that  of  sentinels  ;  and  when  the  nest  is  attacked, 
to  them  is  committed  the  task  of  defending  it.  These  neuters 
iseem  to  be  a  kind  of  abortive  females,  and  there  is  nothinsf 
analogous  to  them  in  any  other  department  of  entomology. 

4  and  5.  Males  and  ft-males,  or  the  insects  arrived  at  a  state 
of  perfection,  and  capable  of  continuing  the  species.  There 
is  only  one  of  each  in  every  separate  society  ;  they  are  exempted 
from  all  participation  in  the  labours  and  employments  occupy- 
ing the  rest  of  the  community,  that  they  may  be  wholly  devoted 
to  the  furnishing  of  a  constant  accession  to  the  population 
of  the  colony.  Though  at  their  first  disclosure  from  the  pupae 
they  have  four  wings,  like  the  female  ants,  they  soon  cast 
them;  but  they  may  then  be  distinguished  from  the  blind 
larvae,  pupee,  and  neuters,  by  their  large  and  prominent 
eyes. 

The  different  species  of  Termites,  which  are  numerous,  build 
nests  of  very  various  forms.  Some  construct  upon  the  ground 
a  cylindrical  turret  of  clay,  about  three-quarters  of  a  yard 
high,  surrounded  by  a  projecting  conical  roof,  so  as  in  shape 
considerably  to  resemble  a  mushroom,  and  composed  interiorly 
of  innumerable  cells,  of  various  figures  and  dimensions.  Others 
prefer  a  more  elevated  site,  and  build  their  nests,  which  are 
of  different  sizes,  from  that  of  a  hat  to  that  of  a  sugar-cask, 
and  composed  of  pieces  of  wood  glued  together,  amongst  the 
branches  of  trees,  often  seventy  or  eighty  feet  high.  But  by 
far  the  most  curious  habitations,  are  those  formed  by  the 
Termes  bellkosus,  a  species  very  common  in  Guinea,  and  other 
parts  of  the  coasts  of  Africa,  of  whose  proceedings  we  have 
a  very  particular  and  interesting  account  in  the  71st  volume  of 
the  Philosophical  Transactions. 

These  nests  are  formed  entirely  of  clay,  and  are  generally 
twelve  feet  high,  and  broad  in  proportion;  so  tliat  when  a  cluster 
of  them,  as  is  often  the  case  in  South  America,  are  placed  toge- 
ther, they  may  be  taken  for  an  Indian  village,  and  are  in  fact 
sometimes  larger  than  the  huts  which  the  natives  inhabit.  The 
first  process  in  the  erection  of  these  singular  structures,  is  the 
elevation  of  two  or  three  turrets  of  clav,  about  a  foot  high, 
and  in  shape  like  a  sugar-loaf.  These,  which  seem  to  be  the 
scaflblds  of  the   future  building,  rapidly  increase   in   number 


WHITE  ANTS,  OR  TERMITES.  303 

and  height,  until  at  length  being  widened  at  the  base,  joined 
at  the  top  into  one  dome,  and  consolidated  all  around  into  a 
thick  wall  of  clay,  they  form  a  building  of  the  size  above- 
mentioned,  and  of  the  shape  of  a  havcock,  which,  when 
clothed,  as  it  generally  soon  becomes,  with  a  coating  of  grass, 
it  at  a  distance  very  much  resembles.  When  the  building  has 
assumed  this  its  final  form,  the  inner  turrets,  all  but  the  tops, 
which  project  like  pinnacles  from  different  parts  of  it,  are  re- 
moved, and  the  clay  employed  over  again  in  other  services. 
It  is  the  lower  part  alone  of  the  building  that  is  occupied  by 
the  inhabitants  ;  the  upper  portion,  or  dome,  which  is  very 
strong  and  solid,  is  left  empty,  serving  principally  as  a  de- 
fence from  the  vicissitudes  of  the  weather  and  the  attacks  of 
natural  or  accidental  enemies,  and  to  keep  up  in  the  lower  part 
a  genial  warmth  and  moisture,  necessary  to  the  hatching  of 
the  eugs  and  cherishing  of  the  young  ones.  The  inhabited 
portion  is  occupied  by  the  royal  chamber,  or  habitation  of  the 
king  and  queen  ;  the  nurseries  for  the  young  ;  the  storehouses 
for  food ;  and  innumerable  galleries,  passages,  and  empty 
rooms,  arranged  according  to  the  following  plan  : — 

In  the  centre  of  the  building,  just  under  the  apex,  and 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  surface  of  the  ground,  is  placed  the 
royal  chamber,  an  arched  vault  of  a  semi-oval  shape,  or  not 
unlike  a  long  oven  ;  at  first  not  above  an  inch  long,  but  en- 
larged, as  the  queen  increases  in  bulk,  to  the  length  of  eight 
inches  or  more.  In  this  apartment  the  king  and  queen  con- 
stantly reside,  and,  from  the  smallness  of  the  entrances,  which 
are  barely  large  enough  to  admit  tlieir  more  diminutive 
subjects,  can  never  possibly  come  out;  thus,  like  many  human 
potentates,  purchasing  their  sovereignty  at  the  dear  rate  of 
the  sacrifice  of  liberty.  Immediately  adjoining  the  royal  cham- 
ber, and  surrounding  it  on  all  sides  to  the  extent  of  a  foot  or 
more,  are  placed  the  royal  apartments,  an  inextricable  laby- 
rinth of  innumerable  arched  rooms,  of  different  shapes  and 
sizes,  either  opening  into  each  other,  or  communicating  by 
common  passages,  and  intended  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
soldiers  and  attendants,  of  whom  many  thousands  are  always 
in  waiting  on  their  royal  master  and  mistress. 

Next  to  the  royal  a))artment3  come  the  nurseries  and  the 
maoazines.  The  former  are  invariably  occupied  by  the  eggs 
and  young  ones,  and,  in  the  infant  state  of  the  nest,  are  placed 
close  to  the  royal  chamber ;  but  when  the  queen's  augmented 
size  requires  a  larger  apartment,  as  well  as  additional  rooms 
for  the  increased  number  of  attendants  wanted  to  remove  her 
eggs,  the  small  nurseries  are  taken  to  pieces,  rebuilt  at  a 
greater  distance,  a  size  larger,  and  their  number  increased  at 
the  same  time.  In  substance  they  differ  from  all  the  other 
apartments,    being   formed  of  particles   of  wood,  apparently 


304  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

joined  together  with  gums.  A  collection  of  these  compact, 
irregular,  and  small  wooden  chambers,  not  one  of  whicli  is 
Half  an  inch  in  vvidtli,  is  inclosed  in  a  connnon  chamber  of 
clay,  sometimes  as  big  as  a  child's  head.  Intermixed  with 
the  nurseries,  lie  the  magazines,  which  are  chambers  of  clay, 
always  well  stored  with  provisions,  consisting  of  particles  of 
wood,  gums,  and  the  inspissated  juices  of  plants. 

These  magazines  and  nurseries,  separated  by  small  emptv 
chambers  and  galleries,  which  run  round  them,  or  communi- 
cate from  one  to  the  other,  are  continued  on  all  sides  to  the 
outer  wall  of  the  building,  and  reach  up  within  it  two-thirds 
or  three-fourths  of  its  height.  They  do  not,  however,  fill  up 
the  whole  of  the  lower  part  of  the  hill,  but  are  confined  to  the 
sides,  leaving  an  open  area  in  the  middle,  under  the  dome, 
very  much  resembling  the  nave  of  an  old  cathedral,  having 
its  roof  supported  by  two  very  large  Gothic  arches,  of  which 
those  in  the  middle  of  the  area  are  sometimes  two  and  three 
feet  high,  but  as  they  recede  on  each  side,  rapidly  diminish, 
like  the  arches  of  aisles  in  perspective.  A  Hattish  roof,  im- 
perforated, in  order  to  keep  out  the  wet,  if  the  dome  should 
chance  to  be  injured,  covers  the  top  of  the  assemblage  ol 
chambers,  nurseries.  &.c. ;  and  the  area,  which  is  a  short 
height  above  the  royal  chamber,  has  a  flattish  floor,  also  water- 
proof, and  so  co-ntrived  as  to  let  any  rain,  that  may  chance  to 
get  in,  run  off'  into  tlie  subterraneous  passages. 

These  passages  or  galleries,  which  are  of  an  astonishing 
size,  some  being  above  a  foot  in  diameter,  perfectly  cylindri- 
cal, and  lined  with  the  same  kind  of  clay  of  which  the  hill  is 
composed,  served  originally,  like  the  catacombs  of  Paris,  as 
the  quarries  whence  the  materials  of  the  buihling  were  derived, 
and  afterwards  as  the  grand  outlets  by  which  the  termites 
carry  on  their  depredations  at  a  distance  from  their  habita- 
tions. They  run  in  a  sloping  direction,  under  the  bottom  of 
the  hill,  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  feet,  and  then  branching 
out  horizontally  on  every  side,  are  carried  under  ground,  near 
to  the  surface,  to  a  vast  distance.  At  their  entrance  into  the 
interior,  they  communicate  with  other  small  galleries,  which 
ascend  tlie  outside  of  the  outer  shell  in  a  spiral  manner,  and, 
winding  round  the  whole  body  to  the  top,  intersect  each  other 
at  different  heights,  opening  either  immediately  in  the  dome 
in  various  places,  and  into  the  lower  half  of  the  building,  or 
communicating  with  every  part  of  it  by  other  smaller  circular 
or  oval  galleries  of  different  diameters.  The  necessity  for  the 
vast  size  of  the  main  underground  galleries,  evidently  arises 
from  the  circumstance  of  their  being  the  great  thoroughfares 
for  the  inhabitants,  by  which  they  fetch  their  clay,  wood, 
water,  or  provision;  and  tiieir  spiral  and  gradual  ascent  is 
requisite  for  tlie  easy  access  of  the  termites,  which  cannot. 


THE  WHITE  ANTS,  OR  TERMITES.  305 

but  with  great  difficulty,  ascend  a  perpendicular.  Toavoid  this 
inconvenience,  in  the  interior  vertical  parts  of  the  building,  a 
flat  pathway,  half  an  inch  wide,  is  often  made  to  wind  gra- 
dually, like  a  road  cut  out  of  the  side  of  a  mountain  ;  by  which 
they  travel  with  great  facility  up  ascents  otherwise  in)practi- 
cable.  The  same  ingenious  propensity  to  shorten  their  labour, 
seems  to  have  given  birth  to  a  contrivance  still  more  extraor- 
dinary :  this  is  a  kind  of  bridge,  or  vnst  arch,  sprung  from 
the  floor  of  the  area  to  the  upper  aj^artments  at  the  side  of  the 
building,  which  answers  the  purpose  oi"  a  flight  of  stairs,  and 
must  shorten  the  distance  exceedingly  in  transporting  eggs 
from  the  royal  chambers  to  the  upper  nurseries,  which  in 
some  hills  would  be  four  or  five  feet  in  the  straightest  line, 
and  much  more  if  carried  through  all  the  winding  passages 
which  lead  through  the  inner  chambers  and  apartments.  Mr. 
Smeathman  measured  one  of  these  bridges,  which  was  half  an 
inch  broad,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and  ten  inches  long, 
making  the  size  of  an  elliptic  arch  of  proportionable  dimen- 
-'ons,  so  that  it  is  wonderful  it  did  not  fall  over,  or  break  by  its 
•  n  weight,  before  they  got  it  joined  to  the  side  of  the  column 
above.  It  was  strengthened  by  a  small  arch  at  the  bottom, 
and  had  a  hollow  or  groove  all  the  length  of  the  upper  sur- 
face, either  made  purposely  for  the  greater  safety  or  the 
passengers,  or  else  worn  by  frequent  treading.  It  is  not  the 
least  surprising  circumstance  attending  this  bridge,  the  Gothic 
arches  before  spoken  of,  and  in  general  all  the  arches  of  the 
various  galleries  and  apartments,  that,  as  Mr.  Smeathman  saw 
everv  reason  for  believing,  the  termites  project  them,  and  do 
not,  as  one  would  have  supposed,  excavate  them. 

Consider  what  incredible  labour  and  diligence,  accompanied 
by  the  most  unremitting  activity,  and  the  most  unwearied 
celerity  of  movement,  must  be  necessary  to  enable  these  crea- 
tures to  accomplish  (their  size  considered)  these  truly  gigantic 
works.  That  such  diminutive  insects,  for  they  are  scarcely 
the  fourth  of  an  inch  in  length,  however  numerous,  should,  in 
the  space  of  three  or  four  years,  be  able  to  erect  a  building 
twelve  feet  high,  and  of  proportionable  bulk,  covered  by  a 
vast  dome,  adorned  v^^ithout  by  numerous  pinnacles  and  tur- 
rets, and  sheltering  under  its  ample  arch  myriads  of  vaulted 
apartments,  of  various  dimensions,  and  constructed  of  differ- 
ent materials, — that  they  should  moreover  excavate, in  different 
directions  and  at  different  depths,  innumerable  subterranean 
roads  or  tunnels,  some  twelve  or  thirteen  inches  in  diameter, 
or  throw  an  arch  of  stone  over  other  roads  leading  from  the 
metropolis  into  the  adjoining  country,  to  the  distance  of  seven 
hundred  feet, — that  they  should  project  and  finish  the  vast 
interior  staircases  or  bridges,  lately  described, — and  finally,, 
that  the  millions  necessary  to  execute  such  Herculean  labour*^ 

2Q 


or 


4iu« 


rnu 


306  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    KNSECTS. 

perpetually  passing  to  and  fro,  should  never  interrupt  and 
interfere  with  each  other,  is  a  miracle  of  nature,  far  exceeding 
the  most  boasted  works  and  structures  of  man  ;  for,  did  these 
creatures  equal  him  in  size,  retaining  their  usual  instincts  and 
activity,  their  buildings  would  soar  to  the  cist(>nishing  height 
of  half  a  mile,  and  their  tunnels  would  expand  to  a  magnifi- 
cent cylinder  of  more  than  three  hundred  feet  in  diameter; 
before  which,  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  and  the  aqueducts  of 
Rome,  would  lose  their  celebrity,  and  dwindle  into  nothing. 

The  most  elevated  of  the  pyramids  of  Egypt  is  not  more 
than  six  hundred  feet  high,  which,  setting  the  average  height 
of  man  at  only  five  feet,  is  not  more  than  a  hundred  and 
twenty  times  the  height  of  the  workmen  employed.  Whereas, 
the  nests  of  the  termites  beino-  at  least  twelve  feet  hig-h  and 
the  insects  themselves  not  exceeding  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
stature,  their  edifices  are  upwards  of  five  hundred  times  the 
height  of  the  builders;  which,  supposing  them  of  human  di- 
mensions, would  be  more  than  half  a  mile.  The  shaft  of  the 
Roman  aqueducts  was  lofty  enough  to  permit  a  man  on  horse- 
back to  travel  in  them. 

The  first  establishment  of  a  colony  of  termites  takes  place 
in  the  foUowino;  manner.  In  the  evening;,  soon  after  the  first 
tornado,  which  at  the  latter  end  of  the  dry  season  proclaims 
the  approach  of  the  ensuing  rains,  these  animals,  having 
attained  to  their  perfect  state,  in  which  they  are  furnished 
and  adorned  with  two  pair  of  wings,  emerge  from  their  clay- 
built  citadels  by  myriads  and  myriads,  to  seek  their  fortune. 
Borne  on  these  ample  wings,  and  carried  by  the  wind,  they  fill 
the  air,  entering  the  houses,  extinguishing  the  lights,  and 
are  sometimes  driven  on  board  the  ships  that  are  not  far  from 
the  shore.  The  next  morning,  they  are  discovered  covering 
the  earth  and  waters,  deprived  of  the  wings  which  enabled 
them  to  avoid  their  numerous  enemies,  and  which  were  only 
calculated  to  carry  them  a  few  hours.  They  now  look  like 
large  maggots ;  and,  from  the  most  active,  industrious,  and 
rapacious  creatures,  they  are  become  the  most  helpless  and 
cowardly  beings  in  nature,  the  prey  of  innumerable  enemies, 
to  the  smallest  of  which  they  make  not  the  least  resistance. 
Insects,  especially  ants,  which  are  always  on  the  hunt  for 
them,  leave  no  place  unexplored  :  birds,  reptiles,  beasts,  and 
even  man  himself,  look  upon  this  event  as  their  harvest,  and, 
as  the  reader  has  been  told  before,  make  them  their  food,  so 
that  scarcely  a  pair  in  many  millions  get  into  a  place  of 
safety. 

The  workers,  who  are  continually  prowling  about  in  theii 
covered  ways,  occasionally  meet  with  one  of  these  pairs,  and 
being  impelled  by  their  instinct,  pay  them  homage,  and  they 
are  elected  as  it  were  to  be  king  and  queen,  or  rather  founders, 


WHITE   ANTS,  OR  TERMITES.  307 

of  anew  colony:  all  that  are  not  so  fortunate,  inevitably  perish; 
and,  considering  the  infinite  host  of  their  enemies,  probably 
in  the  course  of  tlie  foUowiiio;  day.  fhe  workers,  as  soon  as 
this  election  takes  place,  bei2;in  to  inclose  their  new  rulers  in 
a  small  chamber  of  clay,  before  described,  suited  to  their 
size,  the  entrances  to  \vliich  are  only  large  enough  to  admit 
themselves  and  the  neuters,  but  much  too  small  for  the  royal 
pair  to  pass  through  ;— so  that  their  state  of  royalty  is  a  state 
of  conhnement,  and  so  continues  during  the  remainder  of 
their  existence.  The  fem;ile,  after  this  confinement,  soon  begins 
to  furnish  the  infant  coh:)ny  with  new  inhabitants.  The  care 
of  feeding  her  and  her  companion,  devolves  upon  the  indus- 
trious larvae,  which  supply  them  both  with  every  thing  that 
they  want.  As  she  increases  in  dimensions,  they  continue  to 
enlarge  the  cell  in  which  she  is  detained.  When  the  business 
of  oviposition  commences,  they  take  the  eggs  from  her,  and 
deposit  them  in  their  nurseries.  Her  abdomen  now  begins 
^giadually  to  extend,  till  in  process  of  time  it  is  enlarged  to 
fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  times  tiie  size  of  the  rest  of 
her  body,  and  her  bulk  equals  that  of  twenty  or  thirty  thou- 
sand workers.  This  part,  often  more  than  three  inches  in 
length,  is  now  a  vast  matrix  of  eggs,  which  make  long  cir- 
cumvolutions through  numberless  slender  serpentine  vessels  : 
it  is  also  remarkable  for  its  peristaltic  motion,  (in  this  resem- 
bling the  female  ant;  see  GouUFs  Account  of  English  Ants, 
p.  22.)  which,  like  the  undulations  of  water,  produces  a  per- 
petual and  successive  rise  and  fall  over  the  whole  surface  of 
the  abdomen,  and  occasions  a  constant  extrusion  of  the  eggs, 
amounting  sometimes  in  old  females  to  sixty  in  a  minute,  or 
eighty  thousand  and  upwards  in  twenty-four  hours.  As  these 
females  live  two  years  in  their  perfect  state,  how  astonishing 
must  be  the  number  produced  in  that  time  ! 

This  incessant  extrusion  of  eggs  must  call  for  the  attention 
of  a  large  number  of  the  workers  in  the  royal  chamber,  (and 
indeed  it  is  always  full  of  them,)  to  take  them  as  they  come 
forth,  and  carry  them  to  the  nurseries,  in  which,  when  hatched, 
they  are  provided  with  food,  and  receive  every  necessary 
attention,  till  they  are  able  to  shift  for  themselves.  One  re- 
markable circumstance  attends  these  nurseries ;  they  are 
always  covered  with  a  kind  of  mould,  amongst  which  arise 
numerous  globules,  about  the  size  of  a  pin's  head.  This  is 
probably  a  species  of  mucor ;  and  by  Mr.  Kbenig,  who  found 
them  also  in  nests  of  an  East  Indian  species  of  termes,  is 
conjectured  to  be  the  food  of  the  larvae. 

The  royal  cell  has  also  some  soldiers  in  it,  a  kind  of  body- 
guard to  the  royal  pair  that  inhabit  it;  and  the  surrounding 
apartments  contain  always  many,  both  labourers  and  soldiers, 
in  waiting,  that  they  may  successively  attend  upon  and  defend 


308         CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. 

the  common  father  and  mother,  on  whose  safety  depend  the 
happiness  and  even  existence  of  the  whole  community  ;  and 
whom  these  faithful  subjects  never  abandon  even  in  the  last 
distress. 

These  little  busy  creatures  are  taught  by  Providence  always 
to  work  under  cover.  If  they  have  to  travel  over  a  rock,  or 
up  a  tree,  they  vault,  with  a  coping  of  earth,  the  route  they 
mean  to  pursue,  and  they  form  subterranean  paths  and  tun- 
nels, some  of  a  diameter  wider  than  the  bore  of  a  large  cannon, 
on  all  sides  from  their  habitation,  to  their  various  objects  of 
attack,  or  which  sloping  down,  (for  they  cannot  well  mount 
a  surface  quite  perpendicular,)  penetrate  to  the  depth  of  three 
or  four  feet  under  their  nests  into  the  earth,  till  thev  arrive 
at  a  soil  proper  to  be  used  in  the  erection  of  their  buildings. 
Were  they,  indeed,  to  expose  themselves,  the  race  would 
soon  be  annihilated  by  their  innumerable  enemies.  If  any 
accident  happen  to  their  various  structures,  or  if  they  are  dis- 
lodged from  any  of  their  covered  ways,  they  are  active  and 
expeditious  in  repairing  it ;  and  in  a  single  night  thev  will 
restore  a  gallery  of  three  or  four  yards  in  length.  If,  attack- 
ing the  nest,  you  divide  it  into  halves,  leaving  the  royal  cham- 
ber, and  thus  lay  open  thousands  of  apartments,  all  will  be 
shut  up  with  their  sheets  of  clay  by  the  next  morning;  nay, 
even  if  the  whole  be  demolished,  provided  the  king  and  the 
queen  be  left,  every  interstice  between  the  ruins,  at  which 
either  cold  or  wet  can  possibly  enter,  will  be  covered,  and,  in 
a  year,  the  building  will  be  raised  nearly  to  its  pristine  size 
and  grandeur. 

Besides  building  and  repairing,  a  great  deal  of  their  time  is 
occupied  in  making  necessary  alterations  in  their  mansion  and 
its  approaches.  The  royal  presence  chamber,  as  the  female 
increases  in  size,  must  be  gradually  enlarged  ;  the  nurseries 
must  be  removed  to  a  greater  distance;  the  chambers  and  in- 
terior of  the  nest  receive  daily  accessions,  to  provide  for  a  daily 
increasing  population ;  and  the  direction  of  their  covered 
ways  must  often  be  varied,  when  the  old  stock  of  provision  is 
exhausted,  and  new  sources  are  discovered. 

The  collection  of  provisions  for  the  use  of  the  colony  is 
another  employment,  which  necessarily  calls  for  incessant 
attention:  these,  to  the  naked  eye,  ajipear  like  raspings  of 
wood  ;  but  when  examined  by  the  microscope,  thev  are  found 
to  consist  chiefly  of  gums  and  the  inspissated  juices  of  plants, 
which,  formed  into  little  masses,  are  stored  up  in  magazines 
made  of  clay. 

When  any  one  is  bold  enough  to  attack  their  nest,  and  make 
a  breach  in  its  walls,  the  labourers,  who  are  incapable  of  fight- 
ing, retire  within,  and  give  way  to  another  description  of  its 
inh'ibitants,  whose  office  it  is  to  defend  the  fortress  when 


VVMITE    ANTS.    OR    TERMITES.  309 

aasailed  oy  enemies  ;  these,  as  observed  before,  are  the.  neu- 
ters or  soldiers.  If  the  breach  be  made  in  a  slight  part  of  the 
building,  one  of  these  comes  out  to  reconnoitre  ;  he  then  retires 
and  gives  the  alarm.  Two  or  three  others  next  appear,  scram- 
bling as  fast  as  they  can  one  after  the  other  ;  to  these  succeed 
a  large  body,  who  rush  forthwith  as  mucli  speed  as  the  breach 
will  permit,  their  numbers  continually  increasing  during  the 
attack,  it  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  rage  and  fury  by  which 
tiiese  diminutive  heroes  seem  actuated.  In  their  haste  they 
frequently  miss  their  hold,  and  tumbledown  the  sides  of  their 
hill  :  they  soon,  however,  recover  themselves,  and,  beino- 
blind,  bite  every  thing  they  run  against.  If  the  attack  pro- 
ceeds, the  bustle  and  agitation  increase  to  a  tenfold  decree, 
and  their  fury  is  raised  to  its  highest  pitch.  Wo  to  him  whose 
hands  or  legs  they  can  come  at.!  for  they  will  make  their 
fanged  jaws  meet  at  the  very  first  stroke,  drawing  as  much 
blood  as  will  counterpoise  their  whole  body,  and  never  quitting 
their  hold,  even  though  they  are  pulled  limb  from  limb.  The 
naked  legs  of  the  negroes  expose  them  frequently  to  this  in- 
jury ;  and  the  stockings  of  the  Europeans  are  not  thick  enough 
to  defend  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  if,  after  the  first  attack,  you  get  a  little 
out  of  the  way,  giving  them  no  further  interruption,  supposing 
the  assailant  of  their  citadel  is  gone  beyond  their  reach,  in  less 
than  half  an  hour  they  will  retire  into  the  nest;  and  before 
they  have  all  entered,  you  will  see  the  labourers  in  motion, 
hastening  in  various  directions  towards  the  breach,  every  one 
carrying  in  his  mouth  a  mass  of  mortar,  half  as  big  as  his 
body,  ready  tempered  ;  this  mortar  is  made  of  the  finest  parts 
of  the  gravel,  which  they  probably  select  in  the  subterranean 
pits  or  passages  before  described,  which,  worked  up  to  a  pro- 
per consistence,  hardens  to  the  solid  substance  resembling: 
stone,  of  which  their  nests  are  constructed  :  they  never  appear 
to  embarrass  or  interrupt  one  another.  By  the  united  labours 
of  such  an  infinite  host  of  creatures,  the  wall  soon  rises,  and 
the  breach  is  repaired. 

While  the  labourers  are  thus  employed,  almost  all  the  sol- 
diers have  retired  quite  out  of  sight,  except  here  and  there 
one,  who  saunters  about  amongst  the  labourers,  but  never 
assists  in  the  work.  One  in  particular  places  himself  close  to 
the  wall  which  they  are  building  ;  and  turning  himself  leisurely 
on  all  sides,  as  if  to  survey  the  proceedings,  appears  to  act 
the  part  of  an  overseer  of  the  works.  Every  now  and  then, 
at  the  interval  of  a  minute  or  two,  by  lifting  up  his  head  and 
striking  his  forceps  upon  the  wall  of  the  nest,  he  makes  a 
particular  noise,  which  is  answered  by  a  loud  hiss  from  all  the 
labourers,  and  appears  to  be  a  signal  for  dispatch  ;  for,  every 
time  it  is  heard,  they  may  be  seen  to  redouble  their  pace,  and 


dlO  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

apply  to  their  work  with  increased  diligence.  Renew  the  attack, 
and  this  amusing  scene  will  be  repeated  :  in  rush  the  labourers, 
all  disappearing  in  a  few  seconds,  and  out  inarch  the  military, 
as  numerous  and  vindictive  as  before.  When  all  is  once  more 
quiet,  the  busy  labourers  re-appear,  and  resume  their  work, 
and  the  soldiers  vanish.  Repeat  the  experiment  a  hundred 
times,  and  the  same  will  always  be  the  result;  you  will  never 
find,  be  the  peril  or  emergency  ever  so  great,  that  one  order 
attempts  to  fight,  or  the  other  to  work. 

We  have  seen  how  solicitous  the  termites  are  to  move  and 
work  under  cover,  and  concealed  from  observation:  this,  how- 
ever, is  not  always  the  case  ;  there  is  a  species  larger  than  T. 
Oellicosus,  whose  proceedings  we  have  been  principally  describ- 
ing, which  Mr.  Smeathman  calls  the  marching  Termes  (  Ter- 
mes  viarum).  He  was  once  passing  through  a  thick  forest, 
when  on  a  sudden,  a  loud  hiss,  like  that  of  serpents,  struck 
him  with  alarm.  The  next  step  produced  a  repetition  of  the 
sound,  which  he  then  recognized  to  be  that  of  white  ants  ;  yet 
he  was  surprised  at  seeing  none  of  their  hills  or  covering  ways. 
Following  the  noise,  to  his  great  astonishment  and  delight,  he 
saw  an  army  of  these  creatures  emerging  from  a  hole  in  the 
ground  ;  their  number  was  prodigious,  and  they  marched  with 
the  utmost  celerity.  When  they  had  proceeded  about  a  yard, 
they  divided  into  two  columns,  chiefly  composed  of  labourers, 
about  fifteen  abreast,  and  following  each  other  in  close  order, 
and  going  straight  forward.  Here  and  there  was  seen  a  soldier, 
carrying  his  vast  head  with  apparent  difficulty,  and  looking 
like  an  ox  in  a  flock  of  sheep,  who  marched  on  in  the  same 
manner.  At  the  distance  of  a  foot  or  two  from  the  columns, 
many  other  soldiers  were  to  be  seen,  standing  still  or  pacing 
about  as  if  upon  the  look-out,  lest  some  enemy  should  sud- 
denlysurprise  their  unwarlike  comrades;  other  soldiers, (which 
was  the  most  extraordinary  and  amusing  part  of  the  scene,) 
havino  mounted  some  plants,  and  placed  themselves  on  the 
points  of  their  leaves,  elevated  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  from 
the  ground,  hung  over  the  army  marching  below,  and  by 
striking  their  forceps  upon  the  leaf,  produced  at  intervals 
the  noise  above-mentioned.  To  this  signal  the  whole  army 
returned  a  hiss,  and  obeyed  it  by  increasing  their  pace.  The 
soldiers  at  these  signal-stations  sat  quite  still  during  the  inter- 
val of  silence,  except  now  and  then  making  a  slight  turn  of 
the  iiead,  and  seemed  as  solicitous  to  keep  their  posts  as  regu- 
lar sentinels.  The  two  columns  of  this  army  united,  after 
continuing  separate  from  twelve  to  fifteen  paces,  having  in  no 
part  been  above  three  yards  asunder,  and  then  descended  into 
the  earth  by  two  or  three  holes.  Mr.  Smeathman  continued 
watching  them  for  above  an  hour,  during  which  time  their 
numbers  appeared  neither  to  increase  nor  diminish:  the  sol 


GREEN   ANTS.  311 

diers,  luvvever,  who  quitted  the  line  of  inarch  and  acted  as 
sentinels,  became  much  more  numerous  before  he  quitted  the 
spot.  The  larvae  and  neuters  of  this  species  are  furnished  with 
eyes. 

The  societies  of  Termes  lucijergus,  discovered  by  Latreille, 
at  Bourdeaux,  are  very  numerous  ;  but  instead  of  erecting 
artificial  nests,  they  make  their  lodgment  in  the  trunks  of 
j)ines  and  oaks,  where  tli£  branches  diverge  from  the  tree. 
They  eat  the  wood  nearest  the  bark,  or  the  alburnum,  without 
attacking  the  interior,  and  bore  a  vast  number  of  holes  and 
irregular  galleries.  That  part  of  the  wood  appears  moist,  and 
is  covered  with  little  gelatinous  particles,  not  unlike  gum- 
arabic.  These  insects  seem  to  be  furnished  with  an  acid  of  a 
very  penetrating  odour,  which,  perhaps,  is  useful  to  them  for 
penetrating  the  wood.  The  soldiers  in  these  societies  are  as 
about  one  to  twenty-five  of  the  labourers. 

The  anonymous  author  of  the  observations  on  the  termites 
of  Ceylon,  stems  to  have  discovered  a  sentry-box  in  his  nests. 
"  I  found,"  says  he,  "  in  a  very  small  cell  in  the  middle  of  the 
solid  mass,  (a  cell  about  half  an  inch  in  height,  and  very 
narrow,)  a  larva  with  an  enormous  head.  Two  of  these  indi- 
viduals were  in  the  same  cell ;  one  of  the  two  seemed 
placed  as  sentinel  at  the  entrance  of  the  cell.  I  amused  myself 
by  forcing  the  door  two  or  three  times  ;  the  sentinel  imme- 
diately appeared,  and  onJy  retreated  when  the  doer  was  on 
the  point  of  being  stopped  up,  which  was  done  by  the  la- 
bourers." 

The  Green  Ants. — Captain  Cook  gives  the  following 
account  of  a  very  peculiar  kind  of  ants,  which  he  met  with  at 
Botany  Bay. — "  They  are  as  green  as  a  leaf.  They  live  upon 
trees,  where  they  build  their  nests.  The  nests  are  of  a  very 
curious  structure  :  they  are  formed  by  bending  down  several 
of  the  leaves,  each  of  which  is  as  broad  as  a  man's  hand  ;  they 
glue  the  points  of  them  together,  so  as  to  form  a  purse.  The 
viscus  used  for  this  purpose  is  an  animal  juice,  which  nature 
has  enabled  them  to  elaborate.  Their  method  of  first  bending 
down  the  leaves,  our  naturalists  had  not  an  opportunity  of 
observing  ;  but  they  saw  thousands  uniting  all  their  strength 
to  hold  them  in  this  position,  while  other  busy  multitudes 
were  employed  within,  in  applying  the  gluten  that  was  to  pre- 
vent their  returning  back.  To  satisfy  themselves  that  the 
leaves  were  bent  and  held  down  by  the  efforts  of  these  dimi- 
nutive artificers,  our  people  disturbed  them  in  their  work, 
and,  as  soon  as  they  were  driven  from  their  station,  the 
leaves  on  which  they  were  employed  sprang  up  with  a  force 
much  greater  than  they  could  have  thought  them  able  to  con- 
quer, by  any  combination  of  their  strength." 


312  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

The  Visiting  Ants. — At  Paramaribo,  a  Dutch  colony  in 
the  province  of  Surinam,  there  is  a  species  of  ants,  which  the 
Portuguese  call  visiting  ants  :  they  march  in  troops,  and  as 
soon  as  they  appear,  all  the  coffers  and  chests  of  drawers  are 
laid  open,  which  they  clear  of  rats,  mice,  and  a  peculiar  scrt 
of  insect  in  that  country,  called  cackerlacks,  and  of  other  nox- 
ious animals.  If  any  one  chance  to  molest  them,  thev  fall 
upon  him,  and  tear  in  pieces  his  stockings  and  shoes.  Their 
visits  are  rare;  and  sometimes  they  do  not  appear  for  three 
years. —  Te/npleman*s  Obs.  vol.  i.  p.  36. 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  The  Ant- 
LioN. — There  is  no  insect  more  remarkable  for  its  dexterity 
than  the  ant-lion,  thou<ih  its  ficrure  announces  nothino;  extra- 
ordinary.  It  nearly  resembles  the  woodlouse  ;  its  body  being 
provided  with  six  feet,  composed  of  several  membranous 
rings,  and  terminated  in  a  point.  Its  head,  flat  and  square, 
is  armed  with  two  moveable  crooked  horns,  whose  singular 
structure  shews  how  admirable  Nature  is,  even  in  the  least  of 
her  works. 

This  insect  is  the  most  subtle  and  dangerous  enemy  the  ant 
has  ;  the  plans  which  he  forms  to  ensnare  his  prey,  are  very 
ingenious.  He  mines  a  portion  of  land  in  the  form  of  a  fun- 
nel, at  the  bottom  of  whici)  he  waits  to  seize  the  ants,  which 
coming  by  chance  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  are  thence 
hurried  down  to  their  merciless  foe.  In  order  to  dig  it,  he 
first  traces  in  the  sand  a  circular  furrow,  whose  circumference 
forms  precisely  the  mouth  of  the  funnel,  the  diameter  of  which 
is  always  equal  to  the  depth  he  gives  to  his  ditch.  When  he 
has  determined  the  space  of  this  opening,  and  traced  the  first 
furrow,  he  immediately  digs  a  second,  concentric  to  the  other, 
in  order  to  throw  out  all  the  sand  contained  in  the  first  circle. 
He  makes  all  these  operations  with  his  head,  which  serves 
him  instead  of  a  shovel,  and  its  flat  and  square  form  admira- 
bly adapts  it  to  this  purpose.  He  also  takes  some  sand  with 
one  of  his  fore  feet,  to  throw  it  beyond  the  first  furrow  ;  and 
this  work  is  repeated  till  the  insect  has  reached  a  certain 
depth  of  sand.  Sometimes,  in  digging,  he  meets  with  grains 
of  sand  larger  than  usual,  or  with  little  bits  of  dry  earth,  which 
he  will  not  suff"er  to  remain  in  his  tunnel ;  of  these  he  dis- 
encumbers himself  by  a  sudden  and  well-timed  manoeuvre  of 
his  head.  Should  he  find  particles  yet  larger,  he  endeavours 
to  push  them  away  with  his  back,  and  he  is  /o  assiduous  in 
this  labour,  that  he  repeats  it  six  or  seven  times. 

At  length  the  ant-lion  comes  to  collect  the  fruits  of  his  toil. 
His  nets  being  once  well  laid,  he  has  nothing  to  do  but  to 
out  himself  on  the  watch ;  accordingly,  immoveable  and  con- 
cealed   at    the  bottom  of  the  ditch    which   he  has  dug,    he 


THE    A  NT- 1-1  ON.  313 

patiently  waits  for  the  prey  wliich  he  cannot  pursue.  If  some 
unhappy  ant  is  inadvertently  drawn  to  the  borders  of  this  fatal 
precipice,  she  is  almost  sure  to  roll  down  to  the  bottom,  be- 
cause the  brink  is  made  sloping-,  and  thus  the  sand  giving 
way  beneath  her  feet^  she  is  forced  to  follovv  the  dangerous 
declivity  till  she  falls  into  the  power  of  her  destroyer,  who, 
by  means  of  his  horns,  draws  her  under  tlie  sand,  and  feasts 
upon  her  l)lood.  When  he  has  sucked  all  the  juices  from  her 
body,  he  contrives  to  eject  from  his  habitation  the  dry  and 
hollow  carcase,  repairs  any  damage  his  trench  may  have  sus- 
tained, and  puts  himself  again  in  ambush.  He  does  not  always 
succeed  in  seizing  his  prey  at  the  moment  of  its  fall ;  it  fre- 
quently escapes  him,  and  endeavours  to  remount  the  funnel  ; 
but  then  the  ant-lion  works  with  his  head,  and  causes  a  shower 
of  sand  to  descend  upon  his  captive,  and  precipitate  it  once 
more  to  the  bottom. 

All  the  actions  of  this  little  animal  display  an  art  so  extra- 
ordinary, that  we  might  often  examine  them  without  being 
weariiad.  The  ant-lion  employs  itself  in  preparing  trenches 
even  before  having  seen  the  animal  which  they  are  to  ensnare, 
and  which  is  to  serve  it  for  nourishment;  and  yet  its  actions 
are  regulated  in  a  manner  the  best  adapted  to  accomplish  these 
purposes. 

How  would  an  animal,  so  destitute  of  agility,  have  been 
able  to  entrap  its  prey  more  easily  than  by  digging  in  a  move- 
able sand,  and  giving  a  slojiing  declivity  to  this  funnel  ?  What 
better  stratagem  could  it  have  devised  for  recovering  the  ants 
which  were  on  the  point  of  escaping  even  from  this  skilfully 
constructed  snare,  than  in  overwhelming  them  with  showers 
of  sand,  and  thus  cutting  off  all  hopes  of  a  retreat?  All  its 
actions  have  fixed  principles  by  which  they  are  directed.  Thfe 
trench  must  be  dug  in  the  sand,  or  it  could  not  answer  the 
desired  purpose  ;  and  it  must,  according  to  the  structure  of 
its  body,  work  backwards,  using  its  horns  like  a  pair  of  pincers, 
in  order  to  throw  the  sand  over  the  brink  of  the  funnel.  The 
instinct  which  governs  this  insect,  discovers  to  us  a  First 
Cause,  whose  intelligence  has  foreseen  and  ordained  every 
thing  that  was  necessary  for  the  preservation  and  well-being 
of  such  an  animal 


314  cuRiosiriEs  respecting  insects. 

CHAP.  XXVI. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

The  Spider — Ingenuity/  of  the  Spider — Spider  tamed — Curiou% 
Anecdote  of  a  Spider,  6jc. 

THE  SPIDER. 

The  spider's  touch,  how  exquisitely  fine! 

Feels  at  each  thread,  and  lives  along  the  lino.  Pep*. 

One  of  the  largest  of  the  European  spiders  is  the  Arama 
diadema  of  Linnaeus,  which  is  extremely  common  in  our  own 
country,  and  is  chiefly  seen  during  the  atuninal  season, 
in  gardens.  Sec.  The  body  of  this  species,  when  full  grown, 
is  not  much  inferior  in  size  to  a  small  hazel-nut:  the  abdomen 
is  beautifully  marked  by  a  longitudinal  series  of  round  or 
drop-shaped  milk-white  spots,  crossed  by  others  of  similar 
appearance,  so  as  to  represent,  in  some  degree,  the  pattern  of 
a  small  diadem.  This  spider,  in  the  months  of  September 
and  October,  forms,  in  some  convenient  spot  or  shelter,  a 
large  round  close  or  thick  web  of  yellow  silk,  in  which  it 
deposits  its  eggs,  guarding  the  round  web  with  a  secondary 
one  of  a  looser  texture.  The  young  are  hatched  in  the  ensu- 
ing May,  the  parent  insects  dying  towards  the  close  of  autumn. 
The  aranea  diadema  being  one  of  the  largest  of  the  connnon 
spiders,  serves  to  exemplify  some  of  the  principal  characters 
of  the  genus  in  a  clearer  manner  than  most  others.  At  the 
tip  of  the  abdomen  are  placed  five  papillae,  or  teats,  through 
which  the  insect  draws  its  thread  ;  and  as  each  of  these  pa- 
pillae is  furnished  with  a  vast  number  of  foramina  or  outlets, 
disposed  over  its  whole  surface,  it  follows,  that  what  we 
commonly  term  a  spider's  thread,  is  in  reality  formed  of  a  col- 
lection of  a  great  many  distinct  ones;  the  animal  possessing 
the  power  of  drawing  out  more  or  fewer  at  pleasure  ;  and  if  it 
should  draw  from  all  the  foramina  at  once,  the  thread  might 
consist  of  many  hundred  distinct  filaments.  The  eyes,  which 
are  situated  on  the  upper  part  or  front  of  the  thorax,  are  eight 
in  number,  placed  at  a  small  distance  from  each  other,  and 
have  the  appearance  of  the  stemmata  in  the  generality  oi" 
insects.  The  fangs,  or  piercers,  with  which  the  animal  wounds 
its  prey,  are  strong,  curved,  sharp-pointed,  and  each  furnished 
on  the  inside,  neat  tiie  tip,  with  a  small  oblong  hole  or  slit, 
through  which  is  injected  a  poisonous  fluid  into  the  wound 
made  by  the  point  itself,  these  organs  operating  in  miniature 
ou  the  same  r)rinciole  with  the  fangs  iu  jjoisouous  seroents. 


THE   SPIDER.  315 

The  feet  are  highly  curious,  the  two  claws,  with  which  each  is 
termiuated,  being  furnished  on  its  under  side  with  several 
parallel  processes,  resembling  the  teeth  of  a  comb,  and  en- 
abling the  animal  to  dispose  and  manage,  with  the  utmost  faci- 
lity, the  disposition  of  the  threads  in  its  web,  ik.c. 

The  Araiiea  tarcuitulu,  or  Tarantula  spider,  of  which  so  many 
idle  recitals  have  been  detailed  in  the  works  of  the  learned, 
and  which,  even  to  this  day,  continues  in  some  countries  to 
exercise  the  faith  and  ignorance  of  the  vulgar,  is  a  native  of 
the  warmer  parts  of  Italy,  and  other  warm  European  regions, 
and  is  generally  found  in  dry  and  sunny  plains.  It  is  the  largest 
of  all  the  European  spiders;  but  the  extraordinary  symptoms 
supposed  to  ensue  from  the  bite  of  this  insect,  as  well  as  their 
supposed  cure  by  the  power  of  music  alone,  are  entirely  fabu- 
lous, and  are  now  sufficiently  exploded  among  all  rational  phi- 
losophers. The  gigantic  Aranea  aviculaiia,  or  Bird-catching 
spider,  is  not  uncommon  in  many  parts  of  the  East  Indies  and 
South  America,  where  it  resides  among  trees,  frequently 
seizing  on  small  birds,  which  it  destroys  by  wounding  with  its 
fangs,  and  sucking  their  blood. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  a  project  was  en- 
tertained by  a  French  gentleman,  Monsieur  Bon,  of  Montpel- 
lier,  of  instituting  a  manufacture  of  spiders'  silk  ;  and  the 
Royal  Academy,  to  which  the  scheme  was  proposed,  appointed 
the  ingenious  Reaumur  to  repeat  the  experiments  of  M.  Bon, 
in  order  to  ascertain  how  far  the  proposed  plan  might  be  car- 
ried :  but,  after  making  the  proper  trials,  M.  Reaumur  found 
it  to  be  impracticable,  on  account  of  the  natural  disposition 
of  these  animals,  which  is  such  as  will  by  no  means  admit  of 
their  living  peaceably  together  in  large  numbers.  M.  Reau- 
mur also  computed  that  663,522  spiders  would  scarcely  furnish 
a  single  pound  of  silk.  Monsieur  Bon,  however,  the  first 
projector,"  carried  his  experiments  so  far  as  to  obtain  two  or 
three  pairs  of  stockings  and  gloves  of  this  silk,  which  were  of 
an  elegant  gray  colour,  and  were  presented,  as  samples,  to  the 
Royal  Academy.  It  must  be  observed,  that  in  this  numufacture 
it  is  the  silk  of  the  egg-bags  alone  that  can  be  used,  being 
far  stronger  than  that  of  the  webs.  Monsieur  Bon  collected 
twelve  or  thirteen  ounces  of  these,  and  having  caused  them 
to  be  well  cleared  of  dust,  by  properly  beating  with  sticks, 
he  washed  them  perfectly  clean  in  warm  water.  After  this, 
they  were  laid  to  steep,  in  a  large  vessel,  with  soap,  saltpetre, 
and  gum-arabic.  The  whole  was  left  to  boil  over  a  gentle  fire 
for  three  hours,  and  was  afterwards  again  washed  to  get  out 
the  soap;  then  laid  to  dry  for  some  days,  after  which  it  was 
carded,  but  with  much  smaller  cards  than  ordinary.  The  silk 
is  easily  spun  into  a  fine  and  strong  thread  ;  the  difficulty 
being  only  to  collect  the  silk-bags  in  sufficient  quantity. 


316         CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS.  , 

There  remains  one  more  particularity  in  the  history  of  spi 
ders,  viz.  the  power  of  flight.  It  is  principally  in  the  autumnal 
season  that  these  diminutive  adventurers  ascend  the  air,  and 
contribute  to  fill  it  with  that  infinity  of  floating  cobwebs, 
which  are  so  |;eculiarly  conspicuous  at  that  period  of  the  year. 
When  inclined  to  make  these  aerial  excursions,  the  spider 
ascends  some  slight  eminence,  as  the  top  of  a  wall,  or  the 
branch  of  a  tree;  and  turning  itself  with  its  liead  towards  the 
wind,  protrudes  several  threads,  and,  rising  from  its  station, 
commits  itself  to  the  gale,  and  is  thus  carried  far  beyond  the 
height  of  the  loftiest  towers,  and  enjoys  the  pleasure  of  a 
clearer  atmosphere.  During  their  flight,  it  is  probable  that 
spiders  employ  themselves  in  catching  such  minute  winged 
insects  as  may  happen  to  occur  in  their  progress  ;  and  when 
satisfied  with  their  journey  and  their  prey,  they  suffer  them- 
selves to  fall,  by  contracting  their  limbs,  and  gradually  dis- 
engaging themselves  from  the  thread. 

These  insects  are  but  ill  calculated  to  live  in  society 
Whenever  thus  stationed,  they  never  fail  to  wage  war  with 
each  other.  Ihe  females,  in  particular,  are  of  a  disposition 
peculiarly  capricious  and  malignant;  and  it  is  observed,  that 
they  sometimes  spring  upon  the  males,  and  destroy  them.  On 
this  occasion,  says  Linnaeus,  if  ever,  may  be  justly  applied 
the  Ovidian  line  : — 

Res  est  solliciti  plena  timoris  amor! 

The  following  is  a  notable  ii^tance  of  the  Ingenuity  of 
THE  Spider.  T.  A.  Knight,  Esq.  of  Herefordshire,  has,  in  a 
Treatise  on  the  Culture  of  the  Apple  and  Pear,  introduced  the 
following  concerning  this  curious  insect. — 

"1  have  frequently  placed  a  spider  on  a  small  upright  stick, 
whose  base  was  surrounded  by  water,  to  observe  its  niost  sin- 
gular mode  of  escape.  Alter  having  discovered  that  the  ordi- 
nary means  of  escape  are  cut  off",  it  ascends  the  point  of  the 
stick,  and,  standing  nearly  on  its  head,  ejects  its  web,  which 
the  wind  readily  carries  to  some  contiguous  object.  Along 
this,  the  sagacious  insect  effects  its  escape,  not  however  till 
it  has  previously  ascertained,  by  several  exertions  of  its  whole 
strength,  that  its  web  is  properly  attached  to  the  opposite 
end.  I  do  not  know  that  this  instance  of  sagacity  has  been 
mentioned  by  any  entomological  writer,  and  I  insert  it  here 
in  consequence  of  the  erroneous  accounts  of  some  periodical 
publications,  of  the  spider's  threads,  which  are  observed  to 
pass  from  one  tree  or  bush  to  another  in  dewy  mornings." 

The  reader  will  be  pleased  with  the  following  account  of 
A  Spider  tamed,  given  by  the  Abb6  d'Olivet,  author  of  the 
Life  of  Pelisson,  in  the  following  passage  : — 


A   SPIDER  TAMED.  317 

"  Confined  at  that  trme  in  a  solitary  place,  and  where  the 
light  of  day  only  penetrated  through  a  mere  slit,  having  no 
other  servant  than  a  stupid  and  dull  clown,  a  Basque,  who 
was  continually  playing  on  the  bagpipes,  Pelisson  studied 
by  what  means  to  secure  himself  against  an  enemy,  which  a 
good  conscience  alone  cannot  always  repel ;  1  mean,  the  attacks 
of  unemployed  imagination,  which,  when  it  once  exceeds 
proper  limits,  becomes  the  most  cruel  torture  of  a  recluse 
individual.  He  adopted  the  following  stratagem  : — Perceiving 
a  spider  spinning  her  web  at  the  spiracle,  he  undertook  to 
tame  her;  and  to  etfect  tliis,  he  placed  some  flies  on  the  edge 
of  the  opening,  while  the  Basque  was  playing  on  his  favourite 
bagpipe.  The  spider  by  degrees  accustomed  herself  to  dis- 
tinguish the  sound  of  that  instrument,  and  to  run  from  her 
hole  to  seize  her  prey  ;  thus,  by  means  of  always  calling  her 
out  by  the  same  tune,  and  placing  the  flies  nearer  and  nearer 
his  own  seat,  after  several  months'  exercise,  he  succeeded  in 
training  the  spider  so  well,  that  she  would  start  at  the  first 
signal,  to  seize  a  fly  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  room,' and  even 
on  the  knees  of  the  prisoner." 

It  has  been  stated,  that  a  prisoner  confined  in  the  Bastile, 
retained  his  senses,  contrary  to  expectation,  by  playing  daily 
so  many  games  at  push-pin ;  he  having,  unknown  to  his  keepers, 
secreted  a  battalion  or  two  of  these  hostile  implements.  The 
device  of  Pelisson  is  more  interesting  to  us,  as  we  learn  from 
it,  that  the  spider,  though  amongst  the  most  quarrelsome  of 
insects,  yet  is  capable  of  being  rendered  familiar  by  the  reason 
and  perseverance  of  man. 

In  the  introduction  to  a  modern  Entomology  there  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  process  by  which  the  spider  weaves  its  web.  After 
describing  the  four  spinners,  as  they  are  termed,  from  which 
the  visible  threads  proceed,  the  writer  makes  the  following 
curious  observations  : — "  These  are  machinery,  through  which, 
by  a  process  more  singular  than  that  of  rope-spinning,  the 
thread  is  drawn.  Each  spinner  is  pierced,  like  the  plate  of  a 
wire-drawer,  with  a  multitude  of  holes,  so  numerous,  and  ex- 
quisitely fine,  that  a  space  often  not  larger  than  a  pin's  point 
includes  a  thousand.  Through  each  of  these  holes  proceeds 
a  thread  of  inconceivable  tenuity,  which,  immediately  after 
issuing  from  the  orifice,  unites  with  all  the  other  threads  from 
the  spinner,  into  one.  Hence,  from  each  spinner  proceeds  a 
compound  thread;  and  these  four  threads,  at  the  distance  of 
about  one-tenth  of  an  inch  from  the  apex  of  the  spinner,  again 
unite,  and  form  the  thread  we  are  accustomed  to  see,  which 
the  spider  uses  in  forming  its  web.  Thus,  a  spider's  web, 
even  spun  by  the  smallest  species,  and  when  so  fine  that  it  is 
almost  imperceptible  to  our  senses,  is  not,  as  we  suppose,  a 
straight  line,  but  a  rope,  composed  of  at  least  400  yarns." 


318  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  a  curious  An  ecdote  of 
k  Spider,  connected  with  observations  on  the  utility  of  ants 
in  destroying  venomous  creatures  ;  by  Captain  Bagnold. 

**  Desirous  of  ascertaining  the  natural  food  of  the  scorpion, 
I  inclosed  one  (which  measured  three-quarters  of  an  inch  from 
the  head  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail)  in  a  wide-mouthed  phial, 
together  with  one  of  those  large  spiders  so  common  in  the 
West  Indies,  and  closed  it  with  a  cork,  perforated  by  a  quill 
for  the  admission  of  air.  The  insects  seemed  carefully  to  avoid 
each  other,  retiring  to  opposite  ends  of  the  bottle,  which  was 
placed  horizontally.  By  giving  it  a  gradual  inclination,  the 
scorpion  was  forced  into  contact  with  the  spider,  when  a  sharp 
encounter  took  j)Iace,  the  latter  receiving  repeated  stings 
from  his  venomous  adversary,  apparently  without  the  least 
injury;  while,  with  his  web,  he  soon  lashed  the  scorpion's  tail 
to  his  back,  and  afterwards  secured  his  legs  and  claws  with  the 
same  materials.  In  this  state  I  left  them  some  time,  in  order 
to  observe  what  effect  would  be  produced  on  the  spider,  by 
the  wounds  he  had  received.  On  my  return,  however,  I  was 
disappointed,  the  ants  having  entered,  and  destroyed  them 
both. 

"  In  the  West  Indies  I  have  daily  witnessed  crowds  of  these 
little  insects  destroying  the  spider  or  cockroach,  which,  as  soon 
as  he  is  dispatched,  they  carry  to  their  nest.  I  have  fre- 
quently seen  them  drag  their  prey  perpendiodarly  up  the  wall, 
and,  although  the  weight  would  overcome  their  united  efforts 
and  fall  to  the  ground,  perhaps  twenty  times  in  succession* 
yet,  by  unremitting  perseverance,  and  the  aid  of  reinforce- 
ments, they  always  succeeded. 

"  A  struggle  of  this  description  once  amused  the  officers  of 
his  majesty's  ship  Retribution,  for  nearly  half  an  hour  :  a 
large  centipede  entered  the  gun-room,  surrounded  by  an 
immense  concourse  of  ants ;  the  deck,  for  four  or  five  feet 
round,  was  covered  with  them;  his  body  and  limbs  were  en- 
crusted with  his  lilliputian  enemies  ;  and  although  thousands 
were  destroyed  by  his  exertions  to  escape,  they  ultimately 
carried  him  in  triumph  to  their  dwelling. 

*'  In  the  woods  near  Sierra  Leone,  I  have  several  times 
seen  the  entire  skeletons  of  the  snake  beautifully  dissected  by 
these  minute  anatomists." 

From  these  circumstances  it  would  appear,  that  ants  are  a 
considerable  check  to  the  increase  of  those  venomous  reptiles,  so 
troublesome  in  the  torrid  zone ;  and  their  industry,  perseverance, 
courage,  and  numerical  force,  seem  to  strengthen  the  conjec- 
ture :  in  which  case  they  amply  remunerate  us  for  their  own 
depredations. 


THE    GLOWWORM.  319 

CHAP.  XXVII 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

Luminous  Insects. 

Many  insects  are  possessed  of  a  luminous  preparation  or 
secretion,  which  has  all  the  advantages  of  our  lamps  and  can- 
dles, without  their  inconveniences  ;  which  gives  light  sufficient 
to  direct  our  motion;  which  is  incapable  of  burning;  and 
whose  lustre  is  maintained  without  needing  fresh  supplies  of 
oil,  or  the  application  of  snuffers. 

Of  the  insects  thus  singularly  provided,  the  common  Glow- 
worm ( Lanipyris  nociiluca)  is  the  most  familiar  instance. — 
This  insect  in  shape  somewhat  resembles  a  caterpillar,  only 
it  is  much  more  depressed  ;  and  the  light  proceeds  from  a 
pale-coloured  patch  that  terminates,  the  under  side  of  the  ab- 
domen. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  many,  that  the  males  of  the  different 
species  of  lampyris  do  not  possess  the  property  of  giving  out 
any  light;  but  it  is  now  ascertained  that  this  supposition  is 
inaccurate,  though  their  light  is  much  less  vivid  than  that  of 
the  female.  Ray  first  pointed  out  this  fact  with  respect  to 
(L.  nociiluca.)  Geoffrey  also  observed,  that  the  male  of  this 
species  has  four  small  luminous  points,  two  on  each  of  the 
two  last  segments  of  the  belly  :  and  his  observation  has  been 
recently  confirmed  by  Miller.  This  last  entomologist,  indeed, 
saw  only  two  shining  spots;  but  from  the  insects  having  the 
power  of  withdrawing  them  out  of  sight,  so  that  not  the 
Smallest  trace  of  light  remains,  he  thinks  it  is  not  improbable 
that  at  times  two  other  points,  still  smaller,  may  be  exhibited, 
as  Geoffrey  has  described.  In  the  males  of  L.  splendidula, 
and  of  L.  herniptera,  the  light  is  very  distinct,  and  may  be 
seen  in  the  former  while  flying.  The  females  have  the  same 
faculty  of  extinguishing  or  concealing  their  light;  a  very 
necessary  provision  to  guard  them  from  the  attacks  of  noc- 
turnal birds.  Mr.  White  even  thinks  that  they  regularly  put 
it  out  between  eleven  and  twelve  every  night,  and  they  have 
also  the  power  of  rendering  it  for  a  while  more  vivid  than 
ordinary. 

Though  many  of  the  females  of  the  different  species  of  lam- 
pyris are  without  wings,  and  even  elytra,  ^in  Coleoptera,)  this 
is  not  the  case  with  all.  The  female  of  L.  Italica,  a  species 
common  in  Italy,  and  which,  if  we  may  trust  to  the  accuracy 
of  the  account  given  by  Mr.  Waller,  in  the  Philosophical 
Transactions  for  1684,  would  seem  to  hare  been  taken  by  him 


320  CtlllOSITlES    RESPECTING  INSECTS. 

m  Hertfordsliire,  is  winged  ;  and  when  a  number  of  these 
moving  stars  are  seen  to  dart  through  the  air  in  a  dark  night, 
nothing  can  have  a  more  beautiful  etiect.  Dr.  Smith  says,  that 
the  beaus  of  Italy  are  accustomed  in  an  evening  to  adorn  the 
heads  of  the  ladies  with  these  artificial  diamonds,  by  sticking 
them  into  their  hair  ;  and  a  similar  custom  prevails  amongst 
the  ladies  of  India. 

Besides  the  golden  species  of  the  genus  Lamp  i/ris,&\\  of  which 
are  probably  more  or  less  luminous,  another  insect  of  the  beetle 
tribe,  Elaler  noctilucus,  is  endowed  with  the  same  property,  and 
that  in  a  much  higher  degree.  This  insect,  which  is  an  inch 
long,  and  about  one-third  of  an  inch  broad,  gives  out  its  princi- 
pal light  from  two  transparent  eye-like  tubercles  placed  uj)on 
the  tiiorax  ;  but  there  are  also  two  luminous  patches  concealed 
under  the  elytra,  which  are  not  visible  except  when  the  insect 
is  Hying,  at  which  time  it  appears  adorned  with  four  brilliant 
gems  of  the  most  beautiful  golden-blue  Ivistre:  in  fact,  the  whole 
body  is  full  of  light,  which  shines  out  between  the  abdominal 
segments  when  stretched.  The  light  emitted  by  the  two  tho- 
racic tubercles  alone  is  so  considerable,  that  the  smallest  print 
may  be  read  by  moving  one  of  these  insects  along  the  lines  ; 
and  in  the  West  India  islands,  particularly  in  St.  Domingo, 
where  they  are  very  common,  the  natives  were  formerly  accus- 
tomed to  employ  tliose  living  lamps,  which  they  called  cucuij, 
instead  of  candles,  in  performing  their  evening  household  occu- 
pations. In  travelling  at  night,  they  used  to  tie  one  to  each 
great  toe;  and  in  fishing  and  hunting,  required  no  other  flam- 
beau.— Pietro  Martires  Decades  of  the  New  World,  (quoted  in 
Madoc,  p.  543.  Southey  has  happily  introduced  this  insect  ir. 
his  "  Madoc,"  as  furnishing  the  lamp  by  which  Coatel  rescued 
the  British  hero  from  the  hands  of  the  Mexican  priests, 

"  She  beckon'd  and  descended,  and  drew  out, 
From  underneath  her  vest,  a  caj^e,  or  net 
It  rather  miojhtbc  called,  so  fine  the  twips 
Which  knit  it,  where,  confined,  two  fire-llies  gave 
Their  lustre.     By  that  li^ht  did  Aladoc  first 
Behold  the  features  of  his  lovely  guide." 

Pietro  Martire  tells  us,  that  cucuij  serve  the  natives  of  the 
Spanish  West  India  islands  not  only  instead  of  candles,  but 
as  extirpators  of  the  gnats,  which  are  a  dreadful  pest  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  low  grounds.  They  introduce  a  few  fire- 
flies, to  which  the  gnats  are  a  grateful  food,  into  their  houses, 
and  by  means  of  these  "  commodious  hunters,"  are  soon  rid  of 
the  intruders.  "  How  they  a.c  a.  icmedy  (says  this  author)  for 
so  great  a  mischiefe,  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  to  hear.  Hee  who 
understandeth  that  he  has  those  troublesome  guestes  (the 
gnattes)  at  home,  diligently  hunteth  after  the  cucuij.  Whoso 
wanteth  cucuij,  goeth  out  of  the  house  in  the  first  twilight  of 


THE    FIRE-FLY.  321 

tlie  night,  carrying  a  burning  fire-brande  in  his  hande,  and 
ascendeth  the  next  hillock,  that  the  cucuij  may  see  it,  and  hee 
swingeth  the  fire-brande  about,  calling  Cucuie  aloud,  and  beat- 
ing the  ayre  with  often  calling  out,  Cucuie,  Cucuie."  He 
goes  on  to  observe,  that  the  simple  people  believe  the  insect 
is  attracted  by  their  invitations  ;  but  that,  for  his  part,  he  is 
rather  inclined  to  think  that  the  fire  is  the  magnet.  Having 
obtained  a  sufficient  number  of  cucuij,  the  beetle-hunter  re- 
turns home,  and  lets  them  fly  loose  in  the  house,  where  they 
diligently  seek  the  gnats  about  the  beds  and  the  faces  of  tl)ose 
asleep,  and  devour  them. — Marfire  nhi  supr.  Colonies,  i.  128. 
These  insects  are  also  applied  to  purposes  of  decoration.  On 
certain  festival-days,  in  the  month  of  June,  they  are  collected 
in  great  numbers,  and  tied  all  over  the  garments  of  young; 
people,  who  gallop  through  the  streets  on  horses  similarly  orna- 
mented, producing  on  a  dark  evening  the  effect  of  a  large 
moving  body  of  light.  On  such  occasions,  the  lover  displays 
his  gallantry  by  decking  his  mistress  with  these  living  gems. — 
Walton's  Present  State  of  the  SpanisJi  Colonics.  And  according  to 
P.  INlartire,  "  many  wanton  wilde  fellowes"  rub  their  faces  with 
"the  flesh  of  a  killed  cucuij,"  as  boys  with  us  use  phosphorus, 
"  with  purpose  to  meet  their  neighbours  with  a  flaming  coun- 
tenance," and  derive  amusement  from  their  fright. 

Besides  Eiater  noctilucus,  E.  ignifus,  and  several  others  of 
the  same  genus,  are  luminous :  not  fewer  than  twelve  species 
of  this  family  are  described  by  Illiger  in  the  Berlin  Naturalist 
Society's  Magazine. 

The  brilliant  nocturnal  spectacle  presented  by  these  insects 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries  where  they  abound,  cannot 
be  better  described  than  in  the  language  of  the  poet  above 
referred  to,  who  has  thus  related  its  first  effect  upon  British 
visitors  of  the  new  world  : 

" sorrowing:  we  belield 


The  nig;ht  come  on  :  but  soon  did  nit;lit  display 
More  wonders  tlian  it  veil'd  ;  innumerable  tribes 
From  the  wood-cover  swarm'd,  and  darkness  made 
Their  beauties  visible  ;  one  wiiile  they  stream'd 
A  briffiitblue  radiance  upon  flowers  that  clos'd 
Their  o:or<jeous  colours  from  the  eye  of  day; 
Now  motionless  and  dark,  eluding  search, 
Self-shrouded  ;  and  anon  starring  the  sky, 
Rose  like  a  shower  of  fire." 

If  we  are  to  believe  Mouffet,  (and  the  story  is  not  incredi- 
ble,) the  appearance  of  the  tropical  fire-flies  on  one  occasion 
led  to  a  more  important  result  than  might  have  been  expected 
from  such  a  cause.  He  tells  us,  that  when  Sir  Thos.  Cavendish 
and  Sir  John  Dudley  first  landed  in  the  West  Indies,  and  saw 
in  the  evening  an  infinite  number  of  moving  lights  in  the 
woods,  which  were  merely  these  insects,  they  supposed  that 

14.  2S 


322  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

the  Spaniards  were  advancing  upon  them,  and  immediately 
betook  themselves  to  their  ships  :  a  result  as  well  entitling 
the  elateia  to  a  commemoration  feast,  as  a  similar  good  office 
by  the  land-crabs  of  Hispaniola,  which,  as  the  Spaniards  tell, 
(and  the  story  is  confirmed  by  an  anniversary  Fiesta  de  los 
Cangrejos,)  by  their  clattering  being  mistaken  for  the  sound 
of  Spanish  cavalry  close  upon  their  heels,  in  like  manner 
scared  away  a  body  of  English  invaders  from  the  city  of  St. 
Domingo. —  Walton's  Hispaniola,  i.  39. 

An  anecdote  less  improbable,  perhaps,  and  certainly  more 
ludicrous,  is  related  by  Sir  James  Smith,  of  the  efiect  of 
the  first  sight  of  the  Italian  fire-flies  upon  some  Moorish 
ladies,  ignorant  of  such  appearances.  These  females  had 
been  taken  prisoners  at  sea,  and,  until  they  could  be  ran- 
somed, lived  in  a  house  in  the  outskirts  of  Genoa,  where  they 
were  frequently  visited  by  the  respectable  inhabitants  of  the 
city;  a  party  of  whom,  on  going  one  evening,  were  surprised 
to  find  the  house  closely  shut  up,  and  their  Moorish  friends 
in  the  greatest  grief  and  consternation.  On  inquiring  into 
the  cause,  they  ascertained  that  some  of  the  Lampyris  Italica 
had  found  their  way  into  the  dwelling,  and  that  the  ladies 
within  had  taken  it  into  their  heads  that  these  brilliant  guests 
were  no  other  than  the  troubled  spirits  of  their  relations  ;  and 
some  time  elapsed  before  they  could  be  divested  of  this  idea. 
The  common  people  in  Italy  have  a  superstition  respecting 
these  insects  somewhat  similar,  believing  that  they  are  of  a 
spiritual  nature,  and  proceed  out  of  the  graves  ;  and  hence 
carefully  avoid  them. —  Tour  on  the  Continent,  2d  ed.  iii.  85. 

The  insects  hitherto  adverted  to  have  been  beetles,  or  of  the 
order  Cokoptera.  But,  besides  these,  a  genus  in  the  order 
Ilemiptera,  called  Fulgora,  includes  several  species,  which  emit 
so  powerful  a  light,  as  to  have  obtained  in  English  the  generic 
appellation  of  lantern-flies.  Two  of  the  most  conspicuous  of 
this  tribe  are  the  F.  lanternana  and  F.  candelaria  ;  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  South  America,  the  latter  of  China.  Both,  as 
indeed  is  the  case  witli  the  whole  genus,  have  the  material 
wliich  diffuses  their  light  included  in  a  hollow  subtransparent 
projection  of  tlie  head.  In  /',  candelaria  this  projection  is  of 
a  subcylindrical  shape,  recurved  at  the  apex,  above  an  inch 
in  length,  and  the  thickness  of  a  small  quill.  We  may  easily 
conceive,  as  travellers  assure  us,  that  a  tree  studded  with 
multitudes  of  these  living  sparks,  some  at  rest  and  others  in 
motion,  must  during  the  night  have  a  superlatively  splendid 
apj>earance. 

Jn  F.  lanternaria,  which  is  an  insect  two  or  three  inches 
long,  the  snout  is  much  larger  and  broader,  and  more  of  an 
oval  shape,  and  sheds  a  light,  the  brilliancy  of  which  tran- 
scends that   of  any  other  luminous  insect.     Madam  INIcrian 


THE   FIRE-FLY.  323 

informs  us,  that  the  first  discovery  she  made  of  this  property 
caused  her  no  small  alarm.  Tlie  servants  had  brought  her 
several  of  these  insects,  w  hich  by  day-light  exhibited  no  ex- 
traordinary appearance,  and  she  inclosed  them  in  a  box  till 
she  should  have  an  opportunity  of  drawing  them,  placing  them 
upon  a  table  in  her  lodging-room.  In  the  middle  of  the  nio-ht 
the  confined  insects  made  such  a  noise  as  to  awake  her,  and 
she  opened  the  box,  the  inside  of  which,  to  her  great  astonish- 
ment, appeared  all  in  a  blaze  ;  and  in  her  fright  lettino-  it  fall, 
bhe  was  not  less  surprised  to  see  each  of  the  insects  apparently 
on  fire.  She  soon,  however,  divined  the  cause  of  this  unex- 
pected phenomenon,  and  re-inclosed  her  brilliant  guests  in 
their  place  of  confinement.  She  adds,  that  the  light  of  one 
of  these  fulgora  was  sufficiently  bright  to  read  a  newspaper 
by.  Another  species,  F.  pyrrhorynchus,  is  described  by  Dono- 
van, in  his  Insects  of  India;  of  which  the  light,  though  from 
a  smaller  snout  than  that  of  F.  lanternaria,  must  assume  a 
more  splendid  and  striking  appearance,  the  projection  beino- 
of  a  rich  deep  purple  from  the  base  to  near  the  apex,  which  is 
of  a  fine  transparent  scarlet;  and  these  tints  will  of  course 
be  imparted  to  the  transmitted  light. 

With  regard  to  the  immediate  source  of  the  luminous  pro- 
perties of  these  insects,  Mr.  Macartney,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  the  most  recent  investigation  on  the  subject,  has 
ascertained,  that  in  the  common  glow-worm,  and  in  Elatcr 
t)oclilu<:HS  and  ignitus,  the  light  proceeds  from  masses  of  a 
substance  not  generally  differing,  except  in  its  yellow  colour, 
fiom  the  interstitial  substance  corps  graisseux,  of  the  rest  of 
the  body,  closely  applied  underneath  those  transparent  parts 
of  the  insects'  skin  which  afford  the  lioht.  In  the  glowworm, 
besides  the  last-mentioned  substance,  which,  when  the  season 
for  giving  light  is  passed,  is  absorbed,  and  replaced  by  the 
common  interstitial  substance,  he  observed  on  the  inner  side 
of  the  last  abdominal  segment  two  minute  oval  sacks,  formed  of 
an  elastic  spirally-wound  fibre,  similar  to  that  of  the  tracheee, 
containing  a  soft  yellow  substance,  of  a  closer  texture  than 
that  which  lines  the  adjoining  region,  and  affording  a  more 
permanent  and  brilliant  light.  This  light  he  found  to  be  less 
under  the  control  of  the  insect  than  that  from  the  adjoining 
luminous  substance,  which  it  has  the  power  of  voluntarily  ex- 
tinguishing, not  by  retracting  it  under  a  membrane,  as  Car- 
radori  imagined,  but  by  some  inscrutable  change  which 
depends  upon  its  will  :  and  when  the  latter  substance  was 
extracted  from  living  glowworms,  it  afforded  no  light,  while 
the  two  sacks  in  like  circumstances  shone  uninterruptedly  for 
several  hours.  Mr.  Macartney  conceives,  from  the  radiated 
structure  of  interstitial  substance  surrounding  the  oval  yellow 
masses  immediately  under  the  transparent  spot  in  the   thorax 


324  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

f)f  Elciter  7iuctiliicus,  and  the  subtransparency  of  the  adjoining 
crust,  that  the  interstitial  substance  in  this  situation  has  also 
the  property  of  shining;  a  supposition  which,  if  De  Geer 
and  other  authors  be  correct  in  stating,  that  this  insect  has 
two  luminous  patches  over  its  elytra,  and  that  the  incisures 
between  the  abdominal  segments  shine  when  stretched,  may 
probably  be  extended  to  the  whole  of  the  interstitial  substance 
of  its  body. 

With  respect  to  the  remote  cause  of  the  luminous  property 
of  insects,  philosophers  are  considerably  divided  in  opinion. 
The  disciples  of  modern  chemistry  have  in  general,  with 
Dr.  Darwin,  referred  it  to  the  slow  combustion  of  some  com- 
bination of  phosphorus  secreted  from  their  fluids  by  an  appro- 
priate organization,  and  entering  into  combination  with  the 
oxygen  supplied  in  respiration.  This  opinion  is  very  plau- 
sibly built  upon  the  ascertained  existence  of  phosphoric  acid 
as  an  animal  secretion  ;  the  great  resemblance  between  the 
light  of  phosphorus  in  slow  combustion,  and  animal  light ; 
the  remarkably  large  spiracula  in  glowworms;  and  upon  the 
statement,  tliat  the  glowworm  is  rendered  more  brilliant  by 
the  application  of  heat  and  oxygen  gas,  and  is  extinguished 
by  cold  and  by  hydrogen  and  carbonic  acid  gases.  From 
these  last  facts,  Spallanzani  was  led  to  regard  the  luminous 
matter  as  a  compound  of  hydrogen  and  carburetted  hydro- 
gen gas.  Carradori  having  found  that  the  luminous  portion 
of  the  belly  of  the  Italian  glowworm,  laynpyris  Italica,  shone 
in  vacuo,  in  oil,  in  water,  and  when  under  other  circum- 
stances where  the  presence  of  oxygen  gas  was  precluded, — with 
Brugnatelli,  ascribed  tl^e  property  in  question  to  the  imbi- 
bition of  light,  separated  from  the  food  or  air  taken  in  the  body, 
and  afterwards  secreted  in  a  sensible  form.*  Lastly,  Mr. 
Macartney  having  ascertained,  by  experiment,  that  the  light 
of  a  glowworm  is  not  diminished  by  immersion  in  water,  or 
increased  by  the  application  of  heat;  that  the  substance  af- 
fording it,  though  poetically  employed  for  lighting  the  fairies' 
tapers,'h  is  incapable  of  inflammation,  if  applied  to  the  flame 
of  a  candle  or  red-hot  iron  ;  and  when  separated  from  the 
body,  exhibits  no  sensible  heat  on  the  thermometer's  being 
applied  to  it, — rejects  the  preceding  hypothesis  as  unsatisfac- 
tory, butwithout  substituting  any  other  explanation;  suggest- 
ing, however,  that  the  facts  he  observed  are  more  favourable 
to  the  supposition  of  light  being  a  quality  of  matter,  than  a 
substance. 

Wh'.^h  of  these  opinions  is  the  more  correct,  is  left  for 
future  philosophers  to  decide. 

*  Annal.  di  Chimica,  xiii.  1797,  Mag.  ii.  80. 

f  "  And  for  night-tapers  crop  their  waxen  thi^^hs, 
And  light  them  at  Ihc  licry  gloM  worm's  eyes." 


THK   FLEA.  325 

The  general  use  of  this  singular  provision  Is  not  much  more 
satisfactorily  ascertained  than  its  nature.  It  is  conjectured 
that  it  may  be  a  means  of  defence  against  its  enemies.  In 
different  kinds  of  insects,  however,  it  may  probably  have  a 
different  object.  Thus  in  the  lantern-flies,  (Fulgora,)  whose 
light  precedes  them,  it  may  act  the  part  that  their  name  im- 
ports, enable  them  to  discover  their  prey,  and  to  steer  them- 
selves safely  in  the  night.  In  the  fire-flies,  (Elater,)  if  we 
consider  the  infinite  numbers,  that  in  certain  climates  and 
situations  present  themselves  every  where  in  the  night,  it  may 
distract  the  attention  of  their  enemies,  or  alarm  them.  And 
in  the  glowworm,  since  their  light  is  usually  mere  brilliant 
in  the  female,  it  is  most  probably  intended  to  conduct  the 
sexes  to  each  other. 

Thine  is  an  unobtrusive  blaze, 

Content  in  lowly  shades  to  shine  ; 
And  much  I  wish,  while  yet  I  gaze, 

To  make  thy  modest  merit  mine !  Mrs.  Opie. 


CHAP.  XXVIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS — (Continued.) 

The  Flea — On  the  Duration  of  the  Life  of  a  Flea — The  Louse. 

The  Flea, — has  two  eyes  and  six  feet,  fitted  for  leaping;  the 
feelers  are  like  threads ;  the  rostrum  is  inflected,  setaceous, 
and  armed  with  a  sting;  and  the  belly  is  compressed.  Fleas 
bring  forth  eggs,  which  they  deposit  on  animals  that  afford 
them  a  proper  food.  Of  these  eggs  are  hatched  white  worms 
of  a  shining  pearl  colour,  which  feed  on  the  scurfy  substance 
of  the  cuticle,  the  downy  matter  gathered  in  the  piles  or  folds 
of  clothes,  or  other  similar  substances.  In  a  fortnight  they 
come  to  a  tolerable  size,  and  are  very  lively  and  active  ;  and, 
if  at  any  time  disturbed,  they  suddenly  roll  themselves  into 
a  kind  of  ball.  Soon  after  this,  they  come  to  creep,  after 
the  manner  of  silk-worms,  with  a  very  swift  motion.  When 
arrived  at  their  size,  they  hide  themselves  as  much  as  possi- 
ble, and  spin  a  silken  thread  out  of  their  mouth,  wherewith 
they  form  themselves  a  small  round  bag,  or  case,  white  within 
as  paper,  but  without  always  dirty,  and  fouled  with  dust. 
Here,  after  a  fortnight's  rest,  the  animalcule  bursts  out,  trans- 
formed into  a  perfect  flea,  leaving  its  exuviaj  in  the  bag.  While 


326  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

it  remains  in  the  bag,  it  is  milk-white  till  the  second  day  before 
its  eruption,  when  it  becomes  coloured,  grows  hard,  and  gets 
strength ;  so  that,  upon  its  first  delivery,  it  springs  nimbly  away. 
The  Hea  is  covered  all  over  with  black,  hard,  and  shelly  scales 
orplates,  which  are  curiously  jointed, and  folded  over  each  other 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  comply  with  all  the  nimble  motions  of 
the  creature.  These  scales  are  finely  polished,  and  beset 
about  the  edges  with  short  spikes,  in  a  very  beautiful  and 
regular  order.  Its  neck  is  finely  arched,  and  resembles  the 
tail  of  a  lobster  :  the  head  is  also  very  extraordinary  ;  for  from 
the  snout-part  of  it  proceed  the  two  fore-legs,  and  between 
these  is  placed  the  piercer,  or  sucker,  with  which  it  penetrates 
the  skin  to  get  its  food.  Its  eyes  are  very  large  and  beautiful, 
and  it  has  two  short  horns,  or  feelers.  It  has  four  other  legs, 
joined  all  at  the  breast.  These,  when  it  leaps,  fold  short,  one 
within  another;  and  then,  exerting  their  spring  all  at  the 
same  instant,  they  carry  the  creature  to  a  surprising  distance. 
The  legs  have  several  joints,  are  very  hairy,  and  terminate 
in  two  long  and  hooked  sharp  claws.  The  piercer,  or  sucker, 
of  the  flea,  is  lodged  between  its  fore-legs,  and  includes  a 
couple  of  darts  or  lancets,  which,  after  the  piercer  has  made 
an  entrance,  are  thrust  farther  into  the  flesh,  to  make  the 
blood  flow  from  the  adjacent  parts,  and  occasion  that  round 
red  spot,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  it,  vulgarly  called  a  flea- 
bite. 

This  piercer,  its  sheath  opening  sidewise,  and  the  two  lancets 
within  it,  are  very  difficult  to  be  seen,  unless  the  two  fore- 
legs, between  which  they  are  hid,  be  cut  off  close  to  the  head  ; 
for  the  flea  rarely  puts  out  its  piercer,  except  at  the  time  of 
feeding,  but  keeps  it  folded  inwards  ;  and  the  best  way  of 
seeing  it,  is  by  cutting  oft"  first  the  head,  and  then  the  fore-legs, 
and  then  it  is  usually  seen  thrust  out  in  convulsions.  By 
keeping  fleas  in  a  glass  tube  corked  up  at  both  ends,  but  so 
as  to  admit  fresh  air,  their  several  actions  may  be  observed. 
They  may  be  thus  seen  to  lay  their  eggs,  &.c.  They  do  not 
lay  their  eggs  all  at  once,  but  by  ten  or  twelve  in  a  day,  for 
several  days  successively,  which  eggs  will  be  afterwards 
found  to  hatch  successively,  in  the  same  order.  The  flea  may 
easily  be  dissected  in  a  drop  of  water;  and  thus  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  with  their  peristaltic  motion,  may  be  discovered 
very  j)l;unly,  with  the  veins  and  arteries,  though  minute  beyond 
all  concej)tion.  This  bloodthirsty  insect,  whicli  fattens  at 
the  ex))ense  of  the  human  species,  prefers  the  more  delicate 
skin  of  women,  but  preys  neither  upon  epileptic  persons,  nor 
upon  the  dead  or  dying.  It  loves  to  nestle  in  the  fur  of  dogs, 
cats,  and  rats.  The  nests  of  river-swallows  are  sometimes 
plentifully  stored  with  them.  Fleas  are  apterous,  walk  but 
little,  but  leap  to  a  height  equalto   two  hundred   times  that 


THE   FLEA.  327 

of  their  own  body.  This  amazing  motion  is  performed  by 
means  of  the  elasticity  of  their  feet,  the  articulations  of  which 
are  so  many  springs.  Thus  it  eludes,  with  surprising  agility, 
the  pursuit  of  the  person  on  whom  it  riots.  Mercurial  oint- 
ment, brimstone,  a  fumigation  with  the  leaves  of  pennyroyal, 
or  fresh-gathered  leaves  of  that  plant,  sewed  up  in  a  bag,  and 
laid  in  the  bed,  are  remedies  pointed  out  as  destructive  of 
fleas. 

In  the  Athenian  Oracle,  a  lady  desires  to  know  whether 
fleas  have  stings,  or  whether  they  only  suck  or  bite,  when 
they  draw  blood  from  the  body  ?  To  Avhich  an  ingenious 
author  returns  the  following  humorous  answer : 

"  Not  to  trouble  you,  madam,  with  the  Hebrew  or  Arabic 
name  of  a  flea,  or  to  transcribe  Bochart's  learned  dissertations 
on  the  little  animal,  we  shall,  for  your  satisfaction,  give  such 
a  description  thereof  as  we  have  yet  been  able  to  discover. — 

"  Its  skin  is  of  a  lovely  deep  red  colour,  most  neatly  polished, 
and  armed  with  scales,  which  can  resist  any  thing  but  fate, 
and  your  ladyship's  unmerciful  fingers  :  the  neck  of  it  is 
exactly  like  the  tail  of  a  lobster,  and,  by  the  assistance  of  those 
strong  scales  it  is  covered  with,  springs  backwards  and  for- 
wards much  in  the  same  manner,  and  with  equal  violence  :  it 
has  two  eyes  on  each  side  of  its  head,  so  pretty,  that  I  would 
prefer  them  to  any,  madam,  but  yours;  and  which  it  makes 
use  of  to  avoid  its  fate,  and  flee  from  its  enemies,  with  as  much 
nimbleness  and  success,  as  your  sex  mana.ge  those  fatal  wea- 

Sons,  lovely  basilisks  as  you  are,  for  the  ruin  of  your  adorers, 
ature  has  provided  it  six  substantial  legs,  of  great  strength, 
and  incomparable  agility,  jointed  like  a  cane,  covered  with 
large  hairs,  and  armed  each  of  them  with  two  claws,  which 
appear  of  a  horny  substance,  more  sharp  than  lancets,  or  the 
finest  needle  you  have  in  your  needle-book.  It  was  a  long 
while  before  we  could  discover  its  mouth,  which,  we  confess, 
we  have  not  yet  so  exactly  perceived  as  we  could  wish,  the 
little  bashful  creature  always  holding  up  its  two  fore-feet  be- 
fore it,  which  it  uses  instead  of  a  fan  or  mask,  when  it  has  no 
mind  to  be  known;  and  we  were  forced  to  be  guilty  of  an  act 
both  uncivil  and  cruel,  without  which  we  could  never  have 
resolved  your  question.  We  were  obliged  to  unmask  this 
modest  one,  and  cut  off"  its  two  fore-legs  to  get  to  the  face ; 
which  being  performed,  though  it  makes  our  tender  hearts,  as 
well  as  yours,  almost  bleed  to  think  of  it,  we  immediately 
discovered  what  your  ladyship  desired,  and  found  Nature  had 
given  it  a  strong  proboscis,  or  trunk,  as  a  gnat  or  muschetto, 
though  much  thicker  and  stouter,  with  which  we  may  very 
well  suppose  it  penetrates  your  fair  hand,  feasts  itself  on  the 
nectar  of  your  blood,  and  then,  like  a  little  faithless  fugitive  of  a 
lover,  skips  away,  almost  invisibly,  nobody  knows  whither." 


328  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

We  close  our  remarks  on  this  well-known  insect,  with  the 
following  interesting-  jjarticulars  on  theDuuATioN  of  THE 
Life  of  a  Flea  ;  by  Borrichius;  from  the  Acts  of  Copenha- 
gen.— "  Pliny  represents  to  us  a  Greek  philosopher,  whose  chief 
occupation,  for  several  years  together,  was  to  measure  the 
space  skipped  over  by  fleas.  Without  giving  in  to  such  ridi- 
culous researches,  I  can  relate  an  anecdote,  which  chance 
discovered  to  me  in  regard  to  this  insect. 

"  Being  sent  for  to  attend  a  foreign  lady,  w^ho  was  greatly 
afflicted  with  the  gout,  and  having  staid,  by  her  desire,  to 
dine  with  her,  she  l)ade  me  take  notice  of  a  flea  on  her  hand. 
Surprised  at  such  discourse,  I  looked  at  the  hand,  and  saw  in- 
deed a  plump  and  pampered  flea  sucking  greedily,  and  kept  fast 
to  it  by  a  little  gold  chain.  The  lady  assured  me,  she  had 
nursed  and  kept  the  little  animal,  at  that  time,  full  six  years, 
with  exceeding  great  care,  having  fed  it  twice  every  day  with 
her  blood  ;  and  when  it  had  satisfied  its  appetite,  she  put  it 
up  in  a  little  box,  lined  with  silk.  In  a  month's  time,  being 
recovered  from  her  illness,  she  set  out  from  Copenhagen  with 
her  flea;  but  having  returned  in  about  a  year  alter,  1  took  an 
opportunity  of  waiting  upon  her,  and,  among  other  things, 
asked  after  her  little  insect.  She  answered  me  with  great 
concern,  that  it  died  through  the  neglect  of  her  waiting- 
woman.  What  I  found  remarkable  in  this  story  was,  that  the 
lady,  being  attacked  by  chronical  pains  in  her  limbs,  had 
recourse  in  France  to  very  powerful  medicines  during  six 
weeks  ;  and  all  this  time  the  flea  had  not  ceased  to  i'eed  upon 
her  blood,  imbued  with  the  vapours,  and  yet  was  not  the 
worse  for  it." 

The  Louse. — This  insect  has  six  feet,  two  eyes,  and  a  sort 
of  sting  in  the  mouth  ;  the  feelers  are  as  long  as  the  tliorax  ; 
and  the  belly  is  depressed  and  sublobated.  It  is  an  oviparous 
animal.  They  are  not  peculiar  to  man  alone,  but  infest  other 
animals,  as  quadrupeds  and  birds,  and  ev.en  fishes  and  vege- 
tables;  but  these  are  of  peculiar  species  on  each  animal, 
according  to  the  particular  nature  of  each,  some  of  wiiich  are 
different  from  those  which  infest  the  human  body.  Nay,  even 
insects  are  infested  with  vermin,  which  feed  on  and  torment 
them.  Several  kinds  of  beetles  are  subject  to  lice,  but  par- 
ticularly tlratkind  called  byway  of  eminence  the  lousy  beetle. 
The  lice  on  this  are  very  numerous,  and  will  not  be  shook 
off'.  The  earwig  is  often  infested  with  lice,  just  at  the  setting 
on  of  its  head  :  these  are  white  and  shining,  like  mites,  but 
they  are  much  smaller;  they  are  round-backed,  flat-bellied, 
and  have  long  legs,  particulaily  the  foremost  pair.  Snails  of 
all  kinds,  but  especially  the  large  naked  sorts,  are  very  subject 
to  lice  ;  which  are  continually  seen  running  about  them,  and 


THE    LOUSE.  329 

devouring  tnem.  Number^  of  little  red  lice,  with  a  very  small 
head,  and  in  shape  resembling  a  tortoise,  are  often  seen  about 
the  legs  of  spiders,  and  they  never  leave  the  animal  while  he 
lives ;  but  if  he  be  killed,  they  almost  instantly  forsake 
him.  A  sort  of  whitish  lice  is  found  on  bumblebees;  they 
are  also  found  upon  ants;  and  fishes  are  not  less  subject  to 
them  than  other  animals.  Kircher  tells  us,  that  he  found 
lice  also  on  flies,  and  M.  de  la  Hire  has  given  a  curious  account 
of  the  creature  which  he  found  on  the  common  fly,  llavino* 
occasion  to  view  a  living  fly  with  the  microscope,  he  observed 
on  its  head,  back,  and  shoulders,  a  great  number  of  small  ani- 
mals crawling  very  nimbly  about,  and  often  climbing  up  the 
hairs  which  grow  at  the  origin  of  the  fly's  legs.  He  with  a  fine 
needle  took  up  one  of  these,  and  placed  it  before  tlie  micro- 
scope used  to  view  the  animalcules  in  fluids.  It  had  eight 
legs,  four  on  each  side  ;  these  were  not  placed  very  distant 
from  each  other,  but  the  four  towards  the  head  were  separated 
by  a  small  space  from  the  four  towards  the  tail.  The  feet 
were  of  a  particular  structure,  being  composed  of  several 
fingers,  as  it  were,  and  fitted  for  taking  last  hold  of  any 
thing,  but  the  two  nearest  the  head  were  also  more  remark- 
able in  this  particular  than  those  near  the  tail;  the  extremities 
of  the  legs  for  a  little  way  above  the  feet  were  dry,  and  void 
of  flesh,  like  the  legs  of  birds,  but  above  this  part  they  ap- 
peared plump  and  fleshy.  It  had  two  small  horns  upon  its 
head,  formed  of  several  hairs  arranged  closely  together;  and 
there  were  some  other  clusters  of  hairs  by  the  side  of  these 
horns,  but  they  had  not  the  same  figure  ;  and  towards  the 
origin  of  the  hind-legs  there  were  two  other  such  clusters 
of  hairs,  which  took  their  origin  at  the  middle  of  the  back. 
The  whole  creature  was  of  a  bright  yellowish  red  ;  the  legs, 
and  all  the  body,  except  a  large  spot  in  the  centre,  were  per- 
fectly transparent.  In  size,  he  computed  it  to  be  about  47/ijoth 
part  of  the  head  of  the  fly;  and  he  observes,  that  such  kind  of 
vermin  are  rarely  found  on  flies. 

The  louse  which  infests  the  human  body,  makes  a  very 
curious  appearance  through  a  microscope.  It  has  such  a 
transparent  shell  or  skin,  that  we  are  able  to  discover  more  of 
what  jjasses  within  its  body,  than  in  most  other  living  crea- 
tures. It  has  naturally  three  divisions,  the  head,  the  breast, 
and  the  tail  part.  In  the  head  appear  two  fine  black  eyes, 
with  a  horn  that  has  five  joints,  and  is  surrounded  with  hairs 
standing  before  each  eye;  and  from  the  end  of  the  nose,  or 
snout,  there  is  a  pointed  projecting  part,  which  serves  as  a 
sheath  or  case  to  a  piercer,  or  sucker,  which  the  creature 
thrusts  into  the  skin  to  draw  out  the  blood  and  humours 
which  are  its  destined  food  ;  for  it  has  no  mouth  that  o])ens 
in  the  common  way.     This  piercer,  or  sucker,  is  judged  to  be 

2  T 


330  CLRIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

seven  hundred  times  smaller  than  a  hair,  and  is  contained  in 
another  case  within  the  first,  and  can  be  drawn  in  or  thrust 
out  at  pleasure.  The  breast  is  very  beautifully  marked  in  the 
middle ;  the  skin  is  transparent,  and  full  of  little  pits  ;  and 
from  the  under  part  of  it  proceed  six  leos,  each  having  five 
joints,  and  their  skin  all  the  way  resembling  shagreen,  except 
at  the  ends,  where  it  is  smoother.  Each  leg  is  terminated  by 
two  claws,  which  are  hooked,  and  are  of  an  unequal  length 
and  size.  These  it  uses  as  we  would  a  thumb  and  middle 
finger  ;  and  there  are  hairs  between  these  claws,  as  well  as  all 
over  the  legs.  On  the  back  part  of  the  tail  there  may  be  dis- 
covered some  ring-like  divisions,  and  a  sort  of  marks  which 
look  like  the  strokes  of  a  rod  on  the  human  skin;  tiie  belly 
looks  like  shagreen,  and  towards  the  lower  end  it  is  very  clear, 
and  full  of  pits  :  at  the  extremity  of  the  tail  there  are  two 
semicircular  parts,  all  covered  over  with  hairs.  When  the 
louse  moves  its  legs,  the  motion  of  the  muscles,  which  all 
unite  in  an  oblong  dark  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  breast,  may 
be  distinguished  perfectly;  and  so  may  the  motion  of  the 
muscles  of  the  head,  when  it  moves  its  horns.  We  may  like- 
wise see  the  various  ramifications  of  the  veins  and  arteries, 
which  are  white,  with  the  pulse  regularly  beating  in  the  arte- 
ries. The  peristaltic  motion  of  the  intestines  may  be  dis- 
tinctly seen,  from  the  stomach  down  to  the  anus. 

If  one  of  these  creatures,  when  hungry,  be  placed  on  the 
back  of  the  hand,  it  will  thrust  its  sucker  into  the  skin,  and 
the  blood  which  it  sucks  may  be  seen  passing  in  a  fine  stream 
to  the  fore  part  of  the  head  ;  where,  falling  into  a  roundish 
cavity.  It  passes  again  in  a  fine  stream  to  another  circular 
receptacle  in  the  middle  of  the  head  ;  from  thence  it  runs 
through  a  small  vessel  to  the  breast,  and  then  to  a  gut  which 
reaches  to  the  hinder  part  of  the  body,  where,  in  a  curve,  it 
turns  again  a  little  upward  in  the  breast  and  gut ;  the  blood 
is  moved  without  intermission  with  great  force,  especially  in 
the  former,  where  it  occasions  a  surprising  contraction. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  crooked  ascending  gut  above-men 
tioned,  the  propelled  blood  stands  still,  and  seems  to  undergo 
a  sepai-ation,  some  of  it  becoming  clear  and  waterish,  while 
other  black  particles  are  pushed  forward  to  the  anus.  If  a 
louse  is  placed  on  its  back,  two  bloody  darkish  spots  appear; 
the  larger  in  the  middle  of  the  body,  the  smaller  towards  the 
tail;  the  motions  of  which  are  followed  by  the  pulsation  of 
the  dark  bloody  spot,  in  or  over  which  the  white  bladder  seems 
to  lie.  This  motion  of  the  systole  and  diastole  is  best  seen 
when  the  creature  begins  to  grow  weak;  and  on  .pricking  the 
white  Ijladder,  whicli  seems  to  be  the  heart,  it  instantly  dies. 
The  lower  dark  spot  is  supposed  to  be  the  excrement. 


THE  APHIS.  33' 


CHAP,  XXIX. 

CURIOSITIES  KESPECTiNG  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

In  the  vast,  and  the  minnte,  we  se.r 

Tir  unanibiijuons  footsteps  of  a  God, 

Who  *?ives  its  lustre  to  an  insect's  win^, 

And  wheels  his  tlirone  upon  the  rolling  worlds.       Cowper. 

THE   APHIS. 

This  is  an  insect  which  has  engaged  the  attention  of  natu- 
ralists for  various  reasons  :  their  generation  is  equivocal,  and 
their  instinctive  economy  differs,  in  some  respects,  from  that 
of  most  other  animals.  Linneeus  defines  the  generic  character 
of  the  a])his  thus:  beak  inflected,  sheath  of  five  articidations, 
with  a  single  bristle;  antennee  setaceous,  and  longer  than  the 
thorax ;  either  four  erect  wings,  or  none  ;  feet  formed  for 
walking  ;  posterior  part  of  the  abdomen  usually  furnished 
with  two  little  horns.  Geoffrey  says,  the  aphides  have  two 
beaks,  one  of  which  is  seated  in  the  breast,  the  other  in  the 
head  ;  this  last  extends  to,  and  is  laid  upon,  the  base  of  the 
pectoral  one,  and  serves,  as  that  writer  imagines,  to  convey 
to  the  head  a  part  of  that  nourishment  which  the  insect  takes 
or  sucks  in  by  means  of  the  pectoral  beak. 

Gmelin  enumerates  about  seventy  species,  all  of  which,  and 
doubtless  many  others,  are  found  in  different  parts  of  Europe. 
They  infest  an  endless  variety  of  plants  ;  and  it  is  believed 
that  eacli  species  is  particularly  attached  to  one  kind  of  vege- 
table only  :  hence  each  sort  has  been  hitherto  named  after  the 
individual  species  or  genus  of  plants  on  which  it  feeds;  or  if 
that  could  not  be  ascertained,  that  on  which  it  had  been  found ; 
for  some  species  are  rather  uncommon  and  little  known,  though 
others  are  infinitely  too  numerous.  The  aphides  are  sufficiently 
known  by  the  indiscriminate  term  of  plant-lice  ;  they  abound 
with  a  sweet  and  grateful  moisture,  and  are  therefore  eagerly 
devoured  by  ants,  the  larvae  coccinella),  and  many  other  crea- 
tures, or  they  would  become,  very  probably,  more  destructive 
to  the  whole  vegetable  creation  than  any  other  race  of  insects 
known.  If  Bonnet  was  not  the  first  naturalist  (as  is  generally 
acknowledged)  who  discovered  the  mysterious  course  of  gene- 
ration in  the  aphides,  or,  as  he  calls  them,  pucerons,  his  ex- 
periments, together  with  those  of  his  countryman,  Trembley, 
tended  at  least  to  confirm,  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner,  the 
almost  incredi'ble  circumstances  respecting  it,  that  an  aphis,  or 
puceron,  brought  up  in  the  most  perfect  solitude  from  the  mo 
ment  of  its  birth,  in  a  few  days  will  be  found  in  the  midst  of  a 


332  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. 

numerous  family  ;  and  that  if  the  experiment  be  again  repeated 
on  one  of  tire  individuals  of  this  family,  a  second  generation 
will  multiply  like  its  parent;  t^nd  the  like  experiment  may  be 
many  times  repeated  with  the  same  effect. 

The  history  of  aphides  has  also  been  very  copiously  treated 
upon  by  Dr.  Richardson,  in  a  paper  printed  in  the  41st  vol.  of 
the  Philosophical  Transactions,  and  by  the  late  ingenious  Mr. 
Curtis,  in  the  6th  vol.  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Linnaian  So- 
ciety. The  tenor  of  Dr.  Richardson's  remarks  is  briefly  this  : 
The  great  variety  of  species  which  occur  in  the  insects  now 
under  consideration,  may  render  an  inquiry  into  their  particu- 
lar natures  not  a  little  perplexing;  but  by  reducing  them 
under  their  proper  genus,  the  difficulty  is  considerably  dimi- 
nished. We  may  reasonably  suppose  all  the  insects  compre- 
hended under  any  distinct  genus,  to  partake  of  one  general 
nature  ;  and  by  diligently  examining  any  particular  species,  we 
may  thence  gain  some  insight  into  the  nature  of  all  the  rest. 
With  this  view.  Dr.  Richardson  chose  out  of  the  various  sorts 
of  aphides,  the  largest  of  those  found  on  the  rose-tree  ;  not 
only  as  its  size  makes  it  more  conspicuous,  but  as  there  are  few 
of  so  long  duration.  This  sort  appears  early  in  the  spring, 
and  continues  late  in  autumn;  while  several  are  limited  to  a 
mucii  shorter  term,  in  conformity  to  the  different  trees  and 
plants  whence  they  draw  their  nourishment. 

If,  at  the  beginning  of  February,  the  weather  happens  to  be 
so  warm  as  to  make  the  buds  of  the  rose-tree  swell  and  appear 
green,  small  aphides  are  frequently  to  be  found  on  them, 
though  not  larger  than  the  young  ones  in  summer,  when  first 
produced.  It  will  be  found,  that  those  aphides  which  appear 
only  in  spring,  proceed  from  small  black  oval  eggs,  which 
were  deposited  on  the  last  year's  shoot ;  though  it  happens 
that,  when  the  insects  make  too  early  an  appearance,  the  greater 
part  suffer  from  the  sharp  weather  that  usually  succeeds,  by 
which  means  the  rose-trees  are  some  years  freed  from  them. 
The  same  kind  of  animal  is  then  at  one  time  of  the  year  vivi- 
parous, and  at  another  oviparous.  Those  aphides  which  with- 
stand the  severity  of  the  weather,  seldom  come  to  their  full 
growth  belbre  the  month  of  April,  at  which  time  they  usually 
begin  to  breed,  after  twice  casting  off"  their  exuvia,  or  outward 
covering. 

When  they  first  come  from  the  parent,  they  are  enveloped 
in  a  thin  membrane,  having  the  appearance  of  an  oval  egg; 
these  egg-like  appearances  adhere  by  one  extremity  to  the 
mother,  while  the  young  ones  contained  in  them  extend  to  the 
other,  and  by  that  means  gradually  draw  the  ruptured  mem- 
brane over  the  head  and  body  to  the  hind-feet.  Being  thus 
suspended  in  the  air,  the  insect  soon  frees  itself  from  the 
membrane  in  which  it  was  confined,  and,  after  its  limbs  are 


THE   APHia.  333 

a  little  strengthened,  is  set  down  on  some  tender  shoots,  and 
left  to  provide  for  itself.  In  the  s]Ming  months  there  ap- 
pear on  the  rose-trees  but  two  generations  of  aphides,  includ- 
ing those  which  proceed  immediately  from  the  last  year's  esigs; 
the  warmth  of  the  summer  adds  so  much  to  thtir  fertility, 
that  no  less  than  five  generations  succeed  each  other  in  the 
interval.  One  is  produced  in  May,  which  casts  off  their  cover- 
ing; while  the  months  of  June  and  July  each  supply  two  more, 
which  cast  off  their  coverings  three  or  four  times,  according- 
to  the  different  warmth  of  the  season.  This  frequent  change 
of  their  outward  coat  is  the  more  extraordinary,  because  it  is 
repeated  more  often  when  the  insects  come  the  soonest  to 
their  growth,  which  sometimes  happens  in  ten  days,  when 
they  have  had  plenty  of  warmth  and  nourishment.  Early  in 
the  month  of  June,  some  of  the  third  generation,  which  were 
produced  about  the  middle  of  May,  after  casting  off  the  last 
covering,  discover  four  erect  wings,  much  longer  than  thei.- 
bodies;  and  the  same  is  observable  in  all  the  succeeding 
generations  which  are  produced  during  the  summer  months, 
but,  like  all  the  others,  without  any  diversity  of  sex  :  for  some 
time  before  the  aphides  come  to  their  full  growth,  it  is  easy 
to  distinguish  which  will  have  win^s,  by  a  remarkable  fulness 
of  the  breast,  which  in  the  others  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  body.  When  the  last  covering  is  ejected,  the 
wings,  which  were  before  folded  up  in  a  very  narrow  compass, 
are  gradually  extended  in  a  surprising  manner,  till  their  di- 
mensions are  at  last  very  considerable.  The  increase  of  these 
insects  in  the  summer  time  is  so  very  great,  that  by  wounding 
and  exhausting  the  tender  shoots,  they  would  frequently  sup- 
press all  vegetation,  had  they  not  many  enemies  to  restrain 
them. 

Notwithstanding  these  insects  have  a  numerous  tribe  of  ene- 
mies, they  are  not  without  their  friends,  if  those  may  be  con- 
sidered as  such,  who  are  officious  in  their  attendance,  for  the 
good  things  they  expect  to  reap  thereby.  The  ant  and  bee  are 
of  tills  kind,  collecting  the  honey  in  which  the  aphides  abound, 
but  with  this  difference,  that  the  ants  are  constant  visitors,  the 
bee  only  when  flowers  are  scarce  ;  the  ants  will  suck  in  the 
honey  while  the  aphides  are  in  the  act  of  discharging  it;  the 
bees  only  collect  it  from  the  leaves  on  which  it  has  fallen.  In 
the  autumn,  three  more  generations  of  aphides  are  produced, 
two  of  which  generally  make  their  appearance  in  the  month 
of  August,  and  the  third  before  the  middle  of  September. 
The  two  first  differ  in  no  respect  from  those  which  are  found 
in  summer,  but  the  third  dlfiers  greatly  from  all  the  rest. 

Though  all  the  aphides  which  have  hitherto  appeared  were 
female,  in  this  generation  several  male  insects  are  found,  but 
not  by  any  means  so  numerous  as  the   females.     The   females 


334  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

have,  at  first,  the  same  appearance  as  those  of  the  former 
generations,  but  in  a  tew  days  their  colour  changes  from  a 
green  to  a  yellow,  which  is  gradually  converted  into  an  orange 
before  they  come  to  their  full  growth  ;  they  differ  also,  in 
another  respect,  from  those  which  occur  in  summer,  for  all 
these  yellow  females  are  without  wings.  The  male  insects 
are,  however,  still  more  remarkable,  their  outward  appearance 
readily  distinguishing  them  from  this  and  all  other  generations. 
When  first  produced,  they  are  not  of  a  green  colour  like  the 
rest,  but  of  a  reddish  brown,  and  have  afterwards  a  dark  line 
along  the  back  ;  they  come  to  their  full  growth  in  about  three 
weeks,  and  then  cast  off  their  last  covering,  the  whole  insect 
being,  after  this,  of  a  bright  yellow  colour,  the  wings  only 
excepted,  but  after  this  change  they  become  a  deeper  yellow, 
and,  in  a  very  few  hours,  of  a  dark  brown,  if  we  except  the 
body,  which  is  something  lighter  coloured,  and  has  a  reddish 
cast.  Where  there  are  a  number  crowded  together,  they  of 
course  interfere  with  each  other,  in  which  case  they  will 
frequently  deposit  their  eggs  on  other  parts  of  the  branches. 
It  is  highly  probable  that  the  aphides  derive  considerable  ad- 
vantages by  living  in  society  :  the  reiterated  punctures  of  a 
great  number  of  them  may  attract  a  larger  quantity  of  nutri- 
tious juices  to  that  part  of  the  tree  or  plant  where  they  have 
taken  up  their  abode. 

The  observations  of  Mr.  Curtis,  on  the  aphides,  are  chiefly 
intended  to  shew  that  they  are  the  principal  cause  of  blights 
in  plants,  and  the  sole  cause  of  the  honey-dew.  He  therefore 
calls  this  insect  the  aphis,  or  blighter;  and  after  observing,  that, 
in  point  of  numbers,  the  individuals  of  the  several  species 
composing  it  surpass  those  of  any  other  genus  in  the  country, 
speaks  thus,  in  general  terms,  of  the  whole  tribe. — "  These 
insects  live  entirely  on  vegetables.  The  loftiest  tree  is  no  less 
liable  to  their  attacks,  than  the  most  humble  plant.  They 
prefer  the  young  shoots  on  account  of  their  tenderness,  and, 
on  this  principle,  often  insinuate  themselves  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  plant,  and  do  irreparable  mischief  before  they  are 
discovered.  But,  for  the  most  part,  they  beset  the  foliage, 
and  are  always  found  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  which  they 
prefer,  not  only  on  account  of  its  being  the  most  tender,  but 
as  it  afibrds  them  protection  from  the  weather,  and  various 
injuries  to  which  they  would  otherwise  be  exposed.  Some- 
times the  root  is  the  object  of  their  choice,  which,  from  the 
nature  of  these  insects,  one  would  not,  a  priori,  expect :  yet 
I  have  seen  the  roots  of  lettuces  thickly  beset  with  them,  and 
the  whole  crop  rendered  sickly  and  of  little  value;  but  such 
instances  are  rare.  They  seldom  attach  themselves  to  the 
bark  cf  trees,  like  the  aphis  salicis,  which  being  one  of  our 
largest  species,    and  hence   possessing  superior  strength,  is 


THE   APHIS.  SS5 

enabled  to  penetrate  a  substance  harder  than  the  leaves  them- 
selves. 

In  the  quality  of  the  excrement  voided  by  these  insects, 
there  is  something  wonderfully  extraordinary.  Were  a  person 
accidentally  to  take  up  a  book,  in  which  it  is  gravely  asserted, 
that  in  some  countries  there  were  certain  animals  that  voided 
liquid  sugar,  he  would  lay  it  down,  regarding  it  as  a 
fabulous  tale,  calculated  to  impose  on  the  credulity  of  the 
ignorant;  and  yet  such  is  literally  the  truth.  Mr.  Curtis  col- 
lected some  on  a  piece  of  writing-paper,  from  a  brood  of  the 
aphis  salicis, and  found  it  to  be  as  sweet  as  sugar;  and  observes, 
that  were  it  not  for  the  wasps,  ants,  flies,  and  other  insects, 
that  devour  it  as  quickly  as  it  is  produced,  it  might,  no  doubt, 
be  collected  in  considerable  quantities,  and,  by  the  processes 
used  with  other  saccharine  juices,  might  be  converted  into  the 
choicest  sugar  or  sugar-candy.  The  sweetness  of  this  excre- 
mentitious  substance,  the  glossy  appearance  it  gave  the  leaves 
it  fell  upon,  and  the  swarms  of  insects  this  matter  attracts, 
led  him  to  imagine  the  honey-dew  of  plants  was  no  other  than 
this  secretion,  which  further  observation  has  since  been  fully 
confirmed;  and  not,  as  its  name  implies,  a  sweet  substance 
falling  from  the  atmosphere.  On  this  opinion  it  is  further  re- 
marked, that  it  neither  falls  from  the  atmosphere,  nor  issues 
from  the  plant  itself,  as  is  easily  demonstrated,  if  it  fell  from 
the  atmosphere,  it  would  cover  every  thing  it  fell  upon  indis- 
criminately ;  whereas  we  never  find  it  but  on  certain  living 
plants  and  trees.  We  find  it  also  on  plants  in  stoves  and  green- 
houses covered  with  glass.  If  it  exuded  from  the  plant,  it 
would  appear  on  all  the  leaves  generally  and  uniformly; 
whereas  its  appearance  is  extremely  irregular,  not  alike  on 
any  two  leaves  of  the  same  tree  or  plant,  some  having  none 
of  it,  and  others  being  covered  with  it  but  partially. 

It  is  probable  that  there  never  exists  any  honey-dew  but 
where  there  are  aphides  ;  though  such  often  pass  unnoticed, 
being  hidden  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf:  and  wherever  honey 
is  observable  upon  a  leaf,  aphides  will  be  found  on  the  under- 
side of  the  leaf  or  leaves  immediately  above  it,  and  under  no 
other  circumstance  whatever.  If  by  accident  any  thing  should 
intervene  between  the  aphides  and  the  leaf  next  beneath  them, 
there  will  be  no  honey-dew  on  that  leaf:  and  thus  he  conceives 
it  is  incontrovertibly  proved,  that  aphides  are  the  true  and 
only  source  of  honey-dew. 

Of  the  British  species  of  aphides,  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  remarkable  is  the  aphis  salicis,  which  is  found  on  the 
different  kinds  of  willows.  When  bruised,  these  insects  stain 
the  fingers  with  red.  Towards  the  end  of  September,  multi- 
tudes of  the  full-grown  insects  of  this  species,  both  with  and 
without  wings,  desert  the  willows  on  which  they   feed,  and 


336  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

ramble  over  every  neighbouring  object  in  such  numbers,  that 
we  can  handle  nothing  in  their  vicinity  without  crushing  some 
of  them;  while  those  in  a  younger  or  less  advanced  state,  still 
remain  in  large  masses  upon  the  trees.  Aphis  rosae  is  very  fre- 
quent, during  the  summer  months,  on  young  shoots  and  buds 
of  roses ;  it  is  of  a  bright  green  colour :  the  males  are  fur- 
nished with  large  transparent  wings.  Aphis  vitis  is  most  de- 
structive to  vines,  as  Aphis  ulmi  is  to  the  elm-tree. 

It  is  found  that  where  the  saccharine  substance  has  dropped 
from  aphides  for  a  length  of  time,  as  from  the  aphis  salicis  in 
particular,  it  gives  to  the  surface  of  the  bark,  foliage,  &.c.  that 
sooty  kind  of  appearance  which  arises  from  the  explosion  of 
gunpowder  ;  it  looks  like,  and  is  sometimes  taken  for,  a  kind 
of  black  mildew.  In  most  seasons,  the  natural  enemies  of  the 
aphis  are  sufficient  to  keep  them  in  check,  and  to  prevent 
them  from  doing  essential  injury  to  plants  in  the  open  air  ;  but 
there  are  times,  once  perhaps  in  four,  five,  or  six  years,  in 
which  they  are  multiplied  to  such  an  excess,  that  the  usual 
means  of  diminution  fail  in  preventing  them  from  doing  irre- 
parable injury  to  certain  crops. 

To  prevent  the  calamities  which  would  infallibly  result  from 
an  accumulated  multiplication  of  the  more  prolific  animals,  it 
has  been  ordained  by  the  Author  of  nature,  that  such  should 
be  diminished  by  serving  as  food  for  others.  On  this  prin- 
ciple, most  animals  of  this  kind  have  one  or  more  natural  ene- 
mies. The  helpless  aphis,  which  is  the  scourge  of  the  vege- 
table kingdom,  has  to  contend  with  many:  the  principal  are 
the  coccinella,  the  ichneumon  aphidum,  and  the  musca  aphi- 
divora.  The  greatest  destroyer  of  the  aphides  is  the  cocci- 
nella, or  common  lady-bird. 

During  the  winter,  this  insect  secures  itself  under  the  l)ark  of 
trees,  and  elsewhere.  When  ihe  spring  expands  the  foliage  of 
plants,  the  female  deposits  her  eggs  on  them  in  great  numbers, 
from  wlience.in  a  short  time,  proceeds  the  larva, a  small  grub,  of 
a  dark  lead-colour, spotted  with  orange.  These  maybe  observed 
in  summer  running  pretty  briskly  overall  kinds  of  plants;  and, 
if  narrowly  watched,  they  w  ill  be  found  to  devour  the  aphides 
wherever  they  find  tliem.  The  same  may  be  observed  of  the 
lady-bird,  in  its  perfect  state.  Another  most  formidable  enemy 
to  the  aphis,  is  a  very  minute,  black,  and  slender  ichneumon 
fly,  which  eats  its  way  out  of  the  aphis,  leaving  the  dry  in- 
flated skin  of  the  insect  adhering  to  the  leaf  like  a  small  ))earl : 
such  may  always  be  found  where  aphides  are  in  plenty.  Differ- 
ent species  of  aphides  are  infested  with  different  ichneumons 
There  is  scarcely  a  division  of  nature,  in  which  the  musca,  or 
fly,  is  not  found  :  of  these,  one  division,  the  aphidivora,  feeds 
entirely  on  aphides. 

Of  the  different  species  of  aphidivorous  flies,  which   are 


THE  COMMON    HOUSE  FLY.  'o'S7 

numerous,  having  mostly  bodies  variegated  with  transverse 
stripes,  their  females  may  be  seen  hovering  over  plants  in- 
fested with  aphides,  among  which  they  deposit  their  eggs  on 
the  surface  of  the  leaf.  The  larva,  or  maggot,  produced 
from  such  esffs,  feeds,  as  soon  as  hatched,  on  the  younger 
kinds  of  aphis,  and,  as  it  increases  in  size,  attacks  and  devours 
those  which  are  larger.  The  larva  of  the  hemerolicus  feeds 
srtso  on  the  aphides,  and  deposits  its  eggs  on  the  leaves  of 
such  plants  as  are  beset  with  them.  The  earwig  is  likewise  an 
enemy  to  them,  especially  such  as  reside  in  the  curled  leaves 
of  fruit-trees,  and  the  purses  formed  by  certain  aphides  on  the 
poplars  and  other  trees.  To  these  may  be  added  the  smaller 
soft-billed  birds  that  feed  on  insects. 


CHAP.  XXX. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

The  Common  House  Fly — The  Hessian  Flj/ — The  May  Fly — 
The  Vegetable  Fly— The  Boat  Fly— The  Ephemera}  Flies— 
Butterjiies — Metamorphoses  of  Insects — 'The  Death-Watch. 

What  atom-forms  of  insect  life  appear ! 

And  who  can  follow  Nature's  pencil  here? 

Their  wings  with  azure,  green,  and  purple  gloss'd, 

Studded  with  colour'd  eyes,  with  gems  emboss'd  ; 

Inlaid  with  pearl,  and  mark'd  with  various  stains 

Of  lively  crimson  through  their  dusky  veins.  Barhauld. 

THE   COMMON    HOUSE    FLY. 

GoRDART  nas  reckoned  up  forty-eight  varieties  of  the  fly, 
without  including  them  all  in  this  enumeration.  The  multi- 
tude of  these  lively  insects,  which  the  first  genial  sunshine 
calls  forth  into  life,  has  limits  which  the  human  eye  is  incapable 
of  exploring.  The  female  fly  is  easily  distinguishable  from 
the  male  :  she  is  larger  than  the  latter,  fuller  in  the  body,  of 
a  lighter  colour,  and,  when  she  is  nearly  ready  to  deposit  her 
eggs,  the  abdomen  is  so  transparent,  that  they  may  be  per- 
ceived lying  on  both  sides,  opposite  to  each  other.  Nature 
has  instructed  her  not  to  deposit  her  eggs  in  dry,  but  in  damp 
substances,  which  keep  them  from  being  dried  up,  and  at  the 
same  time  aflford  nourishment  to  the  maggot  or  worm.  The 
latter  issues  from  the  egg  generally  in  twenty-four  hours,  but, 
in  the  sun,  within  twelve  hours  after  it  is  laid.  About  half 
an  hour  before,  annular  circles  become  visible  in  the  egg,  an 
undulatory  motion  succeeds,  the  eiiij;  opens  at  the  end,  and 


338  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

the  v»  nm  nieikes  its  appearance.  Its  entrance  into  the  world 
is  extremely  tedious ;  for  the  three  or  four  minutes  taken  by 
the  worm  to  work  its  way  out  of  the  egg,  are,  for  it,  certainly 
so  many  days.  It  is  endowed,  on  the  other  hand,  \\ith  vital 
powers,  which  enable  it  to  defy  inconveniences  which  cost 
other  animals  their  lives.  Nothing  but  turpentine,  the  general 
destroyer  of  insects,  kills  it  in  half  an  hour.  On  the  four- 
teenth or  fifteenth  day,  it  begins  to  prepare  for  its  transfor- 
mation into  a  nymph,  and  in  this  form  appears  at  first  of  a 
light  yellow,  and  afterwards  of  a  dark  red.  You  would  take 
it,  in  this  state,  for  some  kind  of  seed,  rather  than  for  the 
habitation  of  a  living  creature.  The  change  of  the  nymph 
into  a  fiy  requires  as  much  time  as  the  preceding  transforma- 
tion. A  thrust  with  the  head  then  bursts  the  prison  in  which 
it  is  confined,  and  the  fly,  perfectly  formed,  sallies  forth. 
The  sun  hastens  its  birth,  which  is  then  the  business  of  but 
a  moment;  but  in  unfavourable  weather,  this  probably  painful 
operation  often  takes  four  or  five  hours.  The  insect  is  now 
as  perfect  as  its  parents,  and  not  to  be  distinguished  from 
them.  As  soon  as  it  issues  from  the  nymph,  it  flies  away  ; 
and  only  those  are  unable  to  use  their  wings  immediattly, 
which  have  the  misfortune  to  come  out  in  gloomy  wea- 
ther. 

Leuwenhock  reckons,  that  every  fly  has  eight  thousand 
hexagons  or  eves,  on  each  of  the  hemispheres  composing  its 
face,  and  consequently  sixteen  thousand  on  both.  M.  Von 
Gleichen,  a  German  naturalist,  observes,  that  the  law  of  re- 
taliation is  in  some  measure  established,  in  regard  to  these 
animals  ;  lor  if  they  annoy  us,  they  are  in  their  turn  persecuted 
by  others.  Small  yellow  insects,  discovered  by  means  of  the 
magnifying  glass,  crawling  among  the  hairs  that  grow  on 
their  bodies,  are  supposed  to  be  destined  for  this  purpose. 

The    fecundity  of  flies    is   prodigious.     On  this  head,  the 
last-mentioned   naturalist    has    made    the    following    calcula- 
tion : — 
A  fly  lays  four  times  during  the  summer,  each  time 

eighty  eggs,  which  makes 320 

Half  of  these  are   supposed   to  be  females,  so   that 

each  of  the  four  broods  produces  forty  : 
1.  First    eighth,    or   the    forty    females    of  the    first 

brood,  also  lay  four  times  in   the  course  of  the 

summer,  w  hich  makes 12,800 

The   first  eis>hth   of  these,  or    1 ,600  females,    three 

times   :. 384,000 

The  second  eighth,  twice 256,000 

The  third  and  fourth  eighth,  at  least  one  each 256,000 

Car -ied  forward 909.120 


THE  HESSIAN   FLY.  339 

Brought  forward   909,120 

2.  The  second   eighth,  or  the  forty  females  of  the 

second  brood,  lay  three  times,  the  produce  of 

which  is 9,600 

One  sixth  of  these,  or  1,600  females,  three  times. . . .  384,000 

The  second  sixth,   twice 256,000 

The  third  sixth,  once 128,000 

3.  The  third  eighth,  or  the  forty  females  of  the  third 

brood,  lay  twice,  and  produce 6,400 

One   fourth   of  these,   or   1,600  females,    lay   twice 

more '. 256,000 

4.  The  fourth  eighth,  or  forty  females  of  the  fourth 

brood,  once 3,200 

Half  of  these,  or  1,600  females,  at  least  once 128,000 

Total  produce  of  a  single  fly,  in  one  summer. . .  .2,080,320 


Another  curious  insect  is.  The  Hessian  Fly. — This  is  a 
very  mischievous  insect,  which  a  few  years  ago  appeared  in 
North  America,  and  whose  depredations  threatened  then  to 
destroy  the  crops  of  wheat  in  that  country  entirely.  It  is,  in 
its  perfect  state,  a  small  winged  insect,  but  the  mischief  it 
does,  is  while  in  the  form  of  a  caterpillar  ;  and  the  difficulty 
of  destroying  it  is  increased,  by  its  being  as  yet  unknown 
where  it  deposits  its  eggs,  to  be  hatched  before  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  caterpillars.  These  mischievous  insects  begin 
their  depredations  in  autumn,  as  soon  as  the  wheat  begins  to 
shoot  up  through  the  ground.  They  devour  the  tender  leaf 
and  stem  with  great  voracity,  and  continue  to  do  so  till 
stopped  by  the  frost ;  but  no  sooner  is  this  obstacle  removed 
by  the  warmth  of  the  spring,  than  the  fly  appears  again,  laying 
its  eggs  now,  as  has  been  supposed,  upon  the  stems  of  the 
wheat  just  beginning  to  spire.  The  caterpillars  hatched  from 
these  eggs,  perforate  the  stems  of  the  remaining  plants  at 
the  joints,  and  lodge  themselves  in  the  hollow  within  the  corn, 
which  shews  no  sign  of  disease  till  the  ears  begin  to  turn 
heavy.  The  stems  then  break,  and  being  no  longer  able  to 
perform  their  office  in  supporting  and  supplying  the  ears  with 
nouiishment,  the  corn  perishes  about  the  time  that  it  goes 
into  a  milky  state.  These  insects  attack  also  rye,  barley,  and 
timothy-grass,  though  they  seem  to  prefer  wheat.  The  de- 
struction occasioned  by  them,  is  described  in  the  American 
Museum,  (published  at"  Philadelphia,)  for  Feb.  1787,  in  the 
following  words  : — 

"  It  is  well  known  that  all  the  crops  of  wheat  in  all  the  land 
over  which  it  has  extended,  have  fallen  before  it,  and  that 
the  farmers  beyond   it  dread  its  approach  :  the   prospect  is, 


340  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

that  unless  means  are  discovered  to  prevent  its  progress,  the 
whole  continent  will  be  overrun ; — a  calamity  more  to  be 
dreaded,  than  the  ravages  of  war."  This  terrible  insect  ap- 
peared first  in  Long  Island,  during  the  American  war,  and  was 
supposed  to  have  been  brought  from  Germany  by  the  Hessians ; 
whence  its  name.  From  thence  it  proceeded  inland  at  the 
rate  of  about  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  annually;  and,  in  1789, 
had  reached  two  hundred  miles  from  the  place  where  it  was  first 
observed.  At  that  time  it  continued  to  proceed  with  unabat- 
ing  increase  ;  being  apparently  stopped  neither  by  rivers  nor 
mountains.  In  the  fly  state  it  is  likewise  exceedingly  trou- 
blesome, by  getting  into  houses  in  swarms,  falling  into  victuals 
and  drink,  filling  the  windows,  and  flying  perpetually  into 
the  candles. 

The  May  Fly. — This  insect  is  called  the  May  fly,  from  its 
annual  appearance  in  that  month.  It  lies  all  the  year,  except 
a  few  days,  at  the  bottom  or  sides  of  rivers,  nearly  resemblino- 
the  nymph  of  the  small  libella  ;  but  when  it  is  mature,  it  rises 
up  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  splits  open  its  case ;  then, 
with  great  agility,  up  springs  the  new  animal,  having  a  slen- 
der body,  with  four  black-veined,  transparent,  shining  wings, 
with  four  black  spots  in  the  upper  wings ;  the  under  wings 
are  much  smaller  than  the  upper  ones;  and  with  three  long 
hairs  in  its  tail. 

The  husk  it  leaves  behind  floats  upon  the  water.  After  this 
creature  is  discharged  from  the  water,  it  flies  about  to  find  a 
proper  place  to  fix  on,  (as  trees,  bushes,  &c.)  to  wait  for 
its  approaching  change,  which  is  effected  in  two  or  three 
days. 

The  first  hint  I  received  of  this  wonderful  operation,  was  by 
seeing  their  exuviae  hanging  on  a  hedge.  I  then  collected  a 
great  many,  and  put  them  into  boxes  ;  and  by  strictly  observ- 
ing them,  1  could  tell  when  they  were  ready  for  this  surprising 
chaiis2;e. 

i  had  the  pleasure  to  shew  my  friends  one,  which  I  held  in 
my  fingers  all  the  time  it  performed  this  great  work  ;  it  was 
surprising  to  see  how  easily  the  back  part  of  the  fly  split 
open,  and  produced  the  astonishing  transformation.  In  the 
new  fly,  a  remarkable  difference  is  seen  in  their  sexes,  which 
is  not  so  easy  to  be  perceived  in  their  first  state,  the  male 
and  female  being  much  of  a  size  ;  but  afterwards  the  male 
is  much  the  smallest,  and  the  hairs  of  their  tails  much  the 
longest. 

When,  the  females  are  about  to  deposit  their  eggs,  they 
seek  the  rivers,  keeping  constantly  playing  up  and  down  upon 
the  water.  It  is  very  plainly  seen,  that  every  time  they  dart 
down,  they  eject  a  cluster  of  eggs,  which  appears  like  a  little 


THE  VEGETABLE  FLY.  341 

bluish  speck,  or  a  small  drop  of  milk,  as  they  sink  to  the 
bottom  of  the  river.  Thus  they  continue  until  they  have 
spent  their  strength,  being  so  weak,  that  they  can  rise  no 
more,  but  fall  a  prey  to  the  fish.  But  by  much  the  greatest 
number  perish  on  the  waters,  which  are  covered  with  them. 
This  is  the  end  of  the  females.  The  males  never  resort  to  the 
river,  but,  after  a  time,  drop  down,  languish,  and  die,  under 
the  trees  and  bushes. 

The  species  of  libella  abounds  most  with  females,  which 
is  very  necessary,  considering  the  many  enemies  they  have 
in  their  short  appearance  ;  for  both  birds  and  fishes  are  fond 
of  them,  and,  no  doubt,  under  water  they  are  the  prey  of 
aquatic  animals. 

What  is  further  surprising  in  this  remarkable  creature  is, 
that  during  a  life  which  consists  only  of  three  or  four  days, 
it  eats  nothing,  and  seems  to  have  no  apparatus  for  this  pur- 
pose, but  brings  up  with  it,  out  of  the  water,  sufficient  support 
to  enable  it  to  shed  its  skin,  and  perform  the  principal  ends 
of  life  with  great  vivacity. 

The  Vegetable  Fly. — This  is  a  very  curious  natural  pro- 
duction, chiefly  found  in  the  West  Indies.  It  resembles  the 
drone,  both  in  size  and  colour,  more  than  any  other  British 
insect,  excepting  that  it  has  no  wings.  "  In  the  month  of 
May,  it  buries  itself  in  the  earth,  and  begins  to  vegetate.  By 
the  end  of  July,  the  tree  has  arrived  at  its  full  growth,  and 
resembles  a  coral  branch  ;  it  is  about  three  inches  in  height, 
and  bears  several  little  pods,  which,  dropping  off,  become 
worms,  and  thence  flies,  like  the  British  caterpillar."  Such 
was  the  account  originally  given  of  this  extraordinary  pro- 
duction. But  several  boxes  of  these  flies  having  been  sent  to 
Dr.  Hill  for  examination,  his  report  was  as  follows  : — "  There 
is  in  Martinique  a  fungus  of  the  clavaria  kind,  different  in 
species  from  those  hitherto  known.  It  produces  soboles  from 
its  sides;  I  call  it  therefore  clavaria  sobolijera.  It  grows  on 
putrid  animal  bodies,  as  our  fungus  (ex  pede  equino)  from  the 
dead  horse's  hoof.  The  cicada  is  common  in  Martinique,  and 
in  its  nymph  state,  in  which  the  old  authors  call  it  lettigome- 
tra,  it  buries  itself  under  the  dead  leaves,  to  await  its  change  ; 
and,  when  the  season  is  unfavourable,  many  perish.  The  seeds 
of  the  clavaria  find  a  proper  bed  in  these  dead  insects,  and 
grow.  The  tettigometra  is  among  the  cicada  in  the  British 
Museum  ;  the  clavaria  is  but  just  now  known.  This  is  the  fact, 
and  all  the  fact;  though  the  untaught  inhabitants  suppose  a 
fly  to  vegetate,  and  though  there  is  a  Spanish  drawing  of  the 
plants  growing  into  a  trifoliate  tree  ;  and  it  has  been  figured 
with  the  creature  flying  with  this  tree  upon  its  back." — Thus 
does  ignorance  delitjht  in  the  marvellous ! 


342  CURIOSITIES    KESPECTING    INSECTS 

The  Boat  Fly. — This  insect,  called  Notonecta  glauca,  is 
thus  described  by  Barbut.  "  It  has  a  head  somewhat  round, 
of  which  the  eyes  seem  to  take  up  the  greatest  part.  These 
eyes  are  brown,  and  very  large,  the  rest  of  the  head  being 
yellow.  In  the  fore-part  it  has  a  sharp  trunk,  that  projects, 
and  is  inflected  between  the  fore  feet.  On  the  sides  are  seen 
the  antennae,  very  small,  yellowish,  and  which  spring  from 
under  the  head.  The  thorax,  which  is  broad,  short,  and 
smooth,  is  yellow  on  the  fore,  and  black  on  the  back  part. 
The  escutcheon  is  large,  of  a  rough  black,  and  as  it  were 
nappy.  The  elytra,  rather  large,  and  crossed  over  each  other, 
are  a  mixture  of  brown  and  yellow,  not  unlike  the  colour  of 
rust,  which  makes  it  look  cloudy.  The  under  part  of  the 
body  is  brown;. and  at  the  extremity  of  the  abdomen  are  to 
be  seen  a  few  hairs.  The  feet,  six  in  number,  are  of  a  light 
brown,  the  two  hindermost  having  on  the  leg  and  tarsus  hairs 
that  give  them  the  shape  of  fins,  nor  are  they  terminated  by 
nails.  The  four  anterior  ones  are  somewhat  flat,  and  serve 
the  animal  to  swim  with  ;  but  at  their  extremity  they  have 
nails,  and  no  hairs.  This  insect  is  seen  in  stagnating  waters, 
where  it  swims  on  its  back,  and  presents  its  abdomen  up- 
wards ;  for  which  reason  it  has  been  called  by  the  Greek 
name  of  notonecta.  The  hinder  feet,  longer  than  the  rest, 
serve  it  as  paddles.  It  is  very  nimble,  and  dives  down  when 
you  go  to  take  hold  of  it;  after  which,  it  rises  again  to  the 
surface  of  the  water.  It  must  be  cautiously  handled,  if  one 
would  avoid  being  pricked  by  it,  for  the  point  of  its  rostrum 
is  exceedingly  sharp,  and  intolerably  painful,  but  it  goes  off 
in  a  few  minutes.  The  larva  very  much  resembles  the  perfect 
nsect." 

Such  is  the  account  that  Mr.  Barbut  gives  of  this  beautiful 
nimble  little  creature.  To  this  account,  however,  we  shall 
add  the  following  : — Its  legs  are  long ;  when  taken  out  of 
the  water,  it  hops  ;  it  is  very  common  in  the  ponds  of  water  in 
Hyde  Park,  and  in  several  other  places  about  London.  It  is 
of  a  very  particular  form,  being  flattish  at  the  belly,  and 
rising  to  a  ridge  on  the  middle  of  the  back;  so  that  when  it 
swims,  which  is  almost  always  on  the  back,  its  body  has 
much  the  resemblance  of  a  boat  in  figure, — whence  its  vul- 
gar name.  It  is  eight  lines  long,  three  broad,  and  two  and 
a  half  thick.  The  belly  is  jointed,  striated,  and,  as  Barbut 
observes,  hairy.  Nature  has  provided  it  with  an  offensive 
weapon  resembling  a  sting,  which  it  thrusts  out  when  hurt, 
from  a  large  opening  at  the  tail.  The  head  is  large  and  hard ; 
the  eyes  nearly  of  a  triangular  form.  The  nose  is  a  long, 
green,  hollow  proboscis,  ending  in  a  hard  and  sharp  point, 
which  in  its  natural  posture  remains  under  the  belly,  and 
reaches  to  the  middle  pair  of  legs.     The  outer  part  of  its 


EPHEMERAL  FLIES.  343 

wings  are  of  a  pale  flesh-colour,  with  spots  of  a  dead  white ; 
these  are  long,  narrow,  and  somewhat  transparent ;  they  ter- 
minate in  a  roundish  point,  and  perfectly  cover  the  whole 
body.  The  triangular  piece  which  stands  between  the  top  of 
the  wings  is  hard,  and  perfectly  black  ;  tiie  inner  wings  are 
broader  and  shorter  than  the  outer  ones  ;  they  are  thin  and 
perfectly  transparent,  and  are  of  a  pale  pearl-colour.  The 
hinder  pair  being  greatly  longer  than  all  the  rest,  they  serve 
as  oars ;  and  nature  has  tufted  them  with  hair  at  the  end  for 
that  purpose.  This  creature  mostly  lives  in  the  water,  where 
it  prevs  on  small  insects,  killing  them,  and  sucking  their  juices 
with  its  proboscis,  in  the  manner  of  the  water  scorpion  and 
many  other  aquatic  insects  :  it  seizes  its  prey  violently,  and 
darts  with  incredible  swiftness  to  a  considerable  distance 
after  it. 

Though  it  generally  lives  in  the  water,  it  sometimes,  how- 
ever, crawls  out  in  good  weather;  and  drying  its  wings  by 
expanding  them  in  the  sun,  takes  flight,  and  becomes  an 
inhabitant  of  the  air,  not  to  be  known  as  the  same  crea- 
ture, unless  to  those  who  had  accurately  observed  it  before  : 
when  tired  of  flying,  or  in  danger  of  an  enemy,  it  immediately 
plunges  into  the  water.  We  are  told  that  there  are  fourteen 
species  of  it,  seven  of  which  are  common  in  Europe,  in  wa- 
ters, Sec. 

Ephemeral  Flies. — This  species  of  insect  is  named  ephe- 
meral, because  of  its  very  short  existence  in  the  fly  state.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  species  of  flies,  and  undergoes 
five  changes.  At  first,  the  egg  contains  its  vital  principle  ;  it 
comes  forth  a  small  caterpillar,  which  is  transformed  into  a 
chrysalis,  then  into  a  nympha,  and  lastly,  into  a  fly,  which 
deposits  its  eggs  upon  the  surface  of  water,  where  the  sun's 
rays  bring  them  to  life.  Each  egg  j)roduces  a  little  red  worm, 
which  moves  in  a  serpentine  manner.  They  are  found  in 
abundance  during  the  summer,  in  ponds  and  marshes  ;  and  as 
soon  as  cold  wei.ther  sets  in,  the  little  worm  makes  for  itself 
a  shell  or  lodging,  where  it  passes  the  winter;  at  the  end  of 
which  it  ceases  to  be  a  worm,  and  enters  into  its  third  state, 
tliat  of  a  chrysalis.  It  then  sleeps  till  sprino-,  and  gradually 
becomes  a  beautiful  nympha,  or  a  sort  of  mummy,  something 
in  the  form  of  a  fish.  At  the  time  of  its  metamorphosis,  the 
nyn)pha  at  first  seems  inactive  and  lifeless  ;  in  six  days,  the 
head  appears,  raising  itself  gradually  above  the  surface  of  the 
water;  the  body  next  disengages  itself  slovvlv  and  by  degrees, 
till  at  length  the  whole  animal  comes  out  of  its  shell.  The  new- 
born fly  remains  for  some  minutes  motionless  upon  the  water, 
then  gradually  revives,  and  feebly  shakes  its  wings,  then  moves 
them  quicker,  and  attempts  first  to  walk,  then  to  fly.     As 


344  CUEIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

these  insects  are  all  hatched  nearly  at  the  same  time,  they  are 
seen  in  swarms  for  a  few  hours  flitting  and  playing  upon  the 
surface  of  the  water ;  they  then  lay  their  eggs,  and  soon  aftei 
die.  Thus  they  terminate  their  short  life  in  the  space  of  a 
few  hours,  and  the  same  day  that  saw  them  born,  witnesses 
their  death. 

THE   BUTTERFLY. 

Behold,  ye  pilgrims  of  this  earth,  behold! 

See  all  but  man  with  unearn'd  pleasure  gay 

See  her  bright  robes  the  butterfly  unfold. 

Broke  from  her  wintry  tomb  in  prime  of  May  t 

What  youthful  bride  can  equal  her  array? 

Who  can  with  lier  for  easy  pleasure  vie.' 

From  mead  to  mead  with  gentle  wing  to  stray, 

From  flower  to  flower  on  balmy  gales  to  fly. 

Is  all  she  has  to  do  beneath  the  radiant  sky.  Thomson 

The  first  thing  which  fixes  our  attention  on  beholding  these 
aerial  inhabitants,  is,  the  clothing  with  wliich  they  are  adorned. 
Yet  some  of  them  have  nothing  in  this  respect  to  engage  our 
notice,  tlieir  vestment  is  simple  and  uniform ;  others  have  a 
few  ornaments  on  the  wings  ;  but  with  some,  those  ornaments 
amount  to  profusion,  and  they  are  covered  with  them  all  over. 
This  last  species  will  occupy  us  for  a  short  interval.  How 
beautiful  are  the  gradations  of  colour  which  decorate  them! 
what  harmony  in  those  spots  which  relieve  the  other  parts  of 
their  attire  !  with  what  delicacy  has  nature  pencilled  them  ! 
But,  whatever  may  be  my  admiration  when  I  consider  this 
insect  by  the  naked  eye,  how  greatly  is  it  augmented,  when 
I  behold  this  beautiful  object  through  the  medium  of  the 
microscope  !  Would  any  one  ever  have  imagined,  that  the 
wings  of  butterflies  were  furnished  with  feathers  ?  Nothing, 
however,  is  more  true  ;  and  what  we  commonly  call  dust,  is 
found  in  reality  to  be  feathers.  Their  structure  and  arrange- 
ment are  adjusted  to  as  perfect  symmetry,  as  their  colours  are 
soft  and  brilliant.  The  parts  which  form  the  centre  of  these 
little  feathers,  and  which  immediately  touch  the  wing,  are 
the  strongest;  those,  on  the  contrary,  which  compose  the 
exterior  circumference,  are  much  more  delicate,  and  of  an  ex- 
traordinary fineness.  All  tliese  feathers  have  a  quill  at  their 
base,  but  the  superior  part  is  more  transparent  than  the  quill 
from  which  it  proceeds.  If  we  lay  hold  of  the  wing  too  rudely, 
we  destroy  the  most  delicate  part  of  the  feathers;  but  if  we 
remove  all  that  we  term  dust,  there  remains  only  a  thin  trans- 
parent skin,  where  may  be  distinguished  the  little  orifices  in 
which  the  quill  of  each  feather  was  lodged.  This  skin,  from 
the  nature  of  its  texture,  may  be  as  easily  discerned  from  the 
r^st  of  the  wing,  as  a  fine  gauze  from  the  cloth  on  which  it  is 


THE  BUTTERFLY.  345 

fastened  ;  it  is  more  porous,  more  delicate,  and  seems  as  if 
embroidered  by  the  needle  ;  to  complete  its  beauty,  its  extre- 
mity firfishes  by  a  fringe,  whose  minute  threads  succeed  each 
other  with  the  utmost  regularity. 

What  are  our  most  laboured  dresses,  what  is  all  their 
boasted  ornament,  in  comparison  of  that  refined  tissue  with 
which  nature  has  invested  this  simple  insect?  Our  finest 
laces  are  only  like  coarse  cloth,  when  brought  to  vie  with  that 
luxurious  clothing  which  covers  the  wings  of  the  butterfly; 
and  our  smallest  thread,  by  their  infinitely  delicate  fibres, 
swells  into  hempen  cord.  Such  is  the  wonderful  diflference 
to  be  observed  between  the  works  of  nature  and  those  of  art, 
when  viewed  through  a  microscope.  The  former  are  finished 
to  all  imaginable  perfection  ;  the  others,  even  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  their  kind,  appear  incomplete  and  coarsely  wrought. 
How  fine  a  piece  of  delicate  cambric  appears  to  us!  nothing 
more  slender  than  the  threads,  nothing  more  uniform  than 
the  texture  :  and  yet  in  the  microscope  these  threads  resem- 
ble hempen  strings,  and  we  should  rather  be  tempted  to 
believe  that  they  had  been  interlaced  by  the  hand  of  a  basket- 
maker,  than  wrought  on  the  loom  of  a  skilful  weaver. 

What  is  most  astonishing  in  this  brilliant  insect,  is,  that  it 
proceeds  from  a  worm,  than  which  nothing  has  a  more  abject 
and  vile  appearance.  Behold  how  the  butterfly  displays  to 
the  sun  his  splendid  wings,  how  he  sports  in  his  rays,  how 
he  rejoices  in  his  existence,  and,  in  respiring  the  vernal  airs, 
how  he  flutters  in  the  meadow  from  flower  to  flower.  His 
rich  wings  present  to  us  the  magnificence  of  the  rainbow. 
How  beautiful  is  he  now,  who  but  a  little  while  ago  crept  a 
worm  in  the  dust,  in  perpetual  danger  of  being  crushed  to 
death  !  Who  has  raised  him  above  the  earth?  Who  has  given 
to  him  the  faculty  of  inhabiting  the  ethereal  regions?  Who 
has  furnished  him  with  his  painted  wings?     It  is  God. 

In  down  of  ev'ry  variegated  dye, 

Shines,  flutt'ring:  soft,  the  gaudy  butterfly  ; 

That  powder,  which  thy  spoiling  hand  distains. 

The  form  of  quills  and  painted  plumes  contains  : 

Not  courts  can  more  magnificence  express. 

In  all  their  blaze  of  gems  and  pomp  of  dress.  Browne, 

Their  wings,  all  glorious  to  behold, 

Bedropt  with  azure,  jet,  and  gold. 

Wide  they  display  ;  the  spangled  dew 

Reflects  their  eyes  and  various  hue.  dtty- 

We  shall  now  briefly  describe  The  Metamorphoses  gf 
Insects.     And  first.  The  Butterfly  : 

From  form  to  form  they  pass  in  wondrous  change.  Vhgil. 

At  the  first  exclusion  from  the   egg,  and   for  some  months 
of  its  existence  afterwards,  the  creature  which  is  to  become  a 

15.  2  X 


34<)  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

butterfly,  is  a  worm-like  caterpillar,  crawling  upon  sixteen 
short  legs,  greedily  devouring  leaves  with  two  jaws,  and 
seeing  by  means  of  twelve  eyes,  so  minute,  as  to  be  nearly 
imperceptible  without  the  aid  of  a  microscope.  We  now  view 
it  furnished  with  wings  capable  of  rapid  and  extensive  flights  ; 
of  its  sixteen  feet,  ten  have  disappeared,  and  the  remaining 
six  are  in  most  respects  wholly  unlike  those  to  which  they 
have  succeeded  ;  its  jaws  having  vanished,  are  replaced  by 
a  curled-up  proboscis,  suited  only  for  sipping  liquid  sweets; 
the  form  of  its  head  is  entirely  changed,  two  long  horns  pro- 
jecting from  its  upper  surface;  and,  instead  of  twelve  invisible 
eyes,  you  behold  two,  very  large,  and  composed  of  at  least 
twenty  thousand  convex  lenses,  each  supposed  to  be  a  dis- 
tinct and  effective  eye! 

Were  we  to  push  our  examination  further,  and,  by  dissection, 
to  compare  the  internal  conformation  of  the  caterpillar  with 
that  of  the  butterfly,  we  should  witness  changes  even  more 
extraordinary.  In  the  former  we  should  find  some  thousands 
of  muscles,  which  in  the  latter  are  replaced  by  others,  of  a 
formand  structure  entirely  different.  Nearly  the  whole  body 
of  the  caterpillar  is  occupied  by  a  capacious  stomach.  In  the 
butterfly,  this  has  become  converted  into  an  almost  imper- 
ceptible thread-like  viscus ;  and  the  abdomen  is  now  filled  by 
two  large  packets  of  eggs,  or  other  organs,  not  visible  in 
the  first  state.  In  the  former,  two  spirally-convoluted  tubes 
were  filled  with  a  silky  gum;  in  the  latter,  both  tubes  and 
silk  have  almost  totally  vanished,  and  changes  equally  great 
have  taken  place  in  the  economy  and  structure  of  the  nerves 
and  other  organs. 

What  a  surprising  transformation!  Nor  was  this  all.  The 
change  from  one  form  to  the  other  was  not  direct;  an  inter- 
mediate state,  not  less  singular,  intervened.  After  casting  its 
skin,  even  to  its  very  jaws,  several  times,  and  attaining  its  full 
growth,  the  caterpillar  attached  itself  to  a  leaf  by  a  silken 
girth.  Its  body  became  greatly  contracted;  its  skin  once  more 
split  asunder,  and  disclosed  an  oviform  mass,  without  exterior 
mouth,  eyes,  or  limbs,  and  exhibiting  no  otker  symptom  of 
life  than  a  slight  motion  when  touched.  In  this  state  of 
death-like  torpor,  and  without  tasting  food,  the  insect  ex- 
isted for  several  months,  until  at  length  the  tomb  burst,  and 
out  of  a  case  not  more  than  an  inch  long,  and  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  proceeded  the  butterfly,  which  covers  a 
surface  of  nearly  four  inches  square. 

The  Common  Fly. — This  winged  insect,  whose  delicate 
palate  selects  out  the  choicest  viands,  one  while  extending 
his  proboscis  to  the  margin  of  a  drop  of  wine,  and  then  gaily 
flying  to  take  a  more  solid  repast  from  a  pear  or  a  peach ; 


THE   GNAT. BEETLE. DEATH-WATCH.  347 

notv  gambolling  with  his  comrades  in  the  air,  now  gracefully 
carrying  his  furled  wings  with  his  taper  feet ; — was  but  the 
other  day  a  disgustino-  grub,  without  wings,  without  legs, 
without  eyes,  wallowing,  well  pleased,  in  the  midst  of  a 
mass  of  excrement. 

The  Greycoated  Gnat. — This  creature,  whose  humming 
salutation,  while  she  makes  her  airy  circles  about  our  bed,  gives 
terrific  warning  of  the  sanguinary  operation  in  which  she  is 
ready  to  engage,  was  a  few  hours  ago  the  inhabitant  of  a 
stagnant  pool,  more  in  shape  like  a  fish  than  an  insect.  Then 
to  have  been  taken  out  of  the  water  would  have  been  speedily 
fatal ;  now  it  could  as  little  exist  in  any  other  element  than 
air.  Then  it  breathed  through  its  tail ;  now  through  openings 
in  its  sides.  Its  shapeless  head,  in  that  period  of  its  exist- 
ence, is  now  exchanged  for  one  adorned  with  elegantly  tufted 
antennsB,  and  furnished,  instead  of  jaws,  with  an  apparatus 
more  artfully  constructed  than  the  cupping-glasses  of  the 
phlebotomist ;  an  apparatus,  which,  at  the  same  time  that  it 
strikes  in  the  lancets,  composes  a  tube  for  pumping  up  the 
flowing  blood. 

The  Shardhokn  Beetle. — -This  species  of  beetle,  whose 
sullen  hum,  as  he  directs  his  droning  flight  close  past  our 
ears  in  our  evening  walk,  was  not  in  his  infancy  an  inhabit- 
ant of  air,  the  first  period  of  his  life  being  spent  in  gloomy 
solitude,  as  a  grub,  under  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The 
shapeless  maggot,  which  we  scarcely  fail  to  meet  with  in 
some  one  of  every  handful  of  nuts  we  crack,  would  not  always 
have  grovelled  in  that  humble  state.  If  our  unlucky  intrusion 
upon  its  vaulted  dwelling  had  not  left  it  to  perish  in  the  wide 
world,  it  would  have  continued  to  reside  there  until  its  full 
growth  had  been  attained.  Then  it  would  have  gnawed  itself 
an  opening,  and,  having  entered  the  earth,  and  passed  a  few 
months  in  a  state  of  inaction,  would  at  length  have  emerged 
an  elegant  beetle,  furnished  with  a  slender  and  very  long 
ebony  beak ;  two  wings,  and  two  wing-cases,  ornamented 
with  yellow  bands ;  six  feet ;  and  in  every  respect  unlike  the 
worm  from  which  it  proceeded. 

The  Death-watch. — This  appalling  name  is  applied  to  a 
harmless,  diminutive  insect,  because  it  emits  a  sound  resem- 
bling the  ticking  of  a  watch,  and  is  supposed  to  predict  the 
death  of  some  one  of  the  family,  in  the  house  in  which  it  is 
heard.  Thus  sings  the  muse  of  the  witty  Dean  of  St.  Patrick 
on  this  subject : — 

" A  wood  worm 

That  lies  in  old  wood,  like  a  hare  ia  her  form : 


348  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTi.VO    INSECTS. 

With  teeth  or  with  claws,  it  will  bite  or  will  scratch, 

And  chambermaids  christen  this  worm  a  death-watch ; 

Because  like  a  watch  it  always  cries  click: 

Then  woe  be  to  those  in  the  house  who  are  sick! 

For,  sure  as  a  gun,  they  will  give  up  the  ghost, 

If  the  maggot  cries  click,  when  it  scratches  the  pest: 

But  a  kettle  of  scalding-hot  water  injected 

Infallibly  cures  the  timber  aflected  ; 

The  omen  is  broken,  the  danger  is  over, 

The  maggot  will  die,  and  the  sick  will  recover." 

To  add  to  the  effect  of  this  noise,  it  is  said  to  be  made 
only  when  there  is  a  profound  silence  in  an  apartment,  and 
every  one  is  still. 

Authors  were  formerly  not  agreed  concerning  the  insect 
from  which  this  sound  of  terror  proceeded,  some  attributing 
it  to  a  kind  of  woodlouse,  and  others  to  a  spider  ;  but  it  is 
now  a  received  opinion,  adopted  upon  satisfactory  evidence, 
that  it  is  produced  by  some  little  beetles  belonging  to  the 
timber-boring  genus,  Aiiobium,  F.  Swammerdam  oljserves, 
that  a  small  beetle,  which  he  had  in  his  collection,  having 
firmly  fixed  its  fore-legs,  and  put  its  indexed  head  between 
them,  makes  a  continual  noise  in  old  pieces  of  wood,  walls, 
and  ceilings,  which  is  sometimes  so  loud,  that  upon  hearing 
it,  people  have  fancied  that  hobgoblins,  ghosts,  or  fairies, 
were  wandering  around  them.  Evidently  this  was  one  of  the 
death-watches.  Latreille  observed  Anohium  striatum,  F.  pro- 
duce the  sound  in  question,  by  a  stroke  of  its  mandibles  upon 
the  wood,  which  was  answered  by  a  similar  noise  from  within 
it.  But  the  species  whose  proceedings  have  been  most  no- 
ticed by  British  observers,  is,  A.  tessellutum,  F.  When  spring 
is  far  advanced,  these  insects  are  said  to  commence  their 
ticking,  which  is  only  a  call  to  each  other,  to 'which,  if  no 
answer  be  returned,  the  animal  repeats  it  in  another  place. 
It  is  thus  produced  :  Raising  itself  upon  its  hind-legs,  with 
the  body  somewhat  inclined,  it  beats  its  head  with  great  force 
and  agility  upon  the  plane  of  its  position  ;  and  its  strokes  are 
so  powerful,  as  to  make  a  considerable  impression  if  they  fall 
upon  any  substance  softer  than  wood.  The  general  number 
of  distinct  strokes  in  succession,  is  from  seven  to  nine  or 
eleven  ;  they  follow  each  other  quickly,  and  are  repeated  at 
uncertain  intervals.  In  old  houses,  where  these  insects  abound, 
they  may  be  heard  in  warm  weather  during  the  whole  day. 
The  noise  exactly  resembles  that  produced  by  tapping  mode- 
rately with  the  nail  upon  a  table ;  and,  when  familiarized,  the 
insect  will  answer  very  readily  the  tap  of  the  nail. 


locvsTs.  349 

CHAP.  XXXI. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Continued.) 

Locusts  and  Mosquitoes,  and  their  Uses  in  the  Creation ; — -from 
Kirbj/,  Spence,  and  Fothergill. 

Locusts. — If  we  could  discover  the  use  of  every  animal  in 
the  creation,  we  should  gain  a  very  clear  insight  into  the  (2,rand 
designs  of  the  Almighty,  respecting  creatures  inferior  to 
ourselves,  and  perceive  the  immediate  cause  and  necessity 
of  their  existence,  and  how  far  we  have  a  right  to  interfere 
with  their  economy.  That  man  should  ever  attain  the  whole 
extent  of  this  knowledge,  in  this  state  of  existence,  can 
scarcely  be  hoped  for ;  but,  that  he  may  learn  much,  there 
can  be  no  doubt. 

Because  the  utility  of  some  animals,  in  a  general  view,  is 
not  palpably  obvious,  we  ought  not  pettishly  or  hopelessly  to 
give  up  the  inquiry.  Some  of  the  most  numerous  are  appa- 
rently the  most  noxious,  and  the  least  useful,  as  the  locust 
(gryllus  ?jiigratorius)  for  example.  It  has  never  been  my 
fortune  to  visit  countries  subject  to  the  devastations  of  these 
insects ;  and  the  travellers  who  describe  them,  seem,  either 
through  want  of  inclination,  or  astonishment  at  the  desolating 
effects  produced  by  their  incursions,  unable  to  give  those 
facts  which  an  industrious  and  attentive  naturalist,  with  en- 
larged views,  might  collect  and  apply  to  some  useful  purpose; 
for  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Infinite  Wisdom  would  not 
have  permitted  these  insects  to  be  so  numerous  as  they  are, 
if  their  existence  was  not  absolutely  necessary.  To  look  at 
a  locust  in  a  cabinet  of  insects,  we  should  not,  at  first  sight, 
deem  it  capable  of  being  the  source  of  so  much  evil  to  man- 
kind as  stands  on  record  against  it.  Yet,  although  this  animal 
be  not  very  tremendous  for  its  size,  nor  very  terrific  in  its 
appearance,  it  is  the  very  same  whose  ravages  have  been  the 
theme  of  naturalists  and  historians  in  all  ages,  and,  upon  a 
close  examination,  it  will  be  found  to  be  peculiarly  fitted  and 
furnished  for  the  execution  of  its  office. 

It  is  armed  with  two  pair  of  very  strong  jaws,  the  upper 
terminating  in  short,  and  the  lower  in  long  teeth,  by  which  it 
can  both  lacerate  and  grind  its  food  ;  its  stomach  is  of  ex 
traordinary  capacity  and  powers;  its  hind-legs  enable  it  to 
leap  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  its  ample  vans  are  calcu- 
lated to  catch  the  wind  as  sails,  and  so  carry  it  sometimes 
over  the  sea;  and  although  a  single  individual  can  effect  but 
little  evil,  yet,  when  the  entire  surface  of  a  country  is  covered 


350  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. 

by  them,  and  every  one  makes  bare  the  spot  on  which  it 
stands,  the  mischief  produced  may  be  as  extensive  as  their  num- 
bers. So  well  do  the  Arabians  know  their  power,  that  they 
make  a  locust  say  to  Mahomet,  "  We  are  the  army  of  the 
Great  God;  we  produce  ninety-nine  eggs:  if  the  hundred 
were  completed,  we  should  consume  the  whole  earth,  and  all 
that  is  in  it." — Bochart. 

The  earliest  plague  produced  by  the  locusts,  which  has  been 
recorded,  appears  also  to  have  been  the  most  direful  in  its 
immediate  effects,  that  ever  was  inflicted  upon  any  nation. 
It  is  that  with  which  the  Egyptian  tyrant  and  his  people 
were  visited  for  their  oppression  of  the  Israelites.  Only  con- 
ceive of  a  country  so  covered  by  them,  that  no  one  can  see 
the  face  of  the  ground — a  whole  land  darkened,  and  all  its 
produce,  whether  herb  or  trees,  so  devoured,  that  not  the  least 
vestige  of  green  is  left  in  either. — ExocL  x.  5,  14,  15.  But  it 
is  not  necessary  to  enlarge  upon  a  history,  the  circumstances 
of  which  are  so  well  known.  To  this  species  of  devastation, 
Africa  in  general  seems  always  to  have  been  peculiarly  sub- 
ject. This  may  be  gathered  from  the  law  in  Cyrenaica  men- 
tioned by  Pliny,  by  which  the  inhabitants  were  enjoined  to 
destroy  the  locusts  in  three  different  states,  three  times  in 
the  year;  first  their  eggs,  then  their  young,  and  lastly  the 
perfect  insect.*  And  not  without  reason  was  such  a  law 
enacted;  for  Orosius  tells  us,  that  in  the  year  of  the  world 
3,8U0,  Africa  was  infested  by  such  infinite  myriads  of  these 
animals,  that,  having  devoured  every  green  thing,  after  flying 
ott'  to  sea  they  were  drowned,  and,  being  cast  upon  the  shore, 
they  emitted  a  stench  greater  than  could  have  been  pro- 
duced by  the  carcases  of  100,000  men! — Oros.  contra  Pog. 
I.  v.  c,  2.  St.  Augustine  also  mentions  a  plague  to  have  arisen 
in  that  country  from  the  same  cause,  which  destroyed  no 
less  than  800,000  persons  (ocfoginta  homimim  miUia)  in 
the  kingdom  of  Masanissa  alone,  and  many  more  in  the 
territories  bordering  upon  the  sea. — Les'i.  1.  247.  note  46. 
From  Africa  this  plague  was  occasionally  imported  into  Italy 
and  Spain;  and  an  historian  quoted  in  Mouffet  relates,  that 
in  the  year  591  an  infinite  army  of  locusts,  of  a  size  unusually 
large,  grievously  ravaged  part  of  Italy;  and  being  at  last  cast 
into  the  sea,  from  their  stench  arose  a  pestilence  which  carried 
off  near  a  million  of  men  and  beasts.  In  the  Venetian  terri- 
tory also,  in  the  year  1478,  more  than  30,000  persons  are  said 
*o  have  perished  in  a  famine  occasioned  by  these  terrific 
scourges.  Many  other  instances  of  their  devastations  in 
Europe,  in  France,  Spain,  Italy,  Germany,  and  other  countries, 

*  Hist.  Nat,  1.  xi.  c.  29.  A  similar  law  was  enactpd  in  Lomnos,  by 
which  every  one  was  compelled  to  hr'uv^  a  certain  measure  of  locusts 
annually  to  the  magistrates.     Plin. 


LOCUSTS.  351 

are  recorded  by  the  same  author.  In  1650  a  cloud  of  them 
was  seen  to  enter  Russia  in  three  different  places,  which  from 
thence  passed  over  into  Poland  and  Lithuania,  where  the  air 
was  darkened  by  their  numbers.  In  some  places  they  were 
seen  lying  dead,  heaped  one  upon  another  to  the  depth  of  four 
feet;  in  others  they  covered  the  surface  like  a  black  cloth; 
the  trees  bent  with  their  weight;  and  the  damage  they  did 
exceeded  all  computation. — Bingley,  iii.  258.  At  a  later 
period,  in  Languedoc,  when  the  sun  became  hot,  they  took, 
wing,  and  fell  upon  the  corn,  devouring  both  leaf  and  ear, 
and  that  with  such  expedition,  that  in  three  hours  they  would 
consume  a  whole  field.  After  having  eaten  up  the  corn,  they 
attacked  the  vines,  the  pulse,  the  willows,  and  lastly,  the 
hemp,  notwithstanding  its  bitterness. — Philos.  Trans.  1686. 
Sir  H.  Davy  informs  us  (Elements  of  Agricultural  Chemistry, 
2^3,)  that  the  French  government  in  1813  issued  a  decree  with 
a  view  to  occasion  the  destruction  of  grasshoppers. 

Even  this  happy  island,  so  remarkably  distinguished  by  its 
exemption  from  most  of  those  scourges  to  which  other  nations 
are  exposed,  was  once  alarmed  by  the  appearance  of  locusts. 
In  1748  they  were  observed  here  in  considerable  numbers,  but 
providentially  they  soon  perished  without  propas;ating.  These 
were  evidently  stragglers  from  the  vast  swarms  which  in  the 
preceding  year  did  such  infinite  damage  in  Wallachia,  Mol- 
davia, Transylvania,  Hungary,  and  Poland.  One  of  these 
swarms,  which  entered  Transylvania  in  August,  was  several 
hundred  fathoms  in  width,  (at  Vienna  the  breadth  of  one  of 
them  was  three  miles,)  and  extended  to  so  great  a  lengtii,  as 
to  be  four  hours  in  passing  over  the  Red  Tower:  and  such 
was  its  density,  that  it  totally  intercepted  the  solar  light,  so 
that  when  they  flew  low,  one  person  could  not  see  another  at 
the  distance  of  twenty  paces. — Philos.  Trans,  xlvi.  30.  A 
similar  account  has  been  given  by  Major  Moor,  long  resident 
in  India.  He  relates,  that  when  at  Poonah,  he  was  witness  to 
an  immense  army  of  locusts  which  ravaged  the  Mahratta 
country,  and  was  supposed  to  come  from  Arabia:  this,  if  cor- 
rect, is  a  strong  proof  of  their  power  to  pass  the  sea  under 
favourable  circumstances.  The  column  they  composed,  ex- 
tended five  hundred  miles;  and  so  compact  was  it,  when  on 
the  wing,  that,  like  an  eclipse,  it  completely  hid  the  sun,  so 
that  no  shadow  was  cast  by  any  object;  and  some  lofty  tombs, 
distant  from  his  residence  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards, 
were  rendered  quite  invisible.  This  was  not  the  Gri/llus 
migratorius,  L.  but  a  red  species;  which  circumstance  much 
increased  the  horror  of  the  scene,  for,  clustering  upon  the 
trees  after  they  had  stripped  them  of  their  foliage,  they 
imparted  to  them  a  sanguine  hue.  The  peach  was  the  last 
tree  they  touched. 


852  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

Dr.  Clarke,  to  give  some  idea  of  the  infinite  numbers  ■o.' 
these  animals,  compares  them  to  a  flight  of  snow  when  the 
flakes  are  carried  obliquely  by  the  wind.  They  covered  his 
carriage  and  horses  ;  and  the  Tartars  assert,  that  people  are 
sometimes  suffocated  by  them.  The  whole  face  of  nature 
might  have  been  described  as  covered  by  a  living  veil.  They 
consisted  of  two  species,  G.  tarlaricus,  and  migraforius,  L.; 
the  lirst  is  almost  twice  the  size  of  the  second,  and,  because 
it  precedes  it,  is  called  by  the  Tartars,  the  herald  or  messen- 
ger.— Travels,  i.  348.  The  account  of  another  traveller,  Mr. 
Barrow,  of  their  ravages  in  the  southern  parts  of  Africa,  in 
1784,  and  1797,  is  still  more  striking:  an  area  of  nearly  two 
thousand  square  miles  might  be  said  literally  to  be  covered 
by  them.  When  driven  into  the  sea  by  a  N..  w.  wind,  they 
formed  upon  the  shore,  for  fifty  miles,  a  bank  three  or  four 
feet  high  ;  and  when  the  wind  was  s.  e.  the  stench  was  so 
powerful,  as  to  be  smelt  at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.— Travels,  &.c.  257. 

From  1778  to  1780,  the  empire  of  Morocco  was  terribly 
devastated  by  them;  every  green  thing  was  eaten  up,  not  even 
the  bitter  bark  of  the  orange  and  pomegranate  escaping.  A 
most  dreadful  famine  ensued  :  the  poor  were  seen  to  wander 
over  the  country,  deriving  a  miserable  subsistence  from  the 
roots  of  plants  ;  and  women  and  children  followed  the  camels, 
from  whose  dung  they  picked  the  undigested  grains  of  barley, 
which  they  devoured  with  avidity  :  in  consequence  of  this, 
vast  numbers  perished,  and  the  roads  and  streets  exhi- 
bited the  unburied  carcases  of  the  dead.  On  this  sad  occa- 
sion, fathers  sold  their  children,  and  husbands  their  wives. — 
Southej/'s  Thalaba,  i.  171. 

When  they  visit  a  country,  (says  Mr.  Jackson,  speaking  of 
the  same  empire,)  it  behoves  every  one  to  lay  in  provision  for 
a  famine,  for  they  stay  from  three  to  seven  years.  When 
they  have  devoured  all  other  vegetables,  they  attack  the  trees, 
consuming  first  the  leaves  and  then  the  bark.  From  Moga- 
dar  to  Tangier,  before  the  plague  in  1799,  the  face  of  the 
earth  was  covered  by  them  :  at  that  time  a  singular  incident 
occurred  at  El  Arisch.  The  whole  region  from  the  confines 
of  Sahara  was  ravaged  by  them  ;  but  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  El  Kos,  not  one  of  them  was  to  be  seen,  though 
there  was  nothing  to  prevent  their  flying  over  it.  Till  then, 
they  had  proceeded  northward ;  but,  upon  arriving  at  its 
banks,  they  turned  to  the  east,  though  all  the  country  north  of 
Arisch  was  full  of  pvdse,  fruits,  and  grain,  exhibiting  a 
most  striking  contrast  to  the  desolation  of  the  adjoining  dis- 
trict. At  length  they  were  all  carried  by  a  violent  hurricane 
into  the  western  ocean  ;  the  shore,  as  in  former  instances, 
was  covered  by  their  carcases,  and  a  pestilence  was  caused 


LOCUSTS.  363 

by  the  horrid  stench  which  they  emitted  :  but  when  this  evil 
ceased,  their  devastations  were  followed  by  a  most  abundant 
crop.  The  Arabs  of  the  desert,  "  whose  hands  are  against 
every  man,"  Gen.  xvi.  12.  and  who  rejoice  in  the  evil  that 
befalls  other  nations,  when  they  behold  the  clouds  of  locusts 
proceeding  from  the  north,  are  filled  with  gladness,  anticipat- 
ing a  general  mortality,  which  they  call  el  khere,  (the  bene- 
diction;) for,  when  a  country  is  thus  laid  waste,  they  emerge 
from  their  arid  deserts,  and  pitch  their  tents  in  the  desolated 
plains. — Jackson's  Travels  in  Blorocco,  54. 

The  noise  the  locusts  make  when  engaged  in  the  work  of 
destruction,  has  been  compared  to  the  sound  of  a  flame  oF 
fire  driven  by  the  wind,  and  the  effect  of  their  bite  to  that  of 
fire. — Bochart.  A  poet  of  our  own  day  has  very  strikingly 
described  the  noise  produced  by  their  flight  and  approach: — ■ 

Onward  they  came,  a  dark  continuous  cloud 
Of  congregated  myriads,  numberless, 
The  rushing  of  whose  m  ings  was  as  the  sound 
Of  a  broad  river,  headlong  in  its  course 
Plung'd  from  a  mountain  summit,  or  the  roar 
Of  a  wild  ocean  in  the  autumn  storm. 
Shattering  its  billows  on  a  shore  of  rocks! 

Southey's  Thttlaha,  i.  1G9. 

But  no  account  of  the  appearance  and  ravages  of  these  ter- 
rific insects,  for  correctness  and  sublimity,  comes  near  to  that 
of  the  prophet  Joel  :  "  A  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloominess,  a 
day  of  clouds  and  of  thick  darkness,  as  the  morning  spread 
upon  the  mountains  :  a  great  people  and  a  strong ;  there  hath 
not  been  ever  the  like,  neither  shall  be  any  more  after  it,  even 
to  the  years  of  many  generations.  A  fire  devoureth  before 
them;  and  behind  them  a  flame  burneth  :  the  land  is  as  the 
garden  of  Eden  before  them,  and  behind  them  a  desolate  wil- 
derness ;  yea,  and  nothing  shall  escape  them.  The  appear- 
ance of  them  is  as  the  ajjpearance  of  horses  ;  and  as  horse- 
men, so  shall  they  run.  Like  the  noise  of  chariots*  on  the 
tops  of  mountains  shall  they  leap,  like  the  noise  of  a  flame 
of  fire  that  devoureth  the  stubble,  as  a  strong  people 
set  in  battle-array.  Before  their  face  the  people  shall  be 
much  pained  ;  all  faces  shall  gather  blackness. '  They  shall 
run  like  mighty  men  ;  they  shall  climb  the  wall  like  men  of 
war  ;  and  they  shall  march  every  one  on  his  ways,  and  they  shall 
not  break  their  ranks  :  neither  shall  one  thrust  another';  they 
shall  walk  every  one  in  his  path  :  and  when  they  fall  upon 
the  sword,  they  shall  not  be  wounded.  They  shall  run  to 
and  fro  in  the  city  ;  they  shall  run  upon   the  wall,  they  shall 

*Oftlie  symbolical  locusts  in  the  Apocalypse  it  is  said,  "And  tlie 
sound  of  thrir  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  run 
ning  to  battle." — Rev.  ix.  9. 

2Y 


354  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   INSECTS. 

climb  up  upon  the  houses  ;  they  shall  enter  in  at  the  windows 
like  a  thief.  The  earth  shall  quake  before  them,  the  heavens 
shall  tremble  :  the  sun  and  the  moon  shall  be  dark,  and  the 
stars  shall  withdraw  their  shining!"  The  usual  way  in  which 
they  are  destroyed,  is  also  noticed  by  the  prophet.  "  I  will 
remove  far  off  from  you  the  northern  army,  and  will  drive  him 
into  a  land  barren  and  desolate,  with  his  face  toward  the  east 
sea,  and  his  hinder  part  toward  the  utmost  sea,  and  his  stink 
shall  come  up,  because  he  hath  done  great  things!" — Joel  ii. 
2—10,  20. 

The  best  method  of  destroying  locusts,  would  be  to  recom- 
mend them  as  an  article  of  food.  In  the  Crimea,  they  are 
often  eaten  by  the  inhabitants.  Some  French  emigrants,  who 
had  been  directed  in  this  manner,  assured  me,  that  when 
,  fried,  they  were  very  palatable  and  very  wholesome.  The 
Arabs,  according  to  Hasselquist,  eat  them  roasted,  and  are 
glad  to  get  them. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  there  is  nothing  endued  by  na- 
ture with  peculiar  functions,  in  vain;  and  it  is  equally  certain, 
that  matter,  however  modified,  whether  in  the  form  of  ani- 
mated or  inanimated  bodies,  is  continually  undergoing  change. 
The  more  deeply  we  investigate  the  works  of  creation,  the 
more  strong  will  be  our  conviction  of  these  truths. 

We  know  that  many  animals,  and  particularly  insects, 
have  apparently  no  other  employment,  than  that  of  clearing 
or  purifying  the  surface  of  the  earth  of  superfluous  matter, 
the  residuum  of  decayed  bodies,  or  of  reconverting  it  into 
useful  forms,  as  I  shall  attempt  to  illustrate  hereafter.  Now, 
if  we  survey  those  regions  which  give  birth  to,  and  support, 
the  vast  clouds  of  locusts  alluded  to,  our  view  will  be  confined 
principally  to  the  extensive  deserts  of  Africa  and  Asia;  the 
vegetation  of  many  of  which,  according  to  the  reports  of 
travellers,  is  abundant  and  luxuriant,  beyond  the  conception 
of  those  who  have  not  beheld  them;  insomuch,  that  the  crops 
of  grass,  and  other  annual  vegetables,  absolutely  load  the 
earth  ;  and  these,  perishing  upon  each  other,  would  form  an 
impenetrable,  jnitrid  mass,  if  not  consumed  by  some  animals 
appointed  for  the  purpose. 

That  locusts  support  existence  by  vegetable  food,  is  well 
known;  but  whether  they  have  no  other  object  than  to  con- 
sume the  superabundant  produce  of  the  regions  they  frequent, 
and  to  procreate,  is  not  so  easily  proved.  One  who  has  had 
no  opportunity  of  witnessing  their  manners,  from  their  birth 
to  their  final  destruction,  can  scarcely  be  able  positively  to 
decide;  b'lt  I  have  no  doubt  that  an  intelligent  naturalist, 
(governed  by  the  principles  this  chapter  is  intended,  in  some 
measure,  to  illustrate,)  with  the  necessary  opportunities,  such 
as  Dr.  Shaw,  in  particular,  had,  would  be  able  to  get  at  facts 


LOCUSTS. 


355 


that  would  indisputably  prove  the  existence  of  locusts  to  be  a 
blessing  rather  than  a  curse. 

Whatever  may  be  the  direct  object  of  their  existence, 
locusts  are  of  2;i"eat  use  to  many  other  animals,  for  there  are 
some,  particularly  birds,  that  entirely  prey  upon  them;  and, 
if  man  himself  refuses  this  food,  it  is  rather  from  the  pre- 
judice, perhaps,  of  an  absurd  education,  than  from  any  im- 
])roper  or  bad  quality  of  the  food  itself.*  The  inhabitants 
of  several  eastern  nations  have  a  relish  for  this  diet:  and  it 
is  recorded  of  him  who  cried  in  the  wilderness,  "  Prepare  ye 
the  way  of  the  Lord,"  that  "  his  meat  was  locusts  and  wild 
honey." — Matthew  iii.  4.  After  this,  we  cannot  listen  to  the 
feeble  remonstrances  of  any  modern  epicure. 

Mosquitoes,  and  their  Uses. — The  mosquito  is  ac- 
counted one  of  the  most  noxious  and  the  most  numerous  of 
insects;  at  least  of  such  as  are  esteemed  noxious  by  the  vul- 
gar and  the  ignorant.  In  some  coimtries,  indeed,  their  num- 
bers, and  the  effects  produced  by  them,  are  wonderful.  There 
is  no  instance  on  record  more  striking  than  the  following,  as 
related  by  Dr.  Clarke: — 

"  No  contrivance  on  our  part  could  prevent  millions  of 
mosquitoes  from  filling  the  inside  of  our  carriage,  which,  in 
spite  of  gloves,  clothes,  and  handkerchiefs,  rendered  our 
bodies  one  entire  wound.  The  Cossacks  li<iht  numerous  fires,  to 
drive  them  from  the  cattle  during  the  night;  but  so  insatiate 
is  their  thirst  of  blood,  that  hundreds  will  attack  a  person 
attempting  to  shelter  himself  even  in  the  midst  of  smoke. 
At  the  same  time,  the  noise  they  make  in  flying  cannot  be 
conceived  by  persons  who  have  only  been  accustomed  to  the 
humming  of  such  insects  in  our  country." — "  Almost  ex- 
hausted by  fatigue,  pain,  and  heat,  I  sought  shelter  in  the 
carriage,  sitting  in  water  and  mud.  It  was  the  most  sultry 
night  I  ever  experienced;  not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring; 
nor  could  I  venture  to  open  the  windows,  though  almost 
s\iff'ocated,  through  fear  of  the  mosquitoes.  Swarms,  never- 
theless, found  their  way  to  my  hiding-place;  and  when  I 
opened  my  mouth,  it  was  filled  with  them.  My  head  was 
bound  in  handkerchiefs;  yet  they  forced  their  way  into  my 
ears  and  nostrils.  In  the  midst  of  this  torment,  I  succeeded 
in  lighting  a  lamp  over  the  sword-case;  which  was  instantly 
extinguished  by  such  a  prodigious  number  of  these  insects, 
that  their  dead  bodies  actually  remained  heaped  in  a  large 
cone  over  the  burner  for  several  days  afterward:  and  I  know 

*  Shaw  says,  that  fl)e  (jryllus  cristatvs,  uhich  is  five  or  six  times  the 
size  of  the  common  locust,  or  f/rijllHs  nt'ujratorius,  is  publicly  sold,  both 
in  a  fresh  and  salted  state,  in  the  markets  of  some  parts  of  the  Levant. 
Gen.  Zoolof/ij,  vol.  vi.  part.  ii.  p.  138. 


356  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

not  any  mode  of  description  which  can  convey  a  more 
adequate  idea  of  their  afflictino-  visitation,  than  by  simply 
relating  this  fact:  to  the  truth  of  which,  those  who  travelled 
with  me,  and  who  are  now  living,  bear  indisputable  testi- 
mony." 

Those  who  have  laboured  under  so  painful  a  visitation,  as 
that  to  which  this  lively  account  refers,  may  not  perhaps  be 
so  ready  to  admit  the  general  utility  of  these  irritating  insects, 
though  their  usefulness  is  more  evident,  and  far  more  easily 
proved,  than  that  of  the  locust,  or  indeed  of  most  other 
animals  of  a  similar  nature.  Bred  in  the  midst  of  stagnant 
pools,  of  bogs,  and  marshes,  in  regions  unwholesome  to 
man,  and  where  the  effluvia  arising  from  animal  bodies,  and 
from  rank  decaying  vegetable  substances,  are  so  abundant, 
as  to  form  thick  pestilential  vapours,  that  would  inflict  almost 
instant  destruction  on  the  human  inhabitant,  and  most  other 
creatures,  if  not  removed  as  quickly  as  they  were  formed  ; — • 
bred  in  such  regions,  and  gifted  with  functions  and  propensi- 
ties directed  to  the  proper  ends,  the  mosquito  supports  its 
existence  by  consuming  the  noxious  particles  exhaled  from 
the  swamps  ;  and  the  bodies  of  animals,  as  rapidly  as  they 
are  generated  ; — thereby  preventing  that  horrible  putrefaction 
of  the  air,  and  consequent  pestilence,  which  would  infallibly 
take  place,  if  the  mosquitoes,  and  similar  insects,  were  not 
employed  to  purify  the  atmosphere. 

CHAP.  XXXII. 
CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  INSECTS. — (Concluded.) 

Animalcules — The  Cheese  Mite — The  Hi/dra,  or  Polj/pes, 

The  smallest  creature  in  existence 

Has  limbs  and  sinews,  blood,  and  heart,  and  brain, 

Lite  and  her  proper  functions  to  sustain, 

Throufjh  the  whole  fabric,  smaller  than  a  grain ! 

What  more  can  our  penurious  reason  <i;rant 

To  the  large  whale,  or  castled  elephant ; — 

To  those  enormous  terrors  of  the  Nile, 

The  crested  snake,  and  lonfj-tail'd  crocodile ; — • 

Than  that  all  differ  but  in  shape  and  name, 

Each  destin'd  to  a  less  or  larger  frame  .'  Prior's  Solomon, 

ANIMALCULES. 

The  microscope  discovers  legions  of  animalcules  in  most 
liquors,  as  water,  vinegar,  beer,  dew.  Sec.  They  are  also 
found  in  rain,  and  several  chalybeate  waters,  and  in  infusions 
of  both  animal  and  vegetable  substances,  as  the  seminal  fluids 


ANIMALCULES.  357 

of  animals,  pepper,  oats,  wheat,  and  other  grain,  tea,  &c.  Sec. 
The  contemphition  of  animalcules  has  rendered  the  term,  i)ifi~ 
vilely  small  bodies,  extremely  familiar  to  us.  A  mite  was 
anciently  thought  the  limits  of  littleness  ;  but  we  are  not  now 
surprised,  to  be  told  of  animals  twenty- seven  millions  of  times 
smaller  than  a  mite.  ]\Iinute  animals  are  found  proportion- 
ably  much  stronger,  more  active  and  vivacious,  than  large 
ones.  The  spring  of  a  flea  in  its  leap,  how  vastly  does  it 
outskip  any  thing  the  larger  animals  are  capable  of!  A  mite, 
how  vastly  swifter  does  it  run  than  a  race-horse  !  M.  De. 
L'Isle  has  given  the  computation  of  the  velocity  of  a  little 
creature,  scarcely  visible  by  its  smallness  ;  which  he  found  to 
run  three  inches  in  half  a  second  :  supposing  now  its  feet  to 
be  the  fifteenth  part  of  a  line,  it  must  make  five  hundred 
steps  in  the  space  of  three  inches  ;  that  is,  it  must  shift  its 
legs  five  hundred  times  in  a  second,  or  in  the  ordinary  pulsa.- 
tion  of  an  artery.  The  excessive  minuteness  of  microscopical 
animalcules  conceals  them  from  the  human  eye.  One  of  the 
wonders  of  modern  philosophy  is,  to  have  invented  means  for 
bringing  objects,  to  us  so  imperceptible,  under  our  cogni- 
zance and  inspection  :  creatures,  a  thousand  times  too  little 
to  be  able  to  affect  our  sense,  should  seem  to  have  been  very 
safe  ;  yet  we  have  extended  our  views  over  animals,  to  whom 
these  would  be  mountains.  In  reality,  most  of  our  micro- 
scopical anim.alcules  are  of  so  small  a  magnitude,  that  through 
a  lens,  whose  focal  distance  is  the  tenth-part  of  an  inch,  they 
only  appear  as  so  many  points  ;  that  is,  their  parts  cannot  be 
distinguished,  so  that  they  appear  from  the  vertex  of  that 
lens  under  an  angle  not  exceeding  a  minute. 

If  we  investigate  the  magnitude  of  such  an  object,  it  will 
be  found  nearly  equal  to  77^,7^0^0^^^  ^^  ^"  inch  long.  Suppos- 
ing, therefore,  these  animalcules  of  a  cubic  figure,  that  is,  of 
the  same  length,  breadth,  and  thickness,  their  magnitude 
would  be  expressed  by  the  cube  of  the  fraction  TffTjViro.  tliat 
is,  by  the  number  iooo^(r(}o,ooo7)00,0()o  tbat  is,  so  many  parts  of  a 
cubic  inch,  is  each  animalcule  equal  to.  Leuwenhoek  cal- 
culates, that  a  thousand  millions  of  animalcules,  which  are 
discovered  in  com.mon  water,  are  not  altogether  so  large  as  a 
grain  of  sand.  In  the  milt  of  a  single  cod-fish,  there  are 
more  animals  than  there  are  upon  the  whole  earth  ;  for  a  grain 
of  sand  is  bigger  than  four  millions  of  them.  The  white  mat- 
ter that  sticks  to  the  teeth  also  abounds  with  animalcules  of 
various  figures,  to  which  vinegar  is  fatal  ;  and  it  is  known, 
that  vinegar  contains  animalcules  in  the  shape  of  eels.  In 
short,  according  to  this  author,  there  is  scarcely  any  thing 
which  corrupts,  without  producing  animalcules.  Animalcules 
are  said  10  be  the  cause  of  various  disorders.  The  itch  is 
known  to  be  a  disorder  arising  from  the  irritation  of  a  species 


358  CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     INSECTS. 

of  animalcules  found  in  the  pustules  of  the  body  ;  when  the 
communication  of  it  by  contact  from  one  to  another  is  easily 
conceived,  as  also  the  reason  of  the  cure  being  effected  by 
cutaneous  applications. 

In  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  vol.  89,  is  a  curious 
account  of  animalcules  produced  from  an  infusion  of  pota- 
toes, and  another  of  hemp-seed,  bv  the  late  Mr.  Ellis. 

"  On  the  25th  of  May,  1768,"  he  says,  "  Fahrenheit's  ther- 
mometer 70°,  I  boiled  a  potato  in  the  New-River  water,  till 
it  was  reduced  to  a  mealy  consistence  :  I  put  part  of  it,  with 
an  equal  proportion  of  the  boiling  liquor,  into  a  cylindrical 
glass  vessel,  that  held  something  less  than  half  a  wine  pint, 
and  immediately  covered  it  close  with  a  glass  cover.  At  the 
same  time  I  sliced  an  unboiled  potato,  and,  as  near  as  I  could 
judge,  put  the  same  quantity  into  a  glass  vessel  of  the  same 
kind,  with  the  same  proportion  of  New-River  water,  not 
boiled ;  and,  covering  it  with  a  glass  cover,  placed  both 
vessels  together.  On  the  26ih  of  May,  twenty-four  hours 
afterwards,  I  examined  a  small  drop  of  each  by  the  first 
magnifier  of  Wilson's  microscope,  whose  focal  distance  is 
reckoned  ^^^th  jiart  of  an  inch  ;  and,  to  my  amazement,  they 
were  both  full  of  animalcules,  of  a  linear  shape,  very  distin- 
guishable, moving  to  and  fro  with  great  celerity,  so  that  there 
appeared  to  be  more  particles  of  animal  than  vegetable  life  in 
each  drop.  This  experiment  I  have  repeatedly  tried,  and 
always  found  it  to  succeed  in  proportion  to  the  heat  of  the 
circumambient  air;  so  that  even  in  winter,  if  the  liquors  are 
kept  pro])erly  warm  for  two  or  three  days,  the  experi- 
ment will  succeed.  I  procured  hemp-seed  from  diil'erent 
seedsmen,  in  different  parts  of  the  town  ;  some  of  it  I  put 
into  the  New-River  water,  some  into  distilled  water,  and  some 
into  very  hard  pump-water :  the  result  was,  that  in  propor- 
tion to  the  heat  of  the  weather,  or  warmth  in  which  they  were 
kept,  there  was  an  appearance  of  millions  of  minute  animal- 
cules in  all  the  infusions;  and,  some  time  after,  oval  ones 
made  their  appearance,  much  larger  than  the  first,  which 
still  continued  ;  these  wriggled  to  and  fro  in  an  undulatory 
motion,  turning  themselves  round  very  quick  all  the  time 
they  moved  forwards." 

TheCheese-mite. — Thisminute  creatureis  a  favourite  sub- 
ject for  microscopic  observations.  It  is  covered  with  hairs  or 
bristles,  which  resemble  in  their  structure  the  awns  of  barley, 
being  barbed  on  each  side  with  numerous  sharp-pointed  pro- 
cesses. The  mite  is  oviparous :  from  the  eggs  proceed  the  young 
animals,  resembling  the  parents  in  all  respects,  except  in  the 
number  of  legs,  which  at  first  amount  only  to  six,  the  pair 
from  the  head  not  making  their   appearance   till  after  casting 


THIi  HYDRA,  OR  POLYPES.  359 

their  first  skin.  The  eggs,  in  warm  weather,  hatch  in  about  a 
week,  and  the  young  animal  may  be  seen  sometimes  for  a  day 
together  struggling  to  get  rid  of  its  egg-shell.  The  mite  is  a 
very  voracious  animal,  feasting  equally  upon  animal  and 
vegetable  substances.  It  is  also  extremely  tenacious  of  life: 
for,  upon  the  authority  of  Leuwenhoek,  though  highly  dis- 
creditable to  his  sense  of  humanity,  we  are  assured  that  a 
mite  lived  eleven  weeks  after  he  had  glued  it  to  a  pin,  in 
order  to  make  his  observations. 

We  shall  close  the  account  of  the  curiosities  of  insects  with  a 
description  of  The  Hydra,  or  Polypes. — In  natural  history, 
this  is  a  genus  of  the  Vermes  Zoophyta  class  and  order  ;  an  animal 
fixing  itself  by  the  base;  linear,  gelatinous,  naked,  contractile, 
and  furnished  with  setaceous  tentaculee,  or  feelers  ;  inhabit- 
ing fresh  waters,  and  producing  its  deciduous  offspring,  or 
eggs,  from  the  sides.  There  are  five  species,  H.  gelatinosa, 
minute  and  gelatinous,  milk-white,  cylindrical,  with  twelve 
tentaculse  shorter  than  the  body :  it  inhabits  Denmark,  in 
clusters  on  the  under  side  of  Fuci.  But  on  the  viridis,  the 
fusca,  and  the  grisca,  the  greatest  number  of  experiments  have 
been  made  by  naturalists,  to  ascertain  their  true  nature  and 
very  wonderful  habits.  They  are  generally  found  in  ditches. 
Whoever  has  carefully  examined  these,  when  the  sun  is  very 
powerful,  will  find  many  little  transparent  lumps  of  the 
appearance  of  jelly,  the  size  of  a  pea,  and  flatted  upon  one 
side.  The  same  kind  of  substances  are  likewise  to  be  met 
with  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  of  plants  that  grow  in 
such  places.  These  are  the  polypes  in  a  quiescent  state,  and 
apparently  inanimate.  They  are  generally  fixed  by  one  end 
to  some  solid  substance,  with  a  large  opening,  which  is  the 
mouth;  the  other  having  several  arms  fixed  round  it,  pro- 
jecting as  rays  from  the  centre.  They  are  slender,  pellucid, 
and  capable  of  contracting  themselves  into  a  very  small  com- 
pass, or  of  extending  to  a  considerable  length.  The  arms  are 
capable  of  the  same  contraction  and  expansion  as  the  body, 
and  with  these  they  lay  hold  of  minute  worms  and  insects, 
bringing  them  to  the  mouth,  and  swallowing  them.  The  in- 
digestible parts  are  again  thrown  out  by  the  mouth. 

The  green  polype  was  that  first  discovered  by  M.  Trembley : 
and  the  first  appearances  of  spontaneous  motion  were  per- 
ceived in  its  arms,  which  it  can  contract,  expand,  and  twist 
about  in  various  directions.  On  the  first  appearance  of  dan- 
ger, they  contract  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  seem  little 
longer  than  a  grain  of  sand,  of  a  fine  green  colour,  the  arms 
disappearing  entirely.  Soon  afterwards,  he  found  the  grisca, 
and  afterwards  the  fusca.  The  bodies  of  the  viridis  and 
trrisca  diminish  almost  insensibly  from  the  anterioi  to  the  pos- 


360  CUKIOSITIES   RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

terlor  exl/emity ;  but  the  fusca  Is  for  the  most  part  of  an 
equal  size,  for  two-thirds  of  its  length,  from  the  anterior  to 
the  posterior  extremities,  from  which  it  becomes  abruptly 
smaller,  and  then  continues  of  a  regular  size  to  the  end. 
These  three  kinds  have  at  least  six,  and  at  most  twelve  or 
thirteen  arms.  They  can  contract  themselves  till  their  bodies 
do  not  exceed  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  they  can 
stop  at  any  intermediate  degree  of  expansion  or  contraction. 
They  are  of  various  sizes,  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
long.  Their  arms  are  seldom  longer  than  their  bodies,  though 
some  have  them  an  inch,  and  some  even  eight  inches  long. 
The  thickness  of  their  bodies  decreases  as  they  extend  them- 
selves, and  vice  versa;  and  they  may  be  made  to  contract 
themselves,  either  by  agitating  the  water  in  which  they  are 
contained,  or  by  touching  the  animals  themselves.  When  taken 
out  of  the  water,  they  all  contract  so  much,  that  they  appear 
only  like  a  little  lump  of  jelly.  They  can  contract  or  expand 
one  arm,  or  any  number  of  arms,  independently  of  the  rest; 
and  they  can  likewise  bend  their  bodies  or  arms  in  all  possible 
directions.  They  can  also  dilate  or  contract  their  bodies  in 
various  places,  and  sometimes  appear  thick  set  with  folds, 
which,  when  carelessly  viewed,  appear  like  rings.  Their  pro- 
gressive motion  is  performed  by  that  power  which  they  have 
of  contracting  and  dilating  their  bodies.  When  about  to 
move,  they  bend  down  their  heads  and  arms;  lay  hold  by 
means  of  them,  or  some  other  substance  to  which  they  design 
to  fasten  themselves;  then  they  loosen  their  tail,  and  draw  it 
towards  the  head  ;  then  either  fix  it  in  that  place,  or  stretch- 
ing forward  their  head  as  before,  repeat  the  same  operation. 
They  ascend  or  descend  at  pleasure  in  this  manner  upon 
aquatic  plants,  or  upon  the  sides  of  the  vessel  in  which  they 
are  kept;  they  sometimes  hang  by  the  tail  from  the  surface 
of  the  water,  or  sometimes  by  one  of  their  arms;  and  they  can 
walk  with  ease  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  On  examining 
the  tail  with  a  microscope,  a  small  part  of  it  will  be  found  to 
be  dry  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and,  as  it  were,  in  a 
little  concave  space,  of  which  the  tail  forms  the  bottom  ;  so 
that  it  seems  to  be  suspended  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  on 
the  same  principle  that  a  small  pin  or  needle  is  made  to 
swim.  When  a  polype,  therefore,  means  to  pass  from  the 
sides  of  the  glass  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  it  has  only  to 
put  that  part  out  of  the  water  by  which  it  is  supported,  and 
to  give  it  time  to  dry,  which  it  always  does  upon  these  occa- 
sions; and  they  attach  themselves  so  firmly  by  the  tail  to 
aquatic  plants,  stones,  Sec.  that  they  cannot  be  easily  disen- 
gaged :  they  often  further  strengthen  these  attachments  by 
means  of  one  or  two  of  their  arms,  which  serve  as  a  kind  of 
anchors  for  fixing  them  to  the  adjacent  substances. 


THE   IIYDKA,  OR   POLYPES.  361 

The  fusca  has  the  longest  arms,  and  makes  use  of  the  most 
curious  manoeuvres  to  seize  its  prey.  They  are  best  viewed 
in  a  glass  seven  or  eight  inches  deep,  when  their  arms  com- 
monly hang  down  to  the  bottom.  When  tliis  or  any  other 
kind  is  hungry,  it  spreads  its  arms  in  a  kind  of  circle  to  a 
considerable  extent,  inclosing  in  this,  as  in  a  net,  every  insect 
which  has  the  misfortune  to  come  within  the  circumference. 
^V'hile  the  animal  is  contracted  by  seizing  its  prey,  the  arms 
are  observed  to  swell  like  the  muscles  of  the  human  body  when 
in  action.  Though  no  appearance  of  eyes  can  be  observed  in 
the  polype,  they  certainly  have  some  knowledge  of  the  ap- 
proach of  their  prey,  and  shew  the  greatest  attention  to  it  as 
soon  as  it  comes  near  them.  It  seizes  a  worm  the  moment  it 
is  touched  by  one  of  the  arms,  and  in  conveying  it  to  the 
mouth,  it  frequently  twists  the  arm  into  a  spiral  line  like  a 
corkscrew,  by  which  means  the  insect  is  brought  to  the 
mouth  in  a  much  shorter  time  than  otherwise  it  would  be  ; 
and  so  soon  are  the  insects  on  which  the  polypes  feed  killed 
by  them,  that  M.  Fontana  thinks  they  must  contain  the  most 
powerful  kind  of  poison;  for  the  lips  scarcely  touch  the  ani- 
mal, when  it  expires,  though  there  cannot  be  anv  wound  per- 
ceived on  it  when  dead.  The  worm,  when  swallowed,  appears 
sometimes  single,  sometimes  double,  according  to  circum- 
stances. When  full,  the  polype  contracts  itself,  hangs  down 
as  in  a  kind  of  stupor,  but  extends  again  in  proportion  as 
the  food  is  digested,  and  the  excrementitious  part  is  dis- 
charged. 

The  manner  in  which  the  polypes  propagate,  is  most  per- 
ceptible in  the  grisca  and  fusca,  as  being  considerably  larger 
than  the  viridis.  If  we  examine  one  of  them  in  summer,  when 
the  animals  are  most  active,  and  prepared  for  propagation, 
some  small  tubercles  will  be  found  proceeding  from  its  sides, 
which  constantly  increase  in  bulk,  until  at  last,  in  two  or  three 
days,  they  assume  the  figure  of  small  polypes.  When  they 
first  begin  to  shoot,  the  excrescence  becomes  pointed,  assum- 
ing a  conical  figure  and  deeper  colour  than  the  rest  of  the 
body.  In  a  short  time  it  becomes  truncated,  and  then  cylin- 
drical, after  which  the  arms  begin  to  shoot  from  the  anterior 
end.  The  tail  adheres  to  the  body  of  the  parent  animal,  but 
gradually  grows  smaller,  until  at  last  it  hangs  only  by  a  point,  and 
is  then  ready  to  be  separated.  When  this  is  the  case,  both 
the  mother  and  young  ones  fix  themselves  to  the  sides  of  the 
glass,  and  are  separated  from  each  other  by  a  sudden  jerk. 
Tiie  time  requisite  for  the  formation  of  the  young  ones  is  very 
different,  according  to  the  warmth  of  the  weather,  and  the 
nature  of  the  food  eaten  by  the  mother.  Sometimes  they  are 
fully  formed,  and  ready  to  drop  off,  in  twenty-four  hours ;  in 
other  cases,  when  the  weather  is  cold,  fifteen  days  have  been 

2Z 


362  CURlOSITiKS    RESPECTING    INSECTS. 

requisite  for  bringinii-  them  to  perfection.  The  polypes  pro- 
duce young  ones  indiscriminately  from  all  parts  of  their 
bodies,  and  five  or  six  young  ones  have  frequently  been  pro- 
duced at  once ;  nay,  M.  Trembley  has  observed  nine  or  ten 
produced  at  the  same  time. 

When  a  polype  is  cut  transversely,  or  longitudinally,  into 
two  or  three  parts,  each  part  in  a  short  time  becomes  a  perfect 
animal;  and  so  great  is  this  prolific  power,  that  a  new  animal 
will  be  produced,  even  from  a  small  portion  of  the  skin  of 
the  old  one.  If  the  young  ones  be  mutilated  while  they  grow 
upon  the  parent,  the  parts  so  cut  off  will  be  re-produced  ;  and 
the  same  property  belongs  to  the  parent.  A  truncated  portion 
will  send  forth  young  ones  before  it  has  acquired  a  new  head 
and  tail  of  its  own,  and  sometimes  the  head  of  the  young  one 
supplies  the  place  of  that  which  should  have  grown  out  of  the 
old  one.  If  we  slit  a  polype  longitudinally  through  the  head 
to  the  middle  of  the  body,  we  shall  have  one  formed  with 
two  heads  ;  and  by  again  slitting  these  in  the  same  manner, 
we  may  form  one  with  as  many  heads  as  we  please.  A  still 
more  surprising  property  of  these  animals  is,  that  they  may 
be  grafted  together.  If  the  truncated  portions  of  a  polype  be 
placed  end  to  end,  and  gently  pushed  together,  they  will 
unite  into  a  single  one.  The  two  portions  are  first  joined 
together  by  a  slender  neck,  which  gradually  fills  up  and  dis- 
appears, the  food  passing  from  one  part  into  the  other;  and 
thus  we  may  form  polypes,  not  only  from  dijferent  portions 
of  the  same  animal,  but  from  those  of  different  animals.  We 
may  fix  the  head  of  one  to  the  body  of  another,  and  the  com- 
pound animal  will  grow,  eat,  and  multiply,  as  if  it  had  never 
been  divided.  By  pushing  the  body  of  one  into  the  mouth  of 
another,  so  far  that  their  heads  may  be  brought  into  contact, 
and  kept  in  that  situation  for  some  time,  they  will  at  last 
unite  into  one  animal,  only  having  double  the  usual  number 
of  arms.  The  hydra  fusca  maybe  turned  inside  out  like  a 
glove,  at  the  same  time  that  it  continues  to  eat  and  live  as 
before.  The  lining  of  the  stomach  now  forms  the  outer  skin, 
and  the  former  epidermis  constitutes  the  lining  of  the  sto- 
mach. 


VEGETACI-HS.  36.1 

CHAP.  XXXIII. 
CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    VEGETABLES. 

Curiosities  in  the  Vegetable  Kingdom — Germination  of  Seeds — 
Dissemination  of  Plants — Number  of  Plants  upon  the  Earth — 
Sensibility/  oj'  Plants — The  Se/isitive  Plant. 

Your  contemplation  furtlier  yet  pursue; 

The  wondrous  world  of  veoetables  view  ! 

See  various  trees  their  various  fruits  produce, 

Some  for  delightful  taste,  and  some  for  use. 

See  sproutinf!^  plants  enrich  the  plain  and  wood, 

For  physic  some,  and  some  desijijn'd  for  food. 

See  fragrant  flow'rs,  with  difiercnt  colours  dy'd, 

On  smiling  meads  unfold  their  gaudy  pride.  Blachmore. 

CURIOSITIES   IN   THE   VEGETABLE   KINGDOM. 

The  difference  between  animals  and  veoetables  is  so  great, 
that  at  first  we  do  not  perceive  any  resemblance  between  them. 
Some  animals  only  live  in  water ;  others  on  the  earth,  or  in 
the  air;  and  some  are  amphibious,  or  live  equally  well  in 
water  as  upon  land.  And  this  is  literally  the  case  with  vege- 
tables :  some  of  them  only  grow  upon  land,  others  in  the 
w  ater ;  some  can  scarcely  bear  any  moisture,  others  live 
either  in  earth  or  water;  and  some  even  are  found  that  exist 
in  the  air. 

There  is  a  tree  in  the  island  of  Japan,  which,  contrary  to 
the  nature  of  all  others,  to  wiiich  moisture  is  necessary,  can- 
not bear  the  least  portion.  As  soon  as  it  is  watered  it 
perishes:  the  only  way  to  preserve  it  in  such  a  case,  is  to  cut 
it  off  by  the  root,  which  is  to  be  dried  in  the  sun,  and  after- 
wards planted  in  a  dry  and  sandy  soil.  A  peculiar  species  of 
mushroom,  some  mosses,  and  other  small  plants,  float  in  the 
air;  but  what  is  still  more  extraordinary,  a  branch  of  rose- 
mary, which,  as  is  the  custom  of  some  countries,  was  put  in 
the  hand  of  a  corpse,  sprouted  out  to  the  right  and  left  so 
vigorously,  that  after  a  lapse  of  some  years,  the  grave  being 
opened,  the  face  of  the  defunct  was  overshadowed  with  rose- 
mary leaves.  The  vegetation  of  the  truffle  is  still  more 
singular  :  this  extroardinary  tubercle  has  neither  roots,  stem, 
leaves,  flowers,  nor  seeds  ;  it  derives  its  nourishment  through 
the  pores  of  its  bark.  But  it  may  be  asked,  how  is  it  pro- 
duced ?  why  is  there  commonly  no  kind  of  herb  in  the  places 
where  this  species  of  fungus  grows?  and  why  is  the  land 
there  dry  and  full  of  crevices?  These  things  have  never  been 
explained.      No   plant  so   much   resembles   animals,  as   that 


364  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

species  of  membranous  moss  called  nostoch  ;  it  is  an  irre- 
gular substance,  of  a  pale  green  colour,  and  somewhat  trans- 
parent; it  trembles  upon  the  slightest  touch,  and  easily  breaks. 
It  can  only  be  seen  after  rain,  and  is  then  found  in  many 
places,  particularly  in  uncultivated  soils  and  sandy  roads. 
It  exists  in  all  seasons,  even  in  winter;  but  is  never  so  abun- 
dant as  after  rain  in  summer.  The  most  remarkable  circum- 
stance about  it  is,  its  speedy  growth,  being  formed  almost 
instantaneously:  sometimes  walking  in  the  garden  in  summer, 
not  a  trace  of  it  is  seen,  when  a  sudden  shower  of  rain  falling, 
if  the  same  place  is  visited  in  an  hour,  the  walks  are  entirely 
covered  with  it.  The  nostoch  was  long  supposed  to  have 
descended  from  the  sky  ;  but  it  is  now  known  to  be  a  leaf, 
which  attracts  and  imbibes  water  with  great  avidity.  This 
leaf,  to  which  no  root  appears  to  belong,  is  in  its  natural 
state  when  impregnated  with  water;  but  a  strong  wind  or 
great  heat  soon  dissipating  the  water,  the  leaf  contracts,  and 
loses  its  colour  and  transparency  :  hence  it  appears  to  grow 
so  suddenly,  and  to  be  so  miraculously  produced  by  a  shower 
of  rain  ;  for  when  the  rain  falls  upon  it  in  its  dried  and  imper- 
ceptible state,  it  becomes  reanimated,  and  appears  a  fresh 
production. 

We  might  readily  enumerate  a  variety  of  plants  that  bear  a 
resemblance  to  animals  ;  but  there  are  other  peculiarities  in 
vegetables,  w  hich  solicit  our  attention.  The  whole  atmosphere 
is  pregnant  with  plants  and  invisible  seeds,  and  even  the 
largest  grains  are  dispersed  by  the  wind  over  the  earth  ;  and 
as  soon  as  they  are  transported  to  the  places  where  they  may 
germinate,  they  become  plants,  and  often  so  little  soil  is 
necessary  for  this  purpose,  that  we  can  scarcely  conceive 
whence  they  derive  tlie  necessary  degree  of  nourishment. 
There  are  plants,  and  even  trees,  which  take  root  and  grow 
in  the  clefts  of  rocks,  without  any  soil.  Vegetation  is  some- 
times very  rapid;  of  which  we  have  instances  in  mushrooms, 
and  the  common  cresses,  the  seed  of  which,  if  put  into  a  wet 
cloth,  will  be  fit  for  a  salad  in  twenty-four  hours.  There  are 
plants  that  exist  with  scarcely  any  perceptible  vitality.  We 
often  see  willows,  which  arc  not  only  hollowed  and  decayed 
within,  but  their  external  bark  is  so  much  injured  that 
very  little  of  it  remains  ;  yet  from  these  seemingly  sapless 
trunks,  buds  sprout  in  the  spring,  and  they  are  crowned  with 
leaves  and  branches.  How  admirable,  that  plants  should  not 
only  imbibe  nutriment  by  their  roots,  but  that  tlieir  leaves 
also  should  assist  in  this  important  function,  by  inspiring  air! 
and  an  inverted  tree  will  flourish  as  well  as  when  in  its  pro- 
per position,  for  the  branches  will  grow  in  the  earth  and 
become  roots  !  The  advanced  age  that  some  trees  attain, 
is  also  very  wonderful.     Some  apple-trees  are  above  a  thou 


GEUMIN  ATION    OF   SEEDS.  365 

sa\id  vears  old  ;  and  it"  we  calculate  the  amount  of  the  annual 
produce  of  such  a  tree  for  the  above  space  of  time,  we  shall 
find  that  a  single  pippin  might  supply  all  Europe  with  trees 
and  fruit. 

The  Germination  of  Seeds. — Seeds  are  composed  of 
different  parts,  according  to  the  variety  of  species,  the  prin- 
cipal of  which  parts  is  the  germ.  Each  germ  has  two  parts  : 
the  one  simple,  which  becomes  the  root ;  and  the  other  lami- 
nated, which  becomes  the  stem  of  the  plant.  The  substance 
of  most  seeds  is  composed  of  two  pieces,  called  lobes,  which 
contain  a  farinaceous  matter,  and  serve  as  seminal  leaves  to 
the  plants.  Mosses  have  the  most  simple  seed,  consisting 
only  of  the  germ,  without  pellicle,  and  without  lobes.  To 
make  seeds  germinate,  air,  and  a  certain  degree  of  heat  and 
moisture,  are  necessary.  The  augmented  heat,  and  the  differ- 
ence observable  in  the  taste  and  smell,  seem  to  denote  a 
degree  of  fermentation  ;  and  the  farinaceous  substance  be- 
comes fitted  to  nourish  the  tender  germ.  It  has  been  ascer- 
tained by  experiments  made  with  coloured  fluids,  that  this 
substance  imbibes  a  moisture,  wliich,  in  conjunction  with  the 
air  and  heat,  forms  a  proper  nourishment  till  the  plant  has 
acquired  strength  enough  to  make  use  of  the  juices  fur- 
nished by  the  root.  The  lobes,  exhausted  of  their  farinaceous 
matter,  gradually  dry,  and  fall  off  of  themselves  in  a  few 
weeks,  when  the  plant  has  no  i'urther  need  of  their  assist- 
ance.— Certain  herbs  which  grow  on  the  mountains  are  of  a 
very  peculiar  nature  :  their  duration  being  very  short,  it  often 
happens  tliat  the  seed  has  not  time  to  ripen  ;  and,  that  the 
species  may  not  be  lost,  the  bud  which  contains  the  germ  is 
formed  upon  the  top  of  the  plant,  puts  forth  leaves,  falls,  and 
takes  root.  When  the  delicate  plant  shoots  up  from  the 
earth,  it  would  run  too  great  a  risk,  if  it  were  immediately 
exposed  to  the  air,  and  to  the  influence  of  the  sun.  Its  parts 
therefore  remain  folded  close  to  each  other,  nearly  the  same  as 
when  in  the  seed.  But  as  the  root  grows  strong  and  branches 
out,  it  furnishes  the  superior  vessels  with  an  abundance  of 
juice,  by  means  of  which  all  the  organs  are  developed.  At 
first  the  plant  is  nearly  gelatinous ;  but  it  soon  acquires  more 
firmness,  and  continually  increases  in  size. 

This  short  account  of  the  germination  of  seeds  may  suffice 
to  shew,  to  the  inquisitive  in  the  wonders  of  nature,  what 
preparations  and  means  nature  uses  to  produce  a  single  plant. 
When,  therefore,  we  see  a  seed  that  we  have  placed  in  the 
earth  sprout,  we  shall  no  longer  consider  it  as  beneath  our 
notice,  but  shall  rather  be  disposed  to  regard  it  as  one  of 
those  wonders  of  nature  which  have  excited  the  observation 
and  attention  of  some  of  the  greatest  of  men. 


366  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES 

Go,  mark  the  matchless  working's  of  that  Power 

That  shuts  within  the  seed  the  future  flower; 

Bids  these  in  elegance  of  form  excel; 

In  colour  these,  and  those  delight  the  smell 

Sends  nature  forth,  the  daughter  of  the  skies, 

To  dance  on  earth,  and  charm  all  human  eyes.  Cowper*. 

Dissemination  of  Plants. — When  seeds  are  come  to 
maturity,  their  dissemination  is  absolutely  necessary,  since 
witliout  it  no  future  crop  would  follow.  The  great  Author  of 
nature  has  wisely  provided  for  this  in  various  ways.  The 
stems  of  many  plants  are  long  and  slender,  and  being  raised 
above  the  ground,  the  wind  shakes  them  to  and  fro,  and  by 
this  means  are  the  ripe  seeds  conveyed  to  a  distance.  The 
seed-vessels  of  most  plants  are  shut  till  the  seeds  are  ripe,  that 
so  the  winds  may  not  scatter  them  prematurely;  and  when 
the  proper  season  arrives,  many  of  these  open  with  .such 
a  degree  of  elasticity  as  to  throw  the  seeds  to  a  consider- 
able distance.  Other  seeds  have  a  kind  of  wings  given 
them,  by  which  they  are  conveyed  to  a  distance  of  some  miles 
from  the  parent  plant.  These  wings  consist  either  of  a  down, 
as  in  most  of  the  composite-flowered  plants,  or  of  a  membrane, 
as  in  the  birch,  alder,  ash,  elm,  &c.  Hence  woods,  which 
happen  to  be  destroyed  by  fire,  or  any  other  accident,  are 
soon  restored  again  by  new  plants. 

Some  seeds  are  rough,  or  provided  with  a  sort  of  hooks,  by 
means  of  which  they  are  apt  to  stick  to  animals  that  pass  by 
them,  and  by  this  means  are  carried  to  the  mouths  of  their  bur- 
rows, where  they  meet  with  proper  soil  and  manure  for  their 
growth.  Berries  and  other  pericarpies  are  by  nature  allotted 
for  aliment  to  animals  ;  but  it  is  on  condition  that  they  shall 
sow  the  seed  while  they  eat  it:  this  they  do  by  dispersing  the 
seeds  as  they  are  eating;  and  also  after  eating,  by  voiding 
many  of  them  unhurt,  and  even  in  a  better  state  for  vegetation 
than  they  were  before.  Thus  many  kinds  of  nuts  are  sown; 
and  thus  did  the  doves  of  the  Moluccas  replant  with  nutmegs 
those  islands  of  the  East,  which  the  sordid  avarice  of  the 
Dutch  had  destroyed:  Providence  thereby  frustrating,  by 
feeble  but  certain  means,  the  contemptible  selfishness  of  that 
commercial  people. 

In  this  manner  the  woods  of  northern  countries  are  sown 
with  junipers,  by  the  thrushes  and  other  birds  which  feed 
upon  these  heavy  berries.  The  cross-bill  lives  upon  fir-cones, 
and  the  hawfinch  upon  pine-cones;  by  means  of  which  the  fir 
and  the  pine,  of  various  species,  are  continually  planted  in 
vast  abundance.  In  our  own  country,  the  common  rook  has  been 
observed,  not  only  to  feed  on  acorns,  but  to  make  holes  in  the 
ground  with  the  bill,  and  hide  many:  probably  they  mean 
only  to  lay   in  a  stock   for  future  necessity  by  this  process; 


NUMBER  OF  PLANTS.  367 

but  certain  it  is,  that  thousands  of  oaks  are  annually  planted 
by  this  means.  Swine,  also,  in  searching  for  food,  turn  up 
the  earth;  and  moles,  by  throwing  up  hillocks,  prepare  the 
ground  for  seeds  of  various  kinds.  Seas,  lakes,  and  rivers, 
by  their  streams  and  currents,  often  convey  seeds  unhurt  to 
distant  countries. 

In  assimilating  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms,  Lin- 
neeus  denominates  seeds  the  eggs  of  plants.  The  fecundity 
of  plants  is  frequently  marvellous  :  from  a  single  plant  or 
stalk  of  Indian  Turkey  wheat,  are  produced,  in  one  summer, 
2000  seeds;  of  elecampane,  3000;  of  sun-flower,  4000;  of 
poppy,  32,000;  of  a  spike  of  cat's-tail,  10,000  and  upwards: 
a  single  fruit  or  seed-vessel  of  tobacco,  contains  1000  seeds; 
that  of  white  poppy,  8000.  Mr.  Ray  relates,  from  experi- 
ments made  by  himself,  that  1012  tobacco  seeds  are  equal  in 
weight  to  one  grain;  and  that  the  weight  of  the  whole  quan- 
tum of  seeds  in  a  single  tobacco  plant,  is  such  as  must,  ac- 
cording to  the  above  proportion,  determine  their  number  to 
be  360,000.  The  same  author  estimates  the  a.,.iual  produce 
of  a  single  stalk  of  spleen-wort  to  be  upwards  of  1,000,00^ 
of  seeds. 

Prodigious  Number  of  Plants  upon  the  Earth. — It 
is  said,  that  there  are  about  44,000  different  plants  already  dis- 
covered, to  which  new  ones  are  daily  added.  By  means  of 
the  microscope,  some  have  been  found  where  they  were  least 
expected.  The  different  varieties  of  mosses  and  sponges  have 
been  classed  among  vegetables,  and  have  presented  to  the 
observation  of  the  naturalist,  seeds  and  flowers  before  un- 
known. Freestone  is  sometimes  covered  with  brown  and 
blackish  spots;  the  mouldy  substance  which  composes  them, 
adheres  to  various  other  matters,  and  may  be  considered  as  a 
little  garden  in  vegetation.  When  we  reflect  upon  the  quan- 
tity of  moss  which  covers  the  hardest  stones,  the  trunks  of 
trees,  and  the  most  barren  places; — when  we  consider  the 
quantity  of  vegetables  upon  the  surface  of  the  eartli ;  the 
different  species  of  flowers  which  delight  and  refresh  us;  the 
trees  and  bushes,  add  to  these  the  aquatic  plants,  some  of 
which  exceed  a  hair  in  fineness; — we  may  be  able  to  form 
some  idea  of  the  multitude  of  plants  in  the  vegetable  king- 
dom. All  these  species  grow  up,  and  are  preserved  without 
detriment  or  injury,  each  having  that  place  assigned  it, 
which  is  most  suited  to  its  properties.  Such  is  the  wisdom 
displayed  in  their  distribution  over  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
that  there  is  no  part  of  it  wholly  destitute,  and  no  part  enjoys 
them  in  too  great  abundance.  Some  plants  require  the  open 
field,  where,  unsheltered  by  trees,  they  may  receive  the  sun's 
rays;  others  can  only  exist  in  water;  some  grow  in  the  sand; 


368  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. 

others  in  marshes  and  fens,  which  are  frequently  covered  with 
water,  and  some  bud  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  whilst 
others  unfold  themselves  in  its  bosom.  The  different  strata 
which  compose  the  soil  of  the  earth,  as  sand,  clay,  chalk,  &.c. 
favour  different  vegetables ;  and  hence  it  is,  that  in  the  vast 
garden  of  nature  nothing  is  absolutely  sterile;  from  the  finest 
sand  to  the  flinty  rock,  from  the  torrid  to  the  frozen  zone,  each 
soil  and  climate  supports  plants  peculiar  to  itself.  Another 
circumstance  highly  worthy  of  attention  is  :  the  Creator  has  so 
ordered, that, among  this  immense  variety  of  plants, those  which 
ccre  most  proper  for  food  or  medicine  multiply  in  greater  abun- 
dance than  those  which  are  of  less  utility.  Herbs  are  much  more 
numerous  than  trees  and  brambles  ;  grass  is  in  greater  abun- 
dance than  oaks;  and  cherry-trees  more  j)lentiful  than  apricots: 
had  oaks  been  more  frequent  than  grass,  or  trees  than  herbs  and 
roots,  it  would  have  been  ini])Ossible  for  animals  to  subsist. 

According  to  the  calculation  of  Baron  Von  Humboldt,  6000 
plants    are  agamous,    that  is,    plants  which   have  no    sexual 
organs,  such  as  champignons,  lichens,  8v.c.     Of  the  remainder 
there  are  found- 
In  Europe 7,000 

In  the  temperate  regions  of  Asia   1,500 

In  Equinoxial  Asia,  and  the  adjacent  Islands 4,500 

In  Africa 3,000 

In   the   temperate  regions  of  America,  in  both   hemi- 
spheres       4,000 

In  Equinoxial  America 13,000 

In  New  Holland,  and  the  Islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean    5,000 

Total 38,000 


Sensibility  of  Plants. — There  are  certain  motions  ob- 
servable in  plants,  that  make  it  doubtful  whether  they  are  not 
possessed  of  sensibility.  Some  plants  shrink  and  contract 
their  leaves  upon  being  touched  ;  others  open  and  shut  their 
flowers  at  certain  fixed  hoiu's  in  the  day,  so  regularly  as  to 
denote  witli  precision  the  time  of  day  ;  some  assume  a  pecu- 
liar form  during  the  night,  folding  up  their  leaves;  and  these 
different  changes  take  place  whether  they  are  in  the  open  air, 
or  shut  up  in  close  apartments.  Those  which  live  under 
water  during  the  time  of  fecundation,  raise  their  flowers  above 
the  surface. 

The  motions  of  a  marshy  plant  discovered  some  time  since, 
in  the  province  of  Carolina,  are  still  more  singular.  Its  round 
leaves  are  furnished  above,  and  on  the  sides,  with  a  multi- 
tude of  notches  that  are  extremely  irrital)le.  When  an  insect 
happens  to  creep  upon  the  superior  surface  of  the  leaves,  they 


THE  SENSITIVE   PLANT.  360 

fold  lip,  niid  inclose  the  insect  till  it  dies;  the  leaves  then 
(ijHi!  of  themselves.  We  may  daily  observe  regular  motions 
in  some  plants  in  our  gardens.  Tulips  expand  their  petals 
when  tlie  weather  is  fine,  and  close  them  again  at  sun-set,  or 
<liirii!<j  !;iin.  Vegetables  with  pods,  such  as  peas  and  beans, 
open  their  shells  when  dry,  and  curl  themselves  up  like  shav- 
ings ot"  wood.  Wild  oats,  when  placed  upon  a  table,  will 
move  spontaneously,  more  especially  if  warmed  in  the  hand 
And  the  heliotrope,  or  sunflower,  with  various  other  ])lants, 
alwavs  turns  towards  the  sun.  These  are  incontestable  facts, 
of  the  certaintv  of  which  every  person  may  be  easily  convinced. 
From  them,  some  conclude  that  we  ought  not  to  deny  sensi- 
bility to  be  an  attribute  of  plants;  and  certainly  the  facts 
which  are  alleged  in  favour  of  such  an  opinion,  give  it  great 
appearance  of  probability.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  plants 
have  no  other  sign  of  sensibility  ;  and  all  that  they  have  is 
entirelv  mechanical.  We  plant  a  shrub  and  destroy  it,  with- 
out finding  any  analogy  between  it  and  an  animal,  that  we 
bring  up  and  kill.  We  see  a  plant  bud,  blossom,  and  bear 
seed,  insensibly,  as  the  hand  of  a  watch  runs  round  the  points 
of  the  dial.  The  most  exact  anatomy  of  a  plant  does  not 
unfold  to  us  any  organ  which  has  the  least  relation  to  those 
of  animal  sensibility.  When  we  oppose  these  observations  to 
those  from  which  we  might  infer  the  sensibility  of  plants,  we 
remain  in  uncertainty,  and  we  cannot  explain  the  phenomena 
related  above.  Our  knowledge  upon  this  subject  is  very  im- 
perfect, and  is  confined  to  simple  conjecture.  We  neither 
attribute  sensibility  to  plants,  nor  deny  it  to  them,  with  cer- 
tainty. 

The  Sensitive  Plant. — This  singular  plant  rises  from  a 
slender  woody  stalk  seven  or  eight  feet  in  height,  armed  with 
short  recurved  thorns  ;  the  leaves  grow  upon  long  footstalks, 
which  are  prickly,  each  sustaining  two  pair  of  wings  ;  from 
the  place  where  these  are  inserted,  come  out  small  branches, 
having  three  or  four  globular  heads  of  pale  purplish  flowers 
coming  out  from  the  side,  on  short  peduncles;  the  principal 
stalk  has  many  of  those  heads  of  flowers  on  the  upper  part, 
for  more  than  a  foot  in  length  ;  this,  as  also  the  branches,  is 
terminated  by  like  heads  of  flowers  ;  the  leaves  move  on 
slowly  when  touched,  but  the  footstalks  fall,  when  they  f.re 
pressed  pretty  hard,  [t  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  (M.  pitdka.  hum- 
ble plant,)  having  the  roots  composed  ofmany  hairy  fibres,  which 
mat  slowly  together;  from  these  come  out  several  woody 
stalks,  declining  towards  the  ground,  unless  supported;  they 
are  armed  with  short  recurved  spines,  having  winged  or  pin- 
nate leaves ;  flowers  from  the  axils,  on  short  peduncles, 
collected  in  small  globular  heads,  of  a  yellow  colour. 

3  A 


370  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. 

"  Naturalists  (says  Dr.  Darwin)  have  not  explained  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  collapsing  of  the  sensitive  plant;  the 
leaves  meet  and  close  in  the  night,  during  the  sleep  of  the 
plant,  or  when  exposed  to  much  cold  in  the  day-time,  in  the 
same  manner  as  when  they  are  affected  by  external  violence, 
folding  their  upper  surfaces  together,  and  in  part  over  each 
other  like  scales  or  tiles,  so  as  to  expose  as  little  of  the  upper 
surface  as  may  be  to  the  air,  but  do  not,  indeed,  collapse 
quite  so  far;  for  when  touched  in  the  night  during  their  sleep, 
they  fvill  still  further,  especially  when  touched  on  the  foot- 
stalks between  the  stems  and  the  leaflets,  which  seem  to  be 
their  most  sensitive  or  irritable  part.  Now,  as  their  situation 
after  being  exposed  to  external  violence  resembles  their  sleep, 
but  with  a  greater  degree  of  coUapsion,  may  it  not  be  owing  to 
a  numbness  or  paralysis  consequent  to  too  violent  irritation, 
like  the  pantings  of  animals  from  pain  or  fatigue?  A  sensi- 
tive plant  being  kept  in  a  dark  room  till  some  hours  after 
day-break,  its  leaves  and  leaf-stalks  were  collapsed  as  in  its 
most  profoimd  sleep,  and  on  exposing  it  to  the  light,  above 
twenty  minutes  passed  before  the  plant  was  thoroughly  awake, 
and  had  quite  expanded  itself.  During  this  night  the  upper 
surfaces  of  the  leaves  were  oppressed  ;  this  would  seem  to 
shew  that  the  office  of  this  surface  of  the  leaf  was  to  expose 
the  fluids  of  the  plant  to  the  light,  as  well  as  to  the  air." 
Dr  Darwin  has  thus  characterized  these  plants. — 

Weak  with  nice  sense  the  chaste  Mimosa  stands, 
From  each  rude  touch  withdraws  her  timid  hands 
Oft  as  lig^ht  clouds  o'erpass  the  summer  plade, 
Alarm'd,  she  trembles  at  the  movinfi^  shade  ; 
And  feels  alive  througjh  all  her  tender  form. 
The  whisper'd  murmurs  of  the  gjatherin^  storm  ; 
Shuts  her  sweet  eyelids  to  approaching  nig;ht, 
And  hails  with  freshen'd  charms  the  rising  light. 


THE  COCOA-NUT  TREK.  371 

CHAP.  XXXIV. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    VEGETABLES. ( CoutlflUed.) 

The  Cocoa-Niit  Tree — The  Bread- Fruit  Tree — The  Banninn 
Tree — Fountain  Trees — The  Talhnv  Tree — The  Paper  Tree — 
The  Calabash  Tree — Remarkable  Oak — Dimensions,  S)X.  of 
some  of  the  largest  Trees  noic  grotring  in  England — Upas,  os* 
Poison  Tree. 

Admiration,  feedin«j  at  the  eye, 

And  still  uusated,  dwells  upon  the  theme.  Cowper. 

THE   COCOA-NUT  TREE. 

Of  all  the  gifts  which  Providence  has  bestowed  on  the 
Oriental  world,  the  cocoa-nut  tree  most  deserves  our  notice: 
in  this  single  production  of  nature,  what  blessings  are  conveyed 
to  man!  It  grows  a  stately  column,  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet 
in  height,  crowned  by  a  verdant  capital  of  waving  branches, 
covered  with  long  spiral  leaves  ;  under  this  foliage,  branches 
of  blossoms,  clusters  of  green  fruit,  and  others  arrived  at  ma- 
turity, appear  in  mingled  beauty.  The  trunk,  though  porous, 
furnishes  beams  and  rafters  for  our  habitations ;  and  the 
leaves,  when  platted  together,  make  an  excellent  thatch, 
common  umbrellas,  coarse  mats  for  the  floor,  and  brooms; 
while  their  finest  fibres  are  woven  into  very  beautiful  mats 
for  the  rich.  The  covering  of  the  young  fruit  is  extremely 
curious,  resembling  a  piece  of  thick  cloth,  in  a  conical  form, 
close  and  firm  as  it  came  from  the  loom  ;  it  expands  after  the 
fruit  has  burst  through  its  inclosure,  and  then  appears  of  a 
coarser  texture.  The  nuts  contain  a  delicious  milk,  and  a 
kernel  sweet  as  the  almond:  this,  when  dried,  affords  abun- 
dance of  oil ;  and  when  that  is  expressed,  the  remains  feed 
cattle  and  poultry,  and  make  good  manure.  The  shell  of  the 
nut  furnishes  cups,  ladles,  and  other  domestic  utensils,  while 
the  husk  which  incloses  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance;  it  is 
manufactured  into  ropes  and  cordage  of  every  kind,  from  tlie 
smallest  twine  to  the  largest  cable,  which  are  far  more  dur- 
able than  those  of  hemp.  In  the  Nicobar  islands,  the  natives 
build  their  vessels,  make  the  sails  and  cordage,  supply  them 
with  provisions  and  necessaries,  and  provide  a  cargo  of  ar- 
rack, vinegar,  oil,  gagpree  or  coarse  sugar,  cocoa-nuts,  coir, 
cordage,  black  paint,  and  several  inferior  articles,  for  foreign 
markets,  entirely  from  this  tree. 

Many  of  the  trees  are  not  permitted  to  bear  fruit;  but  the 
embryo  bud,  from  which  the  blossoms  and  nuts  would  spring. 


372  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

is  tied  up,  to  prevent  its  expansion  ;  and  a  small  incision 
being  then  made  at  the  end,  there  oozes  in  gentle  drops  a  cool 
pleasar.t  liquor,  called  Trace,  or  Toddy,  the  palm  wine  of  the 
poets.  This,  when  first  drawn,  is  cooling  and  salutary;  but 
when  fermented  and  distilled,  produces  an  intoxicating  spirit. 
Thus,  a  plantation  of  cocoa-nut  trees  yields  the  proprietor 
considerable  profits,  and  generally  forms  part  of  the  govern- 
ment revenue. 

The  Bread-fruitTree. — The  systematic  name  of  this  plant 
is  Artocarpus,  which  is  merely  the  English  name  translated  into 
Greek.  There  are  several  species;  particularly  A.  iiicisa,  and 
A.  iiitegrifoUa. 

The  genuine  bread-fruit  tree  is  the  artocarpus  incisa.  In 
captain  Cook's  Voyage,  it  is  observed,  that  the  bread- 
fruit tree  is  about  the  size  of  a  middling  oak;  its  leaves  are 
frequently  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  oblong-,  deeply  sinuated, 
like  those  of  the  fig-tree,  which  they  resemble  in  consistence 
and  colour,  and  in  exuding  a  milky  juice  when  broken.  The 
fruit  is  the  size  and  shape  of  a  child's  head,  and  the  surface  is 
reticulated,  not  much  unlike  a  truffle;  it  is  covered  with  a 
thin  skin,  and  has  a  core  about  as  big  as  the  handle  of  a  small 
knife;  the  eatable  part  lies  between  the  skin  and  core;  it  is 
as  white  as  snow,  and  of  the  consistence  of  new  biead.  It 
must  be  roasted  before  it  is  eaten,  being  first  divided  into 
three  or  four  parts;  its  taste  is  insipid,  with  a  slight  sweet- 
ness, somewhat  resembling  that  of  the  crumb  of  wheaten 
bread,  mixed  with  Jerusalem  artichoke.  The  fruit  not  being 
in  season  all  the  year,  there  is  a  method  of  supplying  this  de- 
fect, by  reducing  it  to  sour  paste,  called  makie;  and  besides 
this,  cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  plantains,  and  a  great  variety  of 
other  fruits,  come  in  aid  of  it.  This  tree  not  only  supplies 
food,  but  also  clothing,  for  the  bark  is  stripped  oti'  the 
suckers,  and  formed  into  a  kind  of  cloth.  To  procure  the 
fruit  for  food  costs  the  Otaheiteans  no  trouble  or  labour, 
but  climbing  a  tree.  This  most  useful  tree  is  distributed 
very  extensively  over  the  East  Indian  continent  and  islands, 
as  well  as  the  innumerable  islands  of  the  South  Seas.  In  Ota- 
heite,  however,  and  some  others,  the  evident  superiority  of 
the  seedless  variety  for  food  has  caused  the  other  to  be  neg- 
lected, and  it  is  consequently  almost  worn  out. 

We  are  informed  by  Captain  King,  that  in  the  Sandwich 
islands  these  trees  are  planted,  and  flourish  with  great  luxuri- 
ance on  rising  grounds;  that  they  are  not  indeed  in  such 
abundance,  but  that  they  produce  double  the  quantity  of  fruit 
to  those  growing  on  the  rich  plains  of  Otaheite  ;  that  the  trees 
are  nearly  of  the  same  height,  but  that  the  branches  begin 
ijo  strike  out  from  the   trunk  much  lower,   and  with  greater 


THE  BREAD-FRUIT  TREE  373 

luxuriance;  and  that  the  climate  of  these  islands  differs  very 
little  from  that  of  the  West  Indian  islands  which  lie   in   the 
same  latitude.     This  reflection   probably  first  suggested   the 
idea  of  conveying  this  valuable  tree  to  our  islands  in  the  West 
Indies.      For   this   purpose    his   Majesty's    ship   the   Bounty 
sailed   for  the  South  Seas,  on  the  23d   of  December,   1787, 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  William  Bligh.     But  a  fatal 
mutiny    prevented    the    accomplishment    of   this    benevolent 
design.      His  Majesty,  however,  not  discouraged  by  the  un- 
fortunate event  of  the   voyage,  and   fully  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  securing  so  useful   an   article  of  food   as    the 
bread-fruit  to   our  West   Indian   Islands,  determined,  in   the 
year   1791,  to  employ  another  ship,  for  a  second  expedition 
on  this  service  ;  and,  in   order  to  secure  the  success  of  the 
voyage  as  much  as  possible,  it  was  thought   proper  that  two 
vessels  should   proceed   together  on  this  important  business. 
Accordingly,  a  ship  of  400  tons,  named  the  Providence,  was 
engaged  for  the  purpose,  and  the   connnand   of  her  given   to 
Captain  Bligli ;  and  a  small  tender,  called  the  Assistant,  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  Nathaniel  Portlock,     Sir  Joseph  Banks,  as 
in  the  former  voyage,   directed  the  equipment  of  the  ship  for 
this  particular  purpose.     Two  skilful  gardeners  were  appointed 
to  superintend  the  trees  and  plants,  from  their  transplantation 
at  Otaheite,  to  their  delivery  at  Jamaica;  and  Captain  Bligh 
set  sail  on  the   2d   of  August,   1791.     The   number  of  plants 
taken  on  board  at  Otaheite,  was  2634,  in  1281  pots,  tubs,  and 
cases;  and  of  these  1151  were  bread-fruit  trees.     When  they 
arrived  at  Coupang,  200  plants  were  dead,  but  the  rest  were 
in  good   order.     Here  they  procured  ninety-two  pots  of  the 
fruits  of  that  country.     They  arrived  at  St.  Helena,  with  830 
fine  bread-fruit  trees,  besides  other  plants.     Here  they  left 
some  of  them,  with   different  fruits  of  Otaheite  and  Timor, 
besides  mountain  rice  and  other  seeds  ;  and  hence  the  East 
Indies  may  be  supplied  with  them. 

On  their  arrival  at  St.  Vincent's,  they  had  551  cases,  contain- 
ing 678  bread-fruit  trees,  besides  a  great  number  of  other  fruits 
and  plants,  to  the  number  of  1245.  Near  half  this  cargo  was 
deposited  here  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Alexander  Anderson,  the 
superintendant  of  his  Majesty's  botanic  garden,  for  the  use  of 
the  Windward  islands  ;  and  the  remainder,  intended  for  the 
Leeward  islands,  was  conveyed  to  Jamaica,  and  distributed 
as  the  governor  and  council  of  Jamaica  were  pleased  to  diiect. 
The  exact  number  of  bread-fruit  trees  brought  to  Jamaica, 
was  352  ;  out  of  which,  five  only  were  reserved  for  the  botanic 
garden  at  Kew.  Captain  Bligh  had  the  satisfaction,  before 
he  quitted  Jamaica,  of  seeing  the  trees,  which  he  had  brought 
with  so  much  success,  in  a  most  flourishing  state  ;  insomuch 
that  no  doubt  remained  of  their  growing  well,  and  speedily 


374  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. 

producing  fruit:  an  opinion  which   subsequent  reports  have 
confirmed. 

The  bread-fruit,  when  perfectly  ripe,  is  pulpy,  sweetish, 
putrescent,  and  in  this  state  is  thought  to  be  too  laxative  ; 
but  when  green  it  is  farinaceous,  and  esteemed  a  very  whole- 
some food,  either  baked  under  the  coals,  or  roasted  over  them. 
Tlie  taste  is  not  unlike  that  of  wheaten  bread,  but  with  some 
resemblance  to  that  of  Jerusalem  artichokes  or  potavocs.  It 
was  mentioned  before,  that  a  sort  of  cloth  was  made  of  the 
inner  bark  :  to  this  we  may  add,  that  the  w*od  is  used  in 
building  boats  and  houses  ;  the  male  catkins  serve  for  tinder/ 
the  leaves  for  wrapping  their  food  in,  and  for  wiping  their 
hands  instead  of  towels;  and  the  juice  for  making  bird-lime, 
and  as  a  cement  for  filling  up  the  cracks  of  their  vessels,  and 
for  holding  water.  Three  trees  are  supposed  to  yield  suffi- 
cient nourishment  for  one  person. 

The  Bannian  Tree. — The  bannian,  or  Indian  fio;-tree,  is 
a  native  of  several  parts  of  the  East  Indies,  and  has  a  woody 
stem,  branching  to  a  great  height  and  vast  extent.  It  is  uni- 
versally considered  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  nature's 
productions;  and,  contrary  to  most  other  things  in  animal 
and  vegetable  nature,  appears  exempted  from  decay.  Everv 
branch  from  the  main  body  throws  out  its  own  roots,  at  first 
ill  small  tender  fibres,  several  yards  from  the  ground,  but 
which  thicken  considerably  before  they  reach  the  surface,  and 
then,  striking  in,  they  increase  to  large  trunks,  and  become 
parent  trees,  shooting  out  new  branches  from  the  top  ;  these 
in  time  suspend  their  roots,  which,  swelling  into  trunks,  pro- 
duce other  branches,  thus  cotitinuing  in  a  progressive  state 
as  long  as  the  earth,  the  common  parent  of  them  all,  continues 
her  sustenance.  The  Hindoos  are  peculiarly  fond  of  the  ban- 
nian tree  ;  they  regard  it  as  an  emblem  of  the  Deity,  from  its 
long  duration  and  overshadowing  beneficence,  and  almost  pay 
it  divine  honours.  Near  this  tree  their  most  esteemed  pagodas 
are  generally  erected ;  and  under  their  shade  the  Brahmins 
spend  their  days  in  religious  solitude,  wandering  among  the 
cool  recesses  and  beautiful  walks  of  this  umbrageous  canopy, 
impervious  to  the  hottest  beams  of  a  tropical  sun. 

A  remarkably  fine  tree  of  this  kind  grows  on  an  island  in 
the  river  Narbedda,  in  the  province  of  Guzerat.  It  is  distin- 
guished from  others  of  the  same  species  by  the  name  of  Cub- 
beer  Bur,  which  was  given  it  in  honour  of  a  famous  saint.  It 
was  once  much  larger  than  it  is  at  present,  high  and  violent 
floods  having  carried  away  the  banks  of  the  island  on  which 
it  grew,  and  with  them  such  parts  of  the  tree  as  have  thus  far 
extended  its  roots.  What  remains,  is  two  thousand  feet  in 
circumference,  measured  round  the  principal  stems ;  the  over^ 


FOUNTAIN  TREES. 


375 


hant^ing  branches,  which  have  not  yet  struck  down,  cover  a 
much  larger  space.  The  chief  trunks  of  this  single  iree,  each 
of  which  in  size  exceeds  our  English  oaks  or  elms,  amount 
to  350,  the  smaller  stems  to  more  than  3000,  all  casting  out 
new  branches  and  hanging  roots,  to  form  in  time  parent  trunks. 
Cubbeer  Bur  is  famed  through  India  for  its  amazing  extent 
and  beauty.  The  Indian  armies  frequently  encamp  around  it, 
and  at  stated  periods  solemn  festivals  are  held  under  its 
branches,  where  thousands  of  votaries  repair  from  various 
parts  of  the  empire.  It  is  even  said  that  7000  persons  found 
ample  room  under  its  shade.  The  English  gentlemen  some- 
times form  elegant  and  extensive  encampments,  where  they 
spend  whole  weeks  together  under  this  delightful  pavilion, 
which  is  inhabited  by  green  wood-pigeons,  doves,  and  peacocks, 
and  also  a  variety  of  feathered  songsters  ;  families  of  monkeys 
are  also  in  every  quarter  playing  their  antic  tricks  ;  and  bats, 
to  the  astonishing  size  of  six  feet,  from  the  extremity  of  one 
wing  to  that  of  the  other.  This  tree  not  only  shelters,  but 
affords  sustenance  to  these  numerous  inbiibitants.  being 
covered,  amidst  its  bright  leaves,  with  small  figs  of  a  rich 
scarlet,  on  which  they  regale. 

Fountain  Trees. — These  are  very  extraordinary  vegeta- 
bles, growing  in  one  of  the  Canary  Islands,  and  likewise  said 
to  exist  in  some  other  places,  which  distil  water  from  their 
eaves  in  such  plenty,  as  to  answer  all  the  purposes  of  the 
inhabitants  who  live  near  them.  Of  these  trees  we  have  the 
following  account,  in  Glasse's  History  of  the  Canary  Islands. 
"  There  are  three  fountains  of  water  in  the  whole  island  of 
Hiero,  wherein  the  fountain  tree  grows.  The  larger  cattle 
are  watered  at  those  fountains,  and  at  a  place  where  water 
distils  from  the  leaves  of  a  tree.  Many  writers  have  made 
mention  of  this  famous  tree,  some  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make 
it  appear  miraculous  :  others  again  deny  the  existence  of  any 
such  tree;  among  whom  is  Father  Feyjoo,  a  modern  Spanish 
author.  But  he,  and  those  who  agree  with  him  in  this  matter, 
are  as  much  mistaken  as  those  who  would  make  it  appear  to 
be  miraculous.  The  author  of  the  History  of  the  Discovery 
and  Conquest,  has  given  us  a  particular  account  of  it,  which 
I  shall  here  relate  at  large. — 

"  The  district  in  which  this  tree  stands  is  called  Tigulabe; 
near  to  which,  and  in  the  cliff  or  steep  rocky  ascent  that  sur- 
rounds the  whole  island,  is  a  gutter  or  gully,  wliich  com- 
mences at  the  sea,  and  continues  to  the  summit  of  the  cliff, 
where  it  joins  or  coincides  with  a  valley,  which  is  terminated 
by  the  steep  front  of  a  rock.  On  the  top  of  this  rock  grows 
a  tree,  called,  in  the  language  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  ^trrse, 
sacred  or  holy  tree,  which  for  many  years  has  been  preserved 


376  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. 

sound,  entire,  and  fresh.     Its  leaves  constantly  distil  such  a 

quantity  of  water  as   is  sufficient  to  furnish    drink  to   every 

living-  creature  in  Tliero,  nature  having  provided  this   remedy 

for  the  drought  of  the  island.     It  is  situated  about  a  league  and 

a  iuilf  from   the   sea.     Nobody  knows   of  what  species  it  is, 

only  that  it  is  called  til.     It  is  distinct  from  other  trees,  and 

stands  by  itself.     The  circumference   of  the  trunk    is   about 

twelve   spans,    the    diameter  four,    and  in   height,    from   the 

uiid  to   the    top  of  the  highest  branch,  forty  spans, :  the 

■umference  of  all  the  branches  together  is  120  feet.     The 

aches  are  thick  and  extended,  the  lowest  commence  about 

.  height  of  an  ell  from  the  ground.      Its  fruit  resembles  the 

orn,  and  tastes  something  like  the  kernel  of  a  pine-apple, 
ut  is  softer  and  more  aromatic.  The  leaves  of  this  tree 
esemble  those  of  the  laurel,  but  are  larger,  wider,  and  more 
curved  ;  they  come  forth  in  a  perpetual  succession,  so  that 
the  tree  always  remains  green.  Near  to  it  grows  a  thorn, 
which  fastens  on  many  of  its  branches,  and  interweaves  with 
them  ;  and  at  a  small  distance  from  the  garse  are  some  beech- 
trees,  bresoes,  and  thorns.  On  the  north  side  of  the  trunk 
are  two  large  tanks  or  cisterns,  of  rough  stone,  or  rather  one 
cistern  divided,  each  half  being  twenty  feet  square,  and  six- 
teen spans  in  depth.  One  of  these  contains  water  for  the 
drinking  of  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the  other,  that  which  they 
use  for  their  cattle,  washing,  and  sucii  like  purposes. 

"  Every  morning,  near  this  part  of  the  island,  a  cloud  or 
mist  arises  from  the  sea,  which  the  south  or  easterly  winds 
force  against  the  forementioned  steep  cliti';  so  that  the  cloud, 
having  no  vent  but  by  the  gutter,  gradually  ascends  it,  and 
from  thence  advances  slowly  to  the  extremity  of  the  valley, 
where  it  is  stopped  and  checked  by  the  front  of  the  rock  which 
terminates  the  valley;  and  then  rests  upon  the  thick  leaves 
and  wide  spreading  branches  of  the  tree,  from  whence  it 
distils  in  drops  during  the  remainder  of  the  day,  until  it  is  at 
length  exhausted,  in  the  same  manner  that  we  see  water  drip 
from  the  leaves  of  trees  after  a  heavy  shower  of  rain. 

"  This  distillation  is  not  peculiar  to  the  garse  or  til,  for  the 
bresoes,  which  grow  near  it,  likewise  drop  water  ;  but  their 
leaves  being  but  few  and  narrow,  the  quantity  is  so  trifling, 
that,  though  the  natives  save  some  of  it,  yet  they  make  little 
or  no  account  of  any  but  what  distils  from  the  til;  which, 
together  with  the  water  of  some  fountains,  and  what  is  saved 
in  the  winter  season,  is  sufficient  to  serve  them  and  their  flocks. 
A  person  lives  on  the  spot  near  which  this  tree  grows,  to  take 
care  of  it  and  its  waters  ;  and  is  allowed  a  house  to  live  in, 
with  a  certain  salary.  He  every  day  distributes  to  each  family 
of  the  district,  seven  pots  or  vessels  full  of  water,  besidta 
what  he  gives  to  the  principal  people  of  the  island." 


FOUNTAIN  TREES.  377 

Whether  the  tree  which  yields  water  at  this  present  time, 
be  the  same  as  that  mentioned  in  the  above  description,  1 
cannot  determine  :  but  it  is  probable  there  has  been  a  succes- 
sion of  them ;  tor  Pliny,  describing  the  Fortunate  Island, 
says,  "  In  the  mountains  of  Ombrion,  are  trees  resembling  the 
plant  ferula,  from  which  water  may  be  procured  by  pressure. 
What  comes  from  the  black  kind  is  bitter,  but  that  which  the 
white  yields  is  sweet  and  potable."  Trees  yielding  water  are 
not  peculiar  to  the  island  of  Hiero  ;  for  travellers  inform  us 
of  one  of  the  same  kind  on  the  island  of  St.  Thomas,  in  the 
bight  or  gulf  of  Guinea.  In  Cockburn's  Voyages,  we  find 
the  following  account  of  a  dropping  tree,  near  the  mountains 
of  Fera  Paz,  in  America. — 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day,  we  came  out  on  a  large 
plain,  where  were  great  numbers  of  fine  deer;  and  in  the  mid- 
dle stood  a  tree  of  unusual  size,  spreading  its  branches  over 
avast  compass  of  ground.  Curiosity  led  us  up  to  it.  We  had 
perceived,  at  some  distance,  the  ground  about  it  to  be  wet; 
at  which  we  began  to  be  somewhat  surprised,  as  well  knowing- 
there  had  no  rain  fallen  for  nearly  six  months  past,  according 
to  the  certain  course  of  the  season  in  that  latitude  :  that  it 
was  impossible  to  be  occasioned  by  the  fall  of  dew  on  the 
tree,  we  were  convinced,  by  the  sun's  having  power  to  exhale 
away  all  moisture  of  that  nature  a  few  minutes  after  its  rising. 
At  last,  to  oiir  great  amazement,  as  well  as  joy,  we  saw  water 
dropping,  or  as  it  were  distilling,  fast  from  the  end  of  every 
leaf  of  this  wonderful,  (nor  had  it  been  amiss  if  I  had  said 
miraculous  tree;)  at  least  it  was  so  with  respect  to  us, 
who  had  been  labouring  four  days  through  extreme  heat, 
without  receiving  the  least  moisture,  and  were  now  almost 
expiring  for  the  want  of  it.  We  could  not  help  looking  on 
this  as  liquor  sent  from  heaven,  to  comfort  us  under  great 
extremity.  We  catched  what  we  could  of  it  in  our  hands, 
and  drank  very  plentifully  of  it;  and  likeu  it  so  well,  that  we 
could  hardly  prevail  with  ourselves  to  give  over.  A  matter  of 
this  nature  could  not  but  incite  us  to  make  the  strictest  obser- 
vations concerning  it;  and  accordingly  we  staid  under  the 
tree  near  three  hours,  and  found  we  could  not  fathom  its 
body  in  five  times.  We  observed  the  soil  where  it  grew  to  be 
very  strong ;  and  upon  the  nicest  inquiry  we  could  afterwards 
make,  both  of  the  natives  of  the  country  and  the  Spanish 
inhabitants,  we  could  not  learn  there  was  any  such  tree  known 
throughout  New  Spain,  nor  perhaps  all  America  over:  but 
I  do  not  relate  this  as  a  prodigy  in  nature,  because  I  am  no* 
philosopher  enough  to  ascribe  any  natural  cause  for  it;  tho 
learned  may  perha])s  give  substantial  reasons  in  nature,  for 
what  ajipeared  to  us  a  great  and  marvellous  secret,  and  far 
beyond  our  power  to  account  for." 

3  B 


378  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

The  Tallow  Tree. — This  is  a  remarkable  tree,  growing 
in  great  plenty  in  China;  so  called  from  its  producing  a  sub- 
stance like  tallow,  and  which  serves  for  the  same  purpose  :  it  is 
about  the  height  of  a  cherry-tree,  its  leaves  in  form  of  a  heart, 
of  a  deep  shining  red  colour,  and  its  bark  very  smooth.  Its 
fruit  is  inclosed  in  a  kind  of  pod,  or  cover,  like  a  chesnut, 
and  consists  of  three  round  white  grains,  of  the  size  and  form 
of  a  small  nut,  each  having  its  peculiar  capsule,  and  a  little 
stone  within.  This  stone  is  encompassed  with  a  white  pulp, 
which  has  all  the  properties  of  true  tallow,  both  as  to  consist- 
ence, colour,  and  even  smell,  and  accordingly  the  Chinese 
make  their  candles  of  it;  which  would  doubtless  be  as  good 
.s  those  in  Europe,  if  they  knew  how  to  purify  their  vegeta- 
ble, as  well  as  we  do  our  animal  tallow.  All  the  }>reparation 
they  give  it,  is  to  melt  it  down,  and  mix  a  little  oil  with  it, 
to  make  it  softer  and  more  pliant.  It  is  true,  the  candles 
made  of  it  yield  a  thicker  smoke  and  a  dimmer  light  than 
ours ;  but  those  defects  are  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
wicks,  which  are  not  of  cotton,  but  only  a  little  rod  of  dry 
light  wood,  covered  with  the  pith  of  a  rush  wound  round  it; 
which,  being  very  porous,  serves  to  filtrate  the  minute  parts 
of  the  tallow,  attracted  by  the  burning  stick,  and  by  this 
means  is  kept  alive. 

The  Paper  Tree. — The  name  of  this  tree  is  ^o///«.  It  is  a 
mulberry-tree,  found  at  Otaheite,  in  the  South  Sea,  from  which 
a  cloth  is  manufactured,  that  is  worn  by  the  principal  inhabit- 
ants. The  bark  of  the  trees  is  stripped  oft",  and  de|)osited  to 
soak  in  running  water;  when  it  is  sufficiently  softened,  the 
fibres  of  the  inner  coat  are  carefully  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  bark;  they  are  then  placed  in  lengths  of  about  eleven 
or  twelve  yards,  one  by  the  side  of  another,  till  they  are  about 
a  foot  broad ;  and  two  or  three  layers  are  put  one  upon  an- 
other. This  is  done  in  the  evening;  and  next  morning  the 
water  is  drained  off,  and  the  several  fibres  adhere  together  in 
one  piece.  It  is  afterwards  beaten  on  a  smooth  piece  of  wood 
with  instruments  marked  lengthways,  with  small  grooves  of 
different  degrees  of  fineness  ;  and  by  means  of  this  it  becomes 
as  thin  as  muslin.  After  bleaching  it  in  the  air,  to  whiten  it, 
it  is  fit  for  use. 

Another  article  worthy  of  the  reader's  attention,  is  the 
Adansonia,  Ethiopian  Sour  Gourd,  Monkeys' Bread, 
or  African  Calabash  Tree. — There  is  but  one  known  spe- 
cies belonging  to  this  genus,  the  hdohal.  which  is  perhaps  the 
largest  production  of  the  whole  vegetable  kingdom.  It  is  a 
native  of  Africa.  The  trunk  is  not  above  twelve  or  fifteen 
feet  high,  but  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  round.     The  lowest 


AFRICAN    CALABASH  TREE.  379 

branches  extend  almost  horizoutcilly,  and  as  they  are  about 
sixty  feet  in  length,  their  own  weight  bends  their  extremities 
to  the  ground,  and  thus  form  an  hemispherical  mass  of  ver 
dure  of  about  I'iO  or  130  feet  diameter.  The  roots  extend 
as  far  as  the  branches :  that  in  the  middle  forms  a  pivot, 
which  penetrates  a  great  way  into  the  earth  ;  the  rest  spread 
near  the  surface.  Ihe  flowers  are  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  tree,  and  are  followed  by  an  oblong  pointed  fruit,  ten 
inches  long,  five  or  six  broad,  and  covered  with  a  kind  of 
greenish  down,  under  which  is  a  ligneous  rind,  hard,  and 
almost  black,  marked  with  rays,  which  divide  it  lengthwise 
into  sides.  It  is  very  common  in  Senegal,  and  the  Cape  de 
Verd  islands  ;  and  is  found  100  leagues  up  the  country,  at 
Gulam,  and  upon  the  sea-coast  as  far  as  Sierra  Leone. 

The  age  of  this  tree  is  no  less  remarkable  than  its  enormous 
size.  Mr.  Adanson  relates,  that,  in  a  botanical  excursion  to 
the  Magdalen  Islands,  he  discovered  some  calabash -trees, 
from  five  to  six  feet  diameter,  on  the  bark  of  which  were 
engraved,  or  cut  to  a  considerable  depth,  a  number  of  European 
names.  Two  of  these  names,  which  he  was  at  the  trouble  to 
repair,  were  dated,  one  in  the  fourteenth,  the  other  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  inscribed  trees,  mentioned  by  this 
ingenious  Frenchman,  had  been  seen  in  1555,  almost  two 
centuries  before,  by  Thevet,  who  mentions  them  in  his  rela- 
tion of  his  V  yage  to  Terra  Antarctia,  or  Australis.  Adanson 
saw  them  in  1749.  The  virtues  and  uses  of  this  tree  and  its 
fruits  are  various.  The  negroes  of  Senegal  dry  the  bark  and 
leaves  in  the  shaded  air,  and  then  reduce  them  to  powder, 
which  is  of  a  pretty  good  green  colour.  This  powder  they 
preserve  in  bags  of  linen  or  cotton,  and  call  it  lillo.  They 
use  it  every  day,  putting  three  or  four  pinches  of  it  into  a 
mess,  whatever  it  happens  to  be,  as  we  do  pepper  and  salt : 
but  their  view  is,  not  to  give  a  relish  to  their  food,  but  to 
preserve  a  perpetual  and  plentiful  perspiration,  and  to  attemper 
the  too  great  heat  of  the  blood  ;  purposes  to  which  it  cer- 
tainly answers,  as  several  Europeans  have  proved  by  repeated 
experiments;  preserving  themselves  from  the  epidemic  fever, 
which,  in  that  country,  is  as  fatal  to  them  as  the  plague, 
and  generally  ra^es  during  the  months  of  September  and 
October:  when  the  rains  have  suddenly  ceased,  the  sun  ex- 
hales tile  water  left  by  them  on  the  ground,  and  fills  the  air 
with  a  noxious  vapour.  M.  Adanson,  in  the  critical  season, 
made  a  light  ptisan  of  the  leaves  of  the  baobal,  which  he  had 
gathered  in  the  August  of  the  preceding  year,  and  had  dried 
in  the  shade  ;  and  drank  constantly  about  a  pint  of  it  every 
morning,  either  before  or  after  breakfast,  and  the  same  quan- 
tity of  it  every  evening,  after  the  heat  of  the  sun  began  to 
abate :  he  also  took  the  same  quantity  in  the  middle  of  the 


380  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    VEGETABLES. 

day,  but  this  was  only  when  he  felt  some  symptoms  of  an 
approaching  fever.  By  this  precaution  he  preserved  himself, 
during  the  five  years  he  resided  at  Senegal,  fiom  the 
diarrhaea  and  fever,  which  are  so  fatal  there,  and  which  are, 
however,  the  only  diseases  of  the  place  ;  while  other  officers 
suffered  very  severely,  only  one  of  them  excepted,  upon  whom 
M.  Adanson  prevailed  to  use  this  remedy,  which  for  its  simpli- 
city was  despised  by  the  rest.  This  ptisan  alone  prevents 
that  heat  of  urine  which  is  common  in  these  parts,  from  the 
month  of  July  to  November,  provided  the  person  abstains 
from  wine.  The  fruit  is  not  less  useful  than  the  leaves  and 
the  bark.  The  pulp  that  envelopes  the  seeds  has  an  agreeable 
acid  taste,  and  is  eaten  for  pleasure  :  it  is  also  dried  and  pow- 
dered, and  used  medicinally  in  pestilential  fevers,  the  dysen- 
tery, and  bloody  flux  :  the  dose  is  a  drachm,  passed  through 
a  fine  sieve,  taken  either  in  common  water,  or  in  an  infusion 
of  the  jilantain.  This  powder  is  brought  into  Europe  under 
the  name  of  terra  sigillata  Lemiiia.  The  woody  bark  of  the 
fruit,  and  the  fruit  itself,  when  spoiled,  help  to  supply  the 
negroes  with  an  excellent  soap,  which  they  make  by  drawing 
a  lie  from  the  ashes,  and  boiling  it  with  palm-oil  that  begins 
to  be  rancid.  The  trunks  of  such  of  these  trees  as  are  decayed, 
the  negroes  hollow  out  into  burying  places  fur  their  poets, 
musicians,  and  buffoons.  Persons  of  these  characters  they 
esteem  greatly  while  they  live,  supposing  them  to  derive  their 
superior  talents  from  sorcery,  or  a  commerce  with  demons; 
but  they  regard  their  bodies  with  horror  wlien  dead,  and  will 
not  give  them  burial  in  the  usual  manner,  neither  suffering 
them  to  be  put  into  the  ground,  nor  thrown  into  the  sea  or 
any  river,  because  they  imagine  that  the  water  would  not 
then  nourish  the  fish,  nor  the  earth  produce  its  fruits.  The 
bodies  shut  up  in  these  trunks  become  dry  without  rotting, 
and  form  a  kind  of  mummies  without  the  help  of  embalming. 
The  baobal  is  very  distinct  from  the  calabash-tree  of  America, 
with  which  it  has  been  confounded  by  Father  Labat. 


The    following   is    an    account   of    a   Remarkable   Oak 
Tree  : — 

Behold  the  oak  does  young  and  verdant  stand 

Above  the  prove,  all  others  to  command  ; 

His  wide-extended  limbs  the  forest  crown'd, 

Sliaditip:  the  trees,  as  well  as  they  the  f!;round: 

Young  inurm'rinj;-  tempests  in  his  boughs  are  bred, 

And  gathering  elouds  from  round  his  lofty  head; 

Outrageous  thunder,  stormy  winds,  and  rain, 

Disrhargo  their  fury  on  his  head  in  vain  ; 

Eartlujuakes  below,  ami  lightnings  from  above, 

Ilcud  not  his  trunk,  nor  his  (ix'd  root  remove.         Blackmori, 


A    REMARKABLE  OAK  TREE.  381 

Mr.  Gilpin,  in  his  forest  scenery,  gives  the  following  account 
of  an  aged  oak  : — 

"  Close  by  the  gate  of  the  Water-walk,  at  Magdalen  College 
in  Oxford,  grew  an  oak,  which  perhaps  stood  there  a  sapli 
when  Alfred  the  Great  founded  the  university.  This  period 
only  includes  a  space  of  nine  hundred  years,  which  is  no 
great  age  for  an  oak.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  indeed  to  ascer- 
tain the  age  of  a  tree.  The  age  of  a  castle  or  abbey  is  the 
object  of  history:  even  a  common  house  is  recorded  by  the 
family  that  built  it.  All  these  objects  arrive  at  maturity  in 
their  youth,  if  I  may  so  speak.  But  the  tree  gradually  com- 
pleting its  growth,  is  not  worth  recording  in  the  early  part  of 
its  existence  :  it  is  then  only  a  common  tree;  and  afterwards, 
when  it  becomes  remarkable  for  its  age,  all  memory  of  its 
youth  is  lost.  This  tree,  however,  can  almost  produce  his- 
torical evidence  for  the  age  assigned  to  it." 

About  five  hundred  years  after  the  time  of  Alfred,  William 
of  Wainfleet,  Dr.  Stukely  tells  us,  expressly  ordered  this  col- 
lege to  be  founded  near  the  great  oak  ;  (Itiner.  Curios.)  and  an 
oak  could  not,  I  think,  be  less  than  five  hundred  years  of  age, 
to  merit  that  title,  together  with  the  honour  of  fixing  the  site 
of  a  college.  When  the  magnificence  of  Cardinal  Wolsey 
erected  that  handsome  tower  which  is  so  ornamental  to  the 
whole  building,  this  tree  might  probably  be  in  the  meridian 
of  its  glory;  or  rather,  perhaps  it  had  attained  a  green  old 
age.  But  it  must  have  been  manifestly  in  its  decline,  at  that 
memorable  eera,  when  the  tyranny  of  James  gave  the  fellows 
of  Magdalen  so  noble  an  opportunity  of  withstanding  bigotry 
and  superstition.  It  was  afterwards  much  injured  in  the  time 
of  Charles  II,  when  the  pi esent  walks  were  laid  out :  its  roots 
were  disturbed;  and  from  that  period  it  declined  fast,  and 
became  reduced  by  degrees  to  little  more  than  a  mere  trunk. 
The  oldest  members  of  the  university  can  scarcely  recollect  it 
in  better  plight:  but  the  faithful  records  of  history*  have 
handed  down  its  ancient  dimensions. 

It  once  flung  its  boughs  through  a  space  of  sixteen  yards 
on  every  side  from  its  trunk;  and  under  its  magnificent 
pavilion  could  have  sheltered  with  ease  three  thousand  men-, 
though  in  its  decayed  state,  it  could,  for  many  years,  do  little 
more  than  shelter  some  luckless  individual,  whom  the  driving 
shower  had  overtaken  in  his  evening  walk.  In  the  summer 
of  the  year  1788,  this  magnificent  ruin  fell  to  the  ground, 
alarming  the  college  with  its  crashing  sound.  It  then  appeared 
how  precariously  it  had  stood  for  many  years.  Its  grand  tap- 
root was  decayed;  and  it  had  hold  of  the  earth  only  by  two 
or  three  roots,  of  which  none  was  more  than  a  couple  of  inches 
in  diameter.  From  a  part  of  its  ruins,  a  chair  has  been  made 
*  See  rr.  Plot's  Hist,  of  Oxf.  ch.  vi.  sect.  45. 


382  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

for  the  president  of  the  college,  which  will  long  contin\ie  its 
memory. 

This  will  be  a  proper  place  for  introducing  the  history  of 
Some  of  the  largest  Trees  now  growing  in  England. 
— In  Hainault  Forest,  near  Barking  in  Essex,  there  is  an  oak 
which  has  attained  the  enornious  bulk  of  thirty-six  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. This  extraordinary  tree  has  been  known  forages 
by  the  name  of  Fairlop.  The  tradition  of  the  country  traces 
it  half  way  up  the  Christian  eera.  Beneath  its  shade,  which 
overspreads  an  area  of  three  hundred  feet  in  circuit,  an  annual 
fair  has  long  been  held  on  the  first  Friday  in  July,  and 
no  booth  is  suffered  to  be  erected  beyond  the  extent  of  its 
boughs. 

At  Cromwell  Park,  near  Letbury  in  Gloucestershire,  the 
seat  of  Lord  Dacre,  is  a  huge  chesnut  tree,  probably  as 
remarkable  for  antiquity  as  size;  having  been  mentioned 
(according  to  Sir  Richard  Atkins)  in  king  John's  days,  six 
centuries  ago,  as  the  wonder  of  the  neighbourhood,  and  mea- 
suring at  present,  at  the  foot,  fifty-seven  feet  in  circumference. 
It  is  supposed  to  be  at  least  eight  hundred  years  old. 

In  Darley  church-yard,  near  Matlock  in  Derbyshire,  is  a 
yew  tree,  thirty-three  feet  in  girt. 

In  the  church-yard  of  Aldworth,  in  Berkshire,  is  a  yew 
tree,  the  trunk  of  which,  four  feet  from  the  ground,  measures 
nine  yards  in  circumference.  It  is  of  considerable  height:  all 
recollection  of  its  age  is  lost. 

The  Shelton  Oak. — About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Shrews- 
bury, where  the  Pool  road  diverges  from  that  which  leads  to 
Oswestry,  there  stands  an  ancient  decayed  oak.  There  is  a 
tradition,  that  Owen  Glendwr  (Glynder)  ascended  this  tree  to 
reconnoitre;  and  finding  that  the  king  was  in  great  force,  and 
that  the  Earl  of  Northumberland  had  not  joined  his  son  Hot- 
spur, he  fell  back  to  Oswestry,  and  immediately  after  the 
battle  of  Shrewsbury,  retreated  precipitately  to  Wales.  This 
tree  is  now  in  a  complete  state  of  decay,  and  hollow,  even  in 
the  larger  ramifications.  The  following  are  the  dimensions  of 
the  Shelton  Oak  : —  ft.  in. 

Girt,  at  bottom,  close  to  the  ground 44     3 

Ditto,  5  feet  from  ditto     25     1 

Ditto,  8  feet  from  ditto    27     4 

Height  of  the  tree     41     6 

Vide  Gent.  Mag.  vol.  Ixxxi.  p.  305. 

The  Bowthorpe  Oak,  situate  in  the  park  between 
Bourne  and  Stamford — 

"  On  a  fine  eminence,  of  slow  ascent, 
Tlie  landscape  round  strctch'd  to  a  vast  extent," 


THE  UPAS,  OR  POISON-TREE  OF  JAVA  383 

— IS  the  property  of  Philip  Duncombe  Pauncefort,  Esq. 
The  trunk  is  thirty-nine  feet  six  inches  in  circumference. 
The  inside  of  the  body  is  hollow,  and  the  lower  part  of  it  was 
formerly  used  as  a  feeding  place  for  calves,  the  upper,  as  a 
pigeon-house.  The  late  possessor,  George  Pauncefort,  Esq. 
(in  whose  family  it  has  been  for  many  centuries,)  in  1768  had  it 
floored,  with  benches  placed  round,  and  a  door  of  entrance : 
frequently  twelve  persons  have  dined  in  it  with  ease. 

crowds  yearly  flock  to  see 


In  leafy  pomp  the  celebrated  tree; 
Charm'd  to  contemplate  Nature's  giant  son, 
Fed  by  the  genial  seasons  as  they  run." 

No  tradition  is  to  be  found  respecting  it,  it  having,  ever 
since  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitants,  or  their  ancestors, 
been  in  the  same  state  of  decay. 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  essay  on  the  Upas,  or 
PoisoN-TREE  OF  Java  ;  by  Thomas  Horsefield,  M.D. — From 
the  Seventh  Volume  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Literary  and 
Philosophical  Society  of  Java. 

The  literary  and  scientific  world  has  in  few  instances  been 
more  grossly  and  impudently  imposed  upon,  than  by  the 
account  of  the  Bohan  Upas,  published  in  Holland  about  the 
year  1780.  The  history  and  origin  of  this  celebrated  forgery 
still  remains  a  mystery.  Foersch,  who  put  his  name  to  the 
publication,  certainly  was  (according  to  the  information  I 
have  received  from  credible  persons,  who  have  long  resided 
on  the  island,)  a  surgeon  in  the  Dutch  East  India  Company's 
service,  about  the  time  the  account  of  the  Upas  appeared. 
It  would  be  in  some  degree  interesting  to  become  acquainted 
with  his  character.  I  have  been  led  to  suppose  that  his 
literary  abilities  were  as  mean,  as  his  contempt  of  truth  was 
consummate. 

Having  hastily  picked  up  some  vague  information  con- 
cerning the  Upas,  he  carried  it  to  Europe,  where  his  notes 
were  arranged,  doubtlessly  by  a  different  hand,  in  such  a 
form  as,  by  their  plausibility  and  appearance  of  truth,  to  be 
generally  credited. 

But  though  the  account  just  mentioned,  in  so  far  as  relates 
to  the  situation  of  the  Poison  Tree,  to  its  effects  on  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  to  the  application  said  to  have  been 
made  of  the  Upas  on  criminals  in  different  parts  of  the  island,  as 
well  as  the  description  of  the  poisonous  substance  itself,  and  its 
mode  of  collection,  has  been  demonstrated  to  be  an  extravagant 
forgery, — the  existence  of  a  tree  in  Java,  from  whose  sap  a  poi- 
son is  prepared,  equal  in  fatality,  when  thrown  into  the  circula- 
tion, to   the  strongest  animal   poisons  hitherto  known,   is  a 


384  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. 

fact,  vvhijh  it  is  at  present  my  object  to  establish  and  tc 
illustrate. 

The  tree  which  produces  this  poison,  is  called  Antshar, 
and  grows  in  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island. 

The  Antshar  is  one  of  the  largest  trees  in  the  forests  of  Java. 
The  stem  is  cylindrical,  perpendicular,  and  rises  completely 
naked  to  the  height  of  sixty,  seventy,  or  eighty  feet.  Near 
the  surface  of  the  ground  it  spreads  obliquely,  dividing  into 
numeious  broad  appendages  or  wings,  much  like  the  Ca/ian'um 
fommuiie,  and  several  others  of  our  large  forest  trees.  It  is 
covered  with  a  whitish  bark,  slightly  bursting  in  longitudinal 
furrows.  Near  the  ground  this  bark  is,  in  old  trees,  more 
than  half  an  inch  thick  ;  and,  upon  being  wounded,  it  yields 
plentifully  the  milky  juice  from  which  the  celebrated  poison 
is  prepared.  A  puncture  or  incision  being  made  in  the  tree, 
the  juice  or  sap  appears  oozing  out,  of  a  yellowish  colour, 
somewliat  frothy;  from  old  trees,  paler;  and  nearly  white 
from  young  ones  :  when  exposed  to  the  air,  its  surface  becomes 
brown.  The  consistence  very  much  resembles  milk,  only  it 
is  thicker  and  viscid.  This  sap  is  contained  in  the  true  bark, 
or  cortex,  which,  when  punctured,  yields  a  considerable 
quantity,  so  that  in  a  short  time  a  cupful  may  be  collected 
from  a  large  tree.  The  inner  bark,  or  liber,  is  of  a  close 
fibrous  texture,  like  that  of  tiie  Morus  papi/rifern,  and  when 
separated  from  the  other  bark,  and  cleansed  from  the  adhering 
particles,  resembles  a  coarse  piece  of  linen.  It  has  been 
worked  into  ropes,  which  are  very  strong,  and  the  poorer  class 
of  people  employ  the  inner  bark  of  younger  trees,  which  is 
more  easily  prepared,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  coarse 
stuff,  which  they  wear  when  working  in  the  fields.  But  it 
requires  much  bruising,  washing,  and  a  long  immersion  in 
water,  before  it  can  be  used  ;  and  even  when  it  appears  com- 
pletely purified,  persons  wearing  this  dress,  on  being  exposed 
to  the  rain,  are  affected  with  an  intolerable  itching,  which 
renders  their  flimsy  covering  almost  insupportable. 

It  will  appear,  from  the  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
poison  is  prepared,  that  the  deleterious  quality  exists  in  the 
gum,  a  small  portion  of  which  still  adhering  to  the  bark,  pro- 
duces, whenit  becomes  wet,  this  irritating  effect;  and  it  is 
singular,  that  this  property  of  the  prepared  bark  is  known  to 
the  Javanese,  in  all  places  where  the  tree  grows,  (for  instance, 
in  various  parts  of  the  provinces  of  Bangil  and  Malang,  and 
even  at  Onarang,)  while  the  preparation  of  a  poison  from  its 
juice,  which  produces  a  mortal  effect  when  introduced  into 
the  body  by  pointed  weapons,  is  an  exclusive  art  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island. 

One  of  tiie  regents  in  the  eastern  districts  informed  me, 
that  having  many  years  ago   prepared  caps   or  bonnets    from 


THE  DPAS,  OU   POISON-TREE  OF  JAVA.  385 

the  inner  bark  of  the  Antshar,  which  were  stiffened  in  the 
usual  manner  with  thick  rice-water,  and  handsomely  painted, 
for  the  purpose  of  decorating  his  mantries,  they  all  decidedly 
refused  to  wear  thera,  asserting  that  they  would  cause  their 
hair  to  fall  off. 

I  first  met  with  the  Antshar  in  the  province  of  Poegar,  on 
my  way  to  Bangoowangee  :  in  the  province  of  Blambangan, 
I  visited  four  or  five  different  trees,  from  which  this  descrip- 
tion has  been  made,  while  two  of  them  furnished  the  juice 
for  the  preparation  of  the  upas.  The  largest  of  these  trees 
had,  where  the  oblique  appendages  of  the  stem  entered  the 
ground,  a  diameter  of  at  least  ten  feet;  and  where  the  regularly 
rourbd  and  straight  stem  began,  a  distance  of  at  least  ten  feet 
from  the  points  of  the  two  opposite  appendages  at  tlie  surface 
of  the  ground,  its  diameter  was  full  three  feet.  I  have  since 
found  a  very  tall  tree  in  Passooroowang,  near  the  boundary 
of  Malang,  and  very  lately  I  have  discovered  several  young 
trees  in  the  forests  of  Japara,  and  one  tree  in  the  vicinity  of 
Onarang.  la  all  these  places,  though  the  inhabitants  are 
unacquainted  with  the  preparation  and  effect  of  the  poison, 
they  distinguish  the  tree  by  the  name  of  Antshar.  From  the 
tree  I  found  in  the  province  of  Passooroowang,  I  collected 
some  juice,  which  was  nearly  equal  in  its  operation  to  that  of 
Blambangan.  One  of  the  experiments  to  be  related  below, 
was  made  with  the  upas  prepared  by  myself,  after  my  return 
to  the  chief  village.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  inducing  the 
inhabitants  to  assist  me  in  collecting  the  juice,  as  they  feared 
a  cutaneous  eruption  and  inflammation,  resembling,  according 
to  the  account  they  gave  of  it,  that  produced  by  the  I/igas  of 
this  island,  the  lijius  vernix  of  Japan,  and  the  Rhus  radkans 
of  North  America ;  but  they  were  only  affected  by  a  slight 
heat  and  itching  of  the  eyes.  In  clearing  the  new  grounds  in 
the  environs  of  Bangoowangee  for  cultivation,  it  is  with  much 
difficulty  the  inhabitants  can  be  made  to  approach  the  tree, 
as  they  dread  the  cutaneous  eruption  which  it  is  known  to 
produce  when  newly  cut  down. 

But  except  when  the  tree  is  largely  wounded,  or  when  it  is 
felled,  by  which  a  large  portion  of  the  juice  is  disengaged, 
the  effluvia  of  which,  mixing  with  the  atmosphere,  affects  the 
persons  exposed  to  it  with  the  symptoms  just  mentioned,  the 
tree  may  be  approached  and  ascended  like  the  other  trees  in 
the  forests. 

The  Antshar,  like  trees  in  its  neighbourhood,  is-on  all  sides 
surrounded  by  shrubs  and  plants  ;  in  no  instance  have  I  ob- 
served the  ground  naked  or  barren  in  its  immediate  circum- 
ference. 

The  largest  tree  I  met  with  in  Blambangan,  was  so  closely 
environed  by  the  common  trees  and  shrubs   of  the  forest  in 

3C 


386  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

which  it  grew,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  I  could  approach  it. 
Sev^^ral  vines  and  climbing  shrubs,  in  complete  health  and 
vigour,  adhered  to  it,  and  ascended  to  nearly  half  its  height. 
And  at  the  time  I  visited  the  tree  and  collected  the  juice,  I 
was  forcibly  struck  with  the  egregious  misrepresentation  of 
Foersch.  Several  young  trees,  spontaneously  sprung  from 
seeds  that  had  fallen  from  the  parent,  reminded  me  of  a  line 
in  Darwin's  Botanic  Garden, 

"  Chained  at  his  root  two  scion  demons  dwell ;" 
while  in  recalling  his  beautiful  description   of  the  Upas,  my 
vicinity  to  the  tree  gave  me  reason  to  rejoice  that  it  is  founded 
on  fiction.     The  wood  of  the  Antshar  is  white,  light,  and  of 
a  spongy  appearance. 


CHAP.  XXXV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. — (Continued.) 

Curious  Plant  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope — The  Mandrake — 
Changeable  Floiver — Chinese  Method  of  Preparing  Tea — An- 
tiquitj/  oj'  Sugar — Curious  Effects  of  Cinchona,  or  Peruvian 
Bark — Curious  Particulars  of  a  Pound  Weight  of  Cotton- 
wool— Animated  Stalk — Animal  Floiver. 

"  Soft  roll  your  incense,  herbs,  and  fruits,  and  flowers, 
In  niinj^led  clouds  to  Him,  whose  sun  exalts. 
Whose  breath  perfumes  you,  and  whose  pencil  paints." 

Curious  Plant  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  following  account  of  a  curious  plant  is  taken  from 
Thunberg's  Travels  : — 

"  The  fruit  of  a  species  of  Mesemhryan  Thermum,  (says  the 
writer,)  was  sometimes  brought  to  the  tavern  as  a  rarity,  and 
was  called  llosa  de  Jericho.  When  it  is  put  into  water,  it 
gradually  opens  all  its  seed-vessels,  and  exactly  resembles  a 
sun  ;  and  when  it  becomes  drv  aoain,  it  contracts  itself,  and 
closes  V^y  degrees.  This  is  a  no  less  necessary  than  singular 
property,  which  points  out  the  admirable  institution  of  an  all- 
wise  Creator;  inasmuch  as  this  plant,  which  is  found  in  the 
most  arid  plains,  keeps  its  seeds  fast  locked  up  in  time  of 
drought,  but  when  tlie  rainy  season  comes,  and  the  seeds  can 
grow,  it  opens  its  receptacles,  and  lets  fall  the  seeds,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  dispersed  abroad.  The  water  in  which  this 
fruit  has  lain,  is  sometimes  given  to  women  that  are  near 
their  time,  and  is  thought  to  procure  them  an  easy  deli- 
very." 


MANDRAKE. — CHANGEABLE  FLOWER.  387 

The  Mandrake. — This  plant  possesses  a  long  taper  root 
resembling  the  parsnip,  running  three  or  four  feet  into  the 
ground  ;  immediately  from  the  crown  of  the  root  arises  a  circle 
■of  leaves,  at  first  standing  erect,  but  when  grown  to  the  full 
size,  they  spread  open  and  lie  u))on  the  ground  ;  these  leaves 
are  more  than  a  foot  in  length,  and  about  five  inches  broad  in 
the  middle,  of  a  dark  green  colour,  and  a  fetid  scent ;  among 
these  come  out  the  tlowers,  each  on  a  scape  three  inches  in 
lengtli;  they  are  five-cornered,  of  an  herbaceous  white  colour, 
spreading  open  at  top  like  a  primrose,  having  five  hairy  sta- 
mens, and  a  globular  germ  supporting  an  awl-shaped  style, 
which  becomes  a  globular  soft  berry,  when  full-grown  as  large 
as  a  nutmeg,  of  a  yellowish  green  colour,  and  when  ripe,  full 
of  pulp. 

Many  singular  facts  are  related  of  this  plant,  among  which 
we  select  the  following  :  the  roots  have  been  supposed  to  bear 
a  resemblance  to  the  human  form,  and  are  figured  as  such  in 
the  old  herbals,  being  distinguished  into  the  male  with  a  long 
beard,  and  the  female  with  a  prolix  head  of  hair.  Mounte- 
banks carry  about  fictitious  images,  shaped  from  roots  of 
bryony  and  other  plants,  cut  into  form,  or  forced  to  grow 
through  moulds  of  earthenware,  as  mandrake-roots.  It  was 
fabled  to  grow  under  a  gallows,  where  the  matter  falling  from 
the  dead  body,  gave  it  the  shape  of  a  man ;  to  utter  a  great 
shriek,  or  terrible  groans,  at  the  digging  up  :  and  it  was  as- 
serted, that  he  who  would  take  up  a  plant  of  mandrake,  should 
in  common  |)rudence  tie  a  dog  to  it  for  that  purpose,  for,  if 
a  man  should  do  it  himself,  he  would  surely  die  soon  after. 
To  this  curious  vegetable  the  poet  alludes  in  the  following 
lines  :  — 

"  Mark  liow  that  rooted  mandrake  wears 
His  human  feet,  his  human  hands  ; 
Oft  as  his  shapely  form  he  rears, 

Aghast  the  frighted  ploughman  stands." 


The  Changeable  Flower. — "  On  the  island  of  Lewchew, 
(says  Mr.  M'Leod,)  is  found  a  remarkable  production,  about 
the  size  of  a  cherry-tree,  bearing  flowers,  which,  alternately 
on  the  same  day,  assume  the  tint  of  the  rose  or  lily,  as  they 
are  exposed  to  sunshine  or  the  shade.  The  bark  of  this  tree 
is  of  a  dark  green,  and  the  flowers  bear  a  resemblance  to  our 
common  roses.  Some  of  our  p^^rty,  whose  powers  of  vision 
were  strong,  (assisted  by  a  vigorous  imagination,)  fancied  that, 
by  attentive  watching,  the  change  of  hue,  from  white  to  red, 
under  the  influence  of  the  solar  ray,  was  actually  ])erceptible 
to  the  eye :  that,  however,  they  altered  their  colour  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours,  was  very  obvious." 


388  CURIOSITIES   RESPF.CTING  VEGETABLES. 

As  this  is  a  chapter  devoted  to  miscellaneous  articles  of 
this  c'ass,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  insert  The  Chinese  Me- 
thod OF  PREPARING  Tea. — Tea  grows  on  a  small  shrub, 
the  leaves  of  which  are  collected  twice  or  thrice  every  year. 
Those  who  collect  the  leaves  three  times  a  year,  begin  at  the 
new  moon  which  precedes  the  vernal  equinox,  whether  it 
falls  at  the  end  of  February  or  the  beginning  of  March.  At 
that  period  most  of  the  leaves  are  perfectly  green,  and  hardly 
fully  expanded  :  but  these  small  and  tender  leaves  are  ac- 
counted the  best  of  all ;  they  are  scarce,  and  exceedingly 
dear. 

The  second  crop,  or  the  first  with  those  who  collect  the 
leaves  only  twice  a  year,  is  gathered  about  the  end  of  March 
or  beginning  of  April.  Part  of  the  leaves  have  then  attained 
to  maturity;  and  though  the  rest  have  acquired  only  half 
their  size,  they  are  both  collected  without  any  distinction. 

The  third  (or  second  with  some)  and  last  crop,  is  more  abun- 
dant, and  is  collected  about  the  end  of  April,  when  the  leaves 
have  attained  their  full  growth,  both  of  size  and  number. 
Some  people  neglect  the  two  first  crops,  and  confine  them- 
selves entirely  to  this,  the  leaves  of  which  are  selected  with 
great  care,  and  distributed  into  classes,  according  to  their 
size  or  goodness. — Tea  ought  to  be  rejected  as  of  a  bad  qua- 
lity, when  old,  and  withered  leaves  are  found  amonost  it, 
which  may  be  easily  known  by  infusing  a  little  of  it  in  water, 
for  then  the  leaves  dilate,  and  return  to  their  natural  state. 

The  leaves  of  the  tea  shrub  are  oblong,  sharp-pointed,  in- 
dented on  the  edges,  and  of  a  very  beautiful  green  colour. 
The  flower  is  composed  of  five  white  petals,  disposed  in  the 
form  of  a  rose,  and  is  succeeded  by  a  pod,  of  the  size  of  a 
filbert,  containing  two  or  three  small  green  seeds,  which  are 
wrinkled,  and  have  a  disagreeable  taste.  Its  root  is  fibrous, 
and  s|)reads  itself  out  near  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

This  shrub  grows  equally  well  in  a  rich,  as  in  a  poor  soil. 
It  is  to  be  found  all  over  China,  but  there  are  certain  places 
where  the  tea  is  of  a  better  quality  than  in  others.  Some  peo- 
ple give  the  preference  to  the  tea  of  Japan,  but  we  have  reason 
to  doubt  whether  there  is  any  real  difi'erence. 

The  manner  of  preparing  tea  is  very  simple.  When  the 
leaves  are  collected,  they  are  exposed  to  the  steam  of  boiling- 
water,  in  order  to  soften  them  ;  and  they  are  then  spread  out 
upon  m.etal  plates,  and  placed  over  a  moderate  fire,  where 
they  acquire  that  shrivelled  appearance  which  they  have  when 
brought  to  Europe. 

In  China,  there  are  only  two  kinds  of  the  tea  shrub  ;  but 
the  Chinese,  by  their  industry,  have  considerably  multiplied 
each  of  them.  If  there  are,  therefore,  large  quantities  of  tea 
in  that  country   which  are  excessively  dear,   there   is   seme 


METHOD   Ol-  PRFPAUING    TEAS.  389 

also  very  common,  and  sold  at  a  low  rate.  The  Chinese, 
however,  are  very  fond  of  good  tea,  and  take  as  much  pains  to 
procure  it  of  an  excellent  quality,  as  the  Europeans  do  to 
procure  excellent  wine. 

Bo/iea  'Tea. — The  Chinese  name  of  this  tea  is  vou-y-tcfia, 
that  is  to  say,  tea  of  the  third  kind,  called  voii-y.  It  takes  its 
name  from  a  mountain  in  the  province  of  Fokien.  There  are 
three  kinds  of  this  tea:  the  first  of  which,  called  common 
Bohea,  grows  at  the  bottom  of  the  mountain;  the  second, 
called  congfou,  or  camphou,  grows  at  the  top;  and  the  third, 
named  saot-chaon,  grows  in  the  middle.  These  names  in 
England  are  corrupted  into  congo,  and  souchong. 

Bohea  teas  in  general  ought  to  be  dry,  and  heavy  in  the 
hand:  this  is  a  sign  that  the  leaves  have  been  full  and  juicy. 
When  infused,  they  ought  to  communicate  to  the  water  a 
yellow  colour,  inclining  a  little  to  green,  which  indicates 
that  they  are  fresh,  for  old  tea  produces  a  red  colour.  Care 
must  be  taken  above  all  to  avoid  red  leaves,  and  to  choose 
such  as  are  laroe  and  entire.  This  is  also  a  sis^n  of  freshness; 
for  the  longer  tea  is  kept,  the  more  it  is  shaken,  which  breaks 
the  leaves,  and  mixes  them  with  a  great  deal  of  dust.  It 
sometimes  happens,  however,  that  the  tea-dust  is  owing  to  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  put  into  the  box,  as  the  Chinese  tread 
upon  it  with  their  feet,  to  make  the  box  hold  a  large  quantity. 
The  leaves  of  the  cono;-fou  and  saot-chaon  ouo"ht  to  have  a 
beautiful  black  shining  tint,  and  to  communicate  to  w^ater  a 
very  bright  yellow  and  a  mild  taste. 

The  Pekoe  is  a  particular  kind  of  tea-shrub,  the  leaves  of 
which  are  all  black  on  the  one  side,  and  all  white  on  the 
other.  As  the  real  Pekoe  tea  is  very  scarce  and  dear,  the 
Chinese  adulterate  it,  by  mixing  with  it  some  of  the  small 
half-grown  leaves,  as  yet  white,  which  grow  on  the  top  of  the 
common  Bohea  tea.  This  changes  the  quality  of  the  Pekoe, 
for  these  leaves  being  scarcely  formed,  can  have  very  little 
sap  or  flavour. 

Green  Teas. — Green  teas  do  not  grow  in  the  same  place 
as  the  Bohea  tea.  They  are  brought  from  the  province  of 
Nankin,  and  are  distinguished  into  three  sorts.  The  first  is 
known  under  the  name  of  sotiglo  tea,  but  oftener  under  that  of 
green  toukay ;  the  second  is  called  bing  tea;  and  the  third  fiai/s- 
sueu  tea,  or  hyson.  There  are  also  some  other  kinds,  but  the 
greater  part  of  them  are  unknown,  or  of  little  importance  to 
foreigners. 

The  songlo  and  hayssuen  teas  come  from  the  same  shrub; 
their  only  dift'erence  is  in  the  manner  of  their  being  prepared. 
Bing  tea  grows  on  a  different  shrub,  the  leaves  of  which  are 
thicker  and  larger  than  those  of  other  kinds.  All  teas  ought  to 
have  a  green  leaden  tint :  the  older  they  are,  the  leaves  become 


390  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    VF.GEl'ABLES. 

more  yellow,  which  is  a  very  great  fault.  They  ought  also  to 
have  a  burnt  or  scorched  smell,  not  too  strong,  but  agreeable; 
for  when  they  have  been  long  kept,  they  have  a  filthy  smell, 
somewhat  like  that  of  pilchards.  The  French  wish  to  find  in 
green  teas,  and  particularly  in  songlo  and  imperial,  an  odour 
Bimilar  to  that  of  soap.  In  these  several  kinds  of  tea,  there 
is  a  particular  distinction  to  be  made,  as  they  are  generally 
classed  into  one,  two,  or  three  kinds,  according  to  the  periods 
at  which  they  were  gathered. 

Antiquity  of  Sugar. — From  the  few  remains  of  the 
Grecian  and  Roman  authors  which  have  survived  the  ravages 
of  time,  we  can  find  no  proof  that  the  juice  of  the  sugar-cane 
was  known  at  a  very  early  period.  There  can  be  no  doubt, 
however,  that  in  those  countries  where  it  was  indigenous,  its 
value  was  not  long  concealed.  It  is  not  improbable  that  it 
was  known  to  the  ancient  Jews;  for  there  is  some  reason  to 
suppose,  that  the  Hebrew  word,  which  occurs  frequently  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  which  is  by  our  translators  rendered  some- 
times ca/iiimis,  and  sometimes  sweet-cane,  does  in  fact  mean  the 
8U"ar-cane.  The  suoar-cane  was  first  made  known  to  the 
western  parts  of  the  world,  by  the  conquest  of  Alexander  the 
Great.  tStrabo  relates,  that  Nearchus's  admiral  found  it  in 
the  F^ast  Indies,  A.  C.  325.  It  is  evidently  alluded  to  in 
a  fragment  of  Theophrastus,  preserved  in  Photius.  Varro, 
who  lived  A.  C.  68.  describes  it  in  a  fragment  quoted  by 
Isidorus,  as  a  fluid  pressed  from  reeds  of  a  large  size,  which 
was  sweeter  than  honey.  Dioscorides,  about  A.  C.  35, 
says,  "  that  there  is  a  kind  of  honey  called  sacchuron,  which  is 
found  in  India  and  Arabia  F'elix.  It  has  the  appearance  of 
salt,  and  is  brittle  when  chewed.  If  dissolved  in  water,  it  is 
beneficial  to  the  bowels  and  stomach,  is  useful  in  diseases  of 
the  bladder  and  kidneys,  and,  when  sprinkled  on  the  eye,  re- 
moves those  substances  that  obscure  the  sight."  This  is  the 
first  account  we  have  of  its  medicinal  qualities.  Galen  often 
prescribed  it  as  a  medicine.  Lucan  relates,  that  an  Oriental 
nation  in  alliance  with  Pompey  used  the  juice  of  the  cane  as 
a  common  drink.  Pliny  says  it  was  produced  in  Arabia  and 
India,  but  that  the  best  came  from  the  latter  country.  It  is  also 
mentioned  by  Arrian,  in  his  Petiplus  of  the  Red  Sea,  by  the 
name  of  Saj^^ap  (sac/iar)  as  an  article  of  commerce  from 
India  to  the  Red  Sea.  iElian,  Tertullian,  and  Alexander 
Aphrodisteus,  mention  it  as  a  species  of  honey  procured  from 
canes. 

Curious  Effects  of  Cinchona,  or  Peruvian  Bark. — 
An  account  has  been  published  in  the  Journal  de  Pharmacie, 
for   May   1819,  of  some  curious  eii'ects  produced  by  Peruviar 


A   POUND  OF  COTTON-WOOL.  391 

Bark."  A  French  merchant,  M.  Delpech,  residing  at  Guayra, 
in  the  Caraccas,  had  stored  np  a  large  quantity  of  fresh  cin- 
chona, in  apartments  which  were  afterwards  required  for  the 
reception  of  some  travellers  as  guests.  These .  apartments 
contained  each  eight  or  ten  thousand  pounds  of  bark  ;  and  in 
consequence  of  its  fermentation,  the  heat  was  much  greater 
here  than  in  the  other  parts  of  the  house,  rendering  the  place 
somewhat  disagreeable.  One  of  the  beds  placed  in  these 
rooms,  was  occupied  by  a  traveller,  ill  of  a  malignant  fever: 
after  the  first  day  he  found  himself  much  better,  though  he 
had  taken  no  medicine;  in  a  few  days  he  felt  himself  quite 
recovered,  without  any  medical  treatment  whatsoever.  This 
unexpected  success  induced  M.  Delpech  to  make  some  other 
trials  :  several  persons  ill  of  fever,  were  placed  successively 
in  his  magazine  of  cinchona,  and  they  were  all  speedily  cured, 
simply  by  the  effluvia  of  the  bark. 

It  happened  that  a  bale  of  coifee,  and  some  common  French 
brandy,  were  kept  in  the  same  place  for  some  months  :  one  of 
the  brandy  bottles  happened  to  be  uncorked,  and,  on  exami- 
nation, was  found  to  possess  a  slight  aromatic  taste,  to  be 
more  tonic,  and  very  superior  to  common  brandy.  The  coffee 
was  also  much  altered  ;  when  roasted,  it  was  more  bitter  than 
common  coffee,  and  left  in  the  mouth  a  taste  similar  to  that 
of  an  infusion  of  bark. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  the  bark  which  produced  all  these 
effects  was  fresh  ;  and  the  question  whether  that  of  commerce 
would  produce  the  same  eft'ects  can  only  be  answered  by  ex- 
periment 

Cu Riots  Particulars  of  a  Pound  Weight  of  Cotton- 
wool.— The  wool  came  from  the  East  Indies  to  London  ;  from 
London  it  went  to  Manchester,  where  it  was  manufactured 
into  yarn  ;  from  Manchester  it  was  sent  to  Paisley,  where  it 
was  woven  ;  it  was  then  sent  to  Ayrshire,  where  it  was  tam- 
boured ;  it  came  back  to  Paisley,  and  was  there  veined  ;  after- 
wards it  was  sent  to  Dumbarton,  where  it  was  hand-sewed, 
and  again  brought  to  Paisley,  whence  it  was  sent  to  Renfrew 
to  be  bleached;  and  was  returned  to  Paisley,  whence  it  went 
to  Glasgow  and  was  finished;  and  from  Glasgow  was  sent  per 
coach  to  London.  The  time  taken  to  bring  this  article  to 
market  was  three  years,  from  the  time  it  was  packed  in  India, 
till  the  time  it  arrived  in  cloth  at  the  merchant's  warehouse 
in  London  ;  when  it  must  have  been  conveyed  5000  miles  by 
sea,  and  920  by  land,  and  contributed  to  support  no  less  than 
150  people,  by  which  the  value  had  been  increased  2000  per 
cent. — Thus,  from  materials  of  little  value  in  their  native 
state,  do  arts  and  manufactures  administer  to  individual  com- 
fort and  national  revenue 


392  ClJRIOSiriES   RESPECriNC    VEGETABLES. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  two  curious 
articles,  not  strictly  vegetahle,  denominated  the  animated 
stalk,  and  the  animal  flower. 

The  Aminiated  Stalk. — This  very  remarkable  animal  was 
found  by  Mr.  Ives,  at  Cuddalore,  and  he  mentions  several 
kinds  of  it:  some  appearing  like  dry  straws  tied  together, 
others  like  grass;  some  have  bodies  much  larger  than  others, 
with  the  addition  of  two  scaly  imperfect  wings;  their  neck  is 
no  bigger  than  a  pin,  but  twice  as  long  as  their  body  ;  their 
heads  are  like  those  of  a  hare,  and  their  eyes  vertical  and 
very  brisk.  They  live  upon  flies,  and  catch  these  insects  very 
dexterously  with  the  two  fore  feet,  which  they  keep  doubled 
up  in  three  parts,  close  to  their  head,  and  dart  out  very  quick 
on  the  approach  of  their  prey;  and  when  they  have  caught  it, 
they  eat  it  very  voraciously,  holding  it  in  the  same  manner 
as  a  squirrel  does  its  food.  On  the  outer  joints  of  the  fore 
feet  are  several  very  sharp  hooks,  for  the  easier  catching  \nd 
holding  of  their  prey  ;  while,  with  the  other  feet,  wliich  are 
four  in  number,  they  take  hold  of  trees,  or  any  other  thing, 
tlie  better  to  surprise  whatever  they  lie  in  wait  for.  They 
drink  like  a  horse,  putting  their  mouths  into  the  w'ater.  Their 
excrements,  which  are  very  white,  are  almost  as  large  as  the 
body  of  the  animal,  and,  as  the  natives  say,  dangerous  to  the 
eyes. 

The  Animal  Flower. — Animal  flower,  in  zoology,  is  a 
name  given  to  several  species  of  animals  belonging  to  the 
genus  of  Actinia  of  Linnaeus.  They  have  likewise  been  dis- 
tinguished by  tlie  names  of  Urtka  marina,  or  Sea-nettle,  and 
Sea-anemone,  from  their  claws  or  tentacles  being  disposed  in 
regular  circles,  and  tinged  with  a  variety  of  bright  lively  co- 
lours, resembling  the  jjetals  of  some  of  our  most  beautiful 
flowers.  As  to  one  species  particularly,  mentioned  by  Abbe 
Diequemarre,  in  the  Phil.  Trans,  for  1 773,  article  37,  the  purest 
white,  carmine,  and  ultramarine,  are  said  to  be  scarcely 
sufficient  to  express  their  brilliancy.  The  bodies  of  some  of 
them  are  hemispherical,  of  others  cylindrical,  and  others  are 
shaped  like  a  fig.  Their  substance  likewise  differs  :  some  are 
stiff  and  gelatinous,  others  fleshy  and  muscular  ;  but  all  of 
them  are  ca])able  of  altering  their  figure,  when  they  extend 
their  bodies  and  claws  in  search  of  food.  They  are  found  in 
many  of  the  rocky  coasts  of  the  West  India  Islands,  and  likewise 
on  some  parts  of  the  coast  of  England.  They  have  only  one 
opening,  which  is  the  centre  of  the  uppermost  part  of  the 
animal;  round  this  are  placed  rows  of  fleshy  claws  ;  this  open- 
ing is  the  mouth  of  the  animal,  and  is  capable  of  great  exten- 
sion. The  animals  themselves,  thou<>h  exceedinoly  voracious, 
will  bear  long  fasting.     They  may  be  preserved  alive  a  whole 


THE   ANIMAL  FLOWEK.  3&3 

year,  or  perhaps  longer,  in  a  vessel  of  sea  water,  without  any 
visible  food  ;  but,  when  food  is  presented,  one  of  them  will 
successively  devour  two  muscles  in  their  shells,  or  even  swal- 
low a  whole  crab  as  large  as  a  hen's  egg.  In  a  day  or  two 
the  crab-shell  is  voided  at  the  mouth,  perfectly  cleared  of  all 
tiie  meat.  The  muscle-shells  are  likewise  discharged  whole, 
with  the  two  shells  joined  together,  but  entirely  empty,  so 
that  not  the  least  particle  of  fish  is  to  be  perceived  on  opening 
them.  An  anemone  of  one  species,  will  even  swallow  an  indi- 
vidual of  another  species  ;  but,  after  retaining  it  ten  or  twelve 
hours,  will  throw  it  up  alive  and  vminjured.  Through  this 
opening  also,  it  produces  its  young  ones  alive,  already  fur- 
nished with  little  claws,  which,  as  soon  as  they  fix  themselves, 
they  begin  to  extend  in  search  of  food. 

In  Hughes's  Natural  History  of  Barbadoes,  an  account  is 
also  given  of  several  species  of  animal  ilovvers.  They  are 
described  as  only  found  in  a  bason  in  one  particular  cave  ; 
and  of  the  most  remarkable  species  mentioned  by  him,  we 
have  the  following  description  : — "  In  the  middle  of  the  bason, 
there  is  a  fixed  stone  or  rock,  which  is  always  under  water. 
Round  its  sides,  at  different  depths,  seldom  exceeding  eighteen 
inches,  are  seen  at  all  times  of  the  year,  issuing  out  of  little 
holes,  certain  substances  that  have  the  appearance  of  fine 
radiated  flowers,  of  a  pale  yellow  or  a  bright  straw  colour, 
slightly  tinged  with  green,  having  a  circular  border  of  thick- 
set petals,  about  the  size  of,  and  much  resembling  those  of 
a  single  garden  marigold,  except  that  this  seeming  flower 
is  narrower  at  the  discus,  or  setting  on  of  the  leaves,  than 
any  flower  of  that  kind.  I  have  attempted  to  pluck  one  of 
these  from  the  rock,  to  which  they  are  always  fixed,  but  never 
could  effect  it;  for  as  soon  as  my  fingers  came  within  two  or 
three  inches  of  it,  it  would  immediately  contract  close  toge- 
ther its  yellow  border,  and  shrink  back  into  the  hole  of  the 
rock  ;  but,  if  left  undisturbed  for  about  four  minutes,  it  would 
come  gradually  in  sight,  expanding,  though  at  first  very  cau- 
tiously, its  seeming  leaves,  till  at  last  it  appeared  in  its  former 
bloom.  However,  it  would  again  recoil  with  a  surprising 
quickness,  when  my  hand  came  within  a  small  distance  of  it. 
Having  tried  the  same  experiment  by  attempting  to  touch  it 
with  my  cane,  and  a  small  slender  rod,  the  effect  was  the 
same.  Though  I  could  not  by  any  means  contrive  to  take  or 
pluck  from  the  rock  one  of  these  animals  entire,  yet  I  once 
cut  off  (with  a  knife,  which  I  had  held  for  a  long  time  out  of 
sight,  near  the  mouth  of  a  hole  out  of  which  one  of  these 
animals  appeared)  two  of  these  seeming  leaves.  These,  when 
out  of  the  water,  retained  their  shape  and  colour,  but,  being 
composed  of  a  membrane-like  substance  surprisingly  thin,  it 
soon  shrivelled  up  and  decayed." 

17.  ■  3  ri 


3J4  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    VEGETABLES. 

The  ALbe  Diequemarre,  by  many  curious,  though  cruel 
experiments,  related  in  the  Phil.  Trans,  for  1773,  has  shewn, 
that  these  animals  possess,  in  a  most  extraordinary  degree, 
the  power  of  reproduction,  so  that  scarce  any  thing  more  is 
necessary  to  produce  as  many  sea  anemones  as  we  please, 
than  to  cut  a  single  one  into  as  many  pieces.  A  sea  anemone 
being  cut  in  two  by  a  section  through  the  body,  that  part 
where  the  limbs  and  mouth  are  placed,  ate  apiece  of  a  muscle, 
offered  to  it  soon  after  the  operation,  and  continued  to  feed 
and  grow  daily  for  three  months  after.  The  food  sometimes 
passed  through  the  animal,  but  was  generally  thrown  up 
again,  considerably  changed,  as  in  the  perfect  sea  anemone. 
In  about  two  months,  two  rows  of  limbs  were  perceived  grow- 
ing out  of  the  part  where  the  incision  was  made.  On  offering 
food  to  this  new  mouth,  it  was  laid  hold  of,  eaten,  and,  the 
limbs  continually  increasing,  the  animal  gradually  became  as 
perfect  as  those  which  had  never  been  cut.  In  some  instances, 
however,  he  found  that  when  one  of  these  creatures  was  cut 
through,  new^  limbs  would  be  produced  from  the  cut  place, 
those  at  the  mouth  remaining  as  before  ;  so  that  a  monstrous 
animal  was  the  consequence,  having  two  mouths,  and  feeding 
at  both  ends. 

Having  put  some  of  them  into  a  pan  of  water,  set  over  a 
slow  fire,  he  found  that  they  lost  their  life  at  fifty  degrees  of 
Reaumur's  thermometer.  To  avoid  the  imputation  of  cruelty 
in  these  experiments,  the  author  argues  the  favourable  conse- 
quences that  have  attended  his  operations  on  the  sea  anemo- 
nes, which  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  fall  into  his  hands: 
as  he  has  not  only  multiplied  their  existence,  but  also  renewed 
their  youth,  "  which  last,"  he  adds,  "  is  surely  no  small  advan- 
tage." The  reproductive  power  of  the  Barbadoes  animal 
flower  is  prodigious.  Many  people  coming  to  see  these 
stranoe  creatures,  and  occasioning;  some  inconvenience  to  a 
person  through  whose  grounds  they  were  obliged  to  pass,  he 
resolved  to  destroy  the  objects  of  their  curiosity  ;  and,  that 
he  might  do  so  effectually,  he  caused  all  the  holes  out  of 
which  they  appeared,  to  be  carefully  bored  and  drilled  with 
an  iron  instrument,  so  that  we  cannot  suppose  but  their  bodies 
must  have  been  entirely  crushed  to  a  pulp :  nevertheless,  they 
again  appeared  in  a  few  weeks,  from  the  very  same  places. 

Animal  flowers  are  found  in  as  great  beauty  and  variety  on 
the  coast  of  Galloway,  as  any  where  in  the  West  Indies.  They 
are  repeatedly  taken  notice  of  in  Sir  J.  Sinclair's  Statistical 
Account  of  Scotland.  Mr.  Little,  minister  of  Colvend,  men- 
tions the  polypus,  or  sea  anemone,  among  the  productions  of 
that  coast.  Mr.  Muirhead,  minister  of  Urr,  gives  the  follow- 
ing particular  description  of  them  : — "  About  five  years  ago, 
1  discovered  in  the  parish  of  Colvend,  the  animal   flower,  i^*. 


FUNGUS,  Oil  MUSHROOM.  395 

as  great  perfection  and  variety  as  it  is  in  Jamaica.  The 
lively  colours,  and  the  various  and  elegant  forms  ot"  the  poly- 
pus on  this  coast,  are  truly  equal  to  any  thing  related  by 
natural  historians,  respecting  tlie  sta-flovvers  of  any  other 
country.  To  see  a  flower  of  purple,  of  green,  blue,  yellow, 
&c.  striving  to  catch  a  worm,  is  really  amusing."  And  Mr. 
Marsliall,  minister  of  Brittle,  has  allotted  a  section  of  his 
Statistical  Account  of  his  parish,  to  animal  flowers  ;  wherein 
he  says,  "  Till  of  late  perhaps  it  has  not  been  much  adverted 
to,  that  the  animal  flower,  or  water  polypus,  is  even  common 
along  the  shores  of  Brittle,  Colvend,  and  very  likely  round 
the  whole  coast  of  the  stevvartry  of  Galloway.  The  form  of 
these  j)olypi  is  elegant,  and  j^leasantly  diversified.  Some 
are  found  resembling  tiie  sunflower,  some  the  hundred-leaved 
rose,  but  the  greater  number  bear  the  likeness  of  the  poppy. 
The  colours  diflPer  as  much  as  the  form.  Sometimes  the  ani- 
mal flower  is  of  a  deep  purple,  frequently  of  a  rose  colour, 
but  mostly  of  a  light  red  or  fleshy  hue.  The  most  beautiful 
of  them,  that  could  be  picked  up,  have  often  been  carried 
from  the  shore  of  Colvend,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  up  into  the 
the  country,  where  they  have  lived,  fed  on  worms,  and  even 
bred  for  several  weeks,  and  might  have  existed  much  longer, 
if  they  could  have  been  supplied  with  sea-water." 

CHAP.  XXXVI. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  VEGETABLES. — (Concluded.) 

If  to  this  lower  planet  we  advert. 

Seat  of  our  birth  and  nurture,  proofs  abound 

Of  infinite  contrivance,  matchless  skill. 

Whether  the  site  or  figure  we  regard. 

Or  distribution  of  the  various  parts 

Perfective  of  the  system,  strokes  appear 

Too  exquisite  for  bungling  chance  to  hit.  Bally. 

FUNGUS,  OR   MUSHROOM. 

By  fungus,  we  mean  the  mushroom  tribe.  The  ancients 
called  them  the  children  of  the  earth,  to  indicate  the  obscurity 
of  their  origin.  The  moderns  have  likewise  been  at  a  loss  in 
what  rank  to  place  them;  some  referring  them  to  the  animal, 
some  to  the  vegetable,  and  others  to  the  mineral  kingdom. 
Messrs.  Wilck  and  Minchausen,  have  not  scrupled  to  rank 
these  bodies  among  animal  productions;  because,  when  frag- 
ments of  them  or  their  seeds  were  macerated  in  water,  these 
gentlemen  perceived  a  quantity  of  animalcules  discharged, 
which  they  supposed  capable  of  being  changed  into  the  same 


396  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

substance.  It  was  an  ancient  opinion,  that  beef  could  produce 
bees;  but  it  was  reserved  for  Messrs.  Wilck  and  Minchausen, 
to  suppose  that  bees  could  produce  beef.  The  former  asserts, 
that  fungi  consist  of  innumerable  cavities,  each  inhabited  by  a 
polype ;  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  ascribe  the  formation  of 
them  to  their  inhabitants,  in  the  same  way  as  it  has  been  said 
that  the  coral,  the  lichen,  and  the  mucor,  were  formed.  Hed- 
wig  has  lately  shewn  how  ill-founded  this  opinion  is  with 
respect  to  the  lichen  ;  and  M.  Durande  has  demonstrated  its 
falsity  with  regard  to  the  corallines. 

"  Indeed,  (says  M.  Bonnet,  speaking  of  the  animality  of 
fungi,)  nothing  but  the  rage  for  paradox  could  induce  any  one 
to  publish  such  a  fable ;  and  I  regret  that  posterity  will  be 
able  to  reproach  our  times  with  it.  Observation  and  experi- 
ment should  enable  us  to  overcome  the  prejudices  of  modern 
philosophy,  now  that  those  of  the  ancient  have  disappeared 
and  are  forgotten."  It  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  mushroom  is 
one  of  the  most  perishable  of  all  plants,  and  it  is  therefore 
the  most  favourable  for  the  generation  of  insects.  Consider- 
ing the  quickness  of  its  growth,  it  must  be  furnished  with  the 
power  of  copious  absorption  ;  the  extremity  of  its  vessels 
must  be  more  dilated  than  in  other  plants.  Its  root  seems,  in 
many  cases,  to  be  merely  intended  for  its  support;  for  some 
species  "row  upon  stones,  or  moveable  sand,  from  which  it  is 
impossible  they  can  draw  much  nourishment.  We  must 
therefore  suppose,  that  it  is  chiefly  by  the  stalk  that  they 
absorb.  These  stalks  grow  in  a  moist  and  tainted  air,  in 
which  float  multitudes  of  eggs,  so  small,  that  the  very  insects 
they  produce  are  with  difficulty  seen  by  the  microscope. 
These  eggs  may  be  compared  to  the  particles  of  the  byssus, 
100,000  of  which,  as  M.  Gleditsch  says,  are  not  equal  to  one- 
fourth  of  a  grain. 

May  we  not  suppose  that  a  quantity  of  such  eggs  are  ab- 
sorbed by  the  vessels  of  the  fungus,  and  that  they  remain  there 
without  any  change,  till  the  plant  begins  to  decay?  Besides, 
the  eggs  may  be  only  deposited  on  the  surface  of  the  plant, 
or  they  nuiy  exist  in  water,  into  which  they  are  thrown  for 
examination.  Do  not  we  see  that  such  eggs,  dispersed  through 
the  air,  are  hatched  in  vinegar,  in  paste,  &c.  and  wherever 
they  find  a  convenient  nidus  for  their  development?  Can 
it  be  surprising,  then,  that  the  corruption  of  the  mushroom 
should  make  the  water  capable  of  disclosing  certain  beings 
that  are  really  foreign  to  both  ?  It  is  not  more  easy  to  acqui- 
esce in  the  o])inions  of  those  naturalists  who  place  the  fungi 
in  the  mineral  kingdom,  because  they  are  found  growing  ou 
porous  stones,  thence  called  lapides  fungarii ;  which,  how- 
ever, must  be  covered  with  a  little  earth,  and  be  watered 
with  tepid  water,  in  order  to  favour  the  growth.     Such  mush- 


rUNGLS,  oil  JJUSllUOOM.  397 

rooms  are  no  more  the  produce  of  the  stone,  than  the  lichen 
is  of  the  rock  to  which  it  adheres,  or  the  moss,  of  the  tree  on 
which  it  is  found. 

We  have  only  to  observe  the  growth  of  mushrooms,  to  be 
convinced  that  this  happens  by  development,  and  not  by 
addition  or  combination  of  parts,  as  in  minerals.  The  opinion 
of  Boccone,  who  attributed  them  to  an  unctuous  matter  per- 
forming the  function  of  seed,  and  acquiring  extension  by 
apposition  of  similar  parts;  and  that  of  Morison,  who  con- 
ceived that  they  grew  spontaneously  out  of  the  earth  by  a 
certain  mixture  of  salt  and  sulphur,  joined  with  oils  from  the 
dung  of  quadrupeds;  have  now  no  longer  any  adherents. 
Fungi  are  produced,  they  live,  they  grow  by  development ; 
they  are  exposed  to  those  vicissitudes  natural  to  the  different 
periods  of  life  which  characterize  living  substances  ;  they 
perish  and  die  ;  they  extract,  from  the  extremity  of  their 
vessels,  the  juices  with  which  they  are  nourished  ;  they  elabo- 
rate and  assimilate  them  to  their  own  substance  :  they  are, 
therefore,  organized  and  living  beings,  and  consequently  be- 
long to  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

But  whether  they  are  real  plants,  or  only  the  production  of 
plants,  is  still  a  matter  in  dispute  with  the  ablest  naturalists. 
Some  ancient  authors  have  pretended  to  discover  the  seed  of 
mushrooms;  but  the  opinion  was  never  generally  received. 
Petronius,  when  he  is  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  magni- 
ficence of  his  hero  Trimalcio,  relates,  that  he  had  written 
to  the  Indies  for  the  seed  of  morelle.  These  productions 
were  generally  attributed  to  the  superfluous  humidity  of 
rotten  wood,  or  other  putrid  substances.  The  opinion  took  its 
rise  from  observing  that  they  grew  most  copiously  in  rainy 
weather.  Such  was  the  opinion  of  Trajus,  king  of  Bauhin, 
and  even  of  Columna,  who,  talking  of  the  peziza,  says,  that 
its  substance  was  more  solid  and  harder,  because  it  did  not 
originate  from  rotten  wood,  but  from  the  pituita  of  the  earth. 
It  is  not  surprising,  that,  in  times  when  the  want  of  experi- 
ment and  observation  made  people  believe  that  insects  could 
be  generated  by  putrefaction,  we  should  find  the  opinion 
general,  that  fungi  owed  their  origin  to  the  putrescence  of 
bodies,  or  to  a  viscous  humour  analogous  to  putridity. 
Malpighi  could  not  satisfy  himself  as  to  the  existence  of  seeds, 
which  other  botanists  have  pretended  to  discover.  He  only 
says,  tliat  these  plants  must  have  them,  or  that  they  perpe- 
tuate themselves,  and  shoot  by  fragments.  Micheli,  among 
the  moderns,  appears  to  have  employed  himself  most  success- 
fully on  this  subject.  He  imagined,"  that  he  not  only  saw  the 
seeds,  but  even  the  stamina,  as  well  as  the  little  transparent 
bodies  destined  to  favour  the  dissemination  and  fecundation 
of  tliese  seeds.     Before   this  author.   Lister  thought  he  per- 


398  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

ceived  seeds  in  the  Fungus  perosus  crassus  magiius  of  John 
Bauhin:  the  little  round  bodies  that  are  found  in  the  pezizae 
and  belvellfE,  at  that  time,  passed  for  seeds;  which  did  not 
appear  at  all  probable  to  Marsigli,  considering  that  the  eye, 
when  assisted  with  the  very  best  microscopes,  could  perceive 
nothing  similar  in  much  larger  fungi.  Indeed,  these  bodies 
may  be  the  capsules  or  covers  of  the  seeds,  if  they  are  not 
the  seeds  themselves.  However  this  may  be,  INIarsigli,  ob- 
serving that  fungi  were  often  without  roots  or  branches,  and 
that  they  wanted  flowers  and  seeds,  the  means  which  nature 
employs  for  the  production  of  perfect  plants,  thought  himself 
warranted  in  doubting  whether  these  beings  could  be  ranked 
in  the  number  of  vegetables.  The  doubts  of  Marsigli  prompted 
him  to  observe  the  formation  of  fungi.  Their  matrix  he  called 
situs:  he  imagined  they  grew  in  places  where  they  met  with 
an  unctuous  matter,  composed  of  oil  mixed  with  nitrous  salt, 
which,  by  fermentation,  produced  heat  and  moisture,  and  in- 
sinuated itself  between  the  fibres  of  wood;  that  is,  he  imagined 
them  the  production  of  a  viscous  and  putrescent  humour. 
Lancisi,  in  like  manner,  considered  fungi  as  owing  their 
existence  to  the  putrefaction  of  vegetables,  and  supposed  them 
a  disease  in  the  plants  ;  but  he  imagined  "  that  the  fibres  of 
the  trees  were  necessary  to  their  production,"  as  is  the  case 
in  the  formation  of  galls  ;  and  compared  them  to  the  warts  and 
other  excrescences  of  the  human  body.  He  added,  that  such 
fungous  vegetable  tumors  must  necessarily  assume  various 
forms  and  figures,  from  the  fluids  which  distend  the  tubes  and 
vessels  relaxed  by  putrescence,  from  the  ductility  of  the  fibres 
and  their  direction,  and  from  the  action  of  the  air.  This 
opinion  has  been  refuted  by  the  celebrated  naturalist  M.  de 
Jussieu,  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  for  1728. 
He  maintains,  that  the  fungi  have  a  great  analogy  with  the 
lichen,  which  is  allowed  to  be  a  vegetable;  that,  like  the 
lichen,  they  are  divested  of  stalks,  branches,  and  leaves;  that, 
like  it,  they  grow  and  are  nourished  upon  the  trunks  of  trees, 
on  pieces  of  rotten  wood,  and  on  all  sorts  of  putrid  vege- 
tables; that  they  resemble  the  lichen  too  in  the  rapidity  of 
their  growth,  and  the  facility  with  which  many  of  them  may 
be  dried,  and  restored  to  their  former  figure  upon  being  im- 
mersed in  water;  and  lastly,  that  there  is  a  great  similiarity 
in  the  manner  in  which  their  seeds  are  produced.  He  afiirms, 
that  only  the  warts  and  excrescences  which  grow  on  animal 
bodies,  and  the  knots  and  other  tumors  that  are  to  be  found 
on  trees,  can  be  compared  with  each  other;  for  they  are 
composed  equally  of  the  solid  and  liquid  substance  of  the 
plant  or  animal  on  which  they  grow  ;  whereas,  the  matter 
of  the  fungi  is  not  only  quite  distinct  from  that  of  the 
plants  on   which  they  are  found,  but  often  entirely  sinvi/a' 


FUNGUS,  OR   MUSHROOM.  399 

to  the  substance  of  those  that  spring  immediately  from  the 
earth. 

The  organization  (says  M.  de  Jussieu)  which  distinguishes 
plants  and  other  productions  of  nature,  is  visible  in  the  fungi, 
and  the  particular  organization  of  each  species  is  constant  at 
all  times,  and  in  all  places  ;  a  circumstance  which  could  not 
hai)pen,  if  there  were  not  an  animal  reproduction  of  species, 
and  consequently  a  multiplication  and  propagation  by  seed. 
This  is  not,  he  says,  an  imaginary  supposition,  for  the  seeds 
may  be  felt  like  meal  upon  mushrooms  with  gills,  especially 
wben  they  begin  to  decay  ;  they  may  be  seen  with  a  magni- 
fying glass,  in  those  that  have  gills  with  black  margins  :  and, 
lastly,  says  he,  botanists  can  have  no  doubt  that  fungi  are  a 
distinct  class  of  plants;  because,  by  comparing  the  observa- 
tions made  in  dift'erent  countries,  with  the  figures  and  descrip- 
tions of  such  as  have  been  engraved,  the  same  genera  and 
the  same  species  are  every  where  found. 

Notwithstanding  this  refutation  by  M.  de  Jussieu,  another 
naturalist,  M.  de  Keeker,  has  lately  maintained,  in  his  My- 
citohgia.  That  the  fungi  ought  to  be  excluded  from  the  three 
kingdoms  of  nature,  and  be  considered  as  intermediate  beings. 
He  has  observed,  like  Marsigli,  the  matrix  of  the  fungi;  and 
has  substituted  the  word  carchte  (initium  faciens)  instead  of 
situs;  imag^ning  that  the  rudiment  of  the  fungus  cannot  exist 
beyond  that  point  in  which  the  development  of  the  filaments 
of  fibrous  roots  is  perceived.  He  allows,  that  fungi  are  nou- 
rished and  grow  like  vegetables  ;  but  he  thinks  that  they 
differ  very  much  from  them  in  respect  of  their  origin,  struc- 
ture, nutrition,  and  rapidity  of  growth.  He  says,  that  the 
various  vessels  which  compose  the  organization  of  vegetables, 
are  not  to  be  found  in  the  fungi,  and  that  they  seem  entirely 
composed  of  cellular  substance  and  bark  ;  so  that  this  simple 
oro'anization  is  nothino;  more  than  an  atroreo-ation  of  vessels 
endowed  with  a  common  nature,  that  suck  up  the  moisture  in 
the  manner  of  a  sponge  ;  with  this  difference,  that  the  mois- 
ture is  assimilated  into  a  part  of  the  fungus,  and  not  merely 
imbibed  for  nutrition. 

Lastly,  That  the  fructification,  the  only  essential  part  of 
a  vegetable,  and  which  distinguishes  it  from  all  other  organ- 
ized bodies,  being  wanting,  fungi  cannot  be  considered  as 
plants.  This,  he  thinks,  is  confirmed  by  the  constant  observation 
of  those  people  who  gather  the  morelle  and  the  mushroom, 
and  who  never  find  them  in  the  same  spots  where  they  had 
formerly  grown.  As  the  generation  of  fungi  (says  M.  Necker) 
is  always  performed  when  the  parenchymatous  cellular  sub- 
stance has  changed  its  nature,  form,  and  function,  we  must 
conclude  that  it  is  the  degeneration  of  that  part  which  produces 
these  bodies. 


400  C13U10S1TIES   RESPECTING   VEGETABLES. 

But  if  fungi  were  owing  merely  to  the  degeneration  of 
plants,  tliey  would  be  still  better  entitled  to  constitute  a  new 
kingdom.  They  would  then  be  a  decomposition,  not  a  new 
formation,  or  new  bodies.  Besides,  we  cannot  deny,  that  in 
those  bodies  which  form  the  limit  between  the  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms,  the  organization  becomes  simple,  as  the 
organs  destined  for  nutrition  are  multiplied  ;  but,  as  the  last 
in  the  class  of  insects  belonos  to  the  animal  kinodom,  funoi 
ought,  notwithstanding  the  simplicity  of  their  organization, 
still  to  belong  to  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

The  parenchymatous,  or  cellular  substance,  which,  as 
INI.  Bonnet  says,  is  universally  extended,  embraces  the  whole 
fibrous  system,  and  becomes  the  principal  instrument  of 
growth,  must  naturally  be  more  abundant  in  those  ])roduc 
tions  ;  and  this  accounts  for  the  rapidity  of  their  enlargement. 
Besides,  growth,  whether  slow  or  rapid,  never  was  employed 
to  determine  the  ])resence  or  absence  of  the  vegetable  or  ani- 
mal character.  The  draba  venmt,  which,  in  a  few  weeks, 
shoots,  and  puts  forth  its  leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit,  is  not  less 
a  plant  than  the  palm.  The  insect  that  exists  but  for  a  day, 
is  as  much  an  animal,  as  the  elephant  that  lives  for  centaries. 
As  to  the  seeds  of  the  fungi,  it  is  probable  that  nature  meant 
to  withdraw  from  our  eyes  the  dissemination  of  these  ])lants, 
by  making  the  seeds  almost  imperceptible;  and  it  is  likewise 
probable,  that  naturalists  have  seen  nothing  but  their  capsules. 
Since,  however,  from  the  imperfection  of  our  senses,  we  are 
unable  to  perceive  these  seeds,  because  those  bodies  which 
have  been  called  their  seeds,  and  the  fragments  or  cuttings 
of  the  plants  themselves,  have  not  produced  others  of  the 
same  species  ;  Nature  seems  to  have  reserved  for  herself  the 
care  of  disseminating  certain  plants  :  it  is  in  vain,  for  instance, 
that  the  botanist  sows  the  dust  found  in  the  capsules  of  the 
orchis,  though  every  one  allows  it  to  be  the  seed. 

But,  after  all,  what  are  those  parts  in  the  fungi  casually 
observed  by  naturalists,  and  which  they  have  taken  for  the 
parts  of  fructification?  These  are  quite  distinct  from  the 
other  parts  ;  and  whatever  may  be  their  use,  they  cannot  have 
been  formed  by  the  prolongation  of  the  cellular  substance,  or  of 
the  fibres  of  the  tree  on  which  the  fungus  grows  :  they  are, 
therefore,  owing,  like  flower  and  fruit,  to  the  proper  organi- 
zation of  the  plant.  The  plants,  however,  have  a  particular 
existence,  independent  of  their  putrefying  nidus.  The  gills  of 
certain  fungi,  which  difi'er  essentially  from  the  rest  of  the 
plant  in  tlieir  conformation,  would  be  sufficient  to  authorize 
this  latter  opinion.  But  can  putrefaction  create  an  organic 
substance?  Nature  undoubtedly  disseminates  through  the 
air,  and  over  the  surface  of  the  earth,  innumerable  seeds  of 
fungi,  as  well  as  eggs  of  insects.     The  plant  and  the  animal 


THE  METEORIC  STONE.  401 

are  excluded,  when  the  nidus,  in  which  they  are  deposited,  or 
the  temperature,  is  favourable  for  tiieir  development.  No 
fortuitous  concourse,  either  of  atoms  or  fluids,  could  produce 
bodies  so  exquisitely  and  so  regularly  organized.  It  is  suf- 
ficient, to  throw  one's  eye  on  the  beautiful  plates  which 
SchoefFer  has  published  of  them,  and  compare  them,  by  the 
glass,  with  the  warts  and  other  excrescences  of  animals,  to  be 
convinced  that  they  have  not  the  same  origin.  The  function 
of  the  cellular  substance  in  vegetables  must  be  greatly 
superior  to  that  in  animals,  if  it  could  produce  any  thing  but 
deforniities.  The  greater  part  of  fungi  exhibit  a  configura- 
tion much  too  regular,  constant,  and  uniform,  to  be  the  effect 
of  chance  or  putrefaction.  As  this  form  is  preserved  the  same 
in  all  places  where  fungi  have  been  found,  it  follows,  that  they 
contain  in  themselves  the  principles  of  reproduction.  They 
resemble  the  misletoe,  and  other  parasitic  plants,  which  are 
perfectly  distinct  from  the  trees  on  which  they  grow.  The 
fungi,  therefore,  are  organized  and  living  substances, — or  true 
plants. 


CHAP.  XXXVII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   STONES. 

The  Meteoric  Stone — Labrador  Stone — Asbestos — Mushroom 
Stone — The  Changeable  Stone — A  Wonderful  Diamond — 
A  Singular  Curiosity. 

There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth 

Than  are  dreamt  of  in  our  philosophy.  Shakspeare. 

THE   METEORIC  STONE. 

The  following  description  of  a  meteoric  stone,  which  fell 
in  the  year  1511,  is  taken  from  a  set  of  observations  on 
natural  history,  meteorology,  &-c,  made  in  the  early  part  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  by  Andrea  da  Prato,  of  Milan.  These 
have  not  been  published  ;  but  various  copies  of  them  exist. 
They  have  been  commented  upon  by  Dr.  Louis  Rossi,  in  the 
Qiomale  di  Fisica,  Chemica,  <^c.  from  whence  this  descrip- 
tion is  taken.—"  On  the  4th  of  September,  1511.  at  the 
second  hour  of  the  night,  and  also  at  the  seventh,  there 
ap))eared  in  the  air,  at  Milan,  a  running  fire,  with  such 
splendour,  that  the  day  seemed  to  have  returned  ;  and  some 
persons  beheld  the  appearance  of  a  large  head,  which  caused 
great  wonder  and  fear  in  the  city.  The  same  thing  happened 
on  the  following  night  at  the  ninth  hour.  A  few  days  after, 
beyond  the  river  Adela,  there  fell  from  heaven  many  stones, 

3E 


402  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    5tONE8. 

which  being  collected  at  Cremasco  (Creina),  were  found  to 
weigh  eight,  and  even  eleven  pounds  each.  Their  colour 
was  similar  to  that  of  burnt  stones." — Dr.  Bossi  considers  this 
as  an  authentic  descriotion  of  the  fall  of  an  aerolite. 

The  Labrador  Stone,  is  a  curious  species  of  Feld-spar, 
or  Rhombic  Quartz,  which  exhibits  all  the  colours  of  a 
peacock's  tail.  It  was  discovered  some  years  ago  by 
the  Moravians,  who  have  a  colony  among  the  Esquimaux, 
in  Labrador.  It  is  found  of  a  light  or  deep  gray  colour, 
but  for  the  most  part  of  a  blackish  gray.  When  held 
in  the  light  in  various  positions,  it  discovers  a  diversity  of 
colours,  such  as  the  blue  of  lapis  lazuli,  grass-green,  apple- 
green,  pea-green,  and  sometimes,  but  more  seldom,  a 
citron  yellow.  Sometimes  it  has  a  colour  between  that  of 
red  copper  and  tornbuck-gray ;  at  other  times  the  colours 
are  between  gray  and  violet.  For  the  most  part,  these 
colours  are  in  spots,  but  sometimes  in  stripes  on  the  same 
piece.  The  stones  are  found  in  pretty  large  angular  pieces, 
appear  foliated  when  broken,  and  the  fragments  are  of  a 
rhomboidal  figure. 

We  shall  next  introduce  The  Asbestos. — This  is  a  stone 
found  in  several  places  in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  particularly  in 
Sweden,  Corsica,  Cornwall,  and  the  island  of  Anglesea  in 
Wales.  It  is  of  a  silky  nature,  very  fine,  and  of  a  gravish 
colour,  insipid,  and  indissoluble  in  water.  It  may  be  split 
into  threads  and  filaments,  from  one  to  ten  inches  in  length. 
It  is  indestructible  by  fire;  whence  it  may  be  employed  for 
many  useful  purposes.  There  are  some  sorts  whose  filaments 
are  rigid  and  brittle,  and  others  more  flexible.  The  former  can- 
not be  spun  into  cloth,  and  the  latter  with  difficulty.  In  con- 
sequence of  its  incombustibility,  it  was  very  much  valued  by 
the  ancients  for  wrapping  up  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  In  the 
year  1702,  an  urn  was  discovered  at  Kome,  with  the  bones  of 
a  human  body  wrapped  in  a  cloth  made  of  flexible  asbestos. 
The  m(!thod  of  preparing  it  is  as  follows  :  the  stone  is  laid  tc 
soak  in  warm  water,  then  opened  and  divided  by  the  hands, 
that  the  earthy  matter  may  be  washed  out.  This  earth  is 
white  like  chalk,  and  makes  the  water  thick  and  milky.  This 
being  several  times  repeated,  the  filaments  are  afterwards 
collected  and  dried:  they  are  commodiously  spun  with  flax. 
When  the  cloth  is  woven,  it  is  best  preserved  by  oil  from 
breaking.  It  is  then  put  into  the  fire;  and  the  flax  being 
burnt  out,  the  cloth  remains  pure  and  white.  It  might  also 
be  made  into  pii])er;  and,  from  its  incombustibility,  wills,  or  any 
other  thing  of  importance,  could  be  written  on  it.  The  Chinese 
make  furnaces  of  this  mineral,  which  are  very  portable. 


THE  MUSHROOM   STONE.  403 

'in.  SHROOM  Stone,  or  stone  capable  of  producingmush- 
rooms. — In  the  Ephemerides  of  the  Curious  mention  is  made, 
of  a  stone,  so  called  by  Dr.  J.  G.  Wolckamerus,  who  saw  one  in 
Italy,  which  never  ceases  to  produce,  in  a  few  days,  mushrooms 
of  an  excellent  flavour,  by  the  most  simple  and  easy  process  ima- 
ginable. "  It  is  (says  he)  of  the  bigness  of  an  ox's  head,  rough 
and  uneven  on  its  surface,  and  on  which  are  also  perceived 
some  clefts  and  crevices.  It  is  black  in  some  parts,  and  in 
others  of  a  lighter  and  grayish  colour.  Internally  it  is  porous, 
and  nearly  of  the  nature  of  pumice  stone,  but  much  heavier; 
and  it  contains  a  small  piece  of  flint,  which  is  so  incorporated 
with  it  as  to  appear  to  havie  been  formed  at  the  same  time  the 
stone  itself  received  its  form.  This  gives  room  to  judge,  that 
these  stones  have  been  produced  by  a  fat  and  viscid  juice, 
which  has  the  property  of  indurating  whatever  matter  it 
filtrates  into.  The  stone,  when  liglitly  covered  with  earth, 
and  sprinkled  with  warm  water,  produces  mushrooms  of  an 
exquisite  flavour,  which  are  usually  round,  sometimes  oval, 
and  whose  borders,  by  their  inflections  and  different  curvities, 
represent  in  some  measure  human  ears.  The  principal  colour 
of  these  mushrooms  is  sometimes  yellowish,  and  sometimes 
of  a  bright  purple,  but  they  are  always  diversified  with  spots 
of  a  deep  orange  colour,  or  reddish  brown;  and  when  these 
spots  are  recent,  and  still  in  full  bloom,  they  produce  a  very 
agreeable  effect  to  the  sight.  But  what  appears  admirable  is, 
that  the  part  of  the  stalk  which  remains  adhering  to  the  stone 
when  the  mushroom  has  been  separated  from  it,  grows  gradu- 
ally hard,  and  petrifies  in  time;  so  that  it  seems  that  this 
fungus  restores  to  the  stone  the  nutritive  juice  it  received 
from  it,  and  that  it  thus  contributes  to  its  increase."  John 
Baptist  Porta  says,  that  this  stone  is  found  in  several  parts  of 
Italy;  and  that  it  is  not  only  to  be  met  with  at  Naples,  taken 
out  of  mount  Vesuvius,  but  also  on  mount  Pantherico,  in 
the  principality  of  Arellino;  on  mount  Garganus,  in  Apulia; 
and  on  the  summit  of  some  other  high  mountains.  As  to  the 
form  of  these  mushrooms,  their  root  is  strong,  uneven, 
divided  according  to  its  longitudinal  direction,  and  composed 
of  fibres  as  fine  as  hairs,  interwoven  one  with  another.  Their 
form,  on  first  shooting  out,  resembles  a  small  bladder,  scarcely 
larger  than  the  bud  of  a  vine;  and  if  in  this  state  they  are 
squeezed  between  the  fingers,  an  aqueous  subacid  liquor 
issues  out.  When  at  their  full  growth,  their  pedicle  is  of  a 
finger's  length,  larger  at  top  than  at  bottom,  and  becomes 
insensibly  slenderer  in  proportion  as  it  is  nearer  the  earth. 
These  mushrooms  are  also  formed  in  an  umbrella  shape,  and 
variegated  with  an  infinity  of  little  specks,  situated  very  near 
one  another.  They  are  smooth  and  even  on  the  upper  part, 
but  underneath  leafy,  like   the   common  mushrooms.     Their 


404  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  STONES. 

taste  is  likewise  very  agreeable,  and  the  sick  are  not  debar- 
red from  eating  them  when  dressed  in  a  proper  manner. — ■ 
Some  naturalists  and  physicians  submitted  these  stones  to 
chemical  analysis,  in  order  to  be  more  competent  judges  of 
the  uses  they  might  be  put  to  in  medicine  ;  when  there  first 
came  forth,  by  distillation,  an  insipid  water,  and  afterwards 
a  spirituous  liquor.  The  retort  having  been  heated  to  a  cer- 
tain point,  there  arose  an  oil,  which  had  nearly  the  smell  and 
taste  of  that  of  guaiacum ;  and  a  very  acid  salt  was  extracted 
from  the  ashes. 

We  must  not  omit  The  •  '^eable  Stone. — There  are 

three  of  these  remarkable  sto...  .n  the  British  Museum;  the 
largest  of  them  about  the  size  of  a  cherry-stone,  but  of  an 
oval  form.  It  is  opaque,  and  coloured  like  a  common  yellow 
pea ;  it  may  be  scratched,  though  not  without  difficulty,  by 
a  common  knife,  notwithstanding;  which,  it  seems  to   leave  a 

•  •  • 

mark  upon  glass.  It  does  not  ferment  with  nitrous  acid. 
When  it  has  lain  some  hours  in  water,  it  becomes  transparent, 
and  of  a  yellow  amber  colour.  The  change  begins  soon  after 
the  immersion,  and  at  one  end,  in  form  of  a  little  shot;  but  in 
a  small  one  of  the  same  kind,  the  transparency  begins  round 
the  edges.  By  degrees  the  spot  increases,  until  the  whole 
stone  becomes  uniformly  clear  throughout :  when  out  of  tlie 
water  it  loses  its  transparency,  first  at  one  end,  and  then  gra- 
dually over  the  remainder,  until  the  whole  has  become  opaque, 
whicii  change  happens  in  less  than  it  takes  to  become  trans- 
))arent.  This  change  is  not  entirely  peculiar  to  the  hydro- 
phanes.  Bergman  informs  us,  that  some  steatites  produce 
the  same  effect ;  and  M.  Magellan,  that  the  crust  of  chalce- 
donies and  agates  frequently  produce  the  same  appearance. 
Messrs.  Buckman  and  Veltheim  were  the  first  who  particularly 
inquired  into  the  nature  of  this  stone,  and  investigated  its 
properties.  Their  account  is  as  follows  : — "  As  soon  as  the 
stone  is  put  into  water,  it  exhales  a  musty  smell,  several  air- 
bubbles  arise,  and  it  becomes  gradually  transparent.  Some 
of  the  stones  become  colourless  as  soon  as  they  are  thoroughly 
transparent;  others  have  a  more  or  less  deep  yellow  colour, 
some  acquire  a  beautiful  ruby  colour ;  and  others  gain  a  fine 
colour  of  mother-of-pearl,  or  of  a  bluish  opal.  Whatever  be 
the  colour  of  the  liquor  in  which  the  hydrophanes  is  immersed, 
it  gains  only  its  usual  degree  of  transparency  with  the  colour 
peculiar  to  it.  When  we  look  at  it  in  its  moist  state,  we  per- 
ceive aluminous  point,  varying  its  situation  as  the  position  ot 
the  eye  is  altered."  This  luminous  point  is  not,  according  to 
Mr.  Bruckman,  the  immediate  image  of  the  sun,  but  a  reflec- 
tion of  that  image  refracted  in  the  substance  of  the  stone 
itself;  a  phenomenon  which  probably  gave  rise  to  its  name  of 


WONDERFUL  DIAMOND. — S.fNGULAR   CURIOSITY.        405 

OcuLUS  MuNDi.  Mr.  Bruckman  left  a  piece  of  this  stone, 
weighing  35  grains,  seven  hours  in  water,  the  space  requisite 
to  make  it  perfectly  transparent ;  and  in  that  time  he  found 
that  it  had  gained  three  grains  in  weight.  The  hydrophanes 
becomes  much  sooner  transparent  when  put  into  hot  water; 
and  the  same  happens  if  it  be  dipped  in  a  very  dilute  acid,  or 
rather  a  very  dilute  solution  of  alkali.  When  dipped  in  oil 
of  vitriol,  it  becomes  very  quickly  transparent,  and  will  con- 
tinue so  on  account  of  the  strong  attraction  of  that  acid  for 
moisture,  which  takes  as  much  from  the  atmosphere  as  is 
necessary  to  keep  the  stone  transparent ;  but  its  opacity  will  re- 
turn, if  it  be  dipped  in  an  alkaline  liquor,  and  then  dried. 

An  account  of  a  Wonderful  Diamond,  in  the  Island 
OF  BoRNOU. — The  rajah  of  Mathan  possesses  the  finest  and 
largest  diamond  in  the  world,  that  has  hitherto  been  disco- 
vered. This  diamond,  which  is  said  to  be  of  the  finest  water, 
weighs  367  carats.  The  celebrated  Pitt  diamond  weighs  only 
127  carats.  The  Mathan  diamond  is  shaped  like  an  egg,  with 
an  indented  hollow  near  the  smaller  end.  It  was  discovered 
at  Landak,  about  ninety  years  ago  ;  and  though  the  possession 
of  it  has  occasioned  numerous  wars,  it  has  been  about  eighty 
years  in  the  possession  of  the  Mathan  family.  Many  years 
ago,  the  governor  of  Batavia  sent  a  Mr.  Stuvart  to  ascertain 
the  weight,  quality,  and  value  of  this  diamond,  and  to  endea 
vour  to  purchase  it;  and  in  his  mission,  he  was  accompanied 
by  the  sultan  of  Pontiana.  After  examining  it,  Mr.  Stuvart 
offered  150,000  dollars  for  the  diamond,  the  sum  to  which  he 
was  limited  ;  and,  in  addition  to  this  sum,  two  war-brigs,  with 
their  guns  and  ammunition,  together  with  a  certain  number 
of  great  guns,  and  a  quantity  of  powder  and  shot.  The  rajah, 
however,  refused  to  deprive  his  family  of  so  valuable  an  here- 
ditary possession,  to  which  the  Malays  attach  the  miraculous 
power  of  curing  all  kinds  of  diseases,  by  means  of  the  water 
in  which  it  is  dipped,  and  with  which  they  imagine  the  fortune 
of  the  family  is  connected. 

We  shall  close  our  department  of  remarkable  Stones,  with 
the  following  account  of  A  Singular  Curiosity. — Mr. 
Sloughton,  the  Spanish  Consul  at  Boston,  in  North  America, 
has  in  his  possession  a  flint  pebble,  obtained  amongst  ballast 
stone,  thrown  from  a  vessel  at  an  eastern  port.  When  broken, 
it  presented  two  half  heads  in  profile;  all  the  outlines  of  fea- 
ture and  hair  were  perfectly  distinct,  and  the  heads  were  of  a 
darker  colour  than  the  rest  of  the  stone.  What  is  most  sur- 
prising is,  that  the  one  face  was  male  and  the  other  female  ; 
and  even  the  putting  up  of  the  hair  was  appropriate  to  the 
sexes  :  they  were  situated,  in  the  stone,  face  to  face. 


40S  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

CHAP.  XXXVIIL 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MOUNTAINS. 

Natural  Description  of  Mountains — The  Peak  in  Derhj/shii 
Snoivden  in  Wales — Skiddaw  in  Cumberland 

Sublime  the  uplifted  mountains  rise. 


And  with  their  pointed  heads  invade  the  skies  ; 

While  the  high  clifl's  their  craj;-;;}  arms  extend. 

Distinguish  states,  and  sever'd  realms  defend.        Blackmor*. 

NATURAL   DESCRIPTION    OF   MOUNTAINS. 

Almost  all  the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains  are  bare  and 
pointed  ;  which  proceeds  from  their  being  continually  assaulted 
by  storms  and  tempests.  All  the  earthy  substances  with 
which  they  might  have  been  once  covered,  have  for  ages  been 
washed  away  from  their  summits ;  and  nothing  is  left  but 
immense  rocks,  which  no  tempest  has  hitherto  been  able  to 
destroy.  Nevertheless,  time  is  every  day  making  depredations, 
and  huge  fragments  are  seen  tumbling  down  the  precipices, 
either  loosened  from  their  summits  by  the  rains  and  frost,  or 
struck  down  by  lightning.  Nothing  can  exhibit  a  rr>ore  terri- 
ble picture  than  one  of  these  enormous  masses,  commonly 
larger  than  a  house,  falling  from  its  height,  and  rolling  down 
the  side  of  the  mountain  with  a  noise  louder  than  thunder. 
Dr.  Plot  tells  us  of  one  in  particular,  which  being  loosened 
from  its  bed,  rolled  down  the  precipice,  and  was  partly  shat- 
tered into  a  thousand  pieces.  One  of  the  lar2;est  fratnnents, 
however,  still  preserving  its  motion,  travelled  over  the  plain 
below,  crossed  a  rivulet  in  the  midst,  and  at  last  stopped  on 
the  other  side  of  the  bank  !  These  fragments  are  often  struck 
off  by  lightning,  and  sometimes  undermined  by  rains;  but 
the  most  usual  manner  in  which  they  are  disunited  from  the 
mountain  is  by  frost:  the  rains  first  insinuate  and  find  their 
way  between  the  interstices  of  the  mountain,  and  continue 
there  until  by  the  intense  cold  they  are  converted  into  ice, 
when  the  water  swells  with  an  irresistible  force,  and  produces 
the  same  effect  as  gunpowder,  splitting  the  most  solid  rocks, 
and  thus  shattering  their  summits.  Sometimes  whole  moun- 
tains are,  by  various  causes,  disunited  from  each  other.  In 
many  parts  of  the  Alps,  there  are  amazing  clefts,  the  sides  of 
which  so  exactly  correspond  with  the  opposite,  that  no  doubt 
can  be  entertained  of  their  having  been  once  joined.  At 
Cajeta,  in  Italy,  a  mountain  was  split  in  this  manner  by  an 
earthquake ;  and  there  is  a  passage  opened  through  it,  that 
appears  as  if  done  by  the  industry  of  man. 


LAND-SLIPS.  407 

In  the  Andes  these  breaches  are  often  seen.  That  at 
ThermopyhTe  in  Greece  has  been  long  famous.  The  moun- 
tain of  tlie  Troglodytes  in  Arabia  has  thus  a  passage  through 
it;  and  that  in  the  late  duchy  of  Savoy,  which  Nature  began, 
and  which  Victor  Amadeus  completed,  is  an  instance  of  the 
same  kind,  "  In  June,  1714,  a  part  of  the  mountain  of  Dia- 
bleret,  in  the  district  of  Valais,  in  France,  suddenly  fell  down, 
between  two  and  three  p.  m.  the  weather  being  very  calm  and 
serene.  This  mountain,  which  was  of  a  conical  figure,  de- 
stroyed fifty-five  cottages  in  its  fall.  Fifteen  persons,  with 
about  one  hundred  beasts,  were  also  crushed  beneath  its  ruins, 
which  covered  an  extent  of  ground  of  a  league  square.  The 
dust  it  occasioned  instantly  enveloped  all  the  neighbourhood 
in  darkness.  The  heaps  of  rubbish  were  more  than  three 
hundred  feet  high.  They  stopped  the  current  of  a  river  that 
ran  along  the  plain,  which  now  is  formed  into  several  new 
and  deep  lakes.  There  appeared,  through  the  whole  of  this 
rubbish,  none  of  those  substances  that  seemed  to  indicate 
that  this  catastrophe  had  been  occasioned  by  means  of  sub- 
terraneous fires.  Most  probably,  the  base  of  this  rocky 
mountain  had  been  decomposing  through  the  lapse  of  many 
ages,  and  thus  fell  without  any  extraneous  violence." 

In  1618,  the  town  of  Fleurs,  in  France,  was  buried  beneath  a 
rocky  mountain,  at  the  foot  of  which  it  was  situated.  Such 
accidents  are  produced  by  various  causes  :  by  earthquakes; 
by  being  decayed  at  the  bottom ;  or  by  the  foundation  of  one 
part  of  the  mountain  being  hollowed  by  waters,  and,  thus 
wanting  a  support,  breaking  from  the  other.  Thus  it  generally 
has  been  found  in  the  great  chasms  in  the  Alps;  and  it  is 
almost  always  the  case  in  those  disruptions  of  hills,  called 
land-slips  :  these  are  nothing  more  than  the  sliding  down  of 
a  higher  piece  of  ground,  driven  from  its  situation  by  subter- 
raneous inundations,  and  settling  upon  the  plain  below. 
There  is  not  an  appearance  in  nature  that  so  much  astonished 
our  ancestors  as  these  land-slips.  To  behold  a  large  upland, 
with  its  houses,  corn,  and  cattle,  at  once  loosened  from  its 
place,  and  floating  as  it  were  upon  the  subjacent  water, — to 
see  it  quitting  its  ancient  situation,  and  sailing  forward  like  a 
.ship, — is  certainly  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  appearances 
that  can  be  imagined,  and,  to  a  people  ignorant  of  the  powers 
of  nature,  might  well  be  considered  as  a  prodigy.  Accord- 
inglv,  we  find  all  our  old  historians  mentioning  it  as  an  omen 
of  approaching  calamities.  In  this  more  enlightened  age, 
however,  its  cause  is  well  known;  and,  instead  of  exciting- 
ominous  apjnehensions  in  the  populace,  it  only  gives  rise  to 
some  very  ridiculous  law-suits  among  the  several  claimants, 
whose  the  property  thus  divided  from  its  kindred  soil  shall 
be;    whether   the   land   shall    belong    to    the    original    pos- 


408  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

sessor,  or  to  him  upon  whose  grounds  it  has  encroached  and 

settled. 

In  the  lands  of  Hatberg,  in  Ireland,  there  stood  a  declivity 
gradually  ascending  for  nearly  half  a  mile.  On  the  10th  of 
March,  1713,  the  inhabitants  perceived  a  crack  on  its  side, 
like  a  furrow  made  with  a  plough,  which  they  imputed  to  the 
effects  of  lightning,  as  tin  re  had  been  a  thunder-storm  the 
night  before.  However,  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  they 
were  surprised  to  hear  a  hideous  confused  noise  issuing  all 
around  from  the  side  of  the  hill  ;  and  their  curiosity  being 
awakened,  they  resorted  to  the  place.  There,  to  their  amaze- 
ment, they  found  an  extent  of  ground,  of  nearly  five  acres,  all 
in  gentle  motion,  and  sliding  down  the  hill  upon  the  sub- 
jacent plain.  •  This  motion,  together  with  the  noise,  continued 
the  remaining  part  of  the  day,  and  the  whole  of  the  following 
night;  the  noise  proceeding,  probably,  from  the  attrition  of 
the  ground  beneath.  The  day  following,  this  strange  journey 
down  the  hill  ceased  ;  and  above  an  acre  of  the  meadow  below 
was  found  covered  with  what  before  composed  a  part  of  the 
declivity.  But  such  tremendous  land-slips,  when  a  whole 
mountain's  side  descends,  happen  very  rarely. 

There  are  some  of  another  kind,  however,  much  more  com- 
mon ;  and  as  they  axe  always  sudden,  much  more  dangerous. 
These  are  snow-slips,  or  avalanches,  well  known,  and  greatly 
dreaded  by  travellers.  They  are  justly  described  in  the  fol- 
lowing beautiful  lines  of  one  of  our  poets  : — 

By  an  hundred  winters  piled. 
Where  the  glaciers,  dark  with  death. 
Hang  o'er  precipices  wild. 
Hang  suspended  by  a  breath. 

If  a  pulse  but  throb  alarm. 
Headlong  down  the  steeps  they  fall ; 
For  a  pulse  will  break  the  charm. 
Bounding,  bursting,  burying  all. 

It  often  happens,  that  when  snow  has  long  been  accumu- 
lated on  the  tops  and  on  the  sides  of  mountains,  it  is  borne 
down  the  precipice  either  by  tempests,  or  by  its  own  melting. 
At  first,  when  loosened,  the  volume  in  motion  is  but  small, 
but  it  gathers  as  it  continues  to  roll ;  and  by  the  time  it  has 
reached  the  habitable  parts  of  the  mountain,  it  is  generally 
grown  to  an  enormous  bulk.  Wherever  it  rolls,  it  levels  all 
things  in  its  way,  or  buries  them  in  unavoidable  destruction. 
Instead  of  rolling,  it  sometimes  is  found  to  slide  along  from 
the  top  ;  yet  even  thus,  it  is  generally  fatal.  Nevertheless, 
we  had  an  instance  a  few  years  ago,  of  a  small  family  in  Ger- 
many, that  lived  for  above  a  fortnight  under  one  of  these 
snow-slips.     Although  they  were  buried  during  the  whole  of 


PEAK   IN    DERB'YSHIRE.  409 

that  time  in  utter  darkness,  and  under  a  bed  of  some  hundreds 
of  feet  deep,  yet  they  were  providentially  taken  out  alive  ;  the 
weight  of  the  snow  being  supported  by  a  beam  that  kept  up 
the  roof,  and  nourishment  supplied  to  them  by  the  milk  vi'  a 
she-goat,  that  was  buried  under  the  same  ruin. 

A  Description  of  the  Peak  in  Derbyshire,,  from 
Moritz's  Travels  in  several  parts  of  England. 

Having  arrived  in  Derbyshire,  a  distance  of  170  miles  from 
London,  the  author  thus  describes  the  town  of  Castleton,  in 
which  the  Peak  is  situated  :— 

"  1  ascended  one  of  the  highest  hills,  and  all  at  once  per- 
ceived a  beautiful  vale  below  me,  which  was  traversed  by  rivers 
and  brooks,  and  inclosed  on  all  sides  by  hills.  In  this  vale 
lies  Castleton,  a  small  town,  with  low  houses  ;  so  named  from 
an  old  castle,  whose  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen  here. 

"  A  narrow  path,  which  wound  itself  down  the  side  of  the 
rock,  led  me  through  the  vale  into  the  street  of  Castleton, 
where  I  found  an  inn,  and  dined.  After  dinner,  1  made  the 
best  of  my  way  to  the  cavern. 

"  A  little  rivulet,  which  runs  through  the  middle  of  the 
town,  led  me  to  its  entrance. 

"  I  stood  here  a  few  moments,  full  of  wonder  and  astonish- 
ment at  the  amazing  height  of  the  steep  rock  before  me, 
covered  on  each  side  with  ivy  and  other  shrubs.  At  its  sum- 
mit are  the  decayed  walls  and  towers  of  an  ancient  castle, 
vvhicli  formerly  stood  on  this  rock  ;  and  at  its  foot  the  mon- 
strous aperture,  or  mouth  to  the  entrance  of  the  cavern  ;  where 
it  is  totally  dark,  even  at  mid-day. 

"  As  1  was  standing  here  full  of  admiration,  1  perceived  at 
the  entrance  of  the  cavern,  a  man  of  a  rude  and  rough  apt)ear- 
ance,  who  asked  me  if  I  wished  to  see  the  Peak  ;  and  an  echo 
strongly  reverberated  his  coarse  voice. 

"  Answering  him  in  the  affirmative,  he  next  inquired  if  I 
should  want  to  be  carried  to  the  other  side  of  the  stream  ; 
telling  me  at  the  same  time  what  the  sum  would  be  which  I 
must  pay  for  it. 

"  This  man  had,  along  with  his  black  stringy  hair,  and  his 
dirty  and  tattered  clothes,  such  a  singularly  wild  and  infernal 
look,  that  he  actually  struck  me  as  a  real  Charon  :  his  voice, 
and  the  questions  he  asked  me,  were  not  of  a  kind  to  remove 
this  notion  ;  so  that  far  from  its  requiring  any  effort  of  imagi- 
nation, I  found  it  not  easy  to  avoid  believing,  that  at  length 
I  had  actually  reached  Avernus, — was  about  to  cross  Acheron, 
— and  to  be  ferried  by  Charon ! 

"  I  had  no  sooner  agreed  to  his  demand,  than  he  told  me, 
all  I  had  to  do  was  boldly  to  follow  him, — and  thus  ve  entered 
the  cavern. 

3F 


410  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

"  In  the  entrance  of  the  cavern  lay  the  trunk  of  a  tree  that 
had  been  cut  down,  on  which  several  of  the  boys  of  the  town 
were  playing. 

"  Our  way  seemed  to  be  altogether  on  a  descent,  though 
not  steep  ;  so  that  the  light,  which  came  in  at  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern  near  the  entrance,  gradually  forsook  it;  and  when 
we  had  gone  forward  a  few  steps  farther,  I  was  astonished  by 
a  sight,  which,  of  all  others,  I  here  the  least  expected  :  I  per- 
ceived to  the  right,  in  the  hollow  of  the  cavern,  a  whole  sub- 
terranean village,  where  the  inhabitants,  on  account  of  its 
being  Sunday,  were  resting  from  their  work,  and  with  happy 
and  cheerfid  looks  were  sitting  at  the  doors  of  their  huts 
along  with  their  children. 

"We  had  scarcely  passed  these  small  subterranean  houses, 
when  I  perceived  a  number  of  large  wheels,  on  which  on  week- 
days these  human  moles,  the  inhabitants  of  the  cavern,  made 
ropes. 

"  I  fancied  I  here  saw  the  wheel  of  Ixion,  and  the  incessant 
labour  of  the  Danaides. 

"  The  opening  through  which  the  light  came,  seemed,  as  we 
descended,  every  moment  to  become  less  and  less,  and  the 
darkness  at  every  step  to  increase,  till  at  length  only  a  few 
rays  appeared,  as  if  darting  through  a  crevice,  and  just  tinge- 
ing  the  small  clouds  of  smoke  which  at  dusk  raised  themselves 
to  the  moutii  of  the  cavern. 

"  This  gradual  increase  of  darkness  awakens  in  a  contem- 
plative mind  a  soft  melancholy.  As  you  go  down  the  gentle 
descent  of  the  cavern,  you  can  hardly  help  fancying  the  mo- 
ment is  come  when  you  are  about  to  bid  a  final  farewell  to  the 
abodes  of  mortals. 

"  At  length  the  great  cavern  in  the  rock  closed  itself,  in  the 
same  manner  as  heaven  and  earth  seem  to  join  in  the  horizon. 
We  then  approached  a  little  door,  where  an  old  woman  came 
out  of  one  of  the  huts,  and  brought  two  candles,  of  which  we 
each  took  one. 

"  My  guide  now  opened  the  door,  which  completely  shut 
out  the  faint  glimmering  of  daylight,  which  till  then  it  was 
still  possible  to  perceive,  and  led  us  to  the  inmost  centre  of 
this  dreary  temple  of  old  Chaos  and  Night,  as  if  till  now  we 
had  only  been  traversing  the  outer  coasts  of  their  dominions. 
The  rock  was  here  so  low  that  we  were  obliged  to  stoop  very 
much  for  some  few  steps,  in  order  to  get  throuuh  ;  but  how 
great  was  my  astonishment,  when  we  had  ])assed  this  narrow 
passage,  and  again  stood  upright,  at  once  to  perceive,  as  well 
as  the  feeble  light  of  the  candles  would  permit,  the  amazing 
length,  breadth,  and  height  of  the  cavern,  compared  to  which, 
the  monstrous  opening  through  which  we  had  already  passed 
was  nothing:. 


or  THt'  ''^\ 
PEAK    IN    DERBYSHIRE.         '■  411 

'*  Afier  we  had  wandered  here  more  than  an  hour,  as  beneath 
a  dark  and  dusky  sky,  on  a  level  sandy  soil,  the  rock  gradu- 
ally lowered  itself,  and  we  suddenly  found  ourselves  on  the 
edge  of  a  broad  river,  which,  from  the  glimmering  of  our 
candles  amid  the  total  darkness,  suggested  a  variety  of  inte- 
resting reHections.  To  the  side  of  this  river  a  small  boat  was 
moored,  with  some  straw  in  its  bottom.  Into  this  vehicle  my 
guide  desired  me  to  step,  and  lay  myself  down  in  it  quite  flat, 
because,  as  he  said,  towards  the  middle  of  the  river  the  rock 
would  almost  touch  the  water. 

"  When  I  had  laid  myself  down  as  directed,  he  himself 
jumped  into  the  water,  and  drew  the  boat  after  him.  All 
around  us  was  one  still,  solemn,  and  deadly  silence;  and  as 
the  boat  advanced,  the  rock  seemed  to  stoop,  and  come 
nearer  and  nearer  to  us,  till  at  length  it  nearly  touched  my 
face  ;  and,  as  I  lay,  I  could  hardly  hold  the  candle  upright.  I 
seemed  to  myself  to  be  in  a  coffin  rather  than  in  a  boat,  as 
I  had  no  room  to  stir  hand  or  foot  till  we  had  passed  this 
frightful  strait,  and  the  rock  rose  again  on  the  other  side, — 
where  my  guide  once  more  handed  me  ashore. 

"  The  cavern  was  now  become  all  at  once  broad  and  high, 
and  then  suddenly  it  was  again  low  and  narrow.  I  observed 
on  both  sides,  as  we  passed  along,  a  prodigious  number  of 
great  and  small  pet;ified  plants  and  animals;  but  these  we 
could  not  examine,  unless  we  had  been  disposed  to  spend 
some  days  in  the  cavern. 

"  And  thus  we  arrived  at  the  opposite  side,  at  the  second 
river  or  stream,  which,  however,  was  not  so  broad  as  the  first, 
as  one  may  see  across  it  to  the  other  side  :  over  this  stream 
my  ^uide  carried  me  on  his  shoulders,  because  there  was  here 
no  boat  to  ferry  us. 

"  From  thence  we  only  went  a  few  steps  farther,  when  we 
came  to  a  very  small  piece  of  water,  which  extended  itself 
lengthways,  and  led  us  to  the  end  of  the  cavern. 

"  The  path  along  the  edge  of  this  water  was  wet  and  slip- 
pery, and  sometimes  so  very  narrow  that  I  could  hardly  set 
one  foot  before  the  other. 

"  Notwithstanding,  I  wandered  with  pleasure  on  this  sub- 
terraneous shore,  and  was  regaling  myself  with  the  interesting 
contemplation  of  all  these  various  wonderful  objects,  in  this 
land  of  darkness,  and  shadow  of  death, — when,  all  at  once, 
something  like  music  at  a  distance  sounded  in  my  ears.  I 
instantly  stopped,  full  of  astonishment,  and  eagerly  asked 
my  guide  what  this  might  mean.  He  answered,  "  Only  have 
patience,  and  you  shall  soon  see."  But  as  we  advanced,  the 
sounds  of  harmony  seemed  to  die  away,  the  noise  became 
weaker,  and  at  length  it  appeared  to  dwindle  into  a  gentle 
hissing  or  hum.  like  distant  drops  of  falling  rain. 


412  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

"  It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  how  great  was  my  wonder, 
when  ere  long  I  actually  saw  and  felt  a  violent  shower  of  rain 
falling  from  the  rock  as  from  a  thick  cloud,  threatening  to  ex- 
tinguish our  candles,  and  leave  us  in  entire  darkness.  It  was 
this  that  had  caused  the  melancholy  sound  which  I  had 
heard  at  a  distance,  the  soft  notes  of  which  had  been  assisted 
by  the  distant  echo. 

"To  this  shower  which  fell  from  the  ceiling  or  roof  of  the 
cavern  through  the  veins  of  the  rock,  the  inhabitants  had 
given  the  name  of  a  mizzling  rain. 

"We  continued  our  march  along  the  sides  of  the  water,  and 
often  saw  on  its  banks  large  apertures  of  the  rock,  which 
seemed  to  be  new  or  subordinate  caverns,  all  of  which  we 
passed  without  looking  into.  At  length  my  guide  prepared 
me  for  one  of  the  finest  sights  we  had  yet  beheld,  and  which 
was  now  soon  to  burst  on  our  view. 

"  We  had  gone  but  a  few  paces  farther,  when  we  entered 
what  might  easily  be  taken  for  a  majestic  temple,  with  lofty 
arches,  supported  by  beautiful  pillars,  formed  by  the  plastic 
hand  of  some  ingenious  artist. 

"  This  subterraneous  temi)le,  in  the  structure  of  whicli  no 
human  liand  had  borne  a  part,  appeared  to  me  at  that 
moment  to  surpass  all  the  most  stupendous  buildings  I  had 
ever  seen,  in  point  of  regularity,  magnificence,  and  beauty. 

"  Deeply  impressed  with  awe  and  reverence  at  this  grand 
display  of  the  Creator's  works,  my  mind  became  insensibly 
solemnized  ;  and  I  felt  that  it  became  me  silently  to  adore 
the  Author  of  all,  and  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the  divine 
Architect. 

From  the  Peak  in  Derbyshire,  we  shall  conduct  our  reader 
to  Snowden  in  Wales;  to  the  top  of  which  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Smith,  a  young  lady  of  uncommon  attainments,  made  an 
excursion,  and  published  an  account  of  her  adventure,  in 
nearly  the  following  language. 

"iSnowden  is  the  loftiest  of  the  Welsh  mountains,  being 
3020  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

"  We  set  oflT,  about  eleven  at  night,  for  the  foot  of  Snowden, 
and  travelled  eight  miles  through  a  fine  mountainous  country, 
by  moon-light.  Before  one,  we  arrived  at  a  little  hut  where 
the  guide  lives;  and  after  having  him  called  up,  and  loaded 
with  a  basket  of  bread  and  milk,  and  a  tin  box  for  specimens, 
we  began  our  march  at  a  quarter  past  one.  The  clouds  were 
gathering  over  the  mountains,  and  threatening  us  with  either 
darkness  or  rain.  We  however  escaped  both,  and  were  only 
amused  with  every  variety  they  could  give  the  landscape,  by 
hiding  or  obscuring  theraoon,  and  blotting  out  now  one  moun- 
tiiin,  and  now  another,  from  our  view  ;  till  about  two  o'clock. 


SNOWDEN    IN   WALES.  413 

when  the  dawn  began  to  appear,  they  covered  the  moon,  and 
we  saw  her  no  more.  VVe  proceeded  by  a  very  easy  ascent 
over  boggy  ground  till  half  past  two,  when,  coming  suddenly 
to  the  top  of  the  first  range  of  hills,  and  meeting  with  a  vio 
lent  wind  which  blew  from  the  quarter  where  the  sun  was  to 
rise,  (for  we  ascended  the  mountain  on  the  south  west,)  Mrs 
G.  S.  was  frightened,  and  seeing  a  very  steep  ascent  before 
her,  said  she  would  sit  down  and  wait  our  return.  My  mother 
said  she  would  stay  with  her,  and  1  proposed  our  all  going- 
back  together;  but  my  mother  very  kindly  insisted  on  my 
proceeding.  We  therefore  divided  our  provisions  ;  tlie  ladies 
returned  to  the  hut  from  which  they  had  set  out,  and  1  went  on 
with  the  guide,  who  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English.  We 
steered  our  course  more  towards  the  south,  and  toiled  up 
several  mountains,  in  some  parts  covered  with  loose  stones, 
which  had  fallen  from  their  broken  summits,  but  in  general 
overgrown  with  different  sorts  of  moss,  and  a  kind  of  short 
grass,  mixed  with  immense  quantities  of  the  galiu/n  pusi//nm. 
I  picked  up  a  few  other  plants,  but  on  the  whole  was  dis- 
appointed in  the  botanical  way,  as  I  found  very  little  that  I 
had  not  before  met  with  on  the  mountains  in  this  neighbour- 
hood; however,  this  is  not  the  time  of  the  year  (July)  for 
mountain  curiosities.  I  went  on  as  fast  as  I  could,  without 
stopping,  except  now  and  then  for  a  moment  to  look  down  on 
the  mountains  under  my  feet,  as  clouds  passed  over  them, 
thinking  each  summit  I  saw  before  me  was  the  last,  and  un- 
able to  gain  any  information  from  my  guide  to  satisfy  my  im- 
patience, for  I  wished  to  be  at  the  top  before  sun-rise,  and 
pink  clouds  now  began  to  appear  over  the  steep  I  was  climb- 
ing. I  also  knew  that  the  ladies  would  be  very  impatient  for 
my  return  ;  nor  was  I  without  anxiety  on  their  account,  as  I 
was  not  sure  they  would  find  their  way  back  to  the  hut.  These 
ideas  occupied  my  mind  all  the  way  up;  and  if  that  deceitful, 
but  comforting  lady,  Hope,  had  not  continually  presented  to 
me  the  range  of  hills  I  was  ascending"  as  the  last  step  in  am- 
bition's ladder,  I  am  not  sure  that,  with  all  my  eagerness  to 
get  on  the  top,  I  should  not  have  returned  back. 

"  I  was  debating  this  point  very  earnestly  with  myself,  in 
ascending  an  almost  perpendicular  green  slope,  when,  on  a 
sudden,  I  saw  at  my  feet  an  immense  chasm,  all  in  darkness, 
and  of  a  depth  I  cannot  guess,  certainly  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred feet;  I  should  suppose  much  more.  It  answers  in  some 
respects  to  the  idea  1  have  formed  of  the  crater  of  a  violent 
valcano,  but  evidently  is  not  that,  as  there  is  no  mark  of  fire, 
the  rock  being  composed,  as  it  is  in  general  throughout  this 
country,  of  a  sort  of  slate.  Nor  does  the  mountain  appear  to 
have  been  thrown  down,  but  the  pit  to  have  sunk  in  ;  which 
must  probably  has  been  occasioned  by  subterranean  waters. 


414  cuinosiTiEs  uespecting  mountains. 

ns  there  is  water  at  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  and  the  mountain 
is  full  of  springs.  You  think  now  you  are  at  the  top,  but  you 
are  mistaken.  I  am  standing  indeed  at  the  top  of  the  abyss, 
but  with  a  high  rocky  peak  on  each  side  of  me,  and  descend- 
ing ahnost  perpendicularly  into  the  lake  at  the  bottom. 
I  have  been  taking  a  rough  sketch  of  one  of  these  peaks,  with 
the  lake  in  the  deepest  shadow  ;  I  am  turning  over  my  paper, 
which  the  wind  renders  very  difficult,  in  order  to  draw 
another;  I  look  up,  and  the  upper  part  illuminated  by  a  beau- 
tiful rose-coloured  light,  while  the  opposite  part  still  casts  a 
dark  shade  over  its  base,  and  conceals  the  sun  from  my  view. 
If  I  were  ready  to  jump  into  the  pit  with  delight  at  first  see- 
ing it,  my  ecstasy  now  was  still  greater.  The  guide  seemed 
quite  delighted  to  see  me  so  much  pleased,  and  took  care,  in 
descending,  to  lead  me  to  the  edge  of  every  precipice,  which 
he  had  not  done  in  going  up.  I,  however,  presently  recol- 
lected, that  I  was  in  a  great  hurry  to  get  back,  and  set  off 
along  the  brink  of  the  cavity  for  the  highest  peak,  where  I 
arrived  at  a  quarter  past  four,  and  saw  a  view,  of  which  it  is 
impossible  to  form  any  idea  from  description.  For  many 
miles  around,  it  was  composed  of  tops  of  high  mountains,  of 
nil  the  various  forms  that  can  be  imagined  :  some  appeared 
swimming  in  an  ocean  of  vapour;  on  others,  the  clouds  lay 
like  a  cap  of  snow,  appearing  as  soft  as  down.  They  were  all 
far  below  Snowden,  and  I  was  enjoying  the  finest  blue  sky, 
and  the  purest  air  I  ever  breathed.  The  whole  prospect  was 
bounded  by  the  sea,  except  to  the  east  and  south-east,  and 
the  greatest  part  of  the  lands  in  those  parts  were  blotted  out 
by  clouds.  The  sun,  however,  rose  so  far  toward  the  north- 
east, as  to  be  still  hanging  over  the  sea.  I  took  a  sketch  of  a 
small  part  of  the  mountains,  with  some  of  the  little  lakes 
which  appear  at  their  feet, — sat  down,  for  the  first  time,  on  a 
circle  of  stones  which  is  built  on  the  top  of  the  hill, — and  made 
great  havock  in  the  bread  and  milk,  in  which  achievement 
the  guide  equalled,  if  not  surpassed  me, — and  at  half  past  four, 
almost  frozen,  I  began  to  descend.  My  anxiety  about  my 
friends  increased,  as  I  came  near  the  spot  where  I  had  left 
them;  I  made  all  possible  haste,  and  found  them  safe  in  the 
hut,  at  ten  minutes  past  six.  It  certainly  would  have  been 
pleasanter  to  have  had  more  time,  and  some  one  to  enjoy  the 
expedition  with  me;  but  I  am  delighted  that  I  have  teen,  and 
would  not  for  any  thing  give  up  the  recollection  of  the  sub- 
lime scene." 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  Sktddaw. — 

This  is  a   mountain  of  England,   in  Cumberland,   one  of  the 

most  remarkable   in  the   kingdom,   being  above  3000  feet  in 

>erpendicular  height,   from  the  surface  of  the  Derwent-vvat**'- 


THE  ANDES.  415 

which  lake  is  far  distant  from  the  sea,  and  high  above  its  level 
from  this  circumstance.  Skiddaw  is  reckoned  the  highest 
mountain  in  England.  The  prospect  from  its  top  is  very  ex- 
tensive, and,  being  detached  from  other  mountains,  forms  a 
grand  object  from  various  points  of  view.  It  is  easy  of  access, 
and  the  sides  are  covered  with  grass.  At  the  top,  the  atmo- 
sphere is  uncommonly  rare.  It  is  covered  with  loose  brown 
slate-stone. 


CHAP.  XXXIX. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. — (Continued.) 

The  Andes — Picliinca — Monte  Bolea — Pa usilipu— Monte  Nuovo 
— Spectre  of  the  Broken — Gauts,  or  Indian  Appenines — Pico 
—  Written  Mountains — Athos — Su/phur  Mountains. 

-His  proud  head  the  airy  mountain  hides, 


Among  the  clouds;  his  shoulders  and  his  sides, 

A  shady  mantle  clothes.  Denham, 

THE   ANDES. 

The  Andes  is  a  gfreat  chain  of  mountains  in  South  America, 
which,  running  from  the  most  northern  part  of  Peru,  to  the 
Straits  of  Mao-ellan,  between  3000  and  4000  miles,  are  the 
longest  and  most  remarkable  in  the  world.  The  Spaniards 
call  them  the  Cordilleras  de  los  Andes:  they  form  two  ridges; 
the  lowermost  of  which  is  overspread  with  woods  and  groves, 
and  the  uppermost  covered  with  everlasting  snow.  Those 
who  have  been  at  the  top,  affirm  that  the  sky  is  always  serene 
and  bright,  the  air  cold  and  piercing,  and  yet  so  thin  that 
they  were  scarce  able  to  breathe.  When  they  looked  down- 
wards, the  country  was  hid  by  the  clouds  that  hovered  on  the 
mountain's  sides. 

The  mountains  just  mentioned,  which  have  been  frequently 
ascended,  are  much  inferior  in  height  to  many  others  in  this 
enormous  chain. 

The  following  is  the  account  given  of  the  mountain  called 
Pichincha,  by  Don  George  Juan,  and  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa, 
two  mathematicians,  sent  by  the  kings  of  France  and  Spain, 
to  make  observations  in  relation  to  the  figure  of  the  earth. 
These  mathematicians  suffered  extremely,  as  well  from  the 
severity  of  the  cold,  as  from  the  impetuosity  of  the  winds, 
which  on  these  heights  blow  with  incessant  violence;  diffi- 
culties the  more  painful,  as  they  had  been  little  used  to  such 
sensations      Thus,   in   the  torrid  zone,  nearly  under  the  equi- 


416  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MOUNTAINS. 

noctial  line,  where  it  is  natural  to  suppose  they  had  most  to 
fear  from  the  heat,  their  o;reatest  pain  was  caused  by  the  ex- 
ceasiveness  of  the  cold.  Their  first  scheme,  for  shelter  and 
lodgino'  in  these  uncomfortable  regions,  was  to  pitch  a  field- 
tent  for  each  company  :  but  on  Pichinca,  this  could  not  be 
done,  from  the  narrowness  of  the  summit;  they  were  there- 
fore obliged  to  be  contented  with  a  hut  so  small,  that  the 
whole  of  the  company  could  scarcely  creep  into  it.  Nor  will 
this  appear  strange,  if  the  reader  considers  the  bad  siti^ation 
and  smallness  of  the  place,  it  being  one  of  the  loftiest  crags 
of  a  rocky  mountain,  100  fathoms  above  the  highest  desert  of 
Pichinca.  Such  was  the  position  of  their  mansion,  when 
all  the  other  adjacent  parts  soon  became  covered  with  ice  and 
snow.  The  ascent  up  this  stujjendous  rock,  from  the  base, 
or  the  place  where  the  mules  could  come  to  their  habitation, 
was  so  craggy,  as  only  to  be  climbed  on  foot;  and  to  perform 
it,  cost  them  four  hours'  continual  labour  and  pain,  arising  not 
only  from  the  violent  efforts  of  the  body,  but  the  subtilty  of 
the  air,  which  was  so  thin,  and  probably  overcharged 
with  the  lighter  respirable  gases,  as  to  render  respiration 
difficult. 

Our  philosophers  generally  kept  within  their  hut.  Indeed, 
they  were  obliged  to  do  this,  on  account  of  the  intenseness 
of  the  cold,  the  violence  of  the  wind,  and  their  being  continu- 
ally involved  in  so  thick  a  fog,  that  an  object  at  six  or  eight 
paces  was  hardly  discernible.  When  the  mist  cleared  up,  the 
clouds,  by  their  gravity,  moved  nearer  to  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  and  on  all  sides  surrounded  the  mountains  to  a  vast 
distance,  forming  no  bad  representation  of  the  sea,  with 
their  rock,  like  an  island,  stationed  in  its  centre.  When  this 
happened,  they  heard  the  horrid  noises  of  the  tempests,  which 
then  spent  their  fury  on  Quito  and  the  neighbouring  country. 
They  saw  the  lightnings  issue  from  the  clouds,  and  heard  the 
thunders  roll  far  beneath  them  ;  and  whilst  the  lower  parts 
were  involved  in  tempests  of  thunder  and  rain,  they  enjoyed 
a  delightful  serenity,  the  wind  was  hushed,  the  sky  became 
clear,  and  the  enlivening  rays  of  the  sun  moderated  the  seve- 
rity of  the  cold.  But  their  circumstances  were  very  different, 
when  the  clouds  reascended  :  their  thickness  rendered  respi- 
ration difficult ;  the  sno\v  and  hail  fell  continually;  and  the 
wind  returned  with  all  its  violence;  so  that  it  was  impossible 
entirely  to  overcome  the  fears  of  being,  together  with  their 
hut,  blown  down  the  precipice,  on  the  edge  of  which  it  was 
built,  or  of  being  buried  by  the  daily  accumulations  of  ice 
and  snow. 

The  wind  was  often  so  violent  in  these  regions,  that  its 
velocity  dazzled  the  sight,  whilst  their  fears  were  increased, 
from  the  dreadful  concussions  of  the  precipice,  caused  by  the 


THE  ANDES. 


417 


all  of  enormous  fragments  of  rocks.  These  crashes  were  the 
more  alarming,  as  no  other  noises  are  heard  in  sucli  solitary- 
abodes  :  and  during  the  night,  their  rest,  which  they  isO  greatly 
wanted,  was  frequently  disturbed  by  these  sudden  sounds. 
When  the  weather  was  fair  near  their  hut,  and  the  clouds 
gathered  about  some  of  the  other  mountains  wliich  they  had 
selected  for  their  observations,  so  that  they  could  not  make 
all  the  use  they  desired  of  this  interval  of  good  weather,  they 
left  their  hut,  to  exercise  themselves.  Sometimes  they  de- 
scended to  a  small  distance ;  and,  at  other  times,  amused 
themselves  with  rolling  large  fragments  of  rocks  down  the 
precipice;  and  these  frequently  required  the  joint  strength  ol' 
them  all,  though  they  often  saw  the  same  effected  by  the 
mere  force  of  the  wind.  But  they  always  took  care,  in  their 
excursions,  not  to  go  so  far  out,  but  that,  on  the  least  appear- 
ance of  the  clouds  gathering  about  their  cottage,  wliich  often 
happened  very  suddenly,  they  could  regain  their  shelter.  The 
door  of  their  hut  was  fastened  with  thongs  of  leather,  and  on 
the  inside  not  the  smallest  crevice  was  left  unstopped  ;  besides 
which,  it  was  very  compactly  covered  with  straw  :  but,  not- 
withstanding all  their  care,  the  wind  penetrated  through. 

The  days  were  often  little  better  than  the  nights  ;  and  all 
the  light  they  enjoyed,  was  that  of  a  lamp  or  two,  which  they 
kept  continuallv  burning.  Though  their  hut  was  small,  and 
crowded  with  inhabitants,  besides  the  heat  of  the  lamps,  yet 
the  intenseness  of  the  cold  was  such,  that  every  one  of  them 
was  obliged  to  have  a  chafing-dish  of  coals.  TThese  precau- 
tions would  have  rendered  the  rigour  of  the  climate  support- 
able, had  not  the  imminent  danger  of  perishing,  by  being 
blown  down  the  precipice,  roused  them  every  time  it  snowed, 
to  encounter  the  severity^  of  the  outward  air,  and  sally  out, 
with  shovels,  to  force  from  the  roof  of  their  hut,  the  masses  of 
snow  whichvvere  gathering  on  it.  Nor  would  it,  without  this 
precaution,  have  been  able  to  support  the  weight.  They  were 
not  indeed  without  servants  and  Indians,  but  these  were  so 
benumbed  with  the  cold,  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  they 
could  get  them  out  of  a  small  tent,  where  they  kept  a  con- 
tinual fire.  So  that,  all  our  artists  could  obtain  from  them, 
was  to  take  their  turns  in  this  labour ;  and  even  then  they 
went  very  unwillingly  about  it,  and  consequently  performed  it 
but  slowly. 

The  reader  may  easily  judge  what  our  philosophers  suffered 
from  the  asperities  of  such  a  climate.  Their  feet  were  swelled, 
and  so  tender,  that  they  could  not  even  bear  the  heat  of  the 
fire,  and  walking  was  attended  with  extreme  pain.  Their 
hands  were  covered  with  chilblains  ;  their  lips  swelled  and 
chopped,  so  that  every  motion  in  speaking  drew  blood;  con- 
sequently they  were  obliged  to  observe  strict  taciturnity,  and 

1«.  3G 


418  CUKIOSITIES    RESPECTING   JVIOUNTAINS. 

were  little  disposefl  to  laugh,  as,  by  causing  an  extension  of 
the  lips,  it  produced  such  wounds  as  were  very  painful  for 
two  or  three  days  after. 

Their  common  food  in  this  inhospitable  region  was  a  little 
rice  boiled  with  some  flesh  or  fowl,  procured  from  Quito ; 
and,  instead  of  fluid  water,  their  pot  was  filled  with  ice  ;  they 
had  the  same  resource  with  regard  to  what  they  drank  ;  and 
while  they  were  eating,  every  one  was  obliged  to  keep  his 
plate  over  a  chafing-dish  of  coals,  to  prevent  his  provisions 
from  freezing.  The  same  was  done  respecting  the  water.  At 
first  they  imagined  the  drinking  of  strong  liquors  would  diffuse 
a  heat  through  the  body,  and  consequently  render  it  less 
sensible  of  the  painful  sharpness  of  the  cold  ;  but,  to  their 
surprise,  they  felt  no  manner  of  strength  in  such  liquors,  nor 
were  they  any  greater  preservatives  against  the  cold  than  even 
common  water. 

It  is  affirmed,  that  there  are  in  the  Andes  sixteen  volcanoes, 
or  burnino-  mountains,  which  throw  out  fire  and  smoke  with  a 
terrible  noise.  The  heioht  of  Chimborazo,  said  to  be  the 
highest  peak  of  the  Andes,  has  been  determined  by  geome- 
trical calculations  to  be  20,282  feet.  As  all  or  most  rivers 
have  their  source  in  mountains,  it  is  no  wonder  a  great  num- 
ber run  down  the  sides  of  the  Andes.  Some  hurry  along  with 
a  prodigious  rapidity,  while  others  form  beautiful  cascades, 
or  run  through  holes  in  rocks,  which  look  like  bridges  of  a 
stupendous  height.  There  is  a  public  road  through  the  moun- 
tains, 1000  miles  in  length,  part  of  which  runs  from  Quito  to 
Cusco. 

Monte  Bolea. — This  is  a  hill  or  mount  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Verona,  in  the  north  of  Italy,  celebrated  for  the 
uncommon  abundance  and  remarkable  variety  of  the  organic 
remains  which  it  exhibits,  as  well  as  for  the  striking  rela- 
tions these  bear  to  minerals  of  volcanic  origin.  This  spot  has 
long  attracted  the  attention  of  philosophic  inquirers,  and 
even  excited  the  curiosity  of  the  vulgar.  Various  collections 
of  its  petrifactions  have  been  made,  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  labourers  are  occasionally  employed  in  digging  and 
preparing  specimens.  There  are  many  treatises  purposely 
devoted  to  the  description  and  arrangement  of  its  fossils,  to 
a  minute  examination  of  its  ceoonostic  relations,  and  to  labo- 
nous  disquisitions  on  the  manner  in  which  it  must  have  been 
formed. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mount,  and  over  a  great  part 
of  the  territory  of  Verona,  there  are  seen  undoubted  products 
of  volcanic  eruptions,  together  with  masses  of  petrified  animal 
and  vegetable  substances.  The  hill  itself  presents  a  great 
variety  and  singular  combination  of  mineral   phenomena,  of 


THE  PAUSIMPO.  419 

different  origin  and  nature.  Its  greater  proportion  is  com- 
])Osed  of  an  aggregation  of  organic  remains,  and  seems  a 
cemetery  of  shells,  fishes,  marine  animals,  birds,  and  qua 
drupeds.  Some  of  its  beds  consist  of  a  range  of  certain  species 
possessing  a  considerable  similarity ;  while  in  others,  animals  of 
the  most  opposite  habits,  and  inhabiting  different  regions  of  the 
globe,  as  well  as  different  elements  of  nature,  are  strangely 
brought  into  contact,  and  confusedly  blended  in  one  hetero- 
geneous mass.  Shell-fish  of  the  rivers  and  of  the  sea,  corals, 
fi>hes  of  various  kinds,  insects,  bones  of  different  species  of 
birds,  remains  of  elephants,  bears,  and  other  quadrupeds,  re- 
quiring for  their  existence  different  climates,  are  here  united 
in  an  extraordinary  assemblage.  Connected  with  these,  we 
find  basaltic  columns,  scoriae,  lava,  and  other  volcanic  pro- 
ductions. These  facts  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  this  spot  has 
witnessed  wonderful  revolutions,  and  that  it  has  been  subject, 
at  different  periods  of  its  history,  or  perhaps  nearly  at  the  same 
time,  to  the  dominion  of  two  powerful  elements,  of  which  the 
ravages  only  are  now  visible. 

Pausilipo, — which  is  the  next  we  would  speak  of,  is  a 
celebrated  mountain  of  Naples,  five  miles  from  Puzzoli, 
famous  for  its  grotto,  or  rather  a  subterraneous  passage 
through  it,  which  is  near  a  mile  long,  about  twenty  feet 
broad,  and  from  thirty  to  forty  in  height.  The  gentry  who 
go  there  to  gratify  their  curiosity,  generally  drive  through  it 
with  lighted  torches  ;  but  the  country  people  find  their  way 
with  little  difficulty,  by  the  light  which  enters  at  each  end, 
and  by  two  holes  pierced  through  the  mountain  from  the  top, 
near  the  middle  of  the  passage.  This  mountain  is  rendered 
an  object  of  still  greater  fame  and  veneration,  by  possessing 
the  tomb  of  Virgil,  which  is  overgrown  with  ivy,  and 
shadowed  with  the  spreading  boughs  of  an  ancient  laurel 
tree. 

Montr  Nuovo, — is  a  mountain  in  the  environs  of  Naples, 
which  blocks  up  the  valley  of  Averno.  "  This  mountain  (Mr. 
Swinburne  tells  us)  arose  in  1538:  after  repeated  quakings  the 
earth  burst  asunder,  and  made  way  for  a  deluge  of  hot 
ashes  fxnd  flames,  which  rising  extremely  high,  and  darkening 
the  att-iosphere,  fell  down  again  and  formed  a  circular  mound 
four  n  iles  in  circumference,  and  one  thousand  feet  high,  with 
a  larg-  cup  in  the  middle.  The  wind  rising  afterwards,  wafted 
the  lif  hter  particles  over  the  country,  blasted  vegetation,  and 
killed  the  animals  which  grazed  ;  the  consequence  was,  that 
the  pace  was  deserted,  till  Don  Pedro  de  Toledo,  viceroy 
of  N  tples,  encouraged  the  inhabitants  by  his  example  to 
retur  i 


420  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MOUNTAINS 

"  Part  of  Monte  Nuovo  is  cultivated,  but  the  larger  portion 
of  its  declivity  is  ^vildly  overgrown  with  prickly  broom,  and 
rank  weeds  that  emit  a  very  fetid  sulphureous  smell.  The 
water  in  the  valley  is  shallow,  its  inside  towards  the  moun- 
tain is  clad  with  shrubs,  and  the  little  area  at  the  bottom 
planted  with  fig  and  mulberry  trees  ;  a  most  striking  specimen 
of  the  amazing  vicissitudes  that  take  place  in  this  extraordi- 
nary country.  I  saw  no  traces  of  lava,  or  melted  matter,  and 
few  stones  within.  Near  the  foot  of  this  mountain  the  subter- 
raneous fires  act  with  such  immediate  power,  that  even  the 
sand  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  is  heated  to  an  intolerable 
degree." 

The  next  object  that  claims  our  attention  is  The  Spectre 
OF  THE  Broken. — A  curious  phenomenon  observed  on  the 
Broken,  one  of  the  Hartz  mountains  in  Hanover,  of  which  the 
following  account  is  given  by  M.  Ilaree,  "  On  being  here, 
says  he,  for  the  thirtieth  time,  and  having  procured  informa- 
tion respecting  the  above-mentioned  atmospheric  phenomenon, 
I  was  at  length,  on  the  23d  of  May,  1797,  so  fortunate  as  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  for  myself;  and  perhaps  a 
description  of  it  niay  afford  satisfaction  to  others  who  visit 
the  Broken  through  curiosity.  The  sun  rose  about  four  o'clock, 
and  the  atmosphere  being  quite  serene  towards  the  east,  his 
rays  could  pass  without  any  obstruction  over  the  Ileinrich- 
shohe. 

In  the  S.  W.  however,  towards  Achtermannshoe,  a  brisk 
west  wind  carried  before  it  tliin  transparent  vapours,  which 
were  not  yet  formed  into  thick  heavy  clouds.  About  a  quar- 
ter past  four  I  went  towards  the  inn,  and  looked  round  to 
see  whether  the  atmosphere  would  permit  me  to  have  a  free 
prospect  to  the  S.  W. ;  when  I  observed,  at  a  very  great 
distance,  towards  Achtermannshohe,  a  human  figure  of  a  mon- 
strous size.  A  violent  gust  of  wind  having  almost  carried 
away  my  hat,  I  clapped  my  hand  to  it,  by  moving  my  arm 
towards  my  head;  and  the  colossal  figure  did  the  same.  The 
pleasure  which  I  felt  on  this  discovery  can  hardly  be  described, 
for  I  had  already  walked  many  a  weary  step  in  the  hopes  of 
seeing  this  shadowy  image,  without  being  able  to  gratify  my 
curiosity.  I  immediately  made  another  movevuent  by  bend- 
ing my  body  ;  and  the  colossal  figure  before  me  repeated  it. 
I  was  desirous  of  doing  the  same  thing  once  more, — but  my 
colossus  had  vanished. 

"  I  remained  in  tiie  same  position,  waiting  to  see  whether  it 
would  return  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  again  made  its  appear- 
ance on  the  Achtermannsluihe.  I  paid  my  respects  to  it  a 
Siecond  time  ;  and  my  comi)liment  was  returned  by  a  similar 
inclination  of  the  body,  in  the  figure  before  me.    I  then  called 


THE  GIANT'S  CAUSEWAY, 
A  stupendous  collection  of  natural  columns  of  basalt,  on  the  coast  of  Ireland. — Page  500. 


THE   SrECTUE   OF   TilE   EKUKEN.— Page  -12U. 
This  wonderful  and  startling  phenomenon  is  often  observed  in  the  Ilartz  Mountains  in  Germany 


THE   GAUNTS,  OR   INDIAN    A  P  I' K  N  I  N  ES.  421 

the  landlord  of  the  Broken,  and  having  both  pnt  ourselves  in 
the  same  position  I  had  taken  alone,  we  looked  towards  the 
Achterniannshohe,  but  saw  nothing.  We  had  not,  however, 
Btood  long,  before  two  similar  colossal  figures  were  formed 
over  the  above  eminence,  which,  after  repeating  the  various 
gesticulations  of  our  bodies,  vanished.  We,  however,  still 
retained  our  position,  keeping  our  eyes  fixed  on  the  same 
spot,  and  in  a  little  while  the  two  figures  again  stood  before 
us,  and  were  joined  by  a  third,  who  had  by  this  time  added 
himself  to  our  company.  Every  movement  that  we  made  by 
bending  our  bodies,  these  figures  imitated, — but  with  this 
difi'erence,  that  the  phenomenon  sometimes  was  weak  and 
i'aint,  and  at  others  strong;  and  well  defined. 

"  Having  thus  had  an  opportunity  of  discovering  the  whole 
secret  of  this  extraordinary  appearance,  I  can  give  the  follow- 
ing informiition  to  such  of  my  readers  as  may  be  desirous  of 
seeing  it  for  themselves.  When  the  rising  sun,  and,  according 
to  analogy,  the  case  will  be  the  same  when  the  setting  sun 
throws  his  rays  over  the  Broken,  upon  the  body  of  a  man 
standing  opposite  to  fine  light  clouds  floating  around,  or  ho- 
vering ])ast  him,  he  needs  only  fix  his  eyes  stedfastly  upon 
tiiem,  and  in  all  probability  he  will  see  the  singular  spectacle 
of  his  own  shadow,  extending  to  the  length  of  five  or  six 
hundred  feet,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  miles  before  him." 
It  is  said,  there  is,  in  the  Manchester  Transactions,  an  account 
of  a  similar  phenomenon  observed  by  Dr.  Ferrier,  on  a  hill  irs 
England." 

The  Gauts,  or  Indian  Appenines. — These  form  a  stu- 
pendous wall  of  mountains,  which  extends  from  Cape  Comorin, 
the  southern  point  of  the  Peninsula  of  Hindoostan.to  theTapty, 
or  Surat  river,  at  unequal  distances  from  the  sea  coast;  it  is 
seldom  more  than  sixty  miles,  commonly  about  forty,  and  in 
one  part  approaches  within  six  miles.  These  mountains  rise 
abruptly  from  the  country  of  Concan,  bounding,  in  the  form 
of  a  terrace,  a  vast  extent  of  fertile  and  populous  plains,  which 
are  so  elevated  as  to  render  the  air  cool  and  pleasant.  The 
height  is  supposed  to  be  from  3000  to  4000  feet. 

This  celebrated  ridge  does  not  terminate  in  a  point  when  it 
approaches  the  Tapty  ;  but,  departing  in  this  place  from  its 
meridional  course,  it  bends  eastward  in  a  serpentine  line,  pa- 
rallel to  the  river,  and  is  afterwards  lost  among  the  hills  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Burrhampour.  In  its  course  along  the 
Tapty,  it  forms  several  passes  or  descents  towards  that  river, 
from  whence  it  derives  the  name  of  Gauts,  which  means  a 
landing-i)lace.  The  alternate  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  winds,  called 
monsoons,  occasion  a  rainy  season  only  OR  one  side,  viz.  on 
the  windward  side  of  these  mountains 


422  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MOUNTAINS. 

We  would  now  wish  to  draw  tlie  attention  of  the  reader 
from  the  Indian  Appenines,  to  Pico,  a  mountain  which  rears 
its  lofty  head  in  an  island  of  the  same  nau:ie. — It  is  filled  with 
dismal  dark  caverns,  or  volcanoes,  which  frequently  emit  flame, 
smoke,  and  ashes,  to  a  great  distance.  At  the  foot  of  it, 
towards  the  east,  is  a  spring  of  fresh  water,  which  is  generally 
cold,  but  sometimes  is  so  heated  with  subterraneous  fire,  as 
to  rush  forth  in  torrents,  with  a  kind  of  ebullition  like  boiling 
water;  equalling  that  in  heat,  and  sending  forth  a  steam  of 
sulphureous  fetid  vapours,  mixed  with  liquefied  stones,  mine- 
rals, and  flakes  of  earth,  all  on  fire,  in  such  quantities,  and 
with  such  violence,  as  to  form  a  kind  of  promontory,  on  the 
declivity  of  the  coast,  and  at  the  distance  of  1200  paces  from 
the  fountain,  which  is  vulgarly  called  Mysterious, — Such  is 
the  account  given  by  Ortelius. 

Written  Mountains,  Mountains  of  Inscriptions, 
or  JiBBEi,  El  Mokatteb. — This  is  a  mountain,  or  chain  of 
mountains,  said  to  be  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  ;  and  the 
marble,  of  which  it  is  composed,  is  reported  to  be  inscribed  to 
a  considerable  extent  with  innumerable  characters,  reaching 
from  the  ground  sometimes  to  the  height  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
feet.  These  were  mentioned  by  a  Greek  author  in  the  third 
century;  but  although  some  of  them  have  been  copied  by 
Pococke,  Montague,  and  other  late  writers,  some  have  atfected 
to  entertain  doubts  whether  even  the  mountains  themselves 
really  exist. 

The  vast  number  of  these  inscriptions,  the  desert  place  in 
which  they  are  found,  and  the  length  of  time  requisite  for 
executii\g  the  task,  induced  a  notion  that  they  are  the  work 
of  the  Israelites  during:  their  forty  years' wanderiu"- in  the  wil- 
derness.  Others  are  of  opinion,  that  they  consist  merely  of 
the  names  of  travellers,  and  the  dates  of  their  journeys. 
M.  Niebuhr,  who  visited  this  country  in  September,  1762, 
made  every  attempt  in  his  power,  though  without  success,  to 
obtain  a  sight  of  this  celebrated  mountain.  After  much  vain 
inquiry,  he  was  at  last  conducted  to  some  rocks,  upon  which 
there  were  inscriptions  in  unknown  characters.  They  are 
most  nPimerous  in  a  narrow  pass  between  two  mountains, 
named  Omer-riclstein:  and,  says  M.  INiebuhr,  "  the  pretended 
Jibbel  El  Mokatteb,  may  possibly  be  in  its  neighbourhood." 
Some  of  these  inscriptions  were  copied  by  our  author,  but  he 
does  not  look  upon  them  to  be  of  any  consequence.  At  length, 
when  M,  Niebuhr  arrived  at  the  mountain  to  which  the  shiek 
had  promised  to  conduct  him,  he  found  no  inscription  ;  but 
on  climbing  up  to  the  top,  he  discovered  an  Egyptian  ceme- 
tery, the  stones  of  which  were  covered  with  hieroglyphics. 
The  tomb-stones  were  from  five  to  seven  feet  long,  some  being 


MOUNT    A  IHOS.  423 

erect,  and  others  lying  flat;  and  "  the  more  carefully  they  are 
examined,  (says  he,)  the  more  certainly  do  they  appear  to  be 
sepulchral  stones,  having  epitaphs  inscribed  on  them."  The 
translator  of  Volney's  Travels  ascribes  these  inscriptions  to 
the  pilgrims  who  have  visited  Mount  Sinai ;  but  they  ought 
surely  to  have  been  written  in  a  language  which  somebody 
could  understand  ;  yet  from  the  copies  that  have  been  taken 
of  them  by  Dr.  Pococke  and  others,  it  does  not  appear  that 
they  could  be  explained  by  any  person.  When  Dr.  Clavton, 
bisliop  of  Clogher,  visited  this  part  of  the  world,  about  1723, 
he  expressed  the  greatest  desire  to  have  the  matter  concern- 
ing these  written  mountains  ascertained,  and  even  made  an 
offer  of  £500  sterling  to  any  literary  person,  who  would  un- 
dertake the  journey,  and  endeavour  to  decipher  the  inscrip- 
tions ;  but  no  such  person  appeared. 

The  next  object  that  rises  in  our  view  is  Mount  Athos, — 
a  mountain  of  Chalcidia  in  Macedonia,  equally  celebrated 
in  ancient  and  modern  times.  The  ancients  entertained 
extravagant  notions  concerning  its  height.  Mela  affirmed 
it  to  be  so  high  as  to  reach  above  the  clouds,  which  at 
that  time  might  have  been  considered  a  bold  assertion  ;  and 
Martian-US  Capellin\is  says,  that  its  elevation  was  six  miles. 
It  was  a  received  opinion,  that  mount  Athos  was  above  the 
middle  reo;ion  of  the  air,  and  that  it  never  rained  upon  or  near 
its  summit,  because  the  ashes  left  on  the  altars  there,  were 
always  found  as  they  had  been  left,  dry  and  unscattered. 

The  modern  Greeks,  struck  with  its  singular  situation,  and 
the  venerable  appearance  of  its  towering  ascent,  erected  so 
many  churches,  monasteries,  hermitages,  &c.  upon  it,  that  it 
became  in  a  manner  inhabited  by  a  company  of  religious 
devotees ;  and  from  thence  received  the  name  of  Monte 
Santo,  or  the  Holy  Mountain ;  which  appellation  it  still 
retains,  though  many  of  those  consecrated  buildings  are  now 
fallen  into  ruin  and  decay. 

According  to  the  accounts  of  modern  travellers,  this  moun- 
tain advances  into  the  Archipelago,  on  the  south  of  the  gulf 
of  Contessa,  and  is  joined  to  the  continent  by  an  isthmus 
about  half  a  league  in  breadth.  It  is  estimated  to  be  thirty 
miles  in  circumference,  and  two  in  perpendicular  height.  It 
may  be  travelled  over  in  about  three  days,  and  is  to  be  seen 
at  the  great  distance  of  ninety  miles.  There  is  a  fine  prospect 
from  the  top  ;  but,  like  all  other  high  mountains,  the  cold  on 
its  summit  is  excessive.  It  abounds  with  many  different  kinds 
of  plants  and  trees,  particularly  the  pine  and  fir.  In  the 
valleys  grows  a  plant  called  elegia,  whose  branches  serve  to 
make  pens  for  writing.  In  short,  this  mountain  is  said  to  be 
adorned   with  a  variety  of  herbage  and  evergreens,  a  multi- 


424  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING     MOUNTAINS. 

tilde  of  springs  and  streams,  with  woods  extending  almost  to 
the  sea  shore,  which  hap|oy  combination  of  circninstances 
renders  it  one  of  the  most  agreeable  places  in  the  world. 
There  are  twenty-four  large  old  monasteries  upon  it,  sur- 
rounded with  high  walls,  and  inhabited  by  Camoyers,  a  cer- 
tain description  of  Greek  monks. 

Through  this  mountain,  or  rather  through  the  isthmus 
behind  it,  Xerxes  king  of  Persia  is  said  to  have  cut  a  passage 
for  his  fleet,  when  about  to  invade  Greece.  In  this  arduous 
task  he  spent  three  whole  years,  and  employed  in  it  all  the 
forces  on  board  his  fleet.  He  is  also  said,  before  the  work 
begun,  to  have  written  the  following  ridiculous  letter  to  the 
mountain  :  "  Athos,  thou  proud  and  aspiring  mountain,  that 
liftest  up  thy  head  to  the  very  skies,  I  advise  thee  not  to  be 
so  audacious,  as  to  put  rocks  and  stones,  that  cannot  be  cut, 
in  the  way  of  my  workmen.  If  thou  makest  that  opposition, 
I  will  cut  thee  entirely  down,  and  throw  thee  headlong  into  the 
sea!"  The  directors  of  this  enterprise  are  said  to  have  been 
Bubaris,  the  son  of  Megabvsus,  and  Artacheus,  the  son  of 
Arbeus,  both  Persians  ;  but  as  no  traces  of  such  a  great  work 
remains,  the  truth  of  the  whole  relation  has  justly  been  ques- 
tioned. This  venerable  mountain  constitutes  one  entire 
chain,  extending  seven  miles  in  length,  and  three  in  breadth, 
and  is  situated  about  seventy  miles  east  of  Salonichi,  the 
ancient  Thessalonica. 

We  will  now  accompany  Sir  George  Mackenzie  to  The 
Sulphur  Mountains,  in  the  Island  of  Iceland. — 
"  Having  taken  an  early  breakfast,  (says  he,)  we  set  out  to- 
wards the  Suli)hur  Mountain,  which  is  about  three  miles 
distant  from  Krisuvik.  At  the  foot  of  the  mountain  was  a 
small  bank,  composed  chiefly  of  white  clay  mixed  with  sul- 
phur, from  all  parts  of  which  steam  issued.  Ascending  it,  we 
got  upon  a  ridge  immediately  above  a  deep  hollow,  from  which 
a  profusion  of  vapour  arose,  and  heard  a  confused  noise  of 
boiling  and  splashing,  joined  to  the  roaring  of  steam  exca])ing 
from  narrow  crevices  in  the  rock.  This  hollow,  together  with 
the  whole  side  of  the  mountain  opposite,  as  far  up  as  we  could 
see,  was  covered  with  sulphur  and  clay,  chiefly  of  a  white  or 
yellowish  colour.  Walking  over  this  soft  and  steaming  sur- 
face, we  found  to  be  very  hazardous,,  and  we  were  frequently 
very  uiueasy  when  the  vapour  concealed  us  from  eacii  other. 

"  The  day,  however,  being  dry  and  and  warm,  the  surface 
was  not  so  slippery  as  to  occasion  much  risk  of  our  falling. 
The  danger  of  the  crust  of  sulphur  breaking,  or  of  the  clay 
sinking  with  us,  was  great ;  and  we  were  several  times 
in  inmiinent  peril  of  being  scalded.  Mr.  Bright  ran  at 
one   time   a   great   hazard,    and    suflered    considerable    pain 


SULPHUR  MOUNTAINS.  4'26 

from    accidentally    plunging    one    of  his    legs    into    the    hot 
clay. 

'•  From  whatever  spot  the  sulphur  was  removed,  steam  in- 
stantly escaped  ;  and  in  many  places,  the  sulphur  was  so  hot 
that  we  could  scarcely  handle  it.  From  the  smell,  we  per- 
ceived that  the  steam  was  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas.  When  the  thermometer  was  sunk 
a  few  inches  into  the  clay,  it  rose  generally  to  within  a  few 
degrees  of  the  boiling  point.  By  stepping  cautiously,  and 
avoiding  every  little  hole  from  which  steam  issued,  we  soon 
discovered  how  far  we  might  venture.  Our  good  fortune, 
however,  ought  not  to  tempt  any  person  to  examine  this  won- 
derful place,  without  being  provided  with  two  boards,  w-ith 
which  every  part  of  the  banks  may  be  traversed  in  perfect 
safety. 

"  At  the  bottom  of  this  hollow,  we  found  a  caldron  of 
boiling  mud,  about  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  similar  to  that  on 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  which  we  had  seen  the  evening 
before ;  but  this  boiled  with  much  more  vehemence.  We 
went  within  a  few  yards  of  it,  the  wind  happening  to  be  re- 
markably favourable  for  our  viewing  every  part  of  this  singular 
place.  The  mud  was  in  constant  agitation,  and  often  thrown 
up  to  the  height  of  six  or  eight  feet.  Near  this  spot  was  an 
irregular  space,  filled  with  water  boiling  briskly.  At  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  is  a  hollow  formed  by  a  bank  of  clay  and  sulphur, 
whence  steam  rushed  with  great  force  and  noise  from  among 
the  loose  fragments  of  rock. 

"  Further  up  the  mountain,  we  met  with  a  spring  of  cold 
water,  a  circumstance  little  expected  in  a  place  like  this. 
Ascending  still  higher,  we  came  to  a  ridge  composed  entirely 
of  sulphur  and  clay,  joining  two  summits  of  the  mountain 
Here  we  found  a  much  greater  quantity  of  sulphur  than 
on  any  other  part  of  the  surface,  over  which  we  had  yet  gone. 
It  formed  a  smooth  crust,  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  several 
inches  in  thickness.  The  crust  was  beautifully  crystallized, 
and  immediately  beneath  it  we  found  a  quantity  of  loose 
granular  sulphur,  which  appeared  to  be  collecting  and  crys- 
tallizing, as  it  was  sublimed  along  with  the  steam.  Sometimes 
we  met  with  clay  of  different  colours,  white,  red,  and  blue, 
under  the  crust;  but  we  could  not  examine  this  place  to  any 
depth,  as,  the  moment  the  crust  was  removed,  steam  issued, 
and  proved  extremely  annoying.  We  foimd  several  pieces  of 
wood,  which  were  probably  the  remains  of  planks  that  had 
been  formerly  used  in  collecting  the  sulphur,  small  crystals  of 
which  partially  covered  them. 

"  There  appeared  to  be  a  constant  sublimation  of  this  sub- 
stance ;  and  were  artificial  chambers  constructed  for  the 
reception  and  condensation  of  vapours,  much  of  it  miu'ht  pro- 

3  II 


426  cuiMosniEs  uespecting  mountains. 

bably  be  collected.  As  it  is,  there  is  a  large  quantity  on  the 
surface;  and,  by  searching,  there  is  little  doubt  that  great 
stores  may  be  found.  The  inconvenience  proceeding  Irom 
the  steam  issuing  on  every  side,  and  from  the  heat,  is  cer- 
tainly considerable  ;  but,  by  proper  precautions,  neither  would 
be  felt  so  much  as  to  render  the  collection  of  the  sulphur  a 
matter  of  any  great  difficulty.  The  chief  obstacle  to  working 
these  mines,  is  their  distance  from  a  port  whence  the  pro- 
duce could  be  shipped.  But  there  are  so  many  horses  in 
the  country,  whose  original  price  is  trifling,  and  whose  main- 
tenance during  summer  costs  nothing,  that  the  conveyance  of 
sulphur  to  Reikiavik,  presents  no  difficulties  which  might  not 
probably  be  surmounted. 

"Below  the  ridge  on  the  farther  side  of  this  great  bed  of 
sulphur,  we  saw  a  great  deal  of  vapour  escaping  with  much 
noise.  We  crossed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
found  the  surface  sufficiently  firm  to  admit  of  walking  cau- 
tiously upon  it.  We  had  now  to  make  oiir  way  towards  the 
principal  spring,  as  it  is  called  ;  and  this  was  a  task  of  much 
apparent  danger,  as  the  side  of  the  mountain,  for  the  extent  of 
about  half  a  mile,  is  covered  with  loose  clay,  into  which  our 
feet  sunk  at  every  step.  In  many  places  there  was  a  thin 
crust,  below  which  the  clay  was  wet,  and  extremely  hot. 
Good  fortune  attended  us;  and  without  any  serious  inconve- 
nience, we  reached  the  object  we  had  in  view.  A  densp 
column  of  steam,  mixed  with  a  little  water,  was  forcing  its 
way  impetuously  through  a  crevice  in  the  rock,  at  the  head 
of  a  narrow  valley,  or  break  in  the  mountain.  The  violence 
with  which  it  rushes  out  is  so  great,  that  the  noise  thus  occa- 
sioned, may  often  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  several  miles  ; 
and,  durino;  nioht,  while  Ivino-  in  our  tent  at  Krisuvik,  we 
more  than  once  listened  to  it  with  mino-led  emotions  of  awe 
and  astonishment.  Behind  the  column  of  vapour  was  a  dark- 
coloured  rock,  which  gave  it  its  full  effect. 

"  It  is  quite  beyond  our  power  to  ofifer  such  a  description  of 
this  extraordinary  place,  as  to  convey  adequate  ideas  of  its 
wonders  or  its  terrors.  The  sensations  of  a  person,  even  of 
firm  nerves,  standing  on  a  support  which  feebly  sustains  him, 
over  an  abyss,  where,  literally,  fire  and  brimstone  are  in 
dreadful  and  incessant  action, — having  before  his  eyes  tremen 
dous  proofs  of  what  is  going  on  beneath  him, — enveloped  in 
thick  vapours, — and  his  ears  stunned  with  thundering  noises; 
must  be  experienced  before  they  can  be  understood." 


MONT    BLANC. 


427 


CHAP.  XL. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MOUNTAINS. — (Continued.) 

"  So  pleas'd  at  first  the  tow'ring  mounts  we  try, 
Mount  o'er  the  vales,  and  seem  to  tread  the  sky  ; 
Th' eternal  snows  appear  already  past, 
And  the  first  clouds  and  mountains  seem  the  last. 
But,  those  attain'd,  we  tremble  to  survey 
The  growing:  labours  of  the  Icngthen'd  way  ; 
Tir  increasing  prospect  tires  our  wand'ring  eyes. 
Hills  peep  o'er  hills,  and  mounts  on  mounts  arise." 

MONT   BLANC,   IN    SAVOY. 

"Narrative  of  a  Journey  from  the  village  of  Chamouni,  to 
the  summit  of  Mont  Blanc,  undertaken  on  August  8,  1787; 
by  Colonel  Beaufoy.     From  the  Annals  of  Philosophy. — 

"  The  desire  of  ascending  to  the  highest  part  of  remarkably 
elevated  land  is  so  natural  to  every  man,  and  the  ho])e  of  re- 
peating various  experiments  in  the  upper  regions  of  the  air  is 
so  inviting  to  those  who  wish  well  to  the  interests  of  science, 
that,  being  lately  in  Switzerland,  I  could  not  resist  the  incli- 
nation 1  felt  to  reach  the  summit  of  Mont  Blanc.  One  of 
the  motives,  however,  which  prompted  the  attempt,  was  much 
weakened  by  the  consideration  that  I  did  not  possess,  and  in 
that  country  could  not  obtain,  the  instruments  that  were  requi- 
site for  many  of  the  experiments  which  I  was  anxious  to  make; 
and  the  ardour  of  uncommon  curiosity  was  diminished,  when  I 
learned  that  Dr.  Paecard  and  his  guide,  who  in  the  year  1786 
had  reached  the  supposed  inaccessible  summit  of  the  hill, 
were  not  the  only  persons  who  had  succeeded  in  the  attempt; 
for  that,  five  days  before  my  arrival  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain, M.  de  Saussure,  a  professor  in  the  university  of  Geneva, 
had  gained  the  top  of  the  ascent. 

"  But  while  I  was  informed  of  the  success  which  had  attended 
the  efforts  of  M.  de  Saussure,  I  was  told  of  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  that  accompanied  the  undertaking ;  and  was 
often  assured,  with  much  laborious  dissuasion,  that,  to  all 
the  usual  obstacles,  the  lateness  of  the  season  would  add  the 
perils  of  those  stupendous  masses  of  snow  which  are  often 
dislodged  from  the  steeps  of  the  mountain,  together  with  the 
hazard  of  those  frightful  chasms  which  present  immeasurable 
gulfs  to  the  steps  of  the  traveller,  and  the  width  of  which  was 
hourly  increasing.  M.  Bourret,  whose  name  has  often  been 
announced  to  the  world  by  a  variety  of  tracts,  and  by  many 
excellent  drawings,  confirmed  the  account,  and  assured  me 
f.hat  he  himself  had  made  the  attempt  on  the  next  day  to  that 


428  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

on  wluch  M.  de  Saussure  descended,  but  was  obliged,  as  on 
many  former  occasions,  to  abandon  the  enterprise.  Having, 
however,  formed  my  resolution,  I  sent  to  the  different  cot- 
tages of  the  vale  of  Chamouni,  from  the  skirts  of  which  the 
mountain  takes  its  rise,  to  inquire  if  any  of  them  were  willing 
to  go  with  me  as  my  assistants  and  guides  ;  and  had  soon 
the  satisfaction  to  find  that  ten  were  ready  to  accept  the  pro- 
posal. I  engaged  them  all.  Having  announced  to  them  my 
.intention  of  setting  out  the  next  morning,  I  divided  among 
them  provisions  for  three  days,  together  with  a  kettle,  a  cha- 
fing-dish, a  quantity  of  charcoal,  a  pair  of  bellows,  a  couple 
of  blankets,  a  long  rope,  a  hatchet,  and  a  ladder,  which 
formed  the  stores  that  were  requisite  for  the  journey  After 
a  night  of  much  solicitude,  lest  the  summit  of  Mont  Blanc 
should  be  covered  with  clouds,  in  which  case  the  guides  would 
have  refused  the  undertaking  as  impracticable,  I  rose  at  five 
in  the  morning,  and  saw,  with  great  satisfaction,  that  the 
mountain  was  free  from  vapour,  and  that  the  sky  was  every 
where  serene.  My  dress  was  a  white  fiannel  jacket,  without 
any  shirt  beneath,  and  white  linen  trowsers,  without  drawers. 
The  dress  was  white,  that  the  sunbeams  might  be  thrown  off; 
and  it  was  loose,  that  the  limbs  might  be  unconfined.  Besides 
a  pole  for  walking,  I  carried  with  me  cramp-irons  for  the 
heels  of  my  shoes,  by  means  of  which  the  hold  on  the  frozen 
snow  is  firm,  and  in  steep  ascents  the  poise  of  the  body  is 
preserved. 

"  -^^y  g'lides  being  at  length  assembled,  each  with  his  allotted 
burden  ;  one  of  them,  a  fellow  of  great  bodily  strength  and 
vigour  of  mind,  IMichael  Cachet  by  name,  who  had  accompa- 
nied M.  de  Saussure,  desired  to  take  the  lead.  We  ranged 
ourselves  in  a  line,  and  at  seven  o'clock,  in  the  midst  of  the 
wives,  and  children,  and  friends,  of  my  companions,  and  in- 
deed of  the  whole  village  of  Chamouni,  we  began  our  niarch. 
The  end  of  the  first  hour  brought  us  to  the  Glacier  des  Bois- 
sons,  at  which  place  the  rapid  ascent  of  the  mountain  first 
besiins,  and  from  which,  pursuincr  our  course  alon<i  the  edtre 
of  the  rocks  that  form  the  eastern  side  of  this  frozen  lake,  avq 
arrived  in  four  hours  more  at  the  second  glacier,  called  the 
Glacier  de  la  Cote.  Here,  by  the  side  of  a  stream  of  water 
which  the  melting  of  the  snow  had  formed,  we  sat  down  to  a 
short  repast. 

"  To  this  place  the  journey  is  neither  remarkably  laborious, 
nor  exposed  to  danger,  except  that  name  should  be  given  to 
the  trifling  hazard  that  arises  from  the  stones  and  loose  pieces 
of  the  broken  rock,  which  the  goats,  in  leaping  from  one  pro- 
jection to  another,  occasionally  throw  down.  Our  dinner 
being  finished,  we  fixed  our  cramp-irons  to  our  shoes,  and 
began  to  cross  the  glacier;  but  we   had   not  proceeded   far. 


MONT  BLANC.  429 

nhen  we  discovered  that  the  frozen  snow,  which  lay  in  the 
ridges  between  the  waves  of  ice,  often  concealed,  with  a 
covering  of  uncertain  strength,  the  fathomless  chasms  which 
traverse  this  solid  sea;  yet  the  danger  was  soon  in  a  great 
degree  removed  by  the  expedient  of  tying  ourselves  together 
with  our  long  rope,  which  being  fastened  at  proper  distances 
to  our  waists,  secured  from  the  principal  hazard  such  as  might 
fall  within  the  opening  of  the  gulf.  Trusting  to  the  same 
precaution,  we  also  crossed  upon  our  ladder,  without  appre- 
hension, such  of  the  chasms  as  were  exposed  to  view  ;  and, 
sometimes  stopping  in  the  middle  of  the  ladder,  looked  down 
in  safety  upon  an  abyss  which  baffled  the  reach  of  vision,  and 
from  which  the  sound  of  the  masses  of  ice  that  we  repeatedly 
let  fall,  in  no  instance  ascended  to  the  ear.  In  some  places 
we  were  obliged  to  cut  foot-steps  with  our  hatchet;  yet, 
on  the  whole,  the  difficulties  were  far  from  great,  for  in 
two  hours  and  a  half  we  had  passed  the  glacier. 

"  We  now,  with  more  ease,  and  much  more  expedition,  pur- 
sued our  way,  having  only  snow  to  cross,  and  in  two  hours 
arrived  at  a  hut  which  had  been  erected  in  the  year  1786,  by 
the  order,  and  at  the  expense,  of  M.  de  Saussure.  The  hut 
was  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  a  rock,  which  had  all  the 
appearance  of  being  rotten  with  age,  and  which  in  fact  was  in 
a  state  of  such  complete  decay,  that  on  my  return  the  next 
evening,  I  saw  scattered  on  the  snow  many  tons  of  its  frag- 
ments, which  had  fallen  in  my  absence  ;  but  the  ruin  was  not 
on  the  side  on  which  the  hut  was  built.  Immediately  on  our 
arrival,  which  was  at  five  in  the  afternoon,  the  guides  began 
to  empty  the  hut  of  its  snow,  and  at  seven  we  sat  down  to 
eat;  but  our  stomachs  had  little  relish  for  food,  and  felt  a 
particular  distaste  for  wine  and  spirits.  Water,  which  we 
obtained  by  melting  snow  in  a  kettle,  was  the  only  palatable 
drink.  Some  of  the  guides  complained  of  a  heavy  disheart- 
ening sickness  ;  and  my  Swiss  servant,  who  had  accompanied 
me  at  his  own  request,  was  seized  with  excessive  vomiting, 
and  the  pains  of  the  severest  headach.  But  from  these  com- 
])laints,  which  apparently  arose  from  the  extreme  lightness  of 
the  air  in  those  elevated  regions,  I  myself  and  some  of  the 
guides  were  free,  except,  as  before  observed,  that  we  had 
little  appetite  for  food,  and  a  strong  aversion  to  the  taste  of 
spirituous  liquors.  We  now  prepared  for  rest;  on  which  two 
of  the  guides,  preferring  the  open  air,  threw  themselves  down 
at  the  entrance  of  the  hut,  and  slept  upon  the  rock.  I  too 
was  desirous  of  sleep  ;  but  ray  thoughts  were  troubled  with 
the  apprehension  that,  although  I  had  now  completed  one 
naif  of  the  road,  the  vapours  might  collect  on  the  summit  of 
the  mountain,  and  frustrate  all  my  hopes.  Or  if  at  any  time 
the  rest  I  wished  for  came,   my  repose  was  soon  disturbed  by 


430  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    MOUNTAiNS. 

the  noise  of  the  masses  of  snow,  which  were  loosened  by  the 
wind  from  the  heights  around  me,  and  which,  accumulating  in 
bulk  as  they  rolled,  tumbled  at  length  from  the  precipices 
into  the  vales  below,  and  produced  upon  the  ear  the  efi'ect  of 
redoubled  bursts  of  thunder. 

"  At  two  o'clock  I  threw  aside  my  blankets,  and  went  out 
of  the  hut  to  observe  the  appearance  of  the  heavens.  The 
stars  shone  with  a  lustre  that  far  exceeded  the  brightness 
which  they  exhibit  when  seen  from  the  usual  level  ;  and  had 
so  little  tremor  in  their  light,  as  to  leave  no  doubt  on  my 
mind,  that,  if  viewed  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  thev 
would  have  appeared  as  fixed  points.  How  improved  in  thos** 
altitudes  would  be  the  aids  which  the  telescope  gives  to 
vision  !  indeed,  the  clearness  of  the  air  was  such  as  led  me  to 
think  that  Jupiter's  satellites  might  be  distinguished  by  the 
naked  eye  ;  and  had  he  not  been  in  tlie  neighbourhood  of  the 
moon,  1  might  possibly  have  succeeded.  He  continued  dis- 
tinctly visible  for  several  hours  after  the  sun  was  risen,  and 
did  not  wholly  disappear  till  almost  eight. 

"  At  the  time  I  rose,  my  thermometer,  which  was  on 
Fahrenheit's  scale,  and  which  I  had  hung  on  the  side  of  the 
rock  without  the  hut,  was  8'^  below  the  freezing  point.  Im- 
patient to  proceed,  and  having  ordered  a  large  quantity  of 
snow  to  be  melted,  I  filled  a  small  cask  with  water  for  my  own 
use,  and  at  three  o'clock  we  left  the  hut.  Our  route  was 
across  the  snow ;  but  the  chasms  which  the  ice  beneath  had 
formed,  though  less  numerous  than  those  that  we  had  passed 
on  the  preceding  day,  embarrassed  our  ascent.  One  in  parti- 
cular had  opened  so  much  in  the  few  days  that  intervened 
between  M.  de  Saussure's  expedition  and  our  own,  as  for  the 
time  to  bar  the  hope  of  any  further  progress;  but  at  length, 
after  having  wandered  with  much  anxiety  along  its  bank,  I 
found  a  place  which  I  hoped  the  ladder  was  sufficiently  long 
to  cross.  The  ladder  was  accordingly  laid  down,  and  was 
seen  to  rest  upon  the  opposite  edge,  but  its  bearing  did  not 
exceed  an  inch  on  either  side.  We  now  considered  that, 
should  we  pass  the  chasm,  and  should  its  opening,  which  had 
enlarged  so  much  in  the  course  of  a  few  preceding  days,  in- 
crease in  the  least  degree  before  the  time  of  our  descent,  no 
chance  of  return  remained.  We  also  considered  that,  if  the 
clouds  which  so  often  envelop  the  hill  should  rise,  the  hope 
of  finding,  amidst  the  thick  fog,  our  way  back  to  this  only 
place  in  which  the  gulf,  even  in  its  present  state,  was  passable, 
was  little  less  than  desperate.  Yet,  after  a  moment's  pause, 
the  guides  consented  to  go  with  me,  and  we  crossed  the 
chasm. 

"We  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  thirst,  wliich,  since  our 
arrival  in  the  upper  regions  of  the  air,  had  been  alwaj-*  trou- 


MONT   BLANC. 


431 


blesome,  became  almost  intolerable.  No  sooner  had  I  drank 
than  the  thirst  returned,  and  in  a  few  minutes  my  throat 
became  perfectly  dry.  Again  I  had  recourse  to  the  water, 
and  again  my  throat  was  parched.  The  air  itself  was  thirsty; 
its  extreme  of  dryness  had  robbed  my  body  of  its  moisture. 
The  guides  were  equally  affected  :  wine  they  would  not  taste, 
but  the  moment  my  back  was  turned,  their  mouths  were 
equally  applied  to  my  cask  of  water.  Yet  we  continued  to 
proceed  till  seven  o'clock,  when,  having  passed  the  place 
where  M,  de  Saussure,  who  was  provided  with  a  tent,  had  slept 
the  second  night,  we  sat  down  to  breakfast. 

"  All  this  time  the  thermometer  was  4°  below  the  freezing- 
point.  We  were  now  at  the  foot  of  Mont  Blanc  itself;  for, 
though  it  is  usual  to  apply  that  term  to  the  whole  assemblage 
of  several  successive  mountains,  yet  the  name  properly  belongs 
only  to  a  small  mountain  of  a  pyramidal  form,  that  rises  from 
a  narrow  plain,  which  at  all  times  is  covered  with  snow.  Here 
the  thinness  of  the  atmosphere  began  to  affect  my  head  with 
a  dull  and  heavy  pain.  1  also  found,  to  my  great  surprise, 
an  acute  sensation  of  pain,  very  different  from  that  of  weari- 
ness, immediately  above  my  knees.  Having  finished  our 
repast,  we  pursued  our  journey,  and  soon  arrived  at  a  chasm 
which  could  not  have  existed  many  days,  for  it  was  not  formed 
at  the  time  of  M.  de  Saussure's  ascent.  Misled  by  this  last 
circumstance,  (for  we  concluded,  that  as  he  had  seen  no  rents 
whatever  from  the  time  that  he  passed  the  place  where  he 
slept  the  second  night,  none  were  likely  to  be  formed,) 
we  had  left  our  ladder  about  a  league  behind  ;  but  as  the 
chasm  was  far  from  wide,  we  passed  it  on  the  poles  that  we 
used  for  walking,  an  expedient  which  suggested  to  me  that 
the  length  of  our  ladder  might  be  easily  increased  by  the 
addition  of  several  poles  laid  parallel,  and  fastened  to  its  end; 
and  that  the  hazard  of  finding  our  retreat  cut  off  from  the 
enlargement  of  the  chasms,  might  by  this  means  be  materially 
diminished. 

"  At  this  place  I  had  an  opportunity  of  measuring  the  height 
of  the  snow  which  had  fallen  during  the  preceding  winter,  and 
which  was  distinguished  by  its  superior  whiteness  from  that 
of  the  former  year.  I  found  it  to  be  five  feet.  The  snow  of 
each  particular  year  appeared  as  a  separate  stratum ;  that 
which  was  more  than  a  twelvemonth  old,  was  perfect  ice,  while 
that  of  the  last  winter  was  fast  approaching  to  a  similar  state. 
At  length,  after  a  difficult  ascent,  which  lay  among  preci- 
pices, and  during  which  we  were  often  obliged  to  employ  the 
hatchet  in  making  a  footing  for  our  feet,  we  reached,  and 
reposed  ourselves  upon,  a  narrow  flat,  which  is  the  last  of  three 
from  the  foot  of  the  small  mountain,  and  which,  according  to 
M.  de  Saussure,  is  but  150  fathoms  below  the  level  of  the 


432  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

summit.  Upon  this  platform  I  found  a  beautiful  dead  butter- 
fly, the  only  appearance  which,  from  the  time  I  entered  on 
on  tlie  snow,  I  had  seen  of  any  animal.  The  pernicious  effects 
of  the  thinness  of  the  air  were  now  evident  on  us  all ;  a  desire, 
of  sleep,  almost  irresistible,  came  on  ;  my  spirits  had  left  me  : 
sometimes  indifferent  to  the  event,  I  wished  to  lie  down;  at 
others,  I  blamed  myself  for  the  expedition;  and,  though  just 
at  the  summit,  had  thoughts  of  turning  back,  without  accom- 
plishing my  purpose.  Of  my  guides,  many  Avere  in  a  worse 
situation  ;  for,  exhausted  by  excessive  vomiting,  they  seemed 
to  have  lost  all  strength,  both  of  mind  and  body. 

"  But  shame  at  length  came  to  our  relief.  I  drank  the  last 
pint  of  water  that  was  left,  and  found  myself  amazingly  re- 
freshed, and  invigorated  for  renewed  toil.  Yet  the  pain 
in  my  knees  had  increased  so  much,  that  at  the  end  of  every 
twenty  or  thirty  paces  I  was  obliged  to  rest  till  its  sharpness 
was  abated.  My  lungs  with  difficulty  performed  their  office, 
and  my  heart  was  affected  with  violent  palpitation.  At  last, 
however,  but  with  a  sort  of  apathy  which  scarcely  admitted 
the  sense  of  joy,  we  reached  the  summit  of  this  mountain; 
when  six  of  our  guides,  and  with  them  my  servant,  threw 
themselves  on  theiv  faces,  and  were  immediately  asleep.  I 
eiivied  them  their  repose,  but  my  anxiety  to  obtain  a  good 
observation  for  the  latitude  subdued  my  wishes  for  indulgence. 
The  time  of  my  arrival  was  half  an  hour  after  ten,  so  that  the 
hours  which  ela])sed  from  our  departure  from  Chamouni,  were 
only  twenty-seven  and  a  half,  ten  of  which  we  had  passed  in 
the  hut.  'riie  summit  of  the  hill  is  formed  of  snow,  which 
spreads  into  a  sort  of  plain,  which  is  much  wider  from  east  to 
west  than  from  north  to  south,  and  in  its  greatest  width  is 
perhaps  thirty  yards.  The  snow  is  every  where  hard,  and  in 
many  places  is  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice. 

"  When  the  spectator  begins  to  look  around  him  from  this 
elevated  height,  a  confused  impression  of  immensity  is  the 
first  effect  produced  upon  his  mind  ;  but  the  blue  colour  of  the 
canopy  above  him,  deep  almost  to  blackness,  soon  arrests  his 
attention.  He  next  surveys  the  mountains,  many  of  which, 
from  the  clearness  of  the  air,  are  to  his  eye  within  a  stone's 
throw  from  him ;  and  even  those  of  Lombardy  (one  of  which 
appears  of  an  altitude  but  little  inferior  to  that  of  Mont 
Blanc)  seem  to  approach  his  neighbourhood  ;  while  those  on 
the  other  side  of  the  vale  of  Chamouni,  glittering  with  the 
sunbeams,  are  to  the  view  directly  below  his  feet,  and  affect 
his  head  with  giddiness.  On  the  other  hand,  all  objects,  of 
which  the  distance  is  great,  and  the  level  low,  are  hid  from 
his  eye  by  the  blue  vapour  which  intervenes,  and  through 
which  I  could  not  discern  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  (at  the  height 
o''  15,700  English  feet,  which,  according  to  M.  de  Saussure,  was 


MONT  BLANC.  433 

the  level  on  which  I  stood,)  though  even  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  must  have  been  within  the  line  of  vision.  The  air  was 
still,  and  the  day  so  remarkably  fine,  that  I  could  not  disco- 
ver in  any  part  of  the  heavens  the  appearance  of  a  single 
cloud. 

"As  thetimeof  the  sun  passing  the  meridian  now  approached, 
I  prepared  to  take  my  observation.  I  had  with  me  an  admir- 
able Hadley's  sextant,  and  an  artificial  horizon,  and  I  corrected 
the  mean  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays.  Thus  I  was  enabled  to 
ascertain  with  accuracy,  that  the  latitude  of  the  summit  of 
Mont  Blanc  is  45^  49' "59"  north. 

"  I  now  proceeded  to  such  other  observations  as  the  few 
instruments  which  I  had  brought  permitted  me  to  make.  At 
twelve  o'clock  the  mercury  in  the  thermometer  stood  at  38° 
in  the  shade;  at  Chamouni,  at  the  same  hour,  it  stood,  when 
in  the  shade,  at  78*^.  I  tried  the  effect  of  a  burning-glass  on 
paper,  and  on  a  piece  of  wood,  which  I  had  brought  with  me 
for  the  purpose,  and  found  (contrary,  I  believe,  to  the  gene- 
rally received  opinion,)  that  its  power  was  much  greater  than 
in  the  lower  regions  of  the  air.  Having  continued  two  hours 
on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  I  began  my  descent  at  half 
an  hour  after  twelve.  I  found  that,  short  as  my  absence  had 
been,  many  new  rents  were  opened,  and  that  several  of  those 
which  I  had  passed  in  my  ascent  were  considerably  wider. 
In  less  than  six  hours  we  arrived  at  the  hut  in  which  we  had 
slept  the  evening  before,  and  should  have  proceeded  much 
further  down  the  mountain,  had  we  not  been  afraid  of  passing 
the  Glacier  de  la  Cote  at  the  close  of  the  day,  when  the 
snow,  from  the  effect  of  the  sunbeams,  was  extremely  rotten. 
Our  evening's  repast  being  finished,  I  was  soon  asleep;  but 
in  a  few  hours  I  was  awakened  with  a  tormenting  pain  in  my 
face  and  eyes.  My  face  was  one  continued  blister,  and  mv 
eyes  I  was  unable  to  open  ;  nor  was  I  without  apprehensions 
of  losing  my  sight  for  ever,  till  my  guides  told  me,  that  if  I 
had  condescended  to  have  taken  their  advice,  of  wearino",  ns 
they  did,  a  mask  of  black  crape,  the  accident  would  not  have 
befallen  me,  but  that  a  few  days  would  perfectly  restore  the 
use  of  my  eyes.  After  I  had  bathed  them  with  warm  water 
for  half  an  hour,  I  found,  to  my  great  satisfaction,  that  1  could 
open  them  a  little  ;  on  which  I  determined  upon  an  instant 
departure,  that  I  might  cross  the  Glacier  de  la  Cote  before 
the  sun  was  sufficiently  high  for  its  beams  to  be  strongly  re- 
flected from  the  snow.  But,  unluckily,  the  sun  was  already 
above  the  horizon  ;  so  that  the  pain  of  forcing  open  my  eyes 
in  the  bright  sunshine,  in  order  to  avoid  the  chasms  and  other 
hazards  of  my  way,  rendered  my  return  more  irksome  than 
my  ascent.  Fortunately,  one  of  the  guides,  soon  after  I  had 
passed    the   glacier,  picked  up  in   the  snow  a  pair  of  green 

3  I 


434  cuRrosiTiEs  respecting  mountains. 

spectacles,  which  M.  Bourret  had  lost,  and  which  gave  me 
wonderful  relief. 

"  At  eleven  o'clock  of  August  10,  after  an  absence  of  fifty- 
two  hours,  of  which  twenty  were  passed  in  the  hut,  I  returned 
again  to  the  village  of  Chamouni.  From  the  want  of  instru- 
ments, (the  scale  of  the  barometer  I  had  being  graduated  no 
lower  than  twenty  inches,  which  was  not  sufficiently  extended,) 
the  observations  I  made  were  but  few,  yet  the  etfects  which 
iheair  in  the  heights  I  visited  produced  on  the  human  body, 
may  not  perhaps  be  considered  as  altogether  uninteresting; 
nor  will  the  proof  1  made  of  the  power  of  the  lens  on  the  sum- 
mit of  Mont  Blanc,  if  confirmed  by  future  experiments,  be 
regarded  as  of  no  account  in  the  theories  of  light  and  heat. 
At  any  rate,  the  having  determined  the  latitude  of  Mont  Blanc 
may  assist  in  some  particulars  the  observations  of  such  per- 
sons as  shall  visit  it  in  future  ;  and  the  knowledge  which  my 
journey  has  afforded,  in  addition  to  that  which  is  furnished 
by  M.  de  Saussure,  may  facilitate  the  ascent  of  those  who, 
with  proper  instruments,  mav  wish  to  make  on  that  elevated 
level,  experiments  in  natural  philosophy." 

CHAP.  XLI. 
CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MOUNTAINS. — (Concluded.) 

VOLCANIC    MOUNTAINS. 

Description  of  Vesuvius — Hecla — Etna, 
The  fluid  lake  that  works  below, 


Bitumen,  sulphur,  salt,  and  iron  scum. 
Heaves  up  its  boilinfj  tide.     Tlie  lab'rin^  moant 
Is  torn  with  aponizin^  throes.     At  once. 
Forth  from  its  side  disparted,  blazin«r,  pours 
A  mighty  river,  burning  in  prone  waves, 
Tliat  gjlimmer  thro'  the  night,  to  yonder  plain. 
Divided  there,  a  hundred  torrent  streams, 
Each  ploughing  up  its  bed,  roll  dreadful  on. 
Resistless.     Villages,  and  woods,  and  locks, 
Fall  tlat  before  their  sweep.     The  region  round. 
Where  myrtle  walks,  and  groves  of  golden  fruit 
Rose  fair,  where  harvest  wav'd  in  all  its  pride. 
And  where  the  vineyard  spread  its  purple  store. 
Maturing  into  nectar, — now  despoil'd 
Of  herb,  leaf,  fruit,  and  flowV,  from  end  to  end 
Lies  buried  under  lire,  a  glowing  sea!  Mallet. 

Vesuvius, — is  a  celebrated  volcano  of  Italy,  six  miles 
east  of  Naples.  This  mountain  has  two  tops;  one  nly  of 
which  goes  by  the   name  of  Vesuvius,   the  other  being  now 


VESUVIUS.  435 

called  Somma;  but  Sir  William  Hamilton  is  of  opinion,   that 
the  latter  is  what  the  ancients  called  Vesuvius. 

The  perpendicular 'height  of  Vesuvius  is  only  three  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  feet,  though  the  ascent  from  the  foot  to 
the  top  is  three  Italian  miles.  One  side  of  the  mountain  is 
well  cultivated  and  fertile,  producing  great  plenty  of  vines  ; 
but  the  south  and  west  sides  are  entirely  covered  with  cinders 
and  ashes,  while  a  sulphureous  smoke  constantly  issues  from 
the  top,  sometimes  attended  with  the  most  violent  explosions 
of  stones,  the  emission  of  great  streams  of  lava,  and  all  the 
other  attendants  of  a  most  foiinidable  volcano. 

The  first  eruption  recorded  in  history,  took  place  in  the 
year  79;  at  which  time  the  two  cities  of  Pompeii  and  Hercu- 
laneum  were  entirely  buried  imder  the  stones  and  ashes 
thrown  out.  Incredible  mischief  was  also  done  to  the  neioh- 
bouring  country,  and  numoers  of  people  lost  their  lives, 
among  whom  was  Pliny  the  elder.  It  is  the  opinion  of  the 
best  judges,  however,  that  this  eruption  was  by  no  means  the 
first  that  had  ever  happened:  the  very  streets  of  those  cities 
which  were  at  that  time  overwhelmed,  are  unquestionably 
paved  with  lava.  Since  that  time  thirty  different  eruptions- 
have  been  recorded,  some  of  which  have  been  extremely 
violent.  In  1538,  a  mountain  three  miles  in  circumference, 
and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  perpendicular  height,  was  thrown 
up  in  the  course  of  one  night. 

In  1766,  Sir  William  Hamilton  began  to  observe  the 
phenomena  of  this  mountain  ;  and  since  that  time  the  public 
have  been  favoured  with  more  exact  and  authentic  accounts 
of  the  various  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  Vesuvius, 
than  were  to  be  obtained  before.  The  first  great  eruption 
taken  notice  of  by  this  gentleman  was  that  of  1769,  when 
V^esuvius  never  ceased  for  ten  vears  to  send  forth  smoke,  nor 
were  there  many  months  in  which  it  did  not  throw  out  stones, 
icorise,  and  cinders,  which  increasing  to  a  certain  degree, 
were  usually  followed  by  lava  ;  so  that  from  the  year  1767 
to  1769  there  were  nine  eruptions,  some  of  which  were  very 
considerable. 

In  the  month  of  August  that  year,  an  eruption  took  place, 
tvhich,  for  its  extraordinary  and  terrible  appearance,  mav  be 
reckoned  among  the  most  remarkable  of  any  recorded  con- 
cerning this  or  any  other  volcano.  During  the  whole  of  July, 
the  mountain  continued  in  a  state  of  fermentation.  Subter- 
raneous explosions  and  rumbling  noises  w^ere  heard  ;  quan- 
tities of  smoke  were  thrown  up  with  great  violence,  sometimes 
with  red-hot  stones,  scoriae,  and  ashes;  and  towards  the  end 
of  the  month,  these  symptoms  increased  to  such  a  degree, 
as  to  exhibit,  in  the  night,  the  most  beautiful  fireworks. 

On  Thursday  the  fifth  of  August,  the  volcano  appeared  most 

,   V/NlVER8fTY  I 


4136  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

violently  agitated  :  a  white  and  sulphureous  smoke  issued  with 
unceasing  impetuosity  from  its  crater,  one  pufF  seeming  to 
im|jel  another;  so  that  a  mass  of  vapour  was  soon  accumu- 
lated, to  all  appearance,  four  times  the  height  and  size  of  the 
volcano  itself.  These  clouds  of  smoke  were  exceedingly 
white,  resembling  an  immense  accumulation  of  bales  of  the 
whitest  cotton.  In  the  midst  of  this  very  white  smoke,  vast 
quantities  of  stones,  scoria;,  and  ashes,  Avere  thrown  up  to  the 
height  of  two  thousand  feet  ;  and  a  quantity  of  liquid  lava, 
seemingly  very  heavy,  was  lifted  up  just  high  enough  to  clear 
the  rim  of  the  crater,  and  take  its  way  down  the  sides  of  the 
mountain.  This  lava,  having  run  violently  for  some  hom-s, 
suddenly  ceased,  just  before  it  had  reached  the  cultivated 
parts  of  the  mountain,  near  four  miles  from  the  spot  whence 
it  issued. 

The  heat,  all  this  day,  was  intolerable  at  the  towns  of 
Somma  and  Ottaiano  ;  and  was  sensibly  felt  at  Palma  and 
Lauri,  which  are  much  farther  off.  Reddish  ashes  fell  so 
thick  on  the  two  former,  that  the  air  was  darkened  to  such  a 
degree,  that  objects  could  not  be  distinguished  at  the  distance 
of  ten  feet.  Long  filaments  of  a  vitrified  matter,  like  spun- 
glass,  were  mixed,  and  fell  with  these  ashes  ;  several  birds  in 
cages  were  suffocated  ;  and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Somma  were  covered  with  white  and  very 
corrosive  salt.  About  twelve  at  night,  on  the  seventh,  the 
fermentation  of  the  mountain  seemed  greatly  to  increase. 
Our  aiitiior  was  watching  the  motions  of  the  volcano  from 
the  mole  at  Naples,  which  has  a  full  view  of  it.  Several 
awfully  fine  and  picturesque  effects  had  been  observed  from 
the  reflection  of  the  deep  red  fire  within  the  crater  of  Vesuvius, 
and  wliich  mounted  high  amongst  those  huge  clouds  on  the 
top  of  it ;  when  a  summer  storm,  called  in  that  country  a  tropea, 
came  on  suddenly,  and  blended  its  heavy  watery  clouds  with 
the  sulphureous  and  mineral  ones,  which  were  already,  like 
so  many  other  mountains,  piled  up  on  the  top  of  the  volcano. 
At  this  moment  a  fountain  of  fire  was  shot  up  to  an  in- 
credible heiiiht,  castimj;  so  brisiht  a  lioht,  that  the  smallest 
objects  were  clearly  distinguishable  at  any  place  within  six 
miles  or  more  of  Vesuvius.  The  black  stormy  clouds,  pass- 
ing swiftly  over,  and  at  times  covering  the  whole  or  part  of  the 
bright  column  of  fire,  at  other  times  clearing  away  and  giving 
a  full  view  of  it,  with  the  various  tints  produced  by  its  rever- 
berated light  on  the  white  clouds  above,  in  contrast  with  the 
pale  flashes  of  forked  lightning  that  attended  the  tropea,  formed 
such  a  scene  as  no  combination  of  language  can  express. 
One  of  the  king's  gamekeepers,  who  was  out  in  the  fields 
near  Ottaiano  while  this  storm  was  at  its  height,  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  drops  of  rain  scald  his  face  and  hands  ;  a 


VESUVIUS.  437 

phenomenon  probably  occasioned  by  the  clouds  having:  ac- 
quired a  great  degree  of  heat  in  passing  through  the  above- 
mentioned  column  of  fire. 

On  the  eighth,  the  mountain  was  quiet  till  towards  six  p.  m. 
when  a  great  smoke  began  to  gather  over  its  crater ;  and 
about  an  hour  after,  a  rumbling  subterranneous  noise  was 
heard  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  volcano  ;  the  usual  throws 
of  red-hot  stones  and  scorise  began  and  increased  every  in- 
stant. The  crater,  viewed  through  a  telescope,  seemed  much 
enlarged  by  tlie  violence  of  the  explosions  on  the  preceding- 
night;  and  the  little  mountain  on  the  top  was  entirely  gone. 
About  nine,  a  most  violent  report  was  heard  at  Portici  and 
its  neighbourhood,  which  shook  the  houses  to  such  a  degree 
as  made  the  inhabitants  run  out  into  the  streets.  Many  win- 
dows were  broken,  and  walls  cracked,  by  the  concussion  of 
the  air  on  this  occasion,  though  the  noise  was  but  faintly 
heard  at  Naples.  In  an  instant,  a  fountain  of  liquid  trans- 
parent fire  began  to  rise,  and,  gradually  increasing,  arrived  at 
last  to  the  amazing  height  of  ten  thousand  feet  and  upwards. 
Puff's  of  smoke,  as  black  as  can  possibly  be  imagined,  rapidly 
succeeded  one  another,  and,  accompanying  the  red-hot  trans- 
parent and  liquid  lava,  interrupted  its  splendid  brightness 
l)ere  and  there  by  patches  of  the  darkest  hue.  Within  these 
puff's  of  smoke,  at  the  very  moment  of  emission,  a  bright  but 
pale  electrical  fire  was  observed  playing  briskly  about  in  zig- 
zag lines.  The  wind  was  south-west,  and,  though  gentle,  was 
sufficient  to  carry  these  puffs  of  smoke  out  of  the  column  of 
fire,  and  a  collection  of  them  by  degrees  formed  a  black  and 
extensive  curtain  behind  it;  in  other  parts  of  the  sky  it  was 
perfectly  clear,  and  the  stars  bright.  A  fiery  fountain  of  such 
immense  magnitude,  on  the  dark  ground  just  mentioned, 
made  the  finest  contrast  imaginable  ;  and  the  blaze  of  it,  re- 
flected from  the  surface  of  the  sea,  which  was  at  that  time 
perfectly  smooth,  added  greatly  to  this  sublime  spectacle. 
The  lava,  mixed  with  stones  and  scoriee,  having  risen  to  the 
amazing  height  already  mentioned,  was  partly  directed  by  the 
wind  towards  Ottaiano,  and  partly  falling,  still  red-hot  and 
liquid,  upon  the  top  of  Vesuvius,  covered  its  whole  cone, 
as  well  as  that  of  the  summit  of  Somma,  and  the  valley 
between  them. 

The  falling  matter  being  nearly  as  inflamed  and  vivid  as  that 
which  was  continually  issuing  fresh  from  the  crater,  formed 
with  it  one  complete  body  of  fire,  which  could  not  be  less 
than  two  miles  and  a  half  in  breadth,  and  of  the  extraordinary 
height  above  mentioned,  casting  a  heat  to  the  distance  of  at 
leastsix  miles  round.  The  brushwood  on  the  mountain  of  Somma 
was  soon  in  a  blaze;  and  the  flame  of  it  being  of  a  different 
colour,  from  the  deep  red  of  the  matter  thrown  out  by  the 


438  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

volcano,  and  from  the  silvery  blue  of  the  electrical  fire,  still 
added  to  the  contrast  of  this  most  extraordinary  scene.  The 
black  cloud  increasing  greatly,  spread  over  Naples,  and  threat- 
ened the  city  with  speedy  destruction  ;  for  it  was  charged 
with  -electrical  fire,  which  kept  constantly  darting  about  in 
bright  zigzag  lines.  This  fire,  however,  rarely  quitted  the 
cloud,  but  usually  returned  to  the  great  column  of  fire  whence 
it  proceeded  ;  though  once  or  twice  it  was  seen  to  fall  on  the 
top  of  Sorama,  and  set  fire  to  some  dry  grass  and  bushes. 
Fortunately,  the  wind  carried  back  tlie  cloud  just  as  it  reached 
the  city,  and  had  begun  to  occasion  great  alarm.  The  column 
of  fire,  however,  still  continued,  and  diffused  such  a  strong 
light,  that  the  most  minute  objects  could  be  discerned  at  the 
distance  of  ten  miles  or  more  from  the  mountain.  Mr.  Mor- 
ris informed  our  author,  that  at  Sorrento,  which  is  twelve 
miles  distant  from  Vesuvius,  he  read  the  title  page  of  a  book 
by  that  volcanic  light. 

All  this  time  the  miserable  inhabitants  of  Ottaiano  were 
involved  in  the  utmost  distress  and  danger  by  the  showers  of 
stones  which  fell  upon  them,  and  which,  had  the  eruption 
continued  for  a  longer  time,  would  most  certainly  have  re- 
duced their  town  to  the  same  situation  with  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii. 

The  mountain  of  Somma,  at  the  foot  of  which  the  town  of 
Ottaiano  is  situated,  hides  Vesuvius  from  the  view  of  its  inha- 
bitants ;  so  that  till  the  eruption  became  considerable,  it  was 
not  visible  to  them.  On  Sunday  night,  when  the  noise  in- 
creased, and  the  fire  began  to  appear  above  the  mountain  of 
Somma,  many  of  the  inhabitants  flew  to  the  churches,  and 
others  were  preparing  to  quit  the  town,  when  a  sudden  and 
violent  report  was  heard  ;  soon  after  which,  they  found  them- 
selves involved  in  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke  and  ashes,  a  horrid 
clashing  noise  was  heard  in  the  air,  and  presently  fell  a  vast 
shower  of  stones  and  large  pieces  of  scoriae,  some  of  which 
were  of  the  diameter  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  which  must  have 
weighed  more  than  lOOlbs.  before  they  were  broken,  as  some 
of  the  fragments  which  Sir  William  Hamilton  found  in  the 
streets  still  weighed  upwards  of  6Ulbs.  When  these  large  vitri- 
fied masses  either  struck  against  one  another  in  the  air,  or  fell 
on  the  ground,  vivid  sparks  of  fire  proceeded  from  them, 
which  communicated  to  every  thing  that  was  combustible. 
These  masses  were  formed  of  the  liquid  lava ;  the  exterior 
j)arts  of  which  were  become  black  and  porous,  by  cooling  in 
their  fall  through  such  a  vast  space;  whilst  the  interior  parts, 
less  exposed,  retained  an  extreme  heat,  and  were  perfectly  red. 
In  an  instant,  the  town  and  country  about  it  were  on  fire  in 
many  parts,  for  there  were  several  straw  huts  in  the  vineyards, 
which  had  been  erected  for  the  watchmen  of  the  grapes,  all 


VESUVIUS.  439 

of  which  were  burnt  to  the  ground.  A  great  magazine  of 
wood  in  the  heart  of  the  town  became  one  sheet  of  fire;  and 
had  tliere  been  much  w  ind,  the  flames  must  have  spread  uni- 
versiiUy,  and  the  inhabitants  have  perished  in  their  houses  ; 
for  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  make  their  escape  by  flight. 
Some,  who  attt  mpted  it  with  pillows,  tables,  chairs,  the  tops 
of  wine  casks,  8cc.  on  their  heads,  were  either  knocked  down 
by  the  falling  masses,  or  soon  driven  to  make  a  speedy  retreat 
under  arches,  and  in  the  cellars  of  their  houses.  Many  were 
wounded,  but  only  two  persons  died  of  their  wounds.  To 
add  to  the  horror  of  the  scene,  incessant  volcanic  lightning- 
was  darting  its  corruscations  about  the  black  cloud  that  sur- 
rounded the  inhabitants,  and  the  sulphureous  smell  and  heat 
would  scarcely  allow  them  to  draw  their  breath. 

In  this  dreadful  situation  they  remained  about  twenty-five 
minutes,  when  the  volcanic  storm  ceased  all  at  once,  and 
Vesuvius  assumed  a  sullen  silence.  Sometime  after  the  erup- 
tion had  ceased,  the  air  continued  greatly  impicgnated  with 
electrical  matter.  The  duke  of  Cottosiano  told  our  author, 
that  having,  about  half  an  hour  after  the  great  eruption  had 
ceased,  held  a  leaden  bottle,  armed  with  a  pointed  wire,  out 
at  his  window  at  Naples,  it  soon  became  considerably  charged : 
but  whilst  the  eruption  was  in  force,  its  appearance  was  too 
alarming  to  allow  any  one  to  think  of  such  experiments.  He 
was  informed  also  by  the  prince  of  Monte  Mileto,  that  his  son, 
the  duke  of  Populi,  who  was  at  Monte  Mileto  on  the  8th  of 
August,  had  been  alarmed  by  a  shower  of  cinders  that  fell 
there,  some  of  which  he  had  sent  to  Naples,  weighing  two 
ounces ;  and  that  stones  of  an  ounce  weight  had  fallen  upon 
an  estate  of  his,  ten  miles  farther  off.  Monte  Mileto  is  about 
thirty  miles  from  the  volcano.  The  Abbe  Cagliani  also  related, 
that  his  sister,  a  nun  in  a  convent  at  Manfredonia,  had  writ- 
ten to  inquire  after  him,  imagining  that  Naples  must  have 
been  destroyed,  when  they,  at  so  great  a  distance,  had  been 
so  much  alarmed  by  a  shower  of  ashes  which  fell  on  the  city  at 
eleven  p.  m.  as  to  open  all  the  churches,  and  go  to  prayers. 
As  the  great  eruption  began  at  nine,  these  ashes  must  have 
travelled  100  miles  in  two  hours. 

Nothing  could  be  more  dismal  than  the  appearance  of  Ot- 
taiano  after  this  eruption.  Many  of  the  houses  were  unroofed, 
and  some  lay  half  buried  under  the  black  scoriae  and  ashes  ; 
all  the  windows  toward  the  mountain  were  broken,  and  some 
of  the  houses  themselves  burnt;  the  streetswere  choked  up  with 
ashes,  and  in  some  narrow  places  it  was  not  less  than  four 
feet  deep.  A  few  of  the  inhabitants,  who  had  just  returned, 
were  employed  in  clearing  them  away,  and  piling  them  up  in 
hillocks,  to  get  at  their  ruined  houses. 

The  palace  of  the  prince  of  Ottaiano  is  situated  on  an  erai- 


440  CUKIOSITIES    RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

nence  above  the  town,  and  nearer  the  mountain.  The  steps 
leading  up  to  it  were  deeply  covered  with  volcanic  matter ; 
the  roof  was  totally  destroyed,  and  the  windows  broken;  but 
the  house  itself  being  strongly  built,  had  not  suffered  much 
dilapidation.  An  incredible  number  of  fragments  of  lava 
were  thrown  out  during  the  eruption,  some  of  which  were  of 
immense  magnitude.  The  largest  measured  by  Sir  William 
Hamilton  was  108  feet  in  circumference,  and  seventeen  in 
height  :  this  was  thrown  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  mile  clear  of 
the  mouth  of  the  volcano.  Another,  sixty-six  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  nineteen  in  height,  being  nearly  of  a  spherical 
Hgure,  was  thrown  out  at  the  same  time,  and  fell  near  the 
former  :  this  last  had  all  the  marks  of  being  rounded,  nay, 
almost  polished,  by  continual  exposure  to  rolling  torrents,  or 
the  still  rougher  beat  of  a  sea-shore.  Our  author  conjectures 
that  it  might  be  a  spherical  volcanic  salt,  such  as  that  of 
forty- five  feet  in  circumference  mentioned  by  M.  de  St.  Fond, 
in  his  Treatise  on  Extinguished  Volcanoes.  A  third,  of  sixteen 
feet  in  height,  and  ninety-two  in  circumference,  was  carried 
much  farther,  and  lay  in  the  valley  between  Vesuvius  and  the 
Hermitage  :  it  appeared,  also,  from  the  large  fragments  that 
surrounded  this  mass,  that  it  had  been  much  larger  while  in 
the  air. 

Vesuvius  continued  to  emit  smoke  for  a  consideralile  time 
after  this  great  eruption,  so  that  our  author  was  apprehensive 
that  another  would  soon  ensue  ;  but  from  that  time  nothing- 
comparable  to  the  above  has  taken  place.  From  the  period 
of  this  great  eruption,  to  1786,  our  informant  kept  an  exact 
diary  of  the  operations  of  Vesuvius,  with  drawings;  which 
shewed,  by  the  comparative  quantity  of  smoke  emitted  each  time, 
the  degree  of  fermentation  within  the  volcano.  The  operations 
of  these  subterraneous  fires,  however,  appear  to  be  very  capri- 
cious and  uncertain  :  one  day  there  will  be  the  appearance 
of  a  violent  fermentation,  and  the  next  every  thing  will  be 
calmed  ;  but  whenever  there  has  been  a  considerable  ejection 
of  scoriae  and  cinders,  it  has  been  constantly  observed,  that 
the  lava  soon  made  its  appearance,  either  by  boiling  over  the 
crater,  or  forcing  its  way  through  the  crevices  in  the  conical 
part  of  the  mountain. 

In  the  year  1794,  there  was  a  very  tremendous  eruption, 
and  the  mischief  done  was  very  considerable  :  the  lava  covered 
and  totally  destroyed  5000  acres  of  rich  vineyards  and  culti- 
vated land,  and  drove  the  inhabitanst  of  Torre  del  Greco  from 
the  town,  a  great  part  of  the  houses  being  either  buried,  or 
so  injured  as  to  be  uninhabitable  ;  the  damage  done  in  the 
vineyards  by  the  ashes  was  also  immense.  Eruptions  of  this 
volcano  also  took  place  in  1804  and  1805  ;  but  this  article 
will  conclude  bv  noticing  only  the  eruption  that  happened  on 


VESUVIUS.  441 

the  evening  of  the  31st  of  May,  1806,  when  a  bright  flame 
rose  from  the  mountain  to  the  heii>ht  of  about  600  feet,  sinking 
and  rising  alternately,  and  affording  so  clear  a  light,  that  a 
letter  might  have  been  read  at  the  distance  of  a  league  round 
tlu'  mountain.  On  the  following  morning,  without  any  earth- 
quake preceding,  as  iiad  been  customary,  the  volcano  began 
to  eject  intlamed  substances  from  three  new  mouths,  pretty 
near  to  each  other,  and  about  650  feet  from  the  sununit.  The 
lava  took  the  direction  of  Torre  del  Greco  and  Annunciata, 
approaching  Portici  on  the  road  leading  from  Naples  to 
Pompeii. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  2d  of  June,  a  noise  was  heard, 
resembling  that  of  two  armies  engaged,  when  the  discharges 
of  artillery  and  musketry  are  very  brisk.  The  current  of  lava 
now  resembled  a  wall  of  glass  in  a  state  of  fusion;  sparks  and 
flashes  issuing  from  it  from  time  to  time  with  a  powerful 
detonation.  Vines,  trees,  houses,  in  short,  whatever  objects 
it  encountered  on  its  way,  were  instantly  overthrown  and 
destroyed.  In  one  part,  where  it  met  with  the  resistance  of  a 
wall,  it  formed  a  cascade  of  fire.  In  a  few  days,  Portici,  Re- 
sina,  and  Torre  del  Greco,  were  covered  with  ashes  thrown 
out  by  the  volcano  ;  and  on  the  9th,  the  two  former  places 
were  deluged  with  a  thick  black  rain,  consisting  of  a  species 
of  nmd,  filled  with  sulphureous  particles. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  the  ancient  crater  had  wholly  disappeared, 
being  filled  with  ashes  and  lava,  and  a  new  one  was  formed  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  mountain,  about  600  feet  in  depth, 
and  having  about  the  same  width  at  the  opening.  Several 
persons,  on  the  above  day,  descended  about  half  way  down 
this  new  mouth,  and  remained  half  an  hour  very  near  the 
flames,  admiring  the  spectacle  presented  by  the  liquid  lava, 
which  bubbled  up  at  the  bottom  of  the  crater,  like  the  fused 
matter  in  a  glasshouse.  This  eruption  continued  until  Sep- 
tember, made  great  ravages,  and  was  considered  as  one  of 
the  most  terrible  that  occurred  within  the  memory  of  the 
oldest  inhabitants.  Sir  William  Hamilton  observes,  that  the 
inhabitants  of  Naples,  in  general,  pay  so  little  attention  to  the 
operations  of  this  volcano,  that  many  of  its  eruptions  pass 
unnoticed  by  at  least  two-thirds  of  them.  It  is  remarkable 
to  observe,  with  what  readiness  and  sangfroid  they  inhabit 
the  towns  and  villas  on  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  and  how 
quickly  they  return  to  spots  which  have  suffered  the  most  se- 
verely. The  inhabitants  are  not  much  alarmed  by  a  stream 
of  lava,  which  moves  slowly,  from  which  they  can  always 
remove,  and  carry  off"  their  moveable  property;  their  greatest 
danger  consists  in  the  clouds  of  burning  ashes,  which  fly  to  a 
great  distance,  and  the  fall  of  which  can  neither  be  anticipated 
nor  avoided. 

If).  3K 


442  CURKJSITIES    RESPECTING    MOUNTAINS. 

Mount  Hecla. — This  is  a  volcano  of  Iceland,  and  one  of 
those  whose  operations  are  the  most  powerful  of  any  in  the 
world.  It  was  visited  in  1722,  by  Dr.  Van  Troil,  a  Swedish 
gentleman,  together  with  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Joseph)  Banks, 
Dr.  Solander,  and  Dr.  James  Lind,  of  Edinburgh.  On  their 
first  landing,  they  found  a  tract  of  land  sixty  or  seventy  miles 
in  extent,  entirely  ruined  by  lava,  which  appeared  to  have 
been  in  the  highest  state  of  liquefaction.  Having  undertaken 
a  journey  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  they  travelled  from  300 
to  360  English  miles,  over  an  uninterrupted  tract  of  lava,  and 
had  at  length  the  pleasure  of  being  the  first  who  had  arrived 
at  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 

Hecla,  according  to  their  accounts,  is  situated  in  the  south 
part  of  the  island,  about  four  miles  from  the  sea  coast;  and 
is  divided  into  three  parts  at  the  top,  the  middle  point  being 
the  highest.  From  an  exact  observation  with  Ranisden's 
barometer,  it  is  5000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  They 
were  obliged  to  quit  their  horses  at  the  first  opening  from 
which  the  fire  had  burst.  They  describe  this  as  a  place  with 
lofty  walls  and  high  glazed  cliffs,  unlike  any  thing  which  they 
had  ever  seen  before.  A  little  higher  up  they  found  a  large 
quantity  of  grit  and  stones  ;  and  still  farther,  another  open- 
ing, which,  though  not  deep,  descended  lower  than  that  of 
the  highest  point.  Here,  they  imagined,  they  plainly  discerned 
the  efi^ects  of  boiling  water  ;  though  not  far  from  thence  the 
mountain  was  covered  with  snow,  excepting  some  spots, 
which  difterence  they  perceived  to  be  occasioned  by  the  hot 
vapour  issuing  from  the  crevices  in  the  mountain.  As  they 
ascended  towards  the  top,  they  found  the  spots  become  larger  ; 
and  about  200  yards  below  the  summit,  a  hole  about  a  yard 
and  a  half  in  diameter  was  observed,  whence  issued  so  hot  a 
steam,  that  they  could  not  measure  the  degree  of  heat  with 
the  thermometer. 

The  cold  began  now  to  be  very  intense  ;  Fahrenheit's  ther- 
mometer, which  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  was  at  fifty-four, 
now  fell  to  twenty-four;  the  wind  also  became  so  violent, 
that  they  were  sometimes  obliged  to  lie  down,  for  fear  of  being 
blown  down  the  most  dreadful  precipices.  On  the  very 
summit,  they  experienced  at  the  same  time  a  high  degree  of 
heat  and  of  cold  ;  for,  in  the  air,  Fahrenheit's  thermometer 
stood  constantly  at  twenty-four,  but  when  set  on  the  ground, 
r<  se  to  153;  the  barometer  stood  at  22.247.  Though  they 
wished  very  much  to  remain  here  for  some  time,  they  found 
that  they  could  not  effect  their  purpose  w  ith  safety  ;  they 
therefore  descended  quickly. 

The  mountain  seems  to  be  made  up,  not  of  lava,  but  of 
sand,  grit,  and  ashes ;  which  are  throw  n  up  with  discoloured 
stones,  partly  melted  by  the  fire.     Several  sorts  of  pumicfc 


KTNA.  44S 

stones  were  found  on  it,  among  which  was  one  with  some 
sulphur.  Sometimes  the  pnmice  was  so  much  burnt,  that  it 
was  as  light  as  tow.  Its  form  and  colour  were  sometimes  very 
fine,  but  at  the  same  time  so  soft,  that  it  was  difficult  to  re 
move  it  from  one  place  to  another.  The  common  lava  was 
found  in  both  large  and  small  pieces  ;  as  well  as  a  quantity  of 
black  jasper,  burned  at  the  extremities,  and  resembling  trees 
and  branches.  Some  slate,  of  a  strong  red  colour,  was  ob- 
served among  the  stones  thrown  out  by  the  volcano.  In  one 
))lace  the  lava  had  taken  the  form  of  chimney-stacks  half 
broken  down. 

As  they  descended  the  mountain,  they  observed  three  open- 
ings. In  one,  every  thing  looked  as  red  as  brick;  from 
another,  the  lava  had  flowed  in  a  stream  about  fifty  yards 
broad,  and,  after  proceeding  some  length,  had  divided  into 
three  large  branches.  Further  on  they  perceived  an  opening, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  was  a  mount  in  form  of  a  susjar  loaf; 
in  throwing  up  of  which,  the  fire  appeared  to  have  exhausted 
itself.  The  reason  that  no  one  before  them  had  ever  ascended 
to  the  top  of  this  mountain,  was  partly  owing  to  superstition, 
and  partly  to  the  steepness  and  difficulty  of  the  ascent,  which 
was  in  a  great  measure  removed  by  an  eruption  in  1766. 

We  now  proceed  to  describe  the  celebrated  Mount  Etna. — 

Now  Etna  roars  with  dreadful  ruins  nigh,       j 

Now  hurls  ahursting-  cloud  of  cinders  high,   ^ 

Involv'd  ill  smoky  wisirlwiiids  to  the  sky  ;        S 

With  loud  displosion  to  the  starry  frame, 

Shoots  fiery  globes  and  furious  floods  of  flame  ; 

Now  from  her  bellowing  caverns  burst  away 

Vast  piles  of  melted  rocks  in  open  day. 

Her  shatter'd  entrails  wide  the  mountain  throws. 

And  deep  as  hell  her  flaming  centre  glows.  Warton. 

Etna  is  a  famous  volcanic  or  burning  mountain  in  Sicily, 
situated  on  the  eastern  coast,  not  far  from  Catania.  The 
height  of  this  mountain  is  more  than  10,000  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  its  circumference  at  the  base  is  180  miles. 
Over  its  sides  are  seventy-seven  cities,  towns,  and  villages, 
the  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  which  is  about  115,000. 
Fi  jm  Catania  to  the  summit,  the  distance  is  thirty  miles;  and 
the  traveller  must  pass  through  three  distinct  climates,  which 
may  be  denominated  the  torrid,  the  temperate,  and  the  frigid. 
Accordingly,  the  whole  mountain  is  divided  into  three  distinct 
regions,  called  the  fertile,  the  woody,  and  the  barren. 

The  first,  or  lowest  region,  extends  through  a  beautiful 
ascent  from  twelve  to  eighteen  miles.  The  city  of  Catania, 
and  several  villages,  are  situated  in  this  first  zone,  and  it 
abounds  in  pastures,  orchards,  and  various  kinds  of  fruit  trees 


444  CUklOSITIES   RESPECTING   MOUNTAINS. 

Its  great  fertility  is  ascribed  to  the  decomposition  of  lava,  and 
of  those  vegetables  which  have  been  introduced  by  the  arts 
of  aoriculture,  and  the  exertions  of  human  industry.  The  fios 
and  fruit  in  general,  in  this  part,  are  reckoned  the  finest  in 
Sicily.  The  lava  of  this  region  flows  from  a  number  of  small 
mountains,. which  are  dispersed  over  the  immense  declivity  of 
Etna. 

The  woody  region,  or  temperate  zone,  extends  from  eight 
to  ten  miles  in  a  direct  line,  towards  the  top  of  the  mountain; 
and  comprehends  a  surface  of  about  forty  or  forty-five  square 
leagues.  It  forms  a  zone  of  the  brightest  green  all  around  the 
mountain,  which  exhibits  a  pleasing  contrast  to  its  white  and 
hoary  summits.  It  is  called  the  woody  region,  because  it 
abounds  with  oaks,  beeches,  and  firs.  The  soil  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  lower  region  ;  the  air  is  cool  and  refreshin"-,  and 
every  breeze  is  loaded  with  a  thousand  perfumes,  the  whole 
ground  being  covered  over  with  the  richest  aromatic  plants. 
Many  parts  of  this  space  are  the  most  heavenly  spots  upon 
earth  ;  and  if  Etna  resemble  Hell  within,  it  may  with  equal 
justice  be  said  to  resemble  Paradise  without 

The  upper  region,  called  the  frigid  zone,  is  marked  out  by 
a  circle  of  snow  and  ice.  The  suiface  of  this  zone  is  for  the 
most  part  flat  and  even,  and  the  approach  to  it  is  indicated 
bv  the  decline  of  vegetation,  by  uncovered  rocks  of  lava  and 
heaps  of  sand,  by  near  views  of  an  expanse  of  snow  and  ice, 
as  well  as  of  torrents  of  smoke  issuing  from  the  crater  of  the 
mountain,  and  by  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  advancing 
amidst  streams  of  melted  snow,  sheets  of  ice,  and  gusts  of 
chilling  wind.  The  curious  traveller,  however,  thinks  himself 
amply  recompensed,  upon  gaining  the  summit,  for  the  peril 
which  he  has  encountered.  At  night,  the  number  of  stars 
seem  increased,  and  their  light  appears  brighter  than  usual. 
The  lustre  of  the  milky-way  is  like  a  pure  flame,  that  shoots 
across  the  heavens,  and  with  the  naked  eye  we  may  observe 
clusters  of  stars  totally  invisible  in  the  lower  regions. 

Dr.  Woodward  mentions  the  existence  of  volcanoes  as  a  spe- 
cial favour  of  Providence,  and  says,  '*  There  are  scarcely  any 
countries,  that  are  much  annoyed  with  earthquakes,  that  have 
not  one  of  these  fiery  vents.  And  these  are  constantly  all  in 
flames  whenever  any  earthquake  happens,  as  they  disgorge 
that  fire,  which,  whilst  underneath,  was  the  cause  of  the  dis- 
aster. Indeed,  (saith  he,)  were  it  not  for  these  diverticula, 
whereby  it  thus  gains  an  exit,  it  would  rage  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth  much  more  furiously,  and  make  greater  havock 
than  it  now  does.  So  that,  though  those  countries  where 
there  are  such  volcanoes  are  usually  more  or  less  troubled  with 
earthquakes ;  yet,  were  these  volcanoes  wanting,  they  would 
be  much  more  annoyed  with  them  than  they  now  are,  yea,  in 


GROTTO    IN    SOUTH    AFRICA.  446 

all  probability,  to  that  degree  as  to  render  the  earth,  for  a 
vast  space  around  them,  perfectly  uninhabitable.  In  one  word, 
so  beneficial  are  these  to  tl)e  territories  where  they  are, 
that  there  do  not  want  instances  of  some  which  have  been 
rescued  from  earthquakes  by  tlie  breakins^  forth  of  a  new 
volcano  there  ;  this  continually  discharginji  that  matter,  which 
being  till  then  barricaded  up  and  imprisoned  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  was  the  occasion  of  very  great  and  frequent 
calamities." 

In  every  case,  where  we  cannot  discern  the  beneficent  ten- 
dency of  particular  phenomena  in  the  universe,  we  ouo"ht  to 
attribute  this  to  our  limited  capacities,  and  not  arraign  the 
almighty  Sovereign.  However  dreadful  and  destructive  subter- 
raneous fires  may  appear;  on  proper  reflection,  it  may  be 
inferred  that  they  are  as  necessary  in  promoting  and  sustain- 
ing the  operations  of  this  part  of  the  universe,  as  the  natural 
heat  in  men's  bodies  is  to  the  preservation  and  support  of 
their  beino-. 


CHAP.  XLII. 
CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  GROTTOS,   CAVES,  ^c. 

Grotto  in  South  Africa — Grotto  del  Cani — Grotto  of  Antiparos 
—  Grotto  of  Giiacharo — S)ioiv  Grotto — Cave  of  I'ingal — Cave 
near  Mexico — The  Nitre  Caves  of  Missouri — Oket/  Hole — 
Borrowda/e — Needle's  Ei/e. 

Sweet  interchange 


Of  hill  and  valley,  rivers,  woods,  and  plains, 

Now  land,  now  sea,  and  shores  with  forests  crown'd.       Milton, 

Grotto  in  South  Africa.  From  Thorn's  account  of  his 
Journey  to  South  Africa. — "  In  the  country  of  Kango  is  the 
greatest  natural  curiosity  of  South  Africa,  a  grotto  of  unknown 
extent.  This  I  visited,  and  spent  four  or  five  hours  in  it.  It 
was  generally  supposed  that  the  end  of  it  had  been  discovered, 
but  we  proved  it  to  be  still  unknown  ;  though,  from  the  in- 
formation I  received,  we  proceeded  into  it  further  than  any 
others,  and  our  entrance  into  the  third  newly  discovered  cham- 
bers, or  cave,  was  only  prevented  by  a  descent  of  fourteen  feet. 
This  great  and  astonishing  work  of  God  is  divided  into  various 
apartments,  from  fourteen  to  seventy  feet  in  length,  and  eight 
to  one  hundred  in  breadth.  By  measurement,  I  found  that  we 
had  j)roceededaboutnine  hundred  feetinto  the  cavern  of  a  moun- 
tain, of  five  hundred  feet  in  perpendicular  height;    the  grotto 


446  CURIOSITIES — GROTTOS   AND  CAVES. 

is  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river  running 
by  the  hill. 

"  The  stalactites,  united  or  disunited,  form  a  hundred  figures, 
so  that,  without  any  effort  of  imagination,  nature  would  seem 
here  to  have  assumed  the  province  of  art :  for  her  canopies, 
organs,  pulpits,  vast  candles,  inimense  pillars,  heads  even  of 
men  and  animals,  meet  the  astonished  visitor  on  all  sides;  so 
that  he  supposes  himself  in  a  new  part  of  the  universe.  Eye, 
thought,  and  feeling,  are  equally  overpowered  ;  and,  to  com- 
plete tiiis  remarkable  assemblage,  there  are  various  baths,  or 
cisterns  of  water,  as  clear  as  crystal,  divided  by  partitions,  as 
if  a  most  ingenious  sculptor  had  wrought  for  some  weeks  in 
this  subterraneous  place  of  nature.  Ten  young  colonists, 
with  two  slave  guides,  and  my  servant,  were  with  me.  We 
had  a  flambeau  and  a  number  of  large  candles  ;  but  even  these 
did  not  chase  away  the  darkness  which  eclipsed  the  beauties 
of  this  great  work  of  nature,  which  had  been  forming  from 
age  to  age,  and  was  first  discovered  in  the  year  1788.  It  is  a 
remarkable  circumstance,  that  no  traveller  appears  to  have 
visited  it,  or  the  various  sub-districts  which  I  have  described 
above,  since  that  time  till  we  entered  it." 

The  Grotto  del  Cani. — This  is  a  little  cavern  near  Poz- 
Kuoli,  four  leagues  from  Naples:  the  air  contained  in  it  is  of  a 
mephitical  or  noxious  quality  ;  it  is  in  truth  carbonic  acid 
gas,  whence  also  it  is  called  Bocca  Venenosa,  the  Poisonous 
Mouth.  "  Two  miles  from  Naples,  (says  Dr.  Mead,)  just  by  the 
Lago  de  Agnano,  is  a  celebrated  mofeta,  commonly  called  La 
Grotto  del  Cani,  which  is  destructive  of  all  animal  life  that 
comes  within  the  rea(  h  of  its  vapours.  It  is  a  small  grotto, 
about  eight  feet  high,  twelve  long,  and  six  broad;  from  the 
ground  arises  a  thin,  subtile,  warm  fume,  visible  enough  to  a 
discerning  eye,  which  does  not  spring  up  in  little  parcels  here 
and  there,  but  in  one  continued  stream,  covering  the  whole 
surface  of  the  bottom  of  the  cave ;  having  this  remarkable 
difference  from  common  vapours,  that  it  does  not,  like  smoke, 
disperse  into  the  air,  but  quickly  after  its  rise  falls  back  again, 
and  returns  to  the  earth,  or  hovers  to  a  certain  height,  above 
which  it  never  rises.  This  fact  is  ascertained  by  the  colour 
of  the  sides  of  the  grotto,  which,  as  high  as  the  vapour 
ascends,  is  of  a  darkish  green,  but  above  this  it  has  only  the 
appearance  of  common  earth.  As  I  found  no  inconvenience 
from  standing  in  it  myself,  so  I  believe  no  animal,  if  its  head 
were  kept  above  this  mark,  would  be  in  the  least  injured. 
But  when,  as  is  often  the  case,  a  dog,  or  any  other  creature, 
is  forcibly  kept  below  it,  or  the  animal  is  so  small  that  it 
cannot  hold  its  head  above  this  noxious  vapour,  it  presently 
loses  all  voluntary  motion,  falls  down  as  dead,  or  in  a  swoon  ; 


GROTTO  OF  ANTIPAROS.  44'/ 

the  limbs  at  first  become  convulsed  and  trembling,  till  at  last 
no  more  signs  of  lite  appear,  than  a  very  weak  and  almost 
insensible  beating  of  the  heart  and  arteries  ;  which,  if  the 
animal  is  left  a  little  longer,  quickly  ceases  also,  and  then  its 
fate  is  irrevocable;  but  if  it  be  snatched  out  and  laid  in  the 
air,  it  soon  revives,  and,  if  thrown  into  the  adjacent  lake, 
resuscitation  is  still  more  rapid." 

We  now  proceed  to  the  famous  Grotto  of  Antiparos. — • 
This  grotto  takes  its  name  from  the  small  island  in  which  it 
is  situated.  The  following  is  Mr.  Charles  Saunders's  account 
of  his  descent  into  this  celebrated  grotto. 

"  Its  entrance  lies  in  the  side  of  a  rock,  and  is  a  spacious 
arch,  formed  of  rough  crags,  overhung  with  fantastic  wreaths 
of  climbing  shrubs.  Our  party  amounted  to  six,  attended  by 
the  same  number  of  guides,  furnished  with  lighted  torches. 
We  presently  lost  every  ray  of  daylight,  but  following  our 
leaders,  we  entered  into  a  low  narrow  passage,  lined  on  all 
sides  with  stones,  that,  from  the  reflection  of  the  torches, 
glittered  like  diamonds,  and  displayed  the  colours  of  the 
rainbow.  At  the  end  of  this  passage,  our  guides  desired  us 
to  tie  a  rope  about  our  waists,  and  then  led  us  to  the  brink  of 
a  frightful  precipice.  The  descent  was  steep,  and  the  place 
dark  and  gloomy.  The  exchange  of  the  lane  of  diamonds 
for  this  abyss  of  darkness  was  very  unwelcome  ;  but  I  had 
travelled  far  to  gratify  my  curiosity,  and  I  hazarded  the  event. 
The  rope  being  held  by  the  guides  at  top,  I  was  first  letdown, 
and,  after  dangling  a  minute  or  two,  reached  the  bottom  with 
my  feet. 

"  My  friends,  encouraged  by  my  example,  followed  ;  and  we 
pursued  our  way  under  a  roof  of  ragged  rocks  for  thirty  yards, 
hoping  every  moment  to  see  the  opening  of  the  expected 
grotto  ;  but  our  guides  plainly  told  us  we  had  far  to  go,  and 
much  to  encounter,  before  we  should  reach  it,  and  those  who 
wanted  courage  and  perseverance  had  better  return.  None  of 
us,  however,  would  act  so  cowardly  a  part,  though  the  sight 
of  another  precipice,  much  deeper  and  more  formidable  than 
the  first,  almost  shook  our  resolution.  Bv  the  lisfht  of  the 
torches,  we  could  perceive  that  we  were  to  plunge  into  a 
place  encumbered  with  vast  pieces  of  rough  rugged  rocks, 
and  that  we  should  be  forced  sometimes  to  climb  over,  and 
sometimes  to  creep  under  them;  while  on  the  other  side  were 
numerous  dark  caverns,  like  so  many  wells,  which  if  one's  foot 
should  slip,  would  swallow  us  up.  Two  of  our  guides  went 
before  us,  and  as  we  stood  on  the  edge,  we  were  terrified 
to  see  them  go  lower,  till  they  appeared  at  a  frightful  depth 
beneath  us.  When  they  were  at  the  bottom,  they  hallooed  to 
us,  and  we   very  reluctantly  followed.     In  the  midst  of  the 


448  CURIOSITIES— GROTTOS   AND  CAVES. 

way,  we  came  to  a  place  where  a  rock  that  was  perpen- 
dicular, and  a  vast  cavern,  on  one  side  threatened  us  with 
destruction,  whilst  a  wall  of  rugged  rock  seemed  impassable 
on  the  other.  Here  again  we  hesitated  whether  to  proceed  or 
not:  but  the  guides  assured  us  they  had  often  gone  the  same 
way  with  safety,  we  therefore  took  fresh  resolution,  and  on 
we  went  to  a  corner,  where  was  placed  an  old,  slippery,  rotten 
ladder,  which  we  ventured  to  descend. 

"  At  the  bottom  we  perceived  ourselves  at  the  entrance  of 
another  passage,  which  was  rather  dismal,  but  not  wholly 
without  beauty.  A  wide  gradual  descent  led  us  into  a  noble 
vault,  with  a  bottom  of  fine,  green,  glossy  marble,  over  which 
we  were  to  slide  on  our  seats;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  we 
could  keep  ourselves  from  going  too  fast,  and  tumbling  over 
one  another.  The  walls  and  arch  of  the  roof  is  as  smooth  in 
most  places  as  if  chiselled  bv  a  skilful  workman,  and  are  formed 
of  a  glistering  red  and  white  granite,  supported  in  several 
places  with  columns  of  a  deep  blood-coloured  shining  por- 
phyry. Here,  to  our  terror,  we  lost  sight  of  the  two  guides 
that  went  before  us,  and  at  the  end  of  the  passage  found  our- 
selves at  the  brink  of  another  precipice,  the  bottom  of  which 
we  reached  by  the  help  of  a  ladder,  not  much  better  than  the 
former. 

"  Had  not  the  dread  of  falling  taken  up  my  attention,  I  should 
have  admired  many  of  the  natural  ornaments  of  this  obscure 
cavity.  The  rock  to  which  the  ladder  was  fixed  was  one 
mass  of  red  marble,  covered  with  white  branches  of  rock 
crystal,  and  might  be  com[)ared,  from  the  hue  of  the  rock 
behind,  to  an  inmiense  sheet  of  amethysts.  From  the  foot  of 
this  ladder,  we  were  compelled  to  slide,  face  downwards, 
through  another  shallow  vault  of  polished  green  and  white 
marble,  for  about  twenty  feet;  and  we  then  rejoined  our 
guides,  wlio  prudentlv  gave  us  some  refreshment,  to  enable 
us  to  face  the  dangers  we  had  yet  to  encounter. 

"We  now  advanced  through  a  narrow  slanting  passage  of 
rough  coarse  stone,  so  much  resembling  snakes  curled  round, 
that  nothino;  was  wantino-  but  a  hissino-  sound,  to  make  us 
fancy  that  thousands  of  those  noisome  reptiles  surrounded  us. 
There  was  still  another  terrible  precipice  to  pass;  but  as  we 
heard  that  it  was  the  last,  we  made  no  hesitation  in  descend- 
ing the  ladder.  After  this,  we  proceeded  upon  even  ground 
for  about  forty  yards,  when  we  were  again  entreated  by  our 
guides  to  fasten  the  ropes  about  our  waists;  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  suspending  us  over  a  height,  but  as  a  means  of  secu- 
rity against  the  lakes  and  deep  waters  that  are  numerous  in 
this  part  of  the  cavern.  At  length  we  reached  the  last  pas- 
sage, the  dismal  gloom  of  which  might  furnish  images  for  a 
poetical   description   of  Tartarus.     The  sides  and  roof  were 


GROTTO  OF  ANTIPATIOS.  449 

formed  of  black  stone,  and  the  way  was  so  rugged,  that  we  were 
often  obliged  to  slide  upon  our  backs  The  angles  of  the  rocks 
cut  our  clothes,  and  bruised  our  flesh  in  a  miserable  manner. 

"Though  I  believed  myself  so  near  the  object  of  my  curiosity, 
I  wished  sincerely  that  I  had  never  been  allured,  bv  the  ac- 
counts of  travellers,  to  venture  into  such  a  horrible  place, 
when  suddenly  we  lost  sight  of  four  out  of  our  six  guides. 
The  want  of  their  torches  increased  the  melancholy  gloom; 
and  the  supposition  that  they  had  fallen  into  some  of  the 
black  pools  of  water  that  abound  here,  added  to  the  appre- 
hension for  our  own  safety,  as  well  as  concern  for  their  fate. 
The  two  remaining  guides  assured  us,  that  their  companions 
were  safe,  and  that  we  should  soon  be  rewarded  for  all  that 
we  had  suH'ered,  if  we  would  but  advance.  Our  passage  was 
now  become  very  narrow,  and  we  were  obliged  to  crawl  on  all 
fours  over  rugged  rocks,  when,  hearing  a  little  hissing  noise, 
in  an  instant  we  were  left  in  utter  darkness.  To  our  inex- 
pressible terror,  the  guides  told  us  that  they  had  accidentally 
dropped  their  torches  into  one  of  the  pools  ;  but  that  there 
was  no  dan  er  in  crawling  forward,  as  we  should  soon  over- 
take their  fellows.  I  now  gave  myself  up  for  lost,  and  expected 
that  I  must  perish  in  this  dreadful  cavern.  Whilst  I  thus 
yielded  to  despair,  one  of  the  guides  came  to  me,  blindfolded 
me  with  his  hand,  and  dragged  me  a  few  paces  forward.  I 
imagined  his  design  was  to  rob  and  murder  me;  however,  in 
the  midst  of  my  panic,  he  lifted  me  over  a  huge  stone,  and 
set  me  on  my  feet,  withdrawing  his  hand  from  my  eyes  at  the 
same  time. 

"  What  words  can  express  my  transport  and  astonishment : 
instead  of  darkness  and  despair,  all  was  splendour  and  mag- 
nificence. The  six  guides  welcomed  me  into  the  Grotto  of 
Antiparos.  Those  whom  we  had  missed,  only  went  before  to 
prepare  the  grotto  for  our  reception,  which  was  illuminated 
with  fifty  torches,  and  produced  an  effect  no  words  can  describe. 
Imagine  yourself  in  an  arched  cavern,  485  yards  deep,  120 
yards  wide,  113  long,  and,  as  near  as  we  could  measure  by 
the  eye,  about  60  yards  high,  lined  on  every  part  with  brilliant 
crystallized  white  marble,  and  well  illuminated.  The  roof  is 
a  grand  vaulted  arch,  hung  all  over  with  pendent  icicles  of 
shining  white  marble,  some  of  them  ten  feet  long,  and  covered 
with  clusters  of  the  same  material,  resembling  festoons  and 
garlands  of  flowers,  glittering  like  precious  stones.  From 
the  sides  of  the  arch  proceed  fantastic  forms  of  the  same  glit- 
tering spar,  that  fancy  can  easily  shape  into  trees,  entwined 
with  flowers  and  climbing  shrubs  ;  and  in  some  parts  the  con- 
gelations have  taken  the  appearance  of  the  meanders  of  a 
windino-  stream.  The  floor,  though  roush  and  uneven,  is  full 
of  crystals  of  all  colours. 

3L 


450  CURIOSITIES—  GROTTOS  AND   CA^ES. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of  the  S)Dlen- 
dours  of  tliis  natural  temple,  the  ornaments  of  which  are  formed 
of  the  droppings  of  water,  that,  in  ^reat  length  of  time,  become 
congealed  into  a  kind  of  brilliant  spar. 

"  Having  contemplated  this  charming  spectacle  with  delight, 
and  raised  our  aspiration  to  that  Being,  whose  creative  powers 
are  displayed  in  the  most  obscure,  as  well  as  in  the  most  visi- 
ble part  of  his  works,  we  returned,  impressed  with  the  con- 
viction, that  no  good  can  be  attained  without  difficulty  and 
perseverance." 

The  Grotto  of  Guacharo. — The  gulf  of  Cariacho  is  fre- 
quented by  innumerable  flocks  of  marine  birds,  of  various  kinds. 
*'  When  the  natives  wish  to  catch  any  of  these  wild  fowl,  (says 
M.  Lavayse,)  they  go  into  the  water,  having  their  heads  covered 
each  with  a  calabash,  in  which  they  make  two  holes  for  seeing 
through.  They  thus  swim  towards  the  birds,  throwing  a 
handful  of  maize  on  the  water  from  time  to  time,  which  be- 
comes scattered  on  the  surface.  The  ducks  and  other  birds 
approach  to  feed  on  the  maize,  and  at  that  moment  the  swim- 
mer seizes  them  by  the  feet,  pulls  them  under  water,  and 
wrings  their  necks  before  they  can  make  the  least  movement, 
or,  by  their  noise,  spread  an  alarm  among  the  flock.  The 
swimmer  attaches  those  he  has  caught  to  his  girdle,  and  he 
generally  takes  as  many  as  are  necessary  for  his  family." 

Amongst  the  natural  curiosities  of  this  neighbourhood,  is  a 
lake  full  of  crocodiles,  and  various  other  reptiles,  one  of  w  hich, 
if  we  are  to  believe  a  common  tradition  of  the  people,  resem- 
bles the  winged  dragon  of  the  poets.  In  going  from  Carupano 
to  Guiria,  our  author  passed  through  the  "  smiling  valley"  of 
Rio  Corbe,  watered  by  numerous  streams,  and  which  he  calls 
the  Temple  and  Compagna  of  Venezuela.  Speaking  of  the 
celebrated  Grotto  of  Guacharo,  in  the  mountains  of  Bergantin, 
M.  Lavayse  observes,  "  In  every  country  the  same  causes 
have  produced  similar  effects  on  the  imagination  of  our  spe- 
cies. The  grotto  of  Guacharo  is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Indians, 
a  place  of  trial  and  expiation  :  souls,  when  separated  from  their 
bodies,  go  to  this  cavern ;  those  men  who  die  without  reproach 
do  not  remain  in  it,  but  immediately  ascend,  to  reside  with 
the  great  Manitou  in  the  dwellings  of  the  blessed  ;  and  such 
men  as  have  committed  but  slight  faults,  of  a  venial  nature, 
are  kept  there  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period,  according  to 
their  crime ;  while  those  of  the  wicked  are  retained  there 
eternally. 

"  Immediately  after  the  death  of  their  parents  and  friends, 
the  Indians  proceed  to  the  entrance  of  this  cavern,  to  listen 
to  their  groans.  If  they  think  they  hear  their  voices,  they 
also   laujent,  and  address  a  prayer  to   the  Great  Spirit,  and 


GROTTO   OF  GUACHARO.  451 

another  to  the  devil,  Muboya ;  after  which  they  drown  their 
grief  with  intoxicating  beverages  :  but,  if  they  do  not  hear 
the  voices  of  their  friends,  they  express  their  joy  by  dances 
and  festivals.  In  all  this,  there  is  but  one  circumstance  that 
creates  surprise;  it  is,  that  the  Indian  priests  have  not  availed 
themselves  of  such  credulity  to  augment  their  revenues.  Many 
Indians,  though  otherwise  converted  to  Christianity,  have  not 
ceased  to  believe,  that  to  be  in  the  cave  of  Guacharo  is  syno- 
nymous with  dying. 

"  Thus,  in  the  majestic  forests  of  South  America,  as  in  the 
ancient  civilization  of  Hindoostan  ;  under  the  harsh  climates 
of  the  north  of  Europe  and  Canada,  as  in  the  burning  regions 
of  Africa  ;  in  all  parts,  men  of  every  colour  are  distinguished 
from  other  animals  by  this  irresistible  foreboding  of  a  future 
life,  in  which  an  Omnipotent  Being  recompenses  the  good 
and  punishes  evil  doers.  Whatever  may  be  the  modifications, 
differences,  or  absurdities,  with  which  imagination,  ignorance, 
and  greedy  imposture,  have  enveloped  this  belief,  it  appears 
to  be  one  of  the  strongest  moral  proofs  of  the  identity  of  our 
species,  and  to  be  a  natural  consequence  of  reflection." — 
Sketches  of  South  America. 

We  will  now  beg  the  attention  of  our  readers,  while  we  relate 
some  particulars  respecting  The  Snow  Grotto. — This  is  an 
excavation  made  by  the  waters  on  the  side  of  Mount  Etna,  by 
making  their  way  under  the  layers  of  lava,  and  carrying  away 
the  bed  of  pozzolano  below  theim.  It  occurred  to  the  proprie 
tor,  that  this  place  was  very  suitable  for  a  magazine  of  snowj 
for  in  Sicily,  at  Naples,  and  particularly  at  Malta,  they  are 
obliged,  for  want  of  ice,  to  make  use  of  snow  for  cooling  their 
wine,  sherbet,  and  other  liquors,  and  for  making  sweetmeats. 
This  grotto  was  hired,  or  bought,  by  the  knights  of  Malta, 
who  having  neither  ice  nor  snow  on  the  burning  rock  which 
they  inhabit,  have  hired  several  caverns  on  Etna,  into  which, 
people  whom  they  employ,  collect  and  preserve  quantities  of 
snow,  to  be  sent  to  Malta  when  needed.  This  grotto  has 
therefore  been  repaired  within,  at  the  expense  of  the  order; 
flights  of  steps  are  cut  into  it,  as  well  as  two  openings  from 
above,  through  which  they  throw  in  the  snow,  and  by  means 
of  which  the  grotto  is  enlightened.  Above  the  grotto  they 
have  also  levelled  a  piece  of  ground  of  considerable  extent : 
this  they  have  inclosed  with  thick  and  lofty  walls,  so  that 
when  the  winds,  which  at  this  elevation  blow  with  great  vio- 
lence, carry  the  snow  from  the  higher  parts  of  the  mountain, 
and  deposit  it  in  this  inclosure,  it  is  retained  and  amassed  by 
the  walls.  The  people  then  remove  it  into  the  grotto,  through 
the  two  openings  ;  and  it  is  there  laid  up  and  preserved  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  resist  the  force  of  the   summer  heats,  as 


452  CURIOSITIES — GROTTOS  AND   CAVES. 

the  layers  of  lava,  with  which  the  grotto  is  arched  above, 
prevent  them  from  making  any  impression. 

When  the  season  for  exporting  the  snow  comes  on,  it  is 
put  into  large  bags,  into  which  it  is  pressed  as  closely  as 
possible ;  it  is  then  carried  by  men  out  of  the  grotto,  and 
laid  upon  mules,  which  convey  it  to  the  shore,  where  small 
vessels  are  waiting  to  carry  it  away.  But  before  those  lumps 
of  snow  are  put  into  bags,  they  are  wrapped  in  fresh  leaves; 
so  that  while  they  are  conveyed  from  the  grotto  to  the  shore, 
the  leaves  may  prevent  the  rays  of  the  sun  from  making  any 
impression  upon  them. 

The  Sicilians  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  in  snow,  which 
affords  employment  to  some  thousands  of  men,  horses,  and 
mules.  They  have  magazines  of  it  on  the  summits  of  their 
loftiest  mountains,  from  which  they  distribute  it  through  all 
their  cities,  towns,  and  houses  ;  for  every  person  in  the  island 
makes  use  of  the  snow.  They  consider  the  practice  of  cool- 
ing their  liquors  as  absolutely  necessary  for  the  preservation 
of  health  ;  and  in  a  climate,  the  heat  of  vv'hich  is  constantly  re- 
laxing the  fibres,  cooling  liquors,  by  communicating  a  proper 
tone  to  the  fibres  of  the  stomach,  must  greatly  strengthen 
them  for  the  performance  of  their  functions.  In  this  climate  a 
scarcity  of  snow  is  no  less  dreaded  than  a  scarcity  of  corn, 
wine,  or  oil.  We  are  informed  by  a  gentleman  who  was  at 
Syracuse  in  1777,  when  there  was  a  scarcity  of  snow,  that  the 
people  of  the  town  learned  that  a  small  vessel  laden  with  that 
article  was  passing  the  coast:  without  a  moment's  deliberation, 
they  ran  in  a  body  to  the  shore,  and  demanded  her  cargo; 
which  when  the  crew  refused  to  deliver  up,  the  Syracusans 
attacked  and  took,  though  with  the  loss  of  several  men. 

The  next  object  that  claims  our  regard  is  The  Cave  of 
FiNOAL,  or  An-ua-vine,  in  the  Island  of  Staffa. 
From  Faujas  St.  Fond's  Travels  in  England,  Scotland,  and 
the   Hebrides. 

"This  superb  and  magnificent  monument  of  a  grand  subter- 
raneous combustion,  the  date  of  which  has  been  lost  in  the 
lapse  of  ages,  presents  an  appearance  of  order  and  regularity 
so  wonderful,  that  it  is  difficult  for  the  coldest  observer,  and 
a  person  the  least  sensible  to  the  phenomena  which  relate 
to  the  convulsions  of  the  globe,  not  to  be  singularly  astonished 
by  this  prodigy,  which  may  be  considered  as  a  kind  of  natural 
palace. 

"To  shelter  myself  from  all  critical  observation  on  the 
emotions  which  I  experienced  while  contemplating  the  most 
extraordinary  of  any  cavern  known,  I  shall  borrow  the  ex- 
pressions of  him  who  first  described  it.  Those  who  are 
acquaiuted  with  the  character  of  this  illustrious   naturalist. 


THE  CAVE   OF   FINGAL.  453 

Sir  Joseph  Banks,  will  not  be  apt  to  accuse  him  of  being 
liable  to  be  hurried  away  by  the  force  of  a  too  ardent  imagi- 
nation ;  but  the  sensation  which  he  felt  at  the  view  of  this 
magnihcent  scene  was  such,  that  it  was  impossible  to  escape 
a  degree  of  just  enthusiasm. 

"  The  impatience  which  every  body  felt  to  see  the  wonders 
we  have  heard  so  largely  described,  prevented  our  morning's 
rest;  every  one  was  up  and  in  motion  before  the  break  of  day, 
and  with  the  first  light  arrived  at  the  south-west  part  of  the 
island,  the  seat  of  the  most  remarkable  pillars.  We  were  no 
sooner  arrived  at  this  place,  than  we  were  struck  with  a  scene 
of  magnificence  which  exceeded  our  expectation,  though 
formed  as  we  thought  upon  the  most  sanguine  foundations 
The  whole  of  that  end  of  the  island  is  supported  by  ranges 
of  natural  pillars,  mostly  above  fifty  feet  high,  standing  in 
natural  colonnades,  according  as  the  bays  or  points  of  land 
formed  themselves,  upon  a  firm  basis  of  solid  shapeless  masses 
of  rock.  In  a  short  time  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave, 
the  most  magnificent,  1  suppose,  that  has  ever  been  described 
by  travellers. 

'  The  mind  can  hardly  form  an  idea  of  any  thing  more  mag- 
nificent than  such  a  space,  supported  on  each  side  by  ranges 
of  columns,  and  roofed  by  the  bottoms  of  those  from  which 
they  have  been  broken,  in  order  to  form  it,  between  the  angles 
of  which  a  yellow  stalagmitic  matter  has  exuded  ;  this  serves 
to  define  the  angles  precisely,  and  at  the  same  time  vary  the 
colour  with  a  great  deal  of  elegance,  and,  to  render  it  still 
more  agreeable,  the  whole  is  lighted  from  without ;  so  that 
the  farthest  extremity  is  very  plainly  seen  from  the  outside, 
and  the  air  within,  being  agitated  by  the  flux  and  retlux  of  the 
tides,  is  perfectly  dry  and  wholesome,  entirely  free  from  the 
vapours  with  which  natural  caverns  in  general  abound." 

The  following  description  of  the  same  place  by  Mr.  Troil, 
is  also  worthy  of  our  notice  : — 

"  How  splendid  (says  this  prelate)  do  the  porticos  of  the 
ancients  appear  in  our  eyes,  from  the  ostentatious  magnifi- 
cence of  the  descriptions  we  have  received  of  them  !  and  with 
what  admiration  are  we  seized,  on  seeing  even  the  colonnades  of 
our  modern  edifices!  but  when  we  behold  the  cave  of  Fingal, 
formed  by  nature  in  the  isle  of  Staffa,  it  is  no  longer  possible 
to  make  a  comparison,  and  we  are  forced  to  acknowledge  that 
this  piece  of  architecture,  executed  by  nature,  far  surpasses 
that  of  the  Louvre,  that  of  St.  Peter  at  Rome,  and  even  what 
remains  of  Palmira  and  Pestum,  and  all  that  the  genius,  the 
taste,  and  the  luxury  of  the  Greeks,  were  ever  capable  of 
inventing." — Letters  on  Iceland. 

Such  also  was  the  impression  made  by  the  cave  of  Fingal, 
oo  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  and  on  the  Bishop  of  Linckceping.— 


454  CURIOSITIES GROTTOS    AND    CAVES. 

"  I  have  seen  many  ancient  volcanoes,  and  have  given  de- 
scriptions of  several  superb  basaltic  causeways  and  delightful 
caverns  in  the  midst  of  lavas  ;  but  I  have  never  found  any 
thing  which  comes  near  tiiis,  or  can  bear  any  comparison  with 
it,  either  for  the  admirable  regularity  of  the  columns,  the 
height  of  the  arch,  the  situation,  the  forms,  the  elegance  of 
this  j)roduction  of  nature,  or  for  its  resemblance  to  the  master- 
pieces of  art,  though  this  had  no  share  in  its  construction. 
It  is  therefore  not  at  all  surprising  that  tradition  should 
have  made  it  the  abode  of  a  hero. 

"  This  amazing  monument  of  nature  is  thirty-five  feet  wide  at 
the  entrance,  fifty-six  feet  high,  and  a  hundred  and  forty  feet 
long. 

"  The  upright  columns  which  compose  the  frontispiece,  are 
of  the  most  perfect  regularity.  Their  height,  to  the  beginning 
of  the  curvature,  is  forty-five  feet. 

"The  arch  is  composed  of  two  unequal  segments  of  a  circle, 
which  form  a  sort  of  natural  pediment. 

"  The  mass  which  crowns,  or  rather  which  forms  the  roof,  is 
twenty  feet  thick  in  the  lowest  part.  It  consists  of  small 
prisms,  more  or  less  regular,  inclining  in  all  directions,  closely 
united  and  cemented  underneath,  and  in  the  joints,  with  a 
yellowish  white  calcareous  matter,  and  some  zeolitic  infiltra- 
tions, which  give  this  fine  ceiling  the  appearance  of  mozaic 
work. 

"  The  sea  reaches  to  the  very  extremity  of  the  cave.  It  is 
fifteen  feet  deep  at  the  mouth  ;  and  its  waves,  incessantly  agi- 
tated, beat  with  great  noise  against  the  bottom  and  walls  of 
the  cavern,  and  every  where  break  into  foam.  The  light  also 
penetrates  through  its  whole  length,  diminishing  gradually 
inwards,  and  exhibiting  the  most  wonderful  varieties  of  co- 
lour. 

"  The  right  side  of  the  entrance  presents,  on  its  exterior  part, 
a  vast  amphitheatre,  formed  of  ditterent  ranges  of  large  trun- 
cated prisms,  the  top  of  which  may  be  easily  walked  on. 
Several  of  these  prisms  are  jointed,  that  is,  concave  on  the 
one  side,  and  convex  on  the  other;  and  some  of  them  are 
divided  by  simple  transverse  intersections. 

"  These  prisms,  consisting  of  a  very  durable  and  pure  black 
basaltes,  are  from  one  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  Their  forms 
are  triangular,  tetrapedral,  pentagonal,  and  hexagonal ;  and 
some  of  them  have  seven  or  eight  sides.  I  saw  several  large 
prisms,  on  the  truncatures  of  which  are  distinctly  traced  the 
outlines  of  a  number  of  smaller  prisms  ;  that  is,  these  prisms 
are  formed  of  a  basaltes,  which  has  a  tendency  to  subdivide 
itself  likewise  into  prisms.  I  had  before  observed  the  same 
phenomenon  in  the  basaltic  prisms  of  Vivarais. 

"1  he  cave  can  be  entered  only  by  proceeding  along  the  plat- 


CAVE  OF  FINGAL. 


455 


form  on  the  right  side,  which  I  have  mentioned  above.  But 
the  way  grows  very  narrow  and  difficult  as  it  advances;  for 
ttiis  sort  of  interior  gallery,  raised  about  fifteen  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  is  formed  entirely  of  truncated  perpendicular 
prisms  of  a  greater  or  less  height,  between  which  considerable 
address  is  necessary  to  choose  one's  steps,  the  passages  being 
so  strait  and  so  slippery,  owing  to  the  droppings  from  the 
roof,  that  I  took  the  very  prudent  resolution,  suggested  by 
our  two  guides,  to  proceed  barefooted,  and  take  advantage 
of  their  assistance,  especially  in  a  particular  place,  where  I 
had  room  only  to  plant  one  foot,  whilst  I  clung  with  my  right 
hand  to  a  large  prism  to  support  myself,  and  held  the  hand  of 
one  of  the  guides  by  the  other.  This  difficult  operation  took 
place  at  the  darkest  part  of  the  cave  ;  and  one  half  of  the  body 
was  at  the  time  suspended  over  an  abyss,  where  the  sea  dashed 
itself  into  a  cloud  of  foam. 

"  I  w;is  desirous  of  penetrating  to  the  farthest  extremity,  and 
I  accomplished  my  purpose,  though  not  without  considerable 
difficulty  and  danger.  I  more  than  once  found  my  attention 
distracted  from  the  observations  which  I  was  happy  to  have 
an  opportunity  of  making,  to  the  thought  of  how  1  should  get 
back  again. 

"  As  1  drew  near  to  the  bottom  of  the  cave,  the  bold  balcony, 
on  which  I  walked,  expanded  into  a  large  sloping  space,  com- 
posed of  thousands  of  broken  vertical  columns.  The  bottom 
was  bounded  by  a  compact  range  of  pillars  of  an  unequal 
height,  and  resembling  the  front  of  an  organ." 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  at  the  time  when  Mr.  Troil 
visited  the  cave,  the  sea,  by  one  of  those  uncommon  chances 
which  do  not  happen  once  in  ten  years,  was  so  calm,  that  it 
permitted  him  to  enter  with  a  boat. 

"  At  the  very  bottom  of  the  cave,  (says  he,)  and  a  little 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  there  is  a  kind  of  small  cave, 
which  sends  forth  a  very  ai>reeable  noise  every  time  that  the 
water  rushes  into  it." — Letters  on  Iceland. 

"  As  the  sea  was  far  from  being  completely  still  when  I  visited 
it,  I  heard  a  noise  of  a  very  different  nature  every  time  that 
the  waves,  in  a  rapid  succession,  broke  against  its  bottom. 
This  sound  resembled  that  which  is  produced  by  striking  a 
large  hard  body  with  great  weight  and  force  against  another 
hard  body  in  a  subterraneous  cavity.  The  shock  was  so  vio- 
lent, that  it  was  heard  at  some  distance,  and  the  whole  cavern 
seemed  to  shake  with  it.  Being  close  to  the  place  whence 
the  sound  issued,  and  where  the  water  is  not  so  deep,  upon 
the  retreat  of  the  wave,  I  endeavoured  to  discover  the  cause 
of  this  teriilde  collision.  1  soon  observed,  that,  a  little  below 
the  basis  which  supported  the  organ-fronted  colonnade,  there 
was  an  aperture  which  formed  the  outlet  of  a  hollow,  or  per- 


456  CURIOSITIES — GROTTOS  AND  CAVES. 

haps  a  small  cave.  It  was  impossible  to  penetrate  into  this 
cavity;  but  it  may  be  presumed  that  the  tremendous  noise  was 
occasioned  by  a  broken  rock,  driven  by  the  violent  impetu- 
osity of  the  surge  against  its  sides.  By  the  boiling  motion  of 
the  water,  however,  in  the  same  place,  it  is  evident  that  there 
are  several  other  small  passages,  through  which  it  issues,  after 
rushing  into  the  principal  aperture  in  a  mass.  It  is  therefore 
not  impossible,  when  the  sea  is  not  sufficiently  agitated  to 
put  the  imprisoned  rock  in  motion,  that  the  air,  strongly 
compressed  by  the  weight  of  the  water,  which  is  in  incessant 
fluctuation,  should,  on  rushing  out  by  the  small  lateral 
passages,  produce  a  particularly  strange  sound.  It  might 
then  be  truly  regarded  as  an  organ  created  by  the  hand  of 
nature  ;  and  this  circumstance  would  fully  explain  why  the 
ancient  and  real  name  of  this  cave,  in  the  Erse  language,  is. 
The  Melodious  Cave." 

Sir  Jose|)h  Banks,  in  the  description  which  he  has  given  us 
of  the  cave  of  Staffa,  says,  that  "  between  the  angles  a  yellow 
stalagmitic  matter  has  exuded,  which  seemed  to  define  the 
angles  precisely."  That  is  true  ;  but  the  learned  naturalist 
has  not  told  us  the  nature  of  this  yellowish  matter. 

Mr.  Troil  mentions  it  also:  he  says,  that  tiie  "  colour  of 
the  columns  is  a  dark  gray,  but  that  the  joints  are  filled  with 
a  quartzose  stalactites,  which  distinctly  marks  the  separation 
of  the  columns,  and  which,  by  the  variety  of  its  tints,  has  the 
most  agreeable  effect  on  the  eye.  On  breaking  off  several 
pieces  of  it,  which  it  is  not  very  easy  to  do,  owing  to  the 
height  of  the  vault,  I  found  that  it  was  nothing  but  a  calca- 
reous matter,  coloured  by  the  decomposition  of  the  iron  of  the 
lava,  and  intermixed  with  a  little  argillaceous  earth.  This 
stalactites  has  also  very  little  adhesion,  and  is,  in  general,  of 
an  earthy  nature.  In  several  of  the  prisms  I  found  some  glo- 
bules of  zeolites,  but  in  very  small  quantity.  I  also  broke  off 
from  between  two  prisms,  which  were  so  apart  as  to  admit  of 
introducing  my  hand,  an  incrustation  in  which  the  white  and 
transparent  zeolites  was  formed  into  very  perfect  small  cubical 
crystals,  several  of  which  were  coloured  red  by  the  ferrugi- 
nous lime  arising  from  the  decomposition  of  the  lava.  But  I 
must  repeat,  that  zeolites  is  very  rare  in  this  cave,  and  having 
myself  broken  off  all  the  specimens  that  I  was  able  to  see,  I 
doubt  whether  those  who  may  visit  the  place  after  me  will 
find  any  quantity  of  it." 

Dimensions  of  the  Cave  of  Fingal. — Breadth  of  the  entrance, 
taken  at  the  mouth  and  at  the  level  of  the  sea,  thirty-five 
feet;  height,  from  the  level  of  the  sea  to  the  pitch  of  the  arch, 
fifty-six  feet;  depth  of  the  sea,  opposite  to  the  entrance,  and 
twelve  feet  distant  from  it,  at  noon  of  the  27th  of  September, 
fifteen  feet;  thickness  of  the  roof,  measured  from  the  pitch  of 


MEXICAN   CAVE. — CAVES  OF  MISSOURI.  457 

the  arch  without  to  its  highest  part,  twenty  feet ;  interior 
length  of  the  cave  from  the  entrance  to  the  extremity,  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet ;  height  of  the  tallest  columns  on  the 
right  side  of  the  entrance,  forty-five  feet;  depth  of  the  sea  in 
the  interior  part  of  the  cave,  ten  feet  nine  inches,  in  some 
places  eight  feet,  and  towards  the  bottom  somewhat  less 

Cave  near  Mexico. — A  traveller  of  credit  gives  us  an 
account,  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  of  a  remarkable 
cave,  some  leagues  to  the  north-west  of  Mexico,  gilded  all 
over  with  a  sort  of  leaf-gold,  which  had  deluded  many 
Spaniards  by  its  promising  colour,  but  they  could  never 
reduce  it  into  a  body,  either  by  quicksilver  or  fusion.  This 
traveller  went  thither  one  morning  with  an  Indian  for  his 
guide,  and  found  its  situation  was  pretty  high,  and  in  a  place 
very  proper  for  the  generation  of  metals. 

As  he  entered  into  it,  the  light  of  the  candle  soon  dis- 
covered on  all  sides,  but  especially  over  his  head,  a  glittering 
canopy  of  these  mineral  leaves,  at  which  he  greedily  snatch- 
ing, there  fell  down  a  great  lump  of  sand,  that  not  only  put 
out  his  candle,  but  almost  blinded  him,  and  calling  aloud  to 
his  Indian,  who  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  as  being 
afraid  of  spirits  and  hobgoblins,  it  occasioned  such  thundering 
and  redoubled  echoes,  that  the  poor  fellow,  imagining  he  had 
been  wrestling  with  some  infernal  ghosts,  soon  quitted  his 
station,  and  thereby  left  a  free  passage  for  some  rays  of  light 
to  enter,  and  serve  him  for  a  better  guide.  The  traveller's 
sight  was  somewhat  affected  by  the  corrosive  acrimony  of  the 
mineral  dust;  but  having  relighted  his  candle,  he  proceeded 
in  the  cave,  heaped  together  a  quantity  of  the  mineral  mixed 
with  sand,  and  scraped  off  from  the  surface  of  the  earth 
some  of  the  glittering  leaves,  none  of  which  exceeded  the 
breadth  of  a  man's  nail,  but  with  the  least  touch  were 
divided  into  many  lesser  spangles,  and  with  a  little  rubbing 
they  left  his  hand  gilded  all  over. 

We  must  not  neglect  to  notice  The  Nitre  Caves  of 
Missouri. — "  On  the  banks  of  the  Merrimack  and  the  Gas- 
conade are  found  numerous  caves,  which  vield  an  earth  im- 
pregnated laro'ely  with  nitre,  which  is  procured  from  it  by 
lixiviation.  On  the  head  of  Current's  river  are  also  found 
several  caves  from  which  nitre  is  procured,  the  principal  of 
which  is  Ashley's  cave,  or  Cave  Creek,  about  eighty  miles 
south-west  of  Potosi.  This  is  one  of  those  stupendous  and 
extensive  caverns,  that  cannot  be  viewed  without  exciting 
our  wonder  and  astonishment,  which  is  increased  by  beholding 
those  complete  works  for  the  manufacture  of  nitre,  situated 
in  its  interio''. 

3M 


468  CURIOSITIES GROTTOS   AND   CAVES. 

"The  native  nitrate  of  potash  is  found  in  beautiful  white 
crystals,  investing  the  fissures  of  the  limestone  rock  which 
forms  the  walls  of  this  cave;  and  several  of  those  in  its  vicinity 
exhibit  the  same  phenomenon." — Schoolcraft,  on  the  Lead 
Mines  of  Missouri. 

Okey  Hole. — This  is  a  famous  natural  cavern  of  Enp;land, 
on  the  south  side  of  Mendip  hills.  The  entrance  is  in  the 
fall  of  those  hills,  which  is  beset  all  about  with  rocks,  and 
there  is  near  it  a  precipitate  descent  of  twelve  fathoms  deep, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  there  continually  issues  from  the  rocks 
a  considerable  current  of  water.  The  naked  rocks  above  the 
entrance  are  about  thirty  fathoms  high,  and  the  wliole  ascent 
of  the  hill  above,  which  is  very  steep,  is  about  a  mile.  The 
entrance  into  this  vault  is  at  first  upon  a  level,  but  ad- 
vancing farther,  the  way  is  rocky  and  uneven,  sometimes 
ascendino-   and  sometimes  descendino;. 

The  roof  of  this  cavern,  in  the  highest  part,  is  about  eight 
fathoms  from  the  ground,  but  in  many  places  it  is  so  low,  that 
one  must  stoop  to  get  along.  The  breadth  is  not  less  various 
than  the  height,  for  in  some  places  it  is  five  or  six  fathoms 
wide,  and  in  others  not  more  than  one  or  two.  It  is  in  len<xth 
about  two  hundred  yards.  At  the  farthest  part  of  the  cavern 
there  is  a  stream  of  water,  large  enough  to  drive  a  mill,  which 
passes  all  along  one  side  of  the  cavern,  and  at  length  slides 
down  about  six  or  eight  fathoms  among  the  rocks,  and,  finding 
its  way  through  the  clefts,  falls  into  the  valley  beneath.  The 
river  within  the  cavern  is  well  stored  with  eels,  and  has  some 
trouts.  In  dry  summers,  a  great  number  of  frogs  are  seen 
all  along  this  cavern,  even  to  the  farthest  part  of  it;  and  on 
the  roof  are  vast  numbers  of  bats. 

From  Okey  Hole  we  proceed  to  Borrow  dale, — which  is 
a  most  romantic  valley  among  the  Derwent-Water  Fells,  in  the 
county  of  Cumberland.  These  fells  or  hills  are  some  of"  the 
loftiest  in  England,  and  it  is  in  one  of  them  that  the  black 
lead,  or  wadd,  is  found,  from  which  all  parts  of  the  world  are 
supplied.  The  mines  are  opened  once  in  seven  years,  and 
when  a  suflficient  quantity  of  this  valuable  and  singular 
mineral  is  taken  out,  they  are  carefully  closed  atjain.  In 
travelling  among  these  mountains,  the  idea  that  presents  itself 
to  the  astonished  spectator,  is  that  of  the  earth  having  been 
agitated  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm  ;  the  hills  appear  like  waves, 
one  behind  another,  and  were  it  not  for  the  abrupt  and  sudden 
scarps,  and  the  immense  masses  of  rufjued  rocks,  that  give 
the  idea  of  fixedness  and  stability,  the  fancy  mi^ht  be 
bewildered  so  far  as  to  imagine  they  were  in  a  state  of  undu- 
lation, and  ready  to  mingle  with  each  other. 


THE  needle's  eye.  459 

Borrowdale  is  watered  by  the  clearest  broolcs,  which,  preci- 
pitated from  the  hills,  form  many  beautiful  waterfalls,  and 
then  meet  together  in  the  dale  in  one  large  stream,  and  pass 
out  of  it  under  the  name  of  Borrowdale  Beck,  when  they 
spread  out  into  an  extensive  lake,  forming  many  beautiful 
islands  ;  the  lake  is  called  Derwent-water,  or  Keswick  Lake. 
Borrowdale  is  four  miles  from  Keswick,  in  passing  from 
which,  the  traveller  has  the  lake  on  his  left  hand,  and 
stupendous  rocky  precipices  on  the  other;  with  huge  stones, 
or  rugged  masses  of  rock,  which  have  tumbled  from  above, 
perhaps  rent  from  the  mountain  by  the  expansion  of  the 
water  in  its  crevices  or  fissures,  which,  congealing  into  ice, 
occasions  the  scattered  fragments  that  lie  in  his  way.  As 
he  approaches  the  dale,  he  sees  the  shelves,  or  ledges  of  the 
rocks,  covered  with  herbage,  shrubs,  and  trees,  and  villaoes 
and  farms  rise  in  his  view  ;  the  larger  cattle  are  seen  feeding 
in  the  lower  grounds,  and  the  sheep  in  very  large  flocks  upon 
the  mountains. 

We  shall  close  this  division  with  an  account  of  The 
Needle's  Eye. — This  name  is  given  to  a  subterraneous 
passage  on  the  coast  of  Banffshire,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  long  from  sea  to  sea,  but  through  which  a  man  can 
with  difficulty  creep.  At  the  north  end  of  it  is  a  cave,  twenty 
feet  high,  thirty  broad,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  long,  con- 
taining a  space  of  ninety  thousand  cubic  feet.  The  whole  is 
supported  by  i-nniiense  columns  of  rocks,  is  exceedingly  grand, 
and  has  a  surprisingly  fine  effect  on  the  spectator,  after  creep 
ing  through  the  narrow  passage. 


400  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  MINES. 

CHAP.  XLIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MINES. 

diamond  Aline  in  the  Brazils — Mines  of  Peru — Volcanic 
Eruptions  of  Mud  and  Salt — Fitch  Wells — -Visit  to  a  Coal- 
Fit. 

Through  dark  retreats  pursue  the  winding  ore, 

Search  Nature's  depths,  and  view  her  boundless  store; 

The  secret  cause  in  tuneful  numbers  sing. 

How  metals  first  were  fram'd,  and  whence  they  spring 

Whether  the  active  sun,  with  cheniic  Haines, 

Through  porous  earth  transmits  its  genial  beams; 

With  heat  impregnating  the  womb  of  night. 

The  offspring  shines  with  its  paternal  light : 

Or  whether,  urged  by  subterraneous  flames. 

The  earth  ferments,  and  flows  in  liquid  streams 

Purg'd  from  their  dross,  the  nobler  parts  refine, 

Receive  new  forms,  and  with  fresh  beauties  shine: 

Or  whether  by  creation  first  they  sprung. 

When  yet  unpois'd  the  world's  great  fabric  hung: 

Metals  the  basis  of  the  earth  were  made. 

The  bars  on  which  its  fix'd  foundations  laid; 

All  second  causes  they  disdain  to  own. 

And  from  th'  Almighty's  fiat  sprung  alone.  Yalden. 

Description  of  a  Diamond  Mine  on  the  river  Tigitonhonha, 
in  the  Brazilian  territory  ;  by  Mr.  Mavve. 

"  I  could  not  (says  the  writer)  resist  the  favourable  oppor- 
tunity now  offered  me  of  gratifying  the  curiosity  which  had 
so  long  occupied  my  mind,  by  visiting  the  diamond  mines,  in 
company  with  the  principal  officer  in  the  administration  of 
them,  who  was  therefore  qualified  to  furnish  me  with  the 
amplest  information.  A  fine  horse  was  waiting  for  me  at  the 
door,  and  1  rode  up  to  the  house  of  the  governor,  wl)o  intro- 
duced me  to  his  amiable  lady,  daughters,  and  family,  with 
whom  I  had  the  honour  to  take  breakfast.  Several  officers  of 
the  diamond  establishment  arrived  on  horseback  to  accom- 
pany us,  their  presence  being  required  on  this  occasion. 

"  Having  arrived  at  the  place,  I  remained  here  five  days, 
during  which  I  was  occupied  in  viewing  and  examining 
various  parts  of  the  works,  of  which  I  shall  here  attempt  to 
give  a  general  description, 

"The  river  Tigitonhonha  is  formed  by  a  number  of  streams, 
and  is  as  wide  as  the  Thames  at  Windsor,  and  in  general  from 
three  to  nine  feet  deep.  The  part  now  in  working  is  a  curve 
or  elbow,  from  which  the  current  is  diverted  into  a  canal  cut 
across  the    tongue  of  land   round  which  it  winds,  the  river 


DIAMON  D  MINE.  461 

being  stopped,  just  below  the  head  of  the  canal,  by  an  embank- 
ment formed  of  several  thousand  bau;s  of  sand.  This  is  a 
work  of  considerable  magnitude,  and  requires  the  co-operalion 
of  all  the  negroes  to  complete  it;  for  the  river  being  wide 
and  not  very  shallow,  and  also  occasionally  subject  to  over- 
flow, they  have  to  make  the  embankment  so  strong  as  to 
resist  the  pressure  of  the  water,  admitting  it  to  rise  four  or 
five  feet. 

"  The  deeper  parts  of  the  channel  of  the  river  are  laid  dry  by 
means  of  large  caissons  or  chain-pumps,  worked  by  a  water- 
wheel.  The  mud  is  then  carried  off.  and  the  cascalhao  is  dug 
up,  and  removed  to  a  convenient  place  for  washing.  This 
labour  was,  until  lately,  performed  by  the  negroes,  who  carried 
the  cascalhao  in  gamellas  on  their  heads;  but  Mr.  Camara 
has  formed  two  inclined  planes,  about  one  hundred  yards  in 
length,  along  which  carts  are  drawn  by  a  large  water-wheel, 
divided  iito  two  parts,  the  ladles  or  buckets  of  which  are  so 
constructed,  that  the  rotary  motion  may  be  altered  by 
changing  the  current  of  water  from  one  side  to  the  other; 
this  wheel,  by  means  of  a  rope  made  of  untanned  hides, 
works  two  carts,  one  of  which  descends  empty  on  one 
inclined  plane,  while  the  other,  loaded  with  cascalhao,  is 
drawn  to  the  top  of  the  otlier,  where  it  falls  into  a  cradle, 
empties  itself,  and  descends  in  its  turn.  At  a  work  called 
Canjeca,  formerly  of  great  importance,  about  a  mile  up  the 
river  on  the  opposite  side,  there  are  three  cyiiiuhical  engines 
for  drawing  the  cascalhao,  like  those  used  in  the  mining 
country  of  Derbyshire,  and  also  railways  over  some  uneven 
ground.  This  was  the  first  and  only  machinery  of  conse- 
quence, which  I  saw  in  the  diamond  district,  and  there  appear 
many  obstacles  to  the  general  introduction  of  it.  Timber, 
when  wanted  of  large  size,  has  to  be  fetched  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles,  at  a  very  heavy  ex|)ense  ;  there  are  few  persons 
competent  to  the  construction  of  machines,  and  the  workmen 
dislike  to  make  them,  fearino  that  this  is  only  oart  of  a  general 
plan  for  suspending  manual  labour. 

"  The  stratum  of  cascalhao  consists  of  the  same  materials 
with  that  in  the  gold  district.  On  many  parts,  by  the  edge 
of  the  river,  are  large  conglomerate  masses  of  rounded  pebbles 
cemented  by  oxide  of  iron,  which  sometimes  envelop  gold 
and  diamonds.  They  calculate  on  getting  as  much  cascalhao 
in  the  dry  season,  as  will  occupy  all  their  hands  during  the 
months  which  are  more  subject  to  rain.  When  carried  from 
the  bed  of  the  river  whence  it  is  dug,  it  is  laid  in  heaps,  con- 
taining apparently  from  five  to  fifteen  tons  each. 

"  Water  is  conveyed  from  a  distance,  and  is  distributed  to 
the  various  parts  of  the  works  by  means  of  aqueducts  con- 
structed with  great  ingenuity  and  skill.     The  method  of  wash- 


462  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MINES. 

ing  for  diamonds  at  this  place,  is  as  follows  : — A  shed  is 
erected  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  twenty-five  or  thirty 
yards  long,  and  about  fifteen  wide,  consisting  of  upright  posts, 
which  support  a  roof  thatched  with  long  grass.  Down  the 
middle  of  the  area  of  this  shed,  a  current  of  water  is  conveyed 
through  a  canal,  covered  witii  strong  planks,  on  which  the 
cascalhao  is  laid  two  or  three  feet  thick.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  area  is  a  flooring  of  planks,  from  four  to  five  yards  long, 
imbedded  in  clay,  extend inu  the  whole  length  of  the  shed, 
and  having  a  slope,  from  the  canal,  of  three  or  four  inches  to 
a  yard.  This  flooring  is  divided  into  about  twenty  compart- 
ments or  troughs,  each  about  three  feet  wide,  by  means  of 
planks  placed  on  their  edge.  The  upper  ends  of  all  these 
troughs  (here  called  canoes)  communicate  with  the  canal,  and 
are  so  formed  that  water  is  admitted  into  them  between  two 
planks  that  are  about  an  inch  separate.  Through  this  opening 
the  current  falls  about  six  inches  into  the  trou'jh,  and  may 
be  directed  to  any  part  of  it,  or  stopped,  at  pleasure,  by  means 
of  a  small  quantity  of  clay.  For  instance,  sometimes  water 
is  required  only  from  one  corner  of  the  aperture,  then  tlie 
remaining  part  is  stopped  ;  sometimes  it  is  wanted  from  the 
centre,  then  the  extremes  are  stopped  ;  and  sometimes  onlv  a 
gentle  rill  is  wanted,  then  the  clay  is  applied  accordingly. 
Along  the  lower  ends  of  the  troughs  a  small  channel  is  dug, 
to  carry  off"  the  water.  On  the  heap  of  cascalhao,  at  equal 
distances,  are  placed  three  high  chairs,  for  the  officers  or  over- 
seers. After  they  are  seated,  the  negroes  enter  the  troughs, 
each  provided  with  a  rake  of  a  peculiar  form,  and  short  handle, 
with  which  he  rakes  into  the  trough  about  fifty  or  eighty 
pounds  weight  of  cascalhao.  The  water  being  then  let  in 
upon  it,  the  cascalhao  is  spread  abroad,  and  continually 
raked  up  to  the  head  of  the  trough,  so  as  to  be  kept  in  con- 
stant motion.  This  operation  being  performed  for  the  space  of 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  water  then  begins  to  run  clearer; 
haviYig  washed  the  earthy  particles  away,  the  gravel-like  mat- 
ter is  raked  up  to  the  end  of  the  trough  ;  after  the  current 
flows  away  quite  clear,  the  largest  stones  are  thrown  out,  and 
afterwards  those  of  inferior  size,  then  the  whole  is  examined 
with  great  care  for  diamonds.  When  a  negro  finds  one,  he 
immediately  stands  upright  and  claps  his  hands,  then  extends 
them,  holding  the  gem  between  his  fore  finger  and  thumb: 
an  overseer  receives  it  from  him,  and  deposits  it  in  a  gamella 
or  bowl,  suspended  from  the  centre  of  the  structure,  half  full 
of  water.  In  this  vessel  all  the  diamonds  found  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  are  placed,  and  at  the  close  of  work  are  taken  out, 
and  delivered  to  the  principal  officer,  who,  after  they  have 
been  weighed,  registers  the  particulars  in  a  book  kept  for  that 
purpose.     When  a  negro  is  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  diamond 


or  Tut 


1^ 


WNIVER«?/-ry 


DIAMOND  T  t  T  TT  r^^f  ^f/:'/'  '■'' ' ''  463 


of  the  weight  of  17 J  carats,  much  ceremony  immediately  takes 
place;  he  is  crowned  with  a  wrciith  of  flowers,  and  carried  in 
procession  to  the  admniistrator,  who  gives  him  his  freedom, 
by  paying  his  owner  for  it.  He  also  receives  a  present  of 
new  clothes,  and  is  permitted  to  work  on  his  own  account. 
When  a  stone  of  eiy,ht  or  ten  carats  is  found,  the  negro  receives 
two  new  shirts,  a  complete  new  suit,  with  a  hat,  and  a  hand- 
some knife.  For  smaller  stones  of  trivial  amount,  proportionate 
premiums  are  given.  During  my  stay  at  Tejuco,  a  stone  of 
16J  carats  was  found  :  it  was  pleasing  to  see  the  anxious  desire 
manifested  by  the  officers  that  it  might  prove  heavy  enough 
to  entitle  the  poor  negro  to  his  freedom;  and  when,  on  being 
delivered  and  weighed,  it  proved  only  a  carat  short  of  the 
requisite  weight,  all  seemed  to  synijiathize  in  his  disappoint- 
ment. 

"  IVIany  precautions  are  taken  to  prevent  the  negroes  from 
embezzling  diamonds.  Although  they  work  in  a  bent  position, 
and  consequently  never  know  whether  the  overseers  are  watch- 
ing them  or  not,  yet  it  is  easy  for  them  to  omit  gathering 
any  which  they  see,  and  to  place  them  in  a  corner  of  the 
trough  for  the  purpose  of  secreting  them  at  leisure  hours;  to 
prevent  which  they  are  frequently  changed  while  the  opera- 
tion is  going  on.  A  word  of  command  being  given  hy  the 
overseers,  they  instantly  move  into  etch  others'  troughs,  so 
that  no  opportunity  of  collusion  can  take  place,  if  a  negro 
be  suspected  of  having  swallowed  a  diamond,  he  is  confined 
in  a  strong  room  until  the  fact  can  be  ascertained.  Formerly, 
the  punishment  inflicted  upon  a  negro  for  smuggling  dia- 
monds, was  confiscation  of  his  person  to  the  state  :  but  it 
being;  thousjht  too  hard  for  the  owner  to  suffer  for  the  offence 
of  his  servant,  the  penalty  has  been  commuted  for  personal 
imprisonment  and  chastisement.  This  is  a  much  lighter  pun- 
ishment than  that  which  their  owners,  or  any  w^hite  man,  would 
suff"er  for  a  similar  off'ence. 

"  There  is  no  particular  regulation  respecting  the  dress  of  the 
negroes  :  they  work  in  the  clothes  most  suitable  to  the  nature 
of  their  employment,  generally  in  a  waistcoat  and  a  pair  of 
drawers,  and  not  naked,  as  some  travellers  have  stated. 
Their  hours  of  labour  are  from  a  little  before  sunrise  until 
sunset,  half  an  hour  being  allowed  for  breakfast,  and  two  hours 
at  noon.  While  washing,  they  change  their  posture  as  often 
as  they  please,  which  is  very  necessary,  as  the  work  requires 
them  to  place  their  feet  on  the  edges  of  the  trough,  and  to 
stoop  considerably.  This  posture  is  particularly  prejudicial 
to  young  growing  negroes,  as  it  renders  them  in-kneed.  Four 
or  five  times  during  the  day,  they  all  rest,  when  snuff,  of  which 
they  are  very  fond,  is  given  to  them. 

"  The  negroes  are  formed  into  working  parties,  called  troops. 


464  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MINES. 

containing  200  each,  under  the  direction  of  an  administrator 
and  inferior  officers.  Each  troop  has  a  clergyman  and  a  sur- 
geon to  attend  it.  With  respect  to  the  subsistence  of  the 
negroes,  although  the  present  governor  has  in  some  degree 
improved  it,  by  allowing  a  daily  portion  of  fresh  beef,  which 
was  not  allowed  by  his  predecessors,  yet  1  am  sorry  to  observe 
that  it  is  still  poor  and  scanty;  and  that  in  other  respects  they 
are  more  hardly  dealt  with  than  those  of  any  other  establishment 
which  I  visited :  notwithstandino-  this,  the  owners  are  all 
anxious  to  get  their  negroes  into  the  service,  doubtless  from 
sinister  motives. 

"  The  officers  are  liberally  paid,  and  live  in  a  style  of  con- 
siderable elegance,  which  a  stranger  would  not  be  led  to 
expect  in  so  remote  a  place.  Our  tables  were  daily  covered 
with  a  profusion  of  excellent  viands,  served  up  on  fine  Wedge- 
wood  ware,  and  the  state  of  their  household  generally  corre- 
sponded with  this  essential  part  of  it.  They  were  ever  ready 
to  assist  me  in  my  examination  of  the  works,  and  freely  gave 
me  all  the  necessary  information  res))ecling  them 

"  Having  detailed  the  process  of  washing  for  diamonds,  I 
proceed  to  a  general  description  of  the  situation  in  which  they 
are  found.  The  flat  pieces  of  ground  on  each  side  the  river  are 
equally  rich  throughout  their  extent,  and  hence  the  officers 
are  enabled  to  calculate  the  value  of  an  unworked  place,  by 
comparison  with  the  amount  found  on  working  with  the  part 
adjoining.  These  known  places  are  left  in  reserve,  and  trial 
is  macJe  of  more  uncertain  grounds.  The  following  observa- 
tion I  olten  heard  from  the  intendant :  *  That  piece  of  ground 
(speaking  of  an  unworked  flat  by  the  side  of  the  river)  will 
yield  me  ten  thousand  carats  of  diamonds,  whenever  we  shall 
be  required  to  get  them  in  the  regular  course  of  working,  or 
when,  on  any  particular  occasion,  an  order  from  government 
arrives,  demanding  an  extraordinary  and  immediate  supply.' 

"  The  substances  accompanying  diamonds,  and  considered 
good  indications  of  them,  are  bright  bean-like  iron  ore,  a 
slaty  flint-like  substance,  approaching  Lydian  stone,  of  fine 
texture,  black  oxide  of  iron  in  great  quantities,  rounded  bits 
of  blue  quartz,  yellow  crystals,  and  other  materials  entirely 
difl'erent  from  any  thing  known  to  be  ])roduced  in  the  adjacent 
mountains.  Diamonds  are  by  no  means  peculiar  to  the  beds 
of  rivers  or  (lee|i  ravines  ;  they  have  been  found  in  cavities 
and  watercourses  on  the  summits  of  the  most  lofty  mountains. 
I  had  some  conversation  with  the  officers,  resi)ecting  the 
matrix  of  the  diamond,  not  a  vestige  of  which  could  I  trace. 
They  informed  me,  that  they  often  found  diamonds  cemented 
in  pudding-stone,  accompanied  with  grains  of  gold,  but  that 
they  always  broke  them  out,  as  they  could  not  enter  them  in 
the  treasury,  or  weigh  them  with   matter  adhering  to  them. 


MINES  OF  PERU.  465 

I  obtained  a  mass  of  pudding-stone,  apparently  of  very  lecent 
formation,  cemented  by  ferruginous  matter  enveloping  many 
grains  of  gold  ;  and  likewise  a  few  pounds  weight  of  the 
cascalhao  in  its  unwashed  state.  This  river,  and  other  streams 
in  its  vicinity,  have  been  in  washing  many  years,  and  have 
produced  great  quantities  of  diamonds,  which  have  ever  been 
reputed  of  the  finest  quality.  They  vary  in  size:  some  are  so 
small  that  four  or  five  are  required  to  weigh  one  grain,  con- 
sequently sixteen  or  twenty  to  the  carat:  there  are  seldom 
found  more  than  two  or  three  stones  of  from  seventeen  to 
twenty  carats  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  not  once  in  two 
years  is  there  found  throughout  the  whole  washings  a  stone 
of  thirty  carats.  During  the  five  days  I  was  here,  they  were 
not  very  successful;  the  whole  quantity  found  amounted 
only  to  forty,  the  largest  of  which  was  only  four  carats,  and 
of  a  light  green  colour. 

**  From  the  great  quantity  of  debris,  or  worked  cascalhao, 
in  every  part  near  the  river,  it  is  reasonable  to  calculate  that 
the  works  have  been  in  operation  above  forty  years ;  of  course 
there  must  arrive  a  period  at  which  they  will  be  ex- 
hausted, but  theie  are  grounds  in  the  neighbourhood,  particu- 
larly in  the  Cerro  de  St.  Antonio,  and  in  the  country  now 
inhabited  by  the  Indians,  which  will  probably  afford  these 
gems  in  equal  abundance." 

The  Mines  of  Peru. — There  are  great  numbers  of  verv 
rich  mines  which  the  waters  of  the  ocean  have  invaded. 
The  disposition  of  the  ground,  which  from  the  summit  of  the 
Cordilleras  goes  continually  shelving  to  the  South  Sea,  ren- 
ders such  events  more  common  at  Peru  than  in  other  places. 
This  has  been  in  some  instances  remedied.  Joseph  Salcedo,. 
about  1660,  discovered,  near  Puna,  the  mine  of  Laycacoto.  It 
was  so  rich  that  they  often  cut  the  silver  with  a  chisel.  It 
was  at  last  overflowed  with  water;  but  in  1740,  Diego  de 
Bacua  associated  with  others  to  divert  the  springs.  The 
labours  which  this  difficidt  undertaking  required,  were  not 
finished  till  1754.  The  mine  yields  as  much  as  it  did  at  first. 
But  mines  still  richer  have  been  discovered  ;  such  as  that  of 
Potosi,  which  was  found  in  the  same  country  where  the  Incas 
■worked  that  of  Parco.  An  Indian,  named  llualpa,  in  1545, 
pursuing  some  deer,  in  order  to  climb  certain  steep  rocks,  laid 
hold  of  a  bush,  the  roots  of  which  loosened  from  the  earth, 
and  brought  to  view  an  ingot  of  silver.  The  indian  had 
recourse  to  it  for  his  own  use.  The  change  in  his  fortune 
was  remarked  by  one  of  his  countrymen,  and  he  discovered  to 
him  the  secret.  The  two  friends  could  not  keep  their  counsel,. 
and  enjoy  their  good  fortune.  They  quarrelled  ;  on  which 
the   indiscreet  confidant  discovered   the  whole  to  his  master, 

20.  3N 


466  CUKIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MINES. 

Villaroel,  a  Spaniard.  Upon  this  the  mine  was  worked,  and 
a  great  number  of  others  were  found  in  its  vicinity,  the  prin- 
cipal of  which  are  in  the  northern  part  of  the  mountain,  and 
their  direction  is  from  north  to  south.  The  fame  of  Potosi 
soon  spread  abroad;  and  there  was  quickly  built  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain  a  town,  consisting  of  60,000  Indians,  and 
10,000  Spaniards.  The  sterility  of  the  soil  did  not  prevent 
its  being  immediately  peopled.  Corn,  fruit,  flocks,  American 
stuffs,  and  European  luxuries,  arrived  from  every  quarter.  In 
1738  these  mines  produced  annually  near  £978,000,  without 
reckoning^  the  silver  which  was  not  registered,  and  what  had 
been  carried  off  by  fraud.  From  that  time  the  produce  has  been 
so  much  diminished,  that  not  above  one-eighth  part  of  the  coin 
which  was  formerly  struck,  is  now  made.  At  all  the  mines  of 
Peru,  the  Spaniards,  in  purifying  their  gold  and  silver,  use 
mercury,  with  which  they  are  supplied  from  Guanca  Velica. 
The  common  opinion  is,  that  this  mine  was  discovered  in 
1564.  The  trade  of  mercury  was  then  free ;  it  became 
an  exclusive  trade  in  1571.  At  this  period  all  the  mines  of 
mercury  were  shut ;  and  that  of  Guanca  Velica  alone  was 
worked  ;  the  property  of  which  the  king  reserved  to  him- 
self. It  is  not  found  to  diminish.  The  mine  is  dug  in  the 
very  large  mountain  of  Potosi,  sixty  leagues  from  Lima.  In 
its  profound  abyss  are  seen  streets,  squares,  and  a  chapel, 
where  the  mysteries  of  religion  on  all  festivals  are  celebrated. 
Millions  of  flambeaus  are  continually  kept  to  enlighten  it. 
The  mine  of  Guanca  Velica  generally  affects  those  who  work 
in  it  with  convulsions ;  and  the  other  mines,  which  are  not 
less  unhealthy,  are  all  worked  by  the  Peruvians.  These 
unfortunate  victims  of  an  insatiable  avarice  are  crowded  all 
together,  and  plunged  naked  into  these  abysses,  the  greatest 
part  of  which  are  deep,  and  all  excessively  cold.  Tyranny 
has  invented  this  refinement  in  cruelty,  to  render  it  impossible 
for  any  thing  to  escape  its  restless  vigilance.  If  there  are 
any  wretches  who  long  survive  such  barbarity,  it  is  the  use  of 
cocoa  that  preserves  them. 

We  shall  incorporate  in  this  chapter,  the  following  interesting 
account  of  VolcvANIc  Eruptions  of  Mud  and  Salt,  in 
the  Island  of  .Java  ;  by  T.  S.  Goad,  Esq.  of  the  Honourable 
Com])anY's  Bengal  Civil  Service. 

"  Having  received  (says  the  writer)  an  extraordinary  account 
of  a  natural  phenomenon  in  the  plains  of  Grobogan,  fifty  pals 
(or  miles)  north-east  of  Solo,  a  party,  of  which  I  was  one, 
set  off  from  Solo  on  the  eighth  of  September,  1815,  to  ex- 
amine it. 

"  On  approaching  the  village  of  Kuhoo,  we  saw,  between 
two  trees  in  a  plain,  an  aj)p(^ii ranee  like  the  surf  breaking  over 


VOLCANIC   ERUPTIONS   OF    MUD    AND   SALT.  467 

rocks,  with  a  strong  spray  falling  to  leeward.  The  spot  was 
completely  surrounded  by  huts,  for  the  manufacture  of  salt, 
and  at  a  distance  looked  like  a  large  village.  Alighting,  we 
went  to  the  Bludugs,  as  the  Javanese  call  them.  They  are 
situated  in  the  village  of  Kuhoo,  and  by  Europeans  are  called 
by  that  name.  We  found  them  to  be  on  an  elevated  plain  of 
mud,  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  in  thecentre  of  which 
immense  bodies  of  salt  mud  were  thrown  up,  to  the  height  of 
from  ten  to  fifteen  feet,  in  the  form  of  large  globes,  which, 
bursting,  emitted  volumes  of  dense  white  smoke.  These 
large  globes  or  bubbles,  of  which  there  were  two,  continued 
throwing  up,  and  bursting  seven  or  eight  times  in  a  minute 
At  times  they  throw  up  two  or  three  tons  of  mud.  We  got  to 
leeward  of  the  smoke,  and  found  it  to  smell  like  the  wash 
ing  of  a  gun-barrel. 

"As  the  globes  burst,  they  threw  the  mud  out  from  the 
centre  with  a  pretty  loud  noise,  occasioned  by  the  falling  of 
the  mud  upon  that  which  surrounded  it,  and  of  which  the 
plain  is  composed.  It  was  difficult  and  dangerous  to  approach 
the  large  globes  or  bubbles,  as  the  ground  was  all  a  quagmire, 
except  where  the  surface  of  the  mud  had  become  hardened 
by  the  sun;  upon  this  we  approached  cautiously  to  within, 
fifty  yards  of  the  largest  bubble,  or  mud  pudding,  as  it  might 
very  properly  be  called,  for  it  was  of  the  consistency  of  a  custard- 
pudding,  and  of  very  considerable  diameter:  here  and  there, 
where  the  foot  accidentally  rested  on  a  spot  not  sufficiently 
hardened,  it  sunk,  to  the  no  small  distress  of  the  walker. 

"  We  also  got  close  to  a  small  globe  or  bubble,  (the  plain 
being  full  of  them  of  different  sizes,)  and  observed  it  closely  for- 
some  time.  It  appeared  to  heave  and  swell,  and  when  the 
internal  air  had  raised  it  to  some  height,  it  burst,  and  fell 
down  in  concentric  circles,  in  which  shape  it  remained  quiet 
until  a  sufficient  quantity  of  air  was  again  formed  internally, 
to  raise  and  burst  another  bubble.  This  continued  at  intervals 
from  about  one-half  to  two  minutes.  From  varioirs  other 
parts  of  tlie  quagmire  round  the  large  globes  or  bubbles,  there 
were  occasionally  small  quantities  of  mud  shot  up  like  rockets 
to  the  height  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  and  accompanied  by 
smoke.  This  was  in  parts  where  the  mud  was  of  too  stiff  a 
consistency  to  rise  in  globes  or  bubbles.  The  mud  at  all  the 
places  we  came  near  was  cold  on  the  surface,  but  we  were 
told  it  was  warm  beneath.  The  water  which  drains  from  the 
mud  is  collected  by  the  Javanese,  and  by  being  exposed  in 
the  hollows  of  split  bamboos  to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  deposits 
crystals  of  salt.  The  salt  thus  made  is  reserved  exclusively 
for  the  Emperor  of  Solo,  In  dry  weather  it  yields  thirty 
dudjins,  of  one  hundred  cailies  each,  every  month;  but  in  we*, 
or  cloudv  weather,  less. 


468  CUIMOSITIES    RESPECTING   MINES. 

"  In  the  afternoon  we  rode  to  a  place  in  a  forest,  called  Ram 
sam,  to  view  a  salt  lake,  a  nnid  iiillock,  and  various  boiling, 
or  rather  bubbling,  pools.  Tlie  lake  was  about  half  a  mile  in 
circumference,  of  a  dirty  looking  water,  boiling  up  all  over 
in  gurgling  bodies,  but  more  particularly  in  the  centre,  which 
appeared  like  a  strong  spring;  the  water  was  quite  cold,  and 
tasted  bitter,  salt,  and  sour,  and  had  an  offensive  smell. 
About  thirty  yards  from  the  lake  stood  the  mud  hillock,  which 
was  about  fifteen  feet  high  from  tlie  level  of  the  earth.  The 
diameter  of  its  base  was  about  twenty-five  yards,  its  top 
about  eight  feet,  and  in  form  an  exact  cone.  The  top  is  open, 
and  the  interior  keeps  constantly  working,  and  heaving  up 
mud  in  globular  forms,  like  the  Bludugs.  The  hillock  is  en- 
tirely formed  of  mud  which  has  flowed  out  of  the  top  ;  every 
rise  of  the  mud  was  accompanied  by  a  rumbling  noise  from 
the  bottom  of  the  hillock,  which  was  distinctly  heard  for  some 
seconds  before  the  bubbles  burst.  The  outside  of  the  hillock 
was  quite  firm.  We  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  opening  and 
sounded  it,  and  found  it  to  be  eleven  fathoms  deep.  The  mud 
was  more  liquid  than  at  the  Bludugs,  and  no  smoke  was 
emitted  from  the  lake,  hillock,  or  pools. 

"  Close  to  the  foot  of  the  hillock  was  a  small  pool  of  the  same 
water  as  the  lake,  which  appeared  exactly  like  a  pot  of  water 
boiling  violently ;  it  was  shallow,  except  in  the  centre,  into 
which  we  thrust  a  stick  twelve  feet  long,  but  found  no  bottom. 
The  hole  not  being  perpendicular,  we  could  not  sound  it  with 
a  line. 

"  About  200  yards  from  the  lake,  were  several  large  pools  or 
springs,  two  of  which  were  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter.  They 
were  like  the  small  pool,  but  boiled  more  violently,  and  smelt 
excessively.  The  ground  around  them  was  hot  to  the  feet,  and 
the  air  w-hich  issued  from  them  quite  hot,  so  that  it  was  most 
probably  infiammable  ;  but  we  did  not  ascertain  this.  We 
heard  the  boiling  at  the  distance  of  thirty  yards  from  the  pools, 
resembling  in  noise  a  waterfall.  The  pools  did  not  overflow  ; 
of  course  the  bubbling  was  occasioned  by  the  rising  of  aii 
alone.  The  water  of  one  of  the  pools  appeared  to  contain  a 
mixture  of  earth  and  lime,  and,  from  the  taste,  to  be  combined 
with  alkali.  The  water  of  the  Bludugs  and  the  lake  is  used 
medicinally  by  the  Javanese,  and  cattle  drinking  of  the  water 
are  poisoned. 

Now  follows  an  account  of  Pitch-Weli.s  ;  from  Dr.  Hol- 
land's Travels  in  the  Ionian  Isles,  8cc. — "  The  pitch-wells  of 
Zante  are  a  natural  phenomenon,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
among  the  antiquities  of  the  isle  ;  since  they  were  known  and 
described  as  early  as  the  time  of  Herodotus,  and  are  men 
tioned  since  by  Pausanias,  Pliny,  and  other  authors      They 


VISIT  TO   A   COAL-PIT.  469 

are  situated  about  ten  miles  from  the  city,  and  near  the  shore 
of  the  bay,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  island.  We  visited 
this  spot,  which  is  called  Chieri,  a  day  or  two  after  our  arri- 
val in  Zante.  A  small  tract  of  marshy  ground,  stretching  down 
to  the  sea,  and  surrounded  on  other  sides  by  low  eminences 
of  limestone,  or  a  bituminous  shale,  is  the  immediate  situation 
of  the  springs  ;  they  are  found  in  three  or  four  different  places 
of  the  morass,  appearing  as  small  pools,  the  sides  and  bottom 
of  which  are  thickly  lined  with  petroleum,  in  a  viscid  state, 
and,  by  agitation,  easily  raised  in  large  flakes  to  the  surface. 
The  most  remarkable  of  these  pools  is  one  of  a  circular  form, 
about  fifty  feet  in  circumference,  and  a  few  feet  in  depth,  in 
which  the  petroleum  has  accumulated  to  a  considerable  quan- 
tity. The  water  of  the  spring,  which  is  doubtless  the  means 
of  conveying  the  mineral  upwards  to  the  surface,  forms  a  small 
stream  from  the  pool,  sensibly  impregnated  with  bituminous 
matter,  which  it  deposits  in  parts  as  it  flows  through  the 
morass  :  the  other  pools  are  of  similar  character.  The  petro- 
leum is  collected  generally  once  in  the  year;  and  the  average 
quantity  obtained  from  the  springs  is  said  to  be  about  100 
barrels  ;  it  is  chiefly  used  for  the  caulking  of  vessels,  not 
being  found  to  answer  equally  well  for  cordage." 

We  close  this  chapter  w'ith  Mrs.  Wakefield's  ac-count  of  her 
Visit  to  a  Coal-Pit. — "  Near  the  town  of  Newcastle,  in  the 
county  of  Northumberland,  are  vast  beds  of  coal,  which  lie 
far  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth  :  they  are  often  found  at 
the  depth  of  100  feet.  Our  visit  to  one  of  them  was  rather  a 
droll  adventure.  The  first  ceremony  was,  to  put  on  a  kind  of 
frock  that  covered  us  all  over,  to  prevent  spoiling  our  clothes. 
We  were  then  shewn  a  prodigious  steam-engine  at  work,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  pit,  in  order  to  drain  oft'  the  water;  and 
close  to  it,  a  ventilator  for  purifying  the  air  in  the  pit.  Our 
guides  now  seated  us  on  a  piece  of  board,  slung  in  a  rope  like 
the  seat  of  a  swing,  and  hooked  to  an  iron  chain,  which  was 
let  gently  down  the  suffocating  hole  by  the  assistance  of  six 
horses.  I  must  confess,  I  did  not  like  this  mode  of  travelling: 
my  spirits  were,  however,  rather  cheered  when  I  reached  the 
solid  bottom,  and  saw  my  friend  at  my  side.  He  congratu- 
lated me  on  my  safe  arrival;  and  pointed  to  a  huge  fire, 
burning  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  air  in  proper  tempera- 
ture- Gaining  courage  by  a  nearer  examination,  I  walked 
about  the  chambers  with  as  much  ease  as  if  they  had  been  the 
apartments  of  a  dwelling-house.  The  coal  is  hollowed  out  in 
spaces  of  four  yards  wide,  between  which  are  left  pillars  of 
coal  to  support  the  roof,  ten  yards  broad,  and  twenty  deep. 
After  exploring  a  dozen  or  two  of  these  little  apartments,  our 
curiosity  was  satisfied,  as   there  was  nothing  more  to  be  seen 


470  CUR'OSITIES    UUSPECTINd   MINES. 

but  a  repetition  of  the  same  objects  to  a  vast  extent.  A  num- 
ber of  horses  live  here  for  years  to^jether,  and  seem  to  enjoy 
themselves  very  comfortably  :  they  are  employed  to  draw  the 
coal  from  the  subterraneous  passages  to  the  bottom  of  the 
opening  of  the  pit.  The  machine  which  raises  the  coal  to  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  is  worked  by  stout  liorses.  The  coal 
is  brought  in  strong  baskets,  made  of  osier;  they  contain 
each  12  cwt.  and  while  one  ascends,  tlie  other  descends.  A 
man  receives  these  baskets  as  they  arrive  at  the  top,  and 
places  them  on  a  dray,  having  hooked  an  empty  basket  on, 
instead  of  the  full  one.  Before  he  drives  the  dray  to  a  shed  at 
a  little  distance,  where  he  empties  his  load,  the  dust  passes 
through  holes  prepared  to  receive  it;  while  the  large  coals 
roll  down  the  declivity  in  heaps,  where  they  are  loaded  in 
vaggons,  and  carried  to  wharfs  "on  the  river  side,  to  be  put 
on  board  the  vessels  that  wait  to  convey  them  to  distant  parts. 
The  waggons,  very  heavily  laden,  run  without  horses  to  the 
water  side,  along  a  road  ingeniously  formed  in  a  sloping  direc- 
tion, with  grooves  to  fit  the  waggon  wheels,  and  make  them 
go  more  readily.  The  dust,  which  is  too  small  for  common 
fires,  is  ])ut  into  a  kiln  well  heated,  and  when  it  is  burnt,  the 
particles  unite,  and  run  into  large  cakes  or  masses  :  in  that 
state  it  is  called  coke,  and  this  substance  is  used  in  many 
manufactories,  where  a  strong  heat  is  required. 

"  There  are  also  coal-mines  in  several  other  parts  of  England. 
Near  Whitehaven,  in  the  county  of  Cumberland,  are  some 
that  extend  half  a  mile  under  the  sea.  The  collieries  employ  a 
great  number  of  hardy  sailors,  who,  in  their  frequent  coasting- 
voyages,  are  accustomed  to  face  all  the  dangers  of  a  sea-life. 
In  time  of  war  they  contribute  to  man  our  navy;  and,  from 
their  courage  and  skill,  form  a  very  valuable  part  of  the 
crews." 


OBSEUVATIONS   ON  THE  SEA.  471 

CHAP.  XLIV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  SEA, 

General  Ohservatiom  respecting  the  Sea,  or  Ocean — Particular 
Curiosities  of  the  Sea — On  the  Saltness  of  the  Sea — On  the 
Tides —  Waves  stilled  by  Oil. 

And  thou,  majestic  main. 


A  secret  world  of  wonders  in  thyself! 

Sound  His  stupendous  praise,  whose  greater  voice 

Or  bids  you  roar,  or  bids  your  roaring  fall !" 

GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS   RESPECTING   THE  SEA,  OR    OCEAN. 

The  sea,  or  ocean,  is  that  vast  tract  of  water  which  encom- 
passes the  whole  earth.  What  proportion  the  superficies  of 
the  sea  bears  to  that  of  the  land,  is  not  precisely  known, 
though  it  is  said  to  be  somewhat  more  than  two-thirds.  As 
the  waters  of  the  earth  must  necessarily  rise  to  the  surface 
thereof,  it  being  specifically  lighter  than  the  earth,  it  was 
necessary  there  should  be  large  cavities  therein,  as  receptacles 
to  contain  them,  otherwise  they  would  have  overspread  all  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  and  so  have  rendered  it  utterly  uninhabit- 
able for  terrestrial  animals  :  it  is  well  known,  that  the  centre 
of  the  earth  is  the  common  centre  of  gravity,  and  that  the 
nature  of  fluids  is  such,  that  they  equally  yield  to  equal  powers  ; 
hence  it  follows,  that  where  the  power  of  attraction  is  every 
where  the  same  at  equal  distances  from  the  centre,  the  super- 
ficial parts  of  the  water  will  every  where  conform  themselves 
to  this  attractive  power,  at  an  equidistant  situation  from  the 
centre,  and,  it  is  evident,  will  form  the  surface  of  a  sphere,  so 
far  as  they  extend.  The  reason  then  that  the  sea  seems  higher 
than  the  land,  results  from  the  fallacy  of  vision,  whereby 
all  objects,  whether  on  the  land  or  sea,  appear  higher  as  they 
become  more  distant :  and  the  reason  will  be  plain  to  those 
who  are  acquainted  with  optics  ;  for  it  is  well  known,  that 
the  denser  any  medium  is,  through  which  we  behold  objects, 
the  greater  is  the  refraction,  or  the  more  their  images  appear 
above  the  horizontal  level ;  while  the  greater  the  quantity  of 
medium  through  which  the  rays  pass,  the  more  they  will  be  bent 
from  their  first  direction  :  on  both  these  accounts,  the  appear- 
ances of  things  at  a  great  distance,  both  on  the  land  and  the 
sea,  will  be  somewhat  above  the  horizon,  and  the  more  so  as 
they  are  the  more  remote. 

With  regard  to  tJie  depth  or  profundity  of  the  sea,  Vare- 
nius  affirms,  that  it  is  in  some  places  unfathomable,  in  other 


472  CURIOSITIKS   RESPECTING   THE  SEA. 

places  very  various,  being  from  fifty  yards  to  four  and  a  half 
English  miles,  in  some  places  deeper,  and  that  the  depth 
is  much  less  in  bays  than  in  oceans.  In  general,  the  depths 
of  the  sea  bear  a  great  analogy  to  the  height  of  mountains  on 
the  land,  so  far  as  discoveries  have  hitherto  extended.  It  is 
a  general  rule  among  sailors,  and  is  found  to  hold  true  in 
many  instances,  that  the  more  the  shores  of  any  place  are 
steep  and  high,  forming  perpendicular  cliffs,  the  deeper  the 
sea  is  below;  and  that,  on  the  contrary,  level  shores  denote 
shallow  waters.  Thus,  the  deepest  part  of  the  Mediterranean 
is  generally  allowed  to  be  under  the  heights  of  Malta.  And 
the  observation  of  the  strata  of  earth  and  other  fossils,  on 
and  near  the  shores,  may  serve  to  form  a  good  judgment  as 
to  the  materials  to  be  found  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea ;  for  the 
veins  of  salt  and  bitumen  doubtless  run  on  in  the  same 
order  as  we  see  them  on  the  shore.  If  we  may  reason  from 
analogy,  the  strata  of  rocks,  that  serve  as  a  foundation  for  hills 
and  elevated  places  on  shore,  serve  also,  in  the  same  continued 
chain,  to  support  the  immense  quantity  of  water  in  the  basin 
of  the  sea. 

The  coral  fisheries  have  given  occasion  to  observe,  that  there 
are  many,  and  those  very  large  caverns  or  hollows  in  the 
bottom  of  the  sea,  especially  where  it  is  rocky,  and  that  the 
like  caverns  are  sometimes  found  in  the  perpendicular  rocks 
which  form  the  steep  sides  of  those  fisheries.  These  caverns 
are  often  of  great  depth  as  well  as  extent,  and  have  some- 
times wide  mouths,  and  sometimes  only  narrow  entrances,  into 
large  and  spacious  hollows. 

The  bottom  of  the  sea  is  covered  with  a  variety  of  materials, 
such  as  could  not  be  imagined  by  any  but  those  who  have 
examined  into  them,  especially  in  deep  water,  where  the  sur- 
face only  is  disturbed  by  tides  and  storms;  the  lower  part, 
and  consequently  its  bed  at  the  bottom,  remaining,  for  ages 
perhaps,  undisturbed.  The  soundings,  when  the  plummet  first 
touches  the  ground,  on  approaching  the  shores,  give  some 
idea  of  this.  The  bottom  of  the  ])lummet  is  hollowed,  and  in 
that  hollow  there  is  placed  a  lump  of  tallow,  which  is  the 
first  part  that  touches  the  ground  ;  and  the  soft  nature  of  the  fat 
receives  into  it  some  part  of  those  substances  which  it  meets 
with  at  the  bottom :  the  substances  thus  brought  up,  are 
sometimes  pure  sand,  sometimes  a  kind  of  sand  made  of  the 
fragments  of  shells  beaten  to  a  sort  of  powder,  sometimes 
they  are  composed  of  a  like  powder  to  the  several  sorts  of 
corals,  and  sometimes  they  are  composed  of  fragments  of 
rocks;  but  besides  these  appearances.which  are  natural  enough, 
and  are  what  might  well  be  expected,  it  brings  up  substances 
which  are  of  the  most  beautiful  colours. 

Dr.  Donati,  in  an  Italian  work,  containing  an  essay  on  a 


GENERAL  OBSERV  ATIO.N  ».  473 

natural  history  of  the  Adriatic  Sea,  has  related  many  curious 
ohservations  on  this  subject:  having  carefully  examined  the 
soil  and  productions  of  the  various  countries  that  surround 
the  Adriatic  Sea,  and  compared  them  with  those  which  he 
took  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  he  found  that  there  was 
very  little  difference  between  the  former  and  the  latter.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  water  there  are  mountains,  plains,  valleys, 
and  caverns,  similar  to  those  upon  land.  The  soil  consists  of 
different  strata,  placed  one  upon  another,  and  mostly  parallel 
and  correspondent  to  those  of  the  rocks,  islands,  and  neigh- 
bourino"  continents.  They  contain  stones  of  different  sorts, 
minerals,  metals,  various  petrified  bodies,  pumice  stones,  and 
lavas  formed  by  volcanoes.  One  of  the  objects  which  most 
excited  his  attention,  was  a  crust,  which  he  discovered  under 
the  water,  composed  of  crustaceous  and  testaceous  bodies, 
with  beds  of  polypes  of  different  kinds,  confusedly  blended 
with  earth,  sand,  and  gravel :  the  different  marine  bodies, 
which  form  this  crust,  are  found  at  the  depth  of  a  foot  or 
more,  entirely  petrified,  and  reduced  into  marble;  these,  he 
supposes,  are  the  natural  beds  of  the  sea,  and  not  made  so 
by  means  of  volcanoes  and  earthquakes,  as  some  have  con- 
jectured. On  this  account,  he  imagines  that  the  bottom  of 
the  sea  is  constantly  rising  higher  and  higher,  with  which 
other  obvious  causes  of  increase  concur;  and  from  this  rising 
of  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  that  of  its  level  or  surface  naturally 
results;  in  proof  of  which,  this  writer  recites  a  great  number 
of  facts. 

M.  Dassie  has  been  at  great  pains  to  prove,  that  the  sea 
has  a  general  motion,  independently  of  winds  and  tides,  and 
that  it  is  of  more  consequence  in  navigation  than  is  generally 
supposed.  Reaffirms,  tliat  this  motion  is  from  east  to  west; 
inclining  towards  the  north,  when  the  sun  has  passed  the 
equinoctial  northward,  during  the  time  he  is  passing  through 
the  northern  signs;  but  tlie  contrary  way,  after  the  sun  has 
passed  tlie  said  equinoctial  southward  :  adding,  that  when 
this  general  motion  is  changed,  the  diurnal  flux  is  changed 
also;  whence  it  happens,  that  in  several  places  the  tides  come 
in  during  one  part  of  the  year,  and  go  out  during  the  other, 
as  on  the  coasts  of  Norway,  in  the  Indies  at  Goa,  Cochin- 
china,  ^c.  where,  while  the  sun  is  in  the  summer  signs,  the 
sea  runs  to  the  shore;  and  when  in  the  winter  signs,  runs 
from  it.  On  the  most  southern  coasts  of  Tonquin  and  China, 
for  tlie  six  summer  months,  the  diurnal  course  runs  from  the 
north  with  the  ocean  ;  but  the  sun  having  repassed  the  line 
toward  the  south,  the  course  declines  also  southward. 

There  are  two  principal  reasons  why  the  sea  does  not  in- 
crease by  means  of  rivers,  &c.  fallin'j  every  where  into  it. 
The  first  is,  because  waters  return  from  the  sea  by  subterranean 

3  O 


474  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING  THE  SEA. 

cavities  and  aqueducts,  through  various  parts  of  the  earth. 
Secondly,  because  the  quantity  of"  vapours  raised  from  the 
sea,  and  falling  on  the  land,  only  cause  a  circulation,  but  no 
increase  of  water.  It  has  been  found,  by  calculation,  that  in 
a  summer's  day  there  may  be  raised  in  vapours,  from  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  5,280,000,000  tons  of  water,  and  yet  this  sea 
receiveth  not,  from  all  its  nine  great  rivers,  above  1,827,000,000 
tons  per  day,  which  is  but  a  third  part  of  what  is  exhausted 
in  vapours. 

The  ascent  of  the  sea  for  the  formation  of  springs,  by  a  sub- 
terranean circulation  of  its  water  to  their  sources,  has  been  a 
great  objection,  with  many,  against  the  system  which  ascribes 
their  origin  to  the  ocean  ;  but  Dr.  Plot  has  observed,  that 
there  are  many  ways  by  which  the  water  may  ascend  above 
its  own  level:  1.  By  the  means  of  subterranean  heat. 
2.  By  filtration.  3.  By  the  unequal  height  of  several  seas. 
4.  By  the  distance  of  the  centre  of  magnitude  from  the  centre 
of  gravity  in  the  terraqueous  globe;  the  superficies  of  the 
Pacific  Sea  being  said  to  be  further  from  the  centre  of  gravity 
than  the  top  of  the  highest  hill  on  the  adverse  part  of  the 
globe.  And,  5.  By  the  help  of  storms.  The  sea  water  ac- 
tually ascends  above  its  own  level,  and  finds  its  way  into  wells, 
whose  bottoms  lie  higher  than  the  surface  of  the  sea  at  high- 
water  mark. 

We  shall  now  enter  more  particularly  on  The  Curiosities 
OF  THE  Sea. — For  the  following  observations  we  are  prin- 
cipally indebted  to  Sturm. 

"  Instead  of  regarding  the  sea  as  an  object  of  terror,  let  us 
consider  the  wonders  and  the  benefits  which  it  presents  to  us. 
It  must  be  granted  that  when  the  waves  swell  into  mountains, 
and  the  tempest  roars,  its  aspect  is  terrific;  and  we  must  be 
hardy  indeed,  not  to  consider  it  as  a  most  formidable  element 
in  such  times  of  avvful  visitation,  when  ships,  breaking  from 
their  anchor,  or  driven  from  their  course,  rush  before  the  winds 
that  beat  upon  them  with  ungovernable  fury,  till,  dismasted, 
and  their  rigging  shivered  in  fragments,  they  sink,  over- 
whelmed with  a  weight  of  waters,  or  strike  some  sand-bank, 
oi  shelving  rock,  and  are  at  once  dashed  to  pieces.  Some- 
times whirlpools,  or  vast  masses  of  water  with  a  violently 
circular  motion,  whirl  the  unfortunate  vessel  that  fate  urges 
into  their  vortex,  with  irresistible  force,  till  the  helpless  victim 
sinks  an  easy  prey  to  the  tremendous  gulf,  and  the  cries  of 
the  unfortunate  wretches  are  lost  in  the  roar  of  the  waves: 
these  whirlpools  are  occasioned  by  rocks  in  the  ocean,  and 
the  meeting  of  numerous  currents  and  eddies.  Not  less 
dangerous  are  the  waterspouts,  that  the  wind  raises  from  the 
«ea  to  the  clouds ;  they  hover  in  the  air  high  above  the  ocean. 


GENEr.AL   OCSEIiV  ATIONS.  475 

and  ihe  v\ind  whirls  them  round  wiih  violence.  They  often 
burst  with  a  great  crash,  and  occasion  much  mischief;  for  if 
they  fall  upon  a  vessel,  they  destroy  its  rigging,  and  some- 
times sink  It  to  the  bottom. 

"  But  it  would  be  highly  unjust  and  ungrateful,  only  to  con- 
sider the  losses  occasioned  by  the  sea,  without  reflecting  upon 
the  magnificent  and  stupendous  works  of  God,  and  that 
goodness  which  even  visits  the  unfathomable  depths  of  the 
ocean.  The  first  thino;  that  strikes  us,  upon  the  investicration 
of  sea  water,  is  its  saltness  ;  a  pound  of  the  water  containing 
about  two  ounces  of  salt.  Sea  salt  appears  lighter  than  that 
we  commonly  use,  and  yet  it  is  not  attracted  by  the  air,  noi 
lessened  by  the  continual  influx  of  fresh  water;  the  cause  of 
this  is  unknown.  If  this  peculiar  quality  arose  from  moun- 
tains of  salt  contained  in  the  sea,  it  would  be  salter  in  some 
places  than  in  others,  of  which  we  have  no  proof.  But  what- 
ever is  the  occasion  of  this  saline  property  of  the  sea,  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  accomplish  certain  ends.  It  is  that 
which  preserves  such  a  vast  body  of  water  from  corruption, 
and  renders  it  capable  of  supporting  a  greater  weight.  The 
colour  of  sea  water  is  also  deserving  of  attention:  it  is  not 
every  where  alike,  which  perhaps  arises  in  part  from  its  re- 
flecting the  colour  of  the  bottom  and  that  of  the  sky.  It 
often  appears  dark  and  black  in  deep  abysses,  white  and 
foaming  during  a  storm,  silvery,  and  gilded  with  reflections  of 
the  most  beautiful  hue,  when  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
play  upon  the  unruffled  surface  :  the  colour  of  the  sea,  in 
addition  to  these,  varies,  from  numberless  insects,  marine 
plants,  and  the  combination  of  the  different  substances  which 
the  rivers  and  torrents  carry  with  them  into  the  ocean.  When 
it  is  calm,  and  not  a  breeze  skims  over  its  bosom,  it  some- 
times glitters  with  the  most'brilliant  stars;  and  the  track  of  a 
ship  cleaving  the  waves  has  often  a  luminous  appearance,  like 
a  river  of  fire. 

"  The  creatures  which  inhabit  the  sea  excite  our  surprise  and 
admiration  ;  we  there  discover  a  new  world,  and  the  number 
of  beings  which  compose  it  is  prodigious.  Aquatic  animals 
are  not  so  numerous  in  their  species  as  the  land  animals  ;  but 
they  surpass  them  in  size  and  duration.  The  elephant  and 
ostrich  yield  in  bulk  to  the  whale,  the  largest  fish  of  the  ocean, 
its  Itngth  being  often  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet;  and  no  land 
animal  can  vie  with  it  in  longevity,  for  it  lives  as  long  as  the 
oak.  If  we  may  rely  upon  certain  accounts,  there  are  crea- 
tures in  the  ocean,  far  exceeding  the  size  of  the  whale;  as  the 
animal  called  kraken,  said  to  exist  in  the  northern  seas,  and 
whose  circumference  is  half  a  German  league.  Who  is  able 
to  number  the  different  species  of  animals  which  people  the 
seas?  or  who  can  determine  their  form,  structure,  size,  and 


476  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   THE   SEA. 

properties  ?  How  infinitely  great  is  that  God  who  has  created 
the  sea!  will  be  the  conclusion  of  all  who  investigate  the 
subject,  and  it  is  not  without  the  wisest  reasons  that  the 
Creator  has  made  the  ocean  and  the  seas  to  occupy  two-thirds 
of  the  whole  globe.  The  seas  were  designed  not  only  to  form 
great  reservoirs  of  water,  but  by  means  of  their  evaporation  to  be 
the  sources  of  rain,  snow,  and  various  meteors.  What  wis- 
dom is  displayed  in  the  connection  which  the  seas  have  with 
each  other,  and  in  their  continual  motion!  And  it  is  not  less 
wonderful  that  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  is  of  the  same  nature 
as  the  surface  of  the  earth.  There  are  found  in  the  sea,  rocks, 
caverns,  plains,  springs,  plants,  and  animals ;  and  the  islands 
are  only  the  summits  of  a  long  chain  of  mountains.  When 
we  consider  that  the  seas  form  a  part  of  the  globe  the  least 
investigated,  we  are  disposed  to  believe  that  they  contain 
many  more  wonders,  which  neither  the  senses  nor  the  under- 
standing of  man  can  penetrate,  while  all  acknowledge  the 
adorable  w  isdom  and  power  of  the  Most  High.  To  Him  then, 
who  has  established  the  monuments  of  his  grandeur  and  the 
sceptre  of  his  glory  in  the  ocean,  as  upon  the  earth,  be  ascribed 
all  admiration  and  praise!" 

The  following  opinions  of  a  late  celebrated  philosopher  and 
divine,  on  the  Saltness  of  the  Sea,  may  not  be  unac- 
ceptable to  our  readers  : — "  There  are  few  questions,  (observes 
Bishop  Watson.)  respecting  the  natural  history  of  our  globe, 
which  have  been  discussed  with  more  attention,  or  decided 
with  less  satisfaction,  than  that  concerning  the  primary  cause 
of  the  saltness  of  the  sea.  The  solution  of  it  had  perplexed 
the  philosophers  before  the  time  of  Aristotle  ;  it  surpassed 
his  own  great  genius;  and  those  of  his  followers,  who  have 
attempted  to  support  his  argimients,  have  been  betrayed  into 
very  ill-grounded  conclusions  concerning  it.  Father  Kircher, 
after  having  consulted  three  and  thirty  authors  upon  the  sub- 
ject, could  not  help  remarking,  that  the  fluctuations  of  the 
ocean  itself  were  scarcely  more  various  than  the  opinions  of 
men  concerning  the  origin  of  its  saline  impregnation.  The 
question  does  not  seem  capable  of  admitting  an  illustration 
from  experiment;  at  least  no  experiments  have  hitherto  been 
made  for  that  purpose,  and  therefore  we  may  be  the  less  sur- 
prised at  its  remaining  nearly  as  problematical  in  the  present 
age,  as  it  has  been  in  the  preceding.  Had  there,  nideed, 
been  any  observation  made  three  or  four  centuries  ago,  ascer- 
taining the  saltness  of  the  sea  at  any  particular  time  and  place  ; 
we  might,  by  similar  observations  at  the  same  place  and 
the  same  season,  have  been  able  to  know  whether  the  salt- 
ness at  that  particular  place  was  an  increasing,  decreasing,  or 
an  invariable  quantity  ;  and  this  kind   and  degree  of  know- 


SALTNESS  OF  THE  SEA.  477 

ledge  would  have  served  as  a  clue  to  direct  us  to  a  full  inves- 
tioation  of  this  matter  in  general ;  but  it  is  to  be  reo-retted, 
that  no  such  obser\ations  have,  till  very  lately,  been  made 
■with  any  tolerable  precision. — There  are  three  principal  opi- 
nions on  this  subject,  which  have  been  maintained  by  philo- 
sophers of  modern  date;  some,  observing  that  river  water, 
almost  in  every  part  of  the  globe,  is  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree  impregnated  with  sea  salt,  have  thought  that  the  sea 
has  gradually  acquired  its  present  quality  of  salt  from  the 
long-continued  influx  of  rivers. 

Other  philosophers,  observing  that  large  beds  of  fossil 
salt  are  not  unfrequent  in  any  quarter  of  the  globe  ;  and  con- 
ceiving, with  great  probability,  the  bottom  of  the  sea  to  be 
analogous  in  its  formation  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  have 
undertaken  to  derive  its  saltness  from  the  beds  of  rock  salt, 
which  they  have  supposed  to  be  situated  at  its  bottom;  and 
they  are  further  of  opinion,  that  without  such  a  permanent 
saline  principle,  the  sea  would  long  since  have  become  insipid 
from  the  fresh  water  poured  into  it  by  an  infinity  of  rivers. 
Strange  !  that  what,  according  to  the  fore-mentioned  hypo- 
thesis, was  thought  sufficient  to  account  for  the  saltness  of 
the  sea,  should  in  this  be  esteemed  instrumental  in  annihilat- 
ing the  saltness  already  supposed  to  exist. 

Boyle  unites,  as  it  were,  and  takes  the  two  preceding 
hypotheses,  and  imagines  the  saltness  of  the  sea  to  be  sup- 
plied, not  only  from  rocks  and  other  masses  of  salt,  which  at  the 
beginning  were,  and  in  some  countries  may  yet  be  found,  either 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  or  at  the  sides,  where  the  water  can 
reach  them,  but  also  from  the  salt  which  the  rivers,  rains,  and 
other  waters,  dissolve  in  their  passage  through  divers  parts  of 
the  eaith,  and  at  length  carry  with  them  into  the  sea.  Bufton, 
and  the  generality  of  philosophers,  acquiesce  in  the  opinion  of 
Boyle. — "  After  all,  (says  he,)  it  maybe  observed,  that  we  are  in- 
quiring into  the  cause  of  a  phenomenon,  which  it  may  be  said 
had  no  secondary  cause  at  all.  It  is  taken  for  granted,  in  this 
disquisition,  that  the  water  which  covered  the  globe  in  its 
chaotic  state,  was  not  impregnated  with  salt  as  at  present,  but 
quite  fresh  :  now  this  is  an  opinion  concerning  a  matter  of  fact, 
which  can  never  be  proved  either  way  ;  and  surely  we  extend 
our  speculations  very  far,  when  we  attempt  to  explain  a  phe- 
nomenon, primeval  to,  or  coeval  with,  the  formation  of  the 
earth." 

This  sensible  w-riter  then  states  the  different  experiments 
which  have  been  made  to  discover  the  saltness  of  the  sea, 
rounfl  the  shores  of  Britain;  and  proposes  the  following 
simple  method  of  ascertaining  it  with  tolerable  certainty  : — 

"  As  it  is  not  every  person  who  can  make  himself  expert  in 
the   use   of  common  means  of  estimating  the  quantity  of  salt 


478  CUUIOSITIES    RESPf:CTING   THE   SEA. 

contained  in  sea  water,  I  will  mention  a  method  of  doing  it, 
which  is  so  easy  and  simple,  that  every  common  sailor  may 
understand  and  practise  it;  and  which,  at  the  same  time, 
from  the  trials  I  have  made  of  it,  seems  to  be  as  exact  a 
method  as  any  that  has  yet  been  thought  of — Take  a 
clean  towel,  or  any  other  piece  of  cloth  ;  dry  it  well  before  the 
sun  or  before  the  fire,  then  weigh  it  accurately,  and  note 
down  its  weight;  dip  it  in  the  sea  water,  and,  when  taken  out, 
wring  it  a  little  till  it  will  not  drip  when  hung  up  to  dry; 
weigh  it  in  this  wet  state,  then  dry  it  in  the  sun  or  at  the  fire, 
and  when  it  is  perfectly  dry,  weigh  it  again  :  the  excess  of 
the  weiiiht  of  the  wetted  cloth  above  its  orioinal  weight,  is 
the  weight  of  the  sea  water  imbibed  by  the  cloth;  and  the 
excess  of  the  weight  of  the  cloth  after  being  dried,  above  its 
original  weight,  is  the  specific  gravity  of  the  salt  retained  by 
the  cloth;  and  by  comparing  this  weight  with  the  weight  of 
the  sea  water  imbibed  by  the  cloth,  we  obtain  the  proportion 
of  salt  contained  in  that  species  of  sea  water." 

Whoever  undertakes  to  ascertain  the  quantity  of  salt  con- 
tained in  sea  water,  either  by  this  or  any  other  method,  would 
do  well  to  observe  the  state  of  the  weather  preceding  the  time 
when  the  sea  water  is  taken  out  of  the  sea;  for  the  quantity 
of  salt,  contained  in  the  water  near  the  surface,  may  be  in- 
fluenced, both  by  the  antecedent  moisture,  and  the  antecedent 
heat  of  the  atmosphere.  And  this  leads  to  the  consideration 
of  a  question  proposed  by  Aristotle, — Why  are  the  upper  parts 
of  the  sea  salter  and  warmer  than  the  lower?  Some  philoso- 
phers, admitting  the  fact,  have  followed  him  in  attempting  to 
explain  it;  whilst  others  have  thought  themselves  authorized 
by  experiment  to  deny  the  truth  of  the  position  ;  and  those, 
perhaps,  will  argue  with  the  greatest  justness,  who  shall 
aflSrm  that  it  is  neither  generally  to  be  admitted,  nor  generally 
to  be  rejected,  but  that  the  sea  in  some  places,  and  under 
certain  circumstances,  is  salter  and  warmer  at  the  surface,  than 
at  any  considerable  depth  beneath  it,  while  in  many  others 
the  reverse  is  true.  The  question  consists  of  two  parts,  be- 
twixt which,  though  there  probably  is  a  connection,  yet  it  is 
not  so  necessary  a  one  as  to  hinder  us  from  considering  each 
part  by  itself. 

With  regard  to  the  use  of  this  salt  property  of  sea  water, 
it  is  observed,  that  the  saltness  of  the  sea  preserves  its  waters 
pure  and  sweet,  which  otherwise  would  corrupt,  and  emit  a 
stench  like  a  filthy  lake,  and  consequently  that  none  of  the 
myriads  of  creatures  which  now-  live  therein  could  exist.  From 
thence  also  the  sea  water  becomes  much  heavier,  and  therefore 
ships  of  greater  size  and  burden  are  safely  borne  thereon. 
Salt  water  also  does  not  freeze  so  soon  as  fresh  water,  hence 
the  seas  are  more  free  for  navigation 


THE  TIDES.  479 

We  shall  now  make  a  few  observations  on  The  Tides: — 

Say,  why  should  the  collected  main 

Itself  within  itself  contain? 

Why  to  its  caverns  should  it  sometimes  cree 

And  with  delighted  silence  sleep 

On  the  lov'd  bosom  of  its  parent  deep? 

Why  should  its  num'rous  waters  stay 

In  comely  discipline  and  fair  array. 

Till  winds  and  tides  exert  their  high  commands? 

Then  prompt  and  ready  to  obey, 

Why  do  the  rising  surges  spread 
Their  op'ning  ranks  o'er  earth's  submissive  head. 
Marching  through  diflerent  paths  to  difl'erent  lands  ?      Prior. 

The  tides  consist  of  two  periodical  motions  of  the  waters  of 
the  sea,  called  the  flux  and  reflux,  or  the  flow  and  ebb.  The 
cause  of  the  tides  is  the  attraction  of  the  sun  and  moon,  but 
chiefly  of  the  latter;  the  waters  of  the  immense  ocean,  forget- 
ful, as  it  were,  of  their  natural  rest,  move  and  roll  in  tides, 
obsequious  to  the  stronir  attractive  power  of  the  moon,  and 
weaker  influence  of  the  sun. 

That  the  tides  may  have  their  full  motion,  the  ocean  in 
which  they  are  produced  ought  to  be  extended  from  east  to 
west  90*^,  or  a  quarter  of  a  great  circle  of  the  earth,  at  least: 
because  the  places  where  the  moon  raises  most,  and  most 
depresses  the  water,  are  at  that  distance  from  one  another. 
Hence  it  appears,  that  it  is  only  in  the  great  oceans  that  such 
tides  can  be  produced,  and  why,  in  the  large  Pacific  ocean, 
they  exceed  those  in  the  Atlantic.  From  this  it  is  also 
obvious  why  the  tides  are  not  so  great  in  the  torrid  zone, 
between  Africa  and  America,  where  the  ocean  is  iiarruwer,  as 
in  the  temperate  zones  on  either  side;  and  from  this  also, 
we  may  understand  why  the  tides  are  so  small  in  islands  that 
are  very  far  distant  from  the  shore.  It  is  manifest,  that,  in 
the  Atlantic  ocean,  the  water  cannot  rise  on  one  shore,  but  by 
descending  on  the  other;  so  that,  on  these  shores,  at  an  inter- 
mediate distance,  it  must  continue  at  about  a  mean  height 
between  its  elevation  on  the  one,  and  descent  on  the  other 
shore.  As  the  tides  pass  over  shoals,  and  run  through 
streights  into  bays  of  the  sea,  their  motion  becomes  more 
various,  and  their  height  depends  on  a  great  many  circum- 
stances. The  tide  that  is  produced  in  the  western  coast  of 
Europe  corresponds  to  the  theory  above  described  :  thus,  it 
is  high  water  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  Portugal,  and  the  west  of 
Ireland,  about  the  third  hour  after  the  moon  has  passed  the 
meridian;  from  thence  it  flows  into  the  adjacent  channels,  as 
it  linds  the  easiest  passage.  One  current  from  it,  for  example, 
runs  up  by  the  south  of  England,  and  another  comes  in  by 
the  north  of  Scotland  :  they  take  a  considerable  time  to  move 
all  this  way,  and   it  is  high  water  sooner  in  the  places  to 


480  CURIOSITIES  RESTECliNG  THE  SEA. 

which  they  first  come;  and  the  tides  even  begin  to  full  at 
those  places,  while  the  two  currents  are  yet  going  on  to 
others  that  are  further  in  their  course.  As  they  return,  they 
are  not  able  to  raise  a  tide  ;  because  the  water  runs  faster  otf 
than  it  returns,  till  by  a  new  tide  propagated  from  the  ocean, 
the  return  of  the  current  is  stopped,  and  the  water  begins  to 
rise  again.  The  tide  takes  twelve  hours  to  come  from  the 
ocean  to  London  bridge,  so  that,  when  it  is  high  water  there 
a  new  tide  is  already  come  to  its  height  in  the  ocean,  and,  in 
some  intermediate  place,  it  must  be  low  water  at  the  same 
time. 

In  channels,  therefore,  and  narrow  seas,  the  progress  of  the 
tides  may  be,  in  some  respects,  compared  to  the  motion  of 
the  waves  of  the  sea.  It  may  be  observed,  that  when  the 
tide  runs  over  shoals,  and  flows  upon  flat  shores,  the  water 
is  raised  to  a  greater  height  than  in  the  open  and  deep 
oceans  that  have  steep  banks  ;  because  the  force  of  its  motion 
cannot  be  broken  upon  these  level  shores,  till  the  water  rises 
to  a  greater  height.  If  a  place  communicates  with  two 
oceans,  (or  two  different  ways  with  the  same  ocean,  one  of 
which  is  a  readier  and  easier  passage  than  the  other,)  two 
tides  may  arrive  at  that  place  in  different  times,  which,  inter- 
fering with  each  other,  may  produce  a  greater  variety  of 
phenomena. 

An  extraordinary  instance  of  this  kind  is  mentioned  at 
Bathsha,  a  port  in  the  kingdom  of  Tonquin  in  the  East  Indies, 
of  northern  latitude  20°  .50'.  The  day  in  which  the  moon 
passes  the  equator,  the  water  stagnates  there  without  any 
motion:  as  the  moon  removes  from  the  equator,  the  water 
begins  to  rise  and  fall  once  a  day  ;  and  it  is  high  water  at  the 
setting  of  the  moon,  and  low  water  at  her  rising.  This  daily 
tide  increases  for  about  seven  or  eight  days,  and  then  de- 
creases for  as  many  days  by  the  same  degrees,  till  this  motion 
ceases  when  the  moon  has  returned  to  the  equator.  When 
she  has  passed  the  equator,  and  declines  towards  the  south 
pole,  the  water  rises  and  falls  again,  as  before  ;  but  it  is  high 
water  now  at  the  rising,  and  low  water  at  the  setting,  of  the 
moon. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  the  remark- 
able fact  of  Waves  stilleu  by  Oil. — This  wonderful  pro- 
perty, though  well  known  to  the  ancients,  as  appears  from  tiie 
writings  of  Pliny,  was  for  many  ages  either  quite  unnoticed, 
or  treated  as  fabulous  by  succeeding  philosophers,  till  Dr. 
Franklin  again  attracted  the  attention  of  the  learned  to 
this  su])ject ;  though  it  appears,  from  some  anecdotes,  that 
seafaring  people  have  always  been  acquainted  with  it.  Mr. 
Pennant,   in    his  British   Zoology,   vol.  iv.  under   the   article 


WAVES   STILLED   RY   OIL.  481 

6eai.  takes  notice,  that  when  these  animals  are  devouring  a 
very  oily  tish,  which  they  always  do  under  water,  the  waves 
above  are  remarkably  smooth ;  and  by  this  the  fishermen 
know  where  to  find  them.  Sir  Gilbert  Lawson,  who  servea 
long  in  the  army  at  Gibraltar,  assured  Dr.  Franklin,  that  the 
fishermen  in  that  place  are  accustomed  to  pour  a  little  oil  on 
the  sea,  in  order  to  still  its  motion,  that  they  may  be  enabled 
to  see  tlie  oysters  lying  at  its  bottom,  which  are  there  very 
large,  and  which  they  take  up  with  a  proper  instrument. 
A  similar  practice  is  followed  among  fishermen  in  various 
other  parts;  and  Dr.  Franklin  was  informed  by  an  old  sea 
captain,  that  the  fishermen  of  Lisbon,  when  about  to  return 
into  the  river,  if  they  saw  too  great  a  surf  upon  the  bar,  would 
empty  a  bottle  or  two  of  oil  into  the  sea,  which  would  suppress 
the  breakers,  and  allow  them  to  pass  freely.  The  Doctor 
having  revolved  in  his  mind  all  these  pieces  of  information, 
became  impatient  to  try  the  experiment  himself.  At  last, 
having  an  opportunity  of  observing  a  large  pond  very  rough 
with  the  wind,  he  dropped  a  small  quantity  of  oil  upon  it. 
But  having  at  first  applied  it  on  the  lee  side,  the  oil  was 
driven  back  again  upon  the  shore.  He  then  went  to  the  wind- 
ward side,  and  poured  on  about  a  tea-spoonful  of  oil  ;  this 
produced  an  instant  calm  over  a  space  several  yards  square, 
which  spread  amazingly,  and  extended  itself  gradually  till  it 
came  to  the  lee-side  ;  making  all  that  quarter  of  the  pond, 
perhaps  half  an  acre,  as  smooth  as  glass.  This  experiment 
was  often  repeated  in  difierent  places,  and  was  always  at- 
tended with  success. 


CHAP.  XLV. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING  THE  SEA. ( Coiicluded.) 

Adorino:.  own 


The  hand  Almig;hty,  who  its  channel'd  bed 
Immeasurable  sunk,  and  poui'd  abroad, 
Fenc'd  with  eternal  mounds,  the  fluid  sphere  ; 
With  every  wind  to  waft  larfje  commerce  on, 
Join  pole  to  pole,  consociate  sever'd  worlds. 
And  link  in  bonds  of  intercourse  and  love 
Earth's  universal  family." 

ON   THE   PERFECTION   OF   NAVIGATION. 

The  following  account  of  the  present  wonderful  perfection 
of  navigation,  is  taken  from  a  History  of  Voyages  and  Disco- 
veries made  in  the  North  ;  translated  from  the  German  of  John 
Reinhold  Foster,  LL.D.-  — 

3P 


462  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  SEA. 

"  Of  all  the  arts  and  professions  which  have  at  any  time 
attracted  notice,  none  has  ever  appeared  to  be  more  astonish- 
ing and  marvellous  than  that  of  navigation,  in  the  state  in 
which  it  is  at  present;  an  art  which  doubtless  affords  one  of 
the  most  certain  irrefragable  proofs  of  the  amazing  powers  of 
the  human  understanding.  This  cannot  be  made  more  evident, 
than  when,  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the  tottering  inar- 
tificial craft  to  which  navigation  owes  its  oriuin,  we  compare 
it  to  a  noble  and  majestic  edifice,  containing  1000  men,  toge- 
gether  with  their  provisions,  drink,  furniture,  wearing-apparel, 
and  other  necessaries,  for  many  months,  besides  100  pieces  of 
heavy  ordnance  ;  and  bearing  all  this  vast  apparatus  safely, 
and  as  it  were  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  across  immense  seas 
to  the  most  distant  shores.  The  following  example  may  serve 
for  the  present  to  delineate  at  full  length,  as  it  were,  the  idea 
above  alluded  to.  But  first  I  must  premise,  that  a  huge  un- 
wieldy log  of  wood,  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  and  in  the 
most  uncouth  manner,  hollowed  out  in  the  inside,  and  some- 
what pointed  at  both  ends,  and  in  this  way  set  on  a  river  for 
the  purpose  of  transporting  two  or  three  persons  belonging  to 
one  and  the  same  family,  across  a  piece  of  water  a  few  feet 
deep,  by  the  assistance  of  a  pole  pushed  against  the  ground, 
cannot  with  any  propriety  be  considered  as  the  image  of  navi- 
gation in  its  first  and  earliest  staire.  For  it  seems  evident  to 
me.  that  people  in  the  beginning  only  took  three  or  four  trunks 
of  trees,  and  fastened  them  together,  and  then,  by  means  of 
this  kind  of  raft,  got  across  such  waters  as  were  too  deep  for 
them  to  ford,  and  across  which  they  could  not  well  swim, 
with  tlieir  children,  and  various  kinds  of  goods  which  they 
might  wish  to  preserve  from  being  wet.  The  canoe,  however, 
is  a  specimen  of  the  art  in  a  more  advanced  state,  as  this  kind 
of  craft  is  capable  of  having  direction  given  to  it,  and  even 
of  so  capital  an  improvement  as  that  of  iiaving  a  sail  added  to 
it.  For  this  reason  I  choose  this  vehicle  for  a  standard,  in 
preference  to  a  mere  raft,  to  which,  imperfect  as  it  is,  it  is 
so  much  superior. 

"  Let  u»,  then,  compare  this  with  a  large  majestic  floating 
edifice,  the  result  of  the  ingenuity  and  labour  of  many  hun- 
dreds of  liands,  and  composed  of  a  number  of  well-proportioned 
pieces,  nicely  fastened  together  by  iron  nails  and  bolts  ;  and 
rendered  so  tight  with  tow  and  pitch,  that  no  water  can  pene- 
trate it.  Now,  in  order  to  give  motion  and  direction  to  this 
enormous  machine,  some  astonishingly  lofty  pieces  of  timber 
have  been  fixed  upright  in  it,  and  so  many  moveable  cross 
pieces  have  been  added  to  it,  together  with  such  a  variety  of 
pieces  of  strong  linen  cloth,  for  the  purpose  of  catching  the 
wind,  and  of  receiving  its  impulse  and  propelling  power,  that 
the  number  of  them  amounts  to  upwards  of  thirty.     For  chang- 


PKRFECTION   OF  NAVIGATION.  483 

ing  the  direction  of  the  yards  and  sails,  according  to  particular 
circumstances,  it  has  also  been  requisite  to  add  a  Tast  quan- 
tity of  cordage  and  tackling;;  and  nevertheless,  even  all  this 
would  not  be  sufficient  for  the  perfect  direction  and  o-overn- 
mentofthe  vessel,  if  there  were  not  fastened  to  the  hinder 
part  of  it,  by  means  of  hinges  and  hooks,  a  moveable  piece 
of  wood,  very  small  indeed,  in  proportion  to  the  whole  machine, 
but  the  least  inclination  of  which  to  either  side  is  sufficient  to 
give  immediately  a  different  direction  to  this  enormouslv  large 
mass,  and  that  even  in  a  storm,  so  that  two  men  may  direct 
and  govern  this  swimming  island  with  the  same,  or  with  greater 
ease,  than  a  single  man  can  do  a  boat.  But  if,  besides,  we 
consider,  that,  in  a  vessel  like  this,  not  a  single  piece  is  put 
in  at  random,  but  that  every  part  of  it  has  its  determinate 
measure  and  proportion,  and  is  fixed  precisely  in  that  place 
which  is  the  most  advantageous  for  it ;  that,  throughout  every 
part  of  it,  there  is  distributed  an  astonishing  quantity  of  blocks, 
stays,  and  pulleys,  for  the  purpose  of  diminishing  the  friction, 
and  of  accelerating  the  motion  of  these  parts  ;  that  even  the 
bellying  and  vaulted  part  of  the  fabric,  together  with  its  sharp 
termination  underneath,  are  proportioned  according  to  the 
nicest  calculations,  and  the  most  accurately  determined  rules; 
that  the  length  and  the  thickness  of  the  masts,  the  size  of  the 
booms  and  yards,  the  length,  width,  and  strength  of  the  sails 
and  tackling,  are  all  in  due  proportion  to  each  other,  accord- 
ing to  certain  rules  founded  upon  the  principles  of  motion  : 
when  we  consider  all  this,  I  say,  our  admiration  increases 
more  and  more  at  this  great  masterpiece  of  human  power  and 
understanding. 

"  Still,  however,  there  are  wanting  a  few  traits  to  complete 
this  description.  A  man  in  health  consumes,  in  the  space  of 
twenty-four  hours,  about  eight  pounds  of  victuals  and  drink  : 
consequently,  80001b.  of  provisions  are  required  daily  in  such  a 
ship.  Now,  let  us  suppose  a  ship  to  befitted  out  for  three  months 
only,  and  we  shall  find  that  she  must  be  laden  with  720,0001b. 
of  provisions.  A  large  fortv-two  pounder  weighs  about  61001b. 
if  made  of  brass,  and  about  55001b.  if  iron  ;  and  generally 
there  are  twentv-eight  or  thirty  of  these  on  board  a  ship  of 
100  guns,  the  weight  of  which,  exclusive  of  that  of  their  car- 
riages, amounts  to  183,0001b. — on  the  second  deck,  thirty 
twenty-four  pounders,  each  of  which  weighs  about  51001b. 
and  therefore  altogether  153,0001b. — the  weight  of  the 
twenty-six  or  twenty-eight  twelve-pounders  on  the  lower  deck, 
amounts  to  about  75,4001b. — that  of  the  fourteen  six-pounders 
on  the  upper  deck,  to  about  26,6001b. — besides  which,  on  the 
round  tops,  there  are  even  three-pounders  and  swivels.  Now, 
if  to  this  we  add,  that  the  complete  charge  of  a  forty-two 
pounder  weighs  about  641b.  and  that  at  least  upwards   of  100 


484  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  SEA. 

charges  are  required  for  each  gun,  we  shall  find  this  to  amount 
nearly  to  the  same  weight  as  the  guns  themselves.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  we  must  reflect,  that  every  ship  must  have,  by 
way  of  providing  against  exigencies,  at  least  a  second  set  of 
sails,  cables,  cordage,  and  tacklings,  which  altogether  amount 
to  a  considerable  weig-ht.  The  stores,  likewise,  consistino-  of 
planks,  pitch,  and  tow;  the  chests  belonging  to  the  officers 
and  sailors  ;  the  surgeon's  stores,  and  various  other  articles 
requisite  on  a  long  voyage  ;  as  also  the  small  arms,  bayonets, 
swords,  and  pistols,  are  no  inconsiderable  load  ;  to  which  we 
must  finally  add  the  weight  of  the  crew,  which  is  not  very 
trifling:  so  that  one  of  these  large  ships  carries  at  least  2162 
tons  burden,  or  4,324,0001b.  and  at  the  same  time  is  steered 
and  governed  with  as  much  ease  as  the  smallest  boat.  Now, 
the  consideration  of  these  circumstances  alone,  is  sufficient  to 
excite  the  most  serious  reflections  in  a  contemplative  mind  ; 
and  yet,  if  such  a  ship  sailed  along  the  coast  only,  and  never 
lost  sight  of  the  shore,  as  the  navigators  of  old  used  to  do, 
we  might  still  be  tempted  to  look  upon  navigation  as  an  easy 
and  trifiing  business.  But  the  finding  the  straightest  and 
shortest  way  over  an  ocean  of  more  than  sixty  or  eighty  degrees 
in  longitude,  and  thirty  or  forty  in  latitude  ;  or  across  a  track 
from  4000  to  6000  miles  in  extent,  by  day  and  by  night,  in  fair 
weather  or  in  foul  ;  as  well  when  the  sky  is  overcast  as  when 
it  is  clear,  and  often  with  no  other  guide  than  the  compass, 
and  the  being  able  to  determine  the  true  position  of  the  ship 
at  sea,  by  the  height  of  the  sun,  though  this  latter  be  enve- 
loped in  clouds,  or  to  direct  its  course  by  the  moon  and  stars 
with  such  exactness  and  precision,  as  not  to  make  a  mistake 
of  the  value  of  half  a  degree,  or  thirty  miles;  this  at  least 
shews  the  progress  and  great  perfection  of  an  art  practised 
by  a  class  of  people,  of  whose  understanding  many  conceited 
and  supercilious  landsmen  have  but  a  mean  opinon,  and  whose 
plain  and  simple  manners  they  frequently  take  the  liberty  of 
turning  into  ridicule,  forgetting  how  much  they  are  indebted 
to  their  skill  and  prowess. 

"  A  violent  storm  of  wind  will  make  us  tremble  with  fear, 
even  in  a  strong  well-built  house,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  popu- 
lous city  ;  yet  we  have  seldom  or  never  either  seen  or  expe- 
rienced the  vast  power  of  the  enraged  waves,  when  beat  about 
by  the  winds,  and  dashed  against  each  other  till  they  seem 
transformed  into  froth  and  vapour,  and  the  whole  surface  of 
the  ocean  presents  to  the  eye  a  confused  scene  of  immense 
watery  mountains  and  bottomless  precipices  ;  and  yet  on  such 
a  sea  as  this  the  trve  seaman,  provided  he  has  but  a  good 
ship,  rides  with  calm  and  unshaken  courage,  and  thinks 
himself  as  safe  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean  as  in  the  best  fortified 
castle." 


485 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 

With  gallant  pomp  and  beauteous  pride, 
The  floating  pile  in  harbour  rode; 
Proud  of  her  lreif;ht,  the  swelling  tide 
Reluctant  left  the  vessel's  side, 
And  rais'd  it  as  it  flow'd. 

The  waves,  with  eastern  breezes  curl'd. 
Had  silver'd  half  the  liquid  plain; 
The  aiichois  weioh'd,  the  sails  unfurl'd. 
Serenely  uiov'd  tiie  wooden  world, 
And  stretch 'd  along  the  main. 


CHAP.  XLVI. 

CUlUOSiriES  RESPECTING    WATERFALLS,    LAKES, 
GULFS,    WHIRLPOOLS,    ^e. 

The  Fdl/s  of  Niagara — Lake  of  KiUariiey — Liake  Solfatara — 
W/iii/pool  near  Suderoc — -Maelstrom — Gulf  Stream — New 
Island  starting  from  the  Sea. 

Fountains  and  ponds  he  adds,  and  lakes  immense, 

Descending  streams  the  winding  borders  fence; 

This,  deep-absorb'd,  the  darksome  cavern  laves, 

These  to  the  ocean  roll  their  azure  waves; 

There,  uncontroll'd,  they  meet  the  roaring  tide. 

And  dash,  for  verdant  banks,  the  hoar  clifl's  side.         Ovid. 

Niagara  is  a  river  of  the  United  States,  which  flows  from 
Lake  Erie,  and  runs  by  a  north-west  course  into  the  south-west 
end  of  Lake  Ontario,  constituting  part  of  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Canada.  It  is  thirty-four  miles 
long,  including  its  meanders.  About  twenty  miles  below  Lake 
Erie  is  the  great  cataract,  called  The  Falls  of  Niagara, 
which  is  justly  reckoned  one  of  the  greatest  natural  curiosities 
in  the  world.  These  falls  run  from  south-south-east  to  north- 
north-west ;  and  the  rock  of  the  falls  crosses  them,  not  in  a 
right  line,  but  forms  a  kind  of  figure  like  a  hollow  semicircle, 
or  horse-shoe.  Above  the  falls,  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  is 
an  island  called  Grand  Isle,  about  nine  hundred  or  one  thou- 
sand feet  long,  the  lower  end  of  which  is  just  at  the  perpen- 
dicular edge  of  the  fall.  On  both  sides  of  this  island  runs  all 
the  water  that  comes  from  the  lakes  of  Canada;  viz.  Lakes 
Superior,  Michigan,  Huron,  and  Erie.  Before  the  water  cruiies 
to  this  island,  it  runs  but  slowly,  compared  with  its  motion 
afterwards,  when  it  grows  the  most  rapid  in  the  world,  run- 
ning with  a  surprising  swiftness  before  it  comes  to  the  fall. 
It  is  perfectly  white,  and  in  many  places  is  thrown  high  up 
into  the  air.     At  this  island,   the  river  divides  into  two  chan 


480  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   WATERFALLS,    &C. 

nels  :  the  perpendicular  descent  of  the  north-east  channel,  as 
measured  by  Dr.  M'Causlin,  is  one  hundred  and  sixty-three 
feet;  that  of  the  north-west,  one  hundred  and  forty-three;  and 
the  breadth  of  the  cataract  and  island,  above  a  mile. 

The  water  that  runs  down  on  the  west  side  is  more  rapid, 
flows  in  greater  abundance,  and  is  whiter,  than  that  on  the 
east  side,  and  seems  to  outfly  an  arrow  in  swiftness.  At 
the  principal  fall,  on  looking  up  the  river,  one  may  see  tliat 
the  water  is  every  where  exceedingly  steep,  almost  like  the 
side  of  a  hill ;  but  upon  looking  at  the  fall  itself,  it  is  im- 
possible to  express  the  amazement  it  occasions.  The  height 
of  it,  as  measured  by  mathematical  instruments,  is  exactly 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet ;  and  when  the  water  is 
come  to  the  bottom,  it  rebounds  back  to  a  very  great  height 
in  the  air.  The  noise  is  heard  at  the  distance  of  forty-five 
miles.  At  fort  Niagara,  when  they  hear  the  noise  of  the  fall 
more  loud  than  ordinary,  they  are  sure  that  a  north-east  wind 
will  follow;  which  is  the  most  surprising,  as  the  fort  lies 
south-west  from  the  fall.  Sometimes  the  fall  makes  a  much 
greater  noise  than  at  others,  and  this  is  held  for  an  infallible 
sign  of  approaching  rain  or  bad  weather.  From  the  place 
where  the  water  falls,  there  arises  a  great  quantity  of  vapour, 
like  very  thick  smoke,  insomuch,  that  when  viewed  at  a  dis- 
tance, one  would  think  that  the  Indians  had  set  the  forests  on 
fire.  These  vapours  rise  high  in  the  air  when  it  is  calm,  but 
are  dispersed  by  the  wind  when  it  blows  hard.  In  September 
and  October,  such  quantities  of  dead  water-fowl  are  found 
every  morning  below  the  fall,  on  the  shore,  that  the  garrison 
of  the  fort  live  chiefly  upon  them.  Besides  the  fowls,  they 
find  several  sorts  of  dead  fish,  also  deer,  bears,  and  other 
animals,  which  have  tried  to  cross  the  water  above  the  fill  : 
the  larger  animals  are  generally  found  broken  to  jjieces. 
Just  below,  a  little  way  from  the  great  fall,  the  water  is  not 
rapid,  but  goes  in  circles,  and  whirls  like  a  boiling  pot;  which 
however  does  not  hinder  the  Indians  going  upon  it  in  small 
canoes  a  fishing;  but  a  little  further,  and  lower,  the  otlit;r 
smaller  falls  begin. 

There  is  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river  above  the  iall, 
where  the  Indians  go  often  to  kill  deer,  which  have  tried  to 
cross  the  river,  and  are  driven  upon  it  by  the  stream.  On  the 
west  side  of  this  island  are  some  small  islands  or  rocks  of  no 
consequence.  The  east  side  of  the  river  is  almost  perpen- 
dicular, the  west  side  more  sloping.  In  former  times,  a  pan 
of  the  rock,  at  the  fall  which  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  island, 
hung  over  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  water  which  fell  perpen- 
dicularly from  it,  left  a  vacancy  below,  so  that  people  could 
go  under  between  the  rock  and  the  water;  but  the  prominent 
part  some  years  ago  broke  off",  and  fell  down.     The  breadth  of 


LAKE  OF  KILLARNEY.  487 

the  great  fall,  as  it  runs  in  a  sem'circle,  is  reckoned  to  be 
about  300  feet.  Below  the  fall,  in  the  holes  of  the  rocks,  are 
oreat  plenty  of  eels,  which  the  Indians  and  French  catch  with 
their  hands.  Every  day,  when  the  sun  shines,  may  be  seen 
from  ten  a.m.  till  two  P.  m.  below  the  fall,  a  glorious  rainbow, 
and  sometimes  two,  one  within  the  other.  The  more  vapours 
that  float,  the  brighter  and  clearer  is  the  rainbow.  When  the 
wind  carries  the  vapours  from  that  place,  the  rainbow  is  gone, 
but  appears  again  as  soon  as  new  vapours  arise.  From  the 
fall  to  the  landing  above  it,  where  the  canoes  from  the  Lake 
Erie  put  ashore,  (or  from  the  fall  to  the  upper  end  of  the  car- 
rying place,)  is  half  a  mile.  Lower  than  this,  the  canoes  dare 
not  venture.  They  have  often  found  below  the  fall,  fragments 
of  human  bodies,  that  have  unhappily  been  precipitated  over 
the  fall.  The  French  say,  that  they  have  often  thrown  great 
trees  into  the  water  above,  to  see  them  carried  over  this  pre- 
cipice with  the  vast  body  of  water,  which  nothing  can  resist: 
these  go  down  with  surprising  swiftness,  but  can  never  be 
seen  afterwards;  from  whence  has  arisen  the  conjecture  that 
there  was  a  bottomless  abyss  just  under  the  fall.  But  the 
most  reasonable  supposition  is,  that,  by  the  powerful  agency 
of  the  w;itt-r,  they  were  broken  into  such  diminutive  frag- 
ments, II -^  to  render  it  impossible  that  they  should  ever  be 
recognized  for  the  same.  The  rock  of  the  fall  is  composed 
of  a  gray  limestone. 

We  shall  next  take  a  view  of  some  of  the  most  remarkable 
lakes;  and  the  first  we  would  notice,  is  the  Lake  of  Kil- 
LARNEY. — This  is  a  beautiful  lake  of  Ireland,  in  the  county 
of  Kerry,  otherwise  called  Lough  Lean,  from  its  being  sur- 
rounded by  high  mountains.  It  is  divided  into  three  parts, 
called  the  Lower,  Middle,  and  Upper  Lake.  The  northern,  or 
lower  lake,  is  six  miles  in  length,  and  from  three  to  four  in 
breadth.  On  the  side  of  one  of  the  mountains  is  O'SuUivan's 
Cascade,  which  falls  into  the  lake  with  a  roar  that  strikes  the 
timid  with  awe.  The  view  of  this  sheet  of  water  is  uncom- 
monly fine  ;  it  appears  as  if  it  were  descending  from  an  arch 
of  wood,  which  overhangs  it  above  seventy  feet  in  height. 
The  promontory  of  Mucruss,  which  divides  the  upper  from 
the  lower  lake,  is  quite  enchanting;  and  a  road  is  carried 
through  the  centre  of  its  promontory,  which  unfolds  all  the 
interior  beauties  of  the  place.  Among  the  distant  mountains, 
Turk  appears  an  object  of  magnificence  ;  while  Mangerton's 
more  loftv,  though  less  interesting  summit,  soars  above  the 
whole.  The  passage  to  the  upper  lake  is  round  the  extremity 
of  Mucruss,  which  confines  it  on  one  side,  and  the  approach- 
ing mountains  on  the  other.  Here  is  a  celebrated  rock,  called 
the    Eagle's    Nest,    which   produces    wonderful   echoes ;    the 


488  CURIOSITIES   U/JSPECTING  WATERFALLS,  &C. 

report  of  a  single  cannon  is  answered  by  a  succession  of  pea's 
resembling  the  loudest  thunder,  and  at  length  dies  awav 
among  the  distant  mountains.  The  upper  is  four  miles  long, 
and  from  two  to  three  broad.  It  is  almost  surrounded  by 
mountains,  from  which  descend  a  number  of  beautiful  cas- 
cades. The  islands  in  this  lake  are  numerous,  and  afford  an 
amazing  variety  of  picturesque  views.  The  centre  lake, 
which  communicates  with  the  upper,  is  small  in  comparison 
with  the  other  two,  and  cannot  boast  of  equal  variety  ;  but 
the  shores  are,  in  many  places,  indented  with  beautiful  bays, 
surrounded  by  dark  groves  of  trees.  The  east  boundary  is 
formed  by  the  base  of  Mangerton,  down  the  steep  side  of 
which  descends  a  cascade,  visible  for  150  yards.  This  fall  of 
water  is  supplied  by  a  circular  lake,  near  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  called  the  Devil's  Punch  Bowl  ;  which,  on  account 
of  its  immense  depth,  and  the  continual  overflow  of  water,  is 
considered  as  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in  Killarnev.  One 
of  the  most  delightful  prospects  which  this  universally  adniired 
lake  affords,  is  from  a  rising  ground  near  the  ruined  cathedral 
of  Aghadoe. 

Lake  Solfatara. — This  lake  is  in  the  Compagna  of  Rome, 
near  Tivoli,  anciently  called  Albulus.  It  has  Avhat  are  called 
three  floating  islands,  but  they  are  only  apparently  so,  being- 
composed  of  bunches  of  sedges  and  bulrushes,  glued  together 
by  the  bitumen  which  swims  on  the  lake,  and  the  sulphur 
with  which  it  is  impregnated,  and  covered  with  sand  and  dust 
blown  from  the  adjacent  banks  of  the  lake.  These  islands  are 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  yards  long,  and  the  soil  is  strong  enough 
to  bear  six  |>ersons,  who,  by  a  pole,  may  move  to  different 
parts  of  the  lake.  This  lake  has  an  outlet,  whence  its  waters 
run,  forming  a  whitish  muddy  stream,  into  the  Teverone,  the 
ancient  Anio,  emitting  a  vapour  of  a  sulphureous  smell  as 
they  flow.  The  ground  near  this  rivulet,  as  well  as  on  the 
banks  of  the  lake,  resounds  with  a  hollow  sound  when  a  horse 
gallops  over  it.  The  water  has  also  a  petrifying  quality,  co- 
vering every  substance  that  it  ))asses  over  with  a  hard  white 
stony  substance.  On  throwing  a  bundle  of  sticks  or  shrubs 
into  the  lake,  they  will  in  a  few  days  be  covered  with  this 
stony  crust ;  and  this  petrifying  quality  is  even  stronger  in 
the  rivulet  that  runs  from  it,  than  in  the  lake  itself,  and  still 
increases  till  it  falls  into  the  Teverone.  These  small  white 
incrustations  that  cover  the  pebbles  in  the  bottom  of  the  lake 
and  rivulet,  being  somewhat  like  sugar-plums,  are  called 
Confections  of  Tivoli.  Fish  abound  in  the  Teverone  above 
and  below  Tivoli,  till  it  receives  the  petrifying  water;  after 
which,  durino-  the  remainder  of  its  course  to  the  Tiber,  there 
are  none. 


SUDEROE. — MAELSTROM.  489 

Our  next  object  of  curiosity  is  aVVHiRLPOOL  near  Sudekoe. 
— Suderoe  is  one  of  the  Fero  isles,  situated  to  the  north 
of  Scotland.  Near  this  place  there  is  a  remarkable  whirlpool, 
occasioned  by  a  crater  sixty-one  fathoms  deep  in  the  centre, 
and  from  fifty  to  fifty-five  on  the  sides.  The  water  forms  four 
fierce  circumgyrations.  The  point  they  begin  at  is  on  the 
side  of  a  lar^e  bason,  where  commences  a  rang-e  of  rocks, 
running  spirally,  and  terminating  at  the  verge  of  the  crater. 
This  range  is  extremely  rugged,  and  covered  with  water,  from 
the  depth  of  twelve  to  eight  fathoms  only.  It  forms  four 
equidistant  wreaths,  with  a  channel  from  thirty-five  to  twenty 
fathoms  deep  between  each.  On  the  outside,  beyond  that 
depth,  the  sea  suddenly  sinks  to  eighty  and  ninety.  On  the 
south  border  of  the  bason  is  a  lofty  rock,  called  iSumboe  Munk, 
noted  for  the  multitude  of  birds  which  frequent  it.  On  one 
side  the  water  is  only  three  or  four  fathoms  deep,  on  the  other 
fifteen.  The  danger  at  most  times,  especially  in  storms,  is 
very  great.  Ships  are  irresistibly  drawn  in  ;  the  rudder  loses 
its  power ;  iind  the  waves  beat  as  high  as  the  masts  ;  so  that 
an  escape  is  almost  miraculous  :  yet  at  the  reflux,  in  fine  wea- 
ther, the  inhabitants  venture  for  the  sake  of  fishing. 

Our  next  subject  is  the  celebrated  Maelstrom. — This  is  a 
very  dangerous  whirlpool  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  in  thq  pro- 
vince of  Nordland,  and  district  of  Lofoden,  near  the  island  of 
Moskoe,  whence  it  also  has  its  name  of  Moskoe-strom.  Of 
this  amazing  whirlpool,  Jonas  Ramus  gives  the  following 
account: — "The  mountain  ofHelseggen,  in  Lofoden,  lies  a 
league  from  the  island  of  Ver,  and  betwixt  these  two  runs  that 
large  and  dreadful  stream  called  Moskoe-strom,  from  the 
island  of  Moskoe,  which  is  in  the  middle  of  it;  together  with 
several  circumjacent  isles,  as  Ambaaran,  half  a  quarter  of  a 
league  north,  Iflesen,  Hoeholm,  Kiedholm,  Simrven,  and 
Buckholm.  Moskoe  lies  about  half  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south 
of  the  island  of  Ver,  and  betwixt  them  these  small  islands, 
Otterholm,  Flimen,  Sandfiesen,  and  Stockholm.  Betwixt 
Lofoden  and  Moskoe,  the  depth  of  the  water  is  between  thirty- 
six  and  forty  fathoms  ;  but  on  the  side  towards  Ver,  the  depth 
decreases  so  as  not  to  afford  a  convenient  passage  for  a  vessel, 
without  the  risk  of  splitting  on  the  rocks,  which  sometimes 
happens  even  in  the  calmest  weather :  when  it  is  flood,  the 
stream  runs  up  the  country  between  Lofoden  and  Moskoe 
with  a  boisterous  rapidity ;  but  the  roar  of  its  impetuous  ebb 
to  the  sea  is  scarce  equalled  by  the  loudest  and  most  dreadfu) 
cataracts,  the  noise  being  heard  several  leagues  off;  and  the 
vortices,  or  pits,  are  of  such  an  extent  and  depth,  that  if  a 
ship  comes  within  its  attraction,  it  is  inevitably  absorbed  and 
carried  dowr.  to  the  bottom,  and  there  beaten  to  pieces  against 

?\  3Q 


490  CUKIOSITIES   RESPECTING   WATERFALLS,  &C. 

the  rocks  ;  and  when  the  water  relaxes,  the  fragments  thereof 
aje  thrown  up  again:  but  these  intervals  of  tranquillity  are 
only  at  the  turn  of  the  ebb  and  flood,  in  calm  weather,  and 
last  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  its  violence  gradually  returning. 
When  the  stream  is  most  boisterous,  and  its  fury  heightened 
by  a  storm,  it  is  dangerous  to  come  within  a  Norway  mile  of 
it;  boats,  ships,  and  yachts,  having  been  carried  away,  by  not 
guarding  against  it  before  they  were  within  its  reach.  It 
likewise  happens  frequently,  that  whales  come  too  near  the 
stream,  and  are  overpowered  by  its  violence  ;  and  then  it  is 
impossible  to  describe  their  bowlings  and  bellowings,  in  their 
fruitless  struggles  to  disengage  themselves.  A  bear,  once 
attempting  to  swim  from  Lofoden  to  Moskoe,  with  a  design 
of  preying  upon  the  sheep  at  pasture  in  the  island,  afforded 
the  like  spectacle  to  the  people  ;  the  stream  caught  him,  and 
bore  him  down,  whilst  he  roared  terribly,  so  as  to  be  heard 
on  shore.  Large  stocks  of  fir  and  pine  trees,  after  being 
absorbed  by  the  current,  rise  again,  broktn  and  torn  to  such 
a  degree  as  if  bristles  grew  on  them.  This  plainly  shews  the 
bottom  to  consist  of  craggy  rocks,  among  which  they  are 
whirled  to  and  fro.  This  stream  is  regulated  by  the  flux  and 
reflux  of  the  sea,  it  being  constantly  high  and  low  water 
every  six  hours.  In  1645,  early  in  the  morning  of  Sexagesima 
Sunday,  it  raged  with  such  noise  and  impetuosity,  that  on 
the  island  of  Moskoe,  the  very  stones  of  the  houses  fell  to 
the  ground.  When  this  whirlpool  is  agitated  by  a  storm,  its 
vortex  will  reach  vessels  five  or  six  miles  distant." 

Gulf-Stream. — This  is  a  remarkable  current  in  the  ocean, 
which  runs  along  the  coast,  at  unequal  distances,  from  Cape 
Florida  to  the  Isle  of  Sables  and  the  banks  of  Newfoundland, 
where  it  turns  ofl' and  runs  through  the  Western  Islands,  thence 
to  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  along  that  coast  in  a  southern 
direction  till  it  arrives  at  and  supplies  the  place  of  those 
waters  carried  by  the  constant  trade-winds  from  the  coast  of 
Africa  towards  the  west ;  thus  producing  a  constant  circulat- 
ing current.  This  stream  is  about  seventy-five  miles  from  the 
shores  of  the  southern  states,  and  the  distance  increases  as 
you  proceed  northward.  The  breadth  of  it  is  about  forty  or 
fifty  miles,  widening  towards  the  north.  Its  common  rapidity 
is  three  miles  an  hour.  A  north-east  wind  narrows  the  stream, 
renders  it  more  rapid,  and  drives  it  nearer  the  coast.  North- 
west and  west  winds  produce  a  contrary  eflect.  The  Gulf- 
stream  is  supposed  to  be  occasioned  by  the  trade-winds,  that 
are  constantly  driving  the  water  to  the  westward,  which  being 
compressed  in  the  gulf  of  Mexico,  finds  a  passage  between 
Florida  and  the  Bahama  islands,  and  runs  to  the  north-east 
along  the  American  coast. 


ACCOUNT   OF    A    ISEW    ISLAND.  491 

A  chart  of  this  Gulf-stream  was  published  by  Dr.  Fianklin, 
in  1768,  principally  from  the  information  of  Captain  Folger. 
This  was  confirmed  by  the  ingenious  experiments  of  Dr.  Blag- 
den,  published  in  1781,  who  found  that  the  water  of  the  gulf- 
stream  was  from  six  to  eleven  degrees  warmer  than  the  water 
of  the  sea,  through  which  it  runs  ;  which  must  have  been 
occasioned  by  its  being  brought  from  a  hotter  climate. 

We  close  the  present  chapter  with  an  Account  of  a  New 
Island  emerging  from  the  Sea. — The  description  is  taken 
from  the  Edinburgh  Review,  No.  46,  September,   1814. 

In  the  neio;hbourhood  of  Oonalashca,  which  is  situated  about 

O  .  .  . 

the  centre  of  the  Aleutian  chain,  a  new  island,  nearly  twenty 
miles  in  circumference,  has  been  formed  within  these  twenty 
years.  The  following  is  the  account  of  it,  which  M.  Lisian- 
sky  collected  from  eye-witnesses  at  Cadinck  : — 

"  In  the  evening,  while  1  was  alone,  employed  in  writing  the 
memorandums  of  my  journal,  a  Russian  introduce-d  himself, 
who  had  resided  on  the  island  of  Oonalashca,  when  a  new- 
island  started  up  in  its  vicinity.  I  had  heard  of  this  pheno- 
menon, and  was  therefore  desirous  to  learn  what  he  knew 
respecting  it.  He  said,  that  about  the  middle  of  April,  1797, 
a  small  island  was  seen  where  none  had  been  seen  before  : 
that  the  first  intimation  of  its  appearance  had  been  brought 
by  some  Alentians  to  Captain's  Harbour,  who,  returning  from 
fishing,  observed  a  great  smoke  issuing  out  of  the  sea :  that 
this  was  the  smoke  of  the  volcano,  which  was  then  gradually 
rising  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  which,  in  May,  1798, 
burst  forth  with  a  blaze,  that  was  distinctly  seen  from  a  set- 
tlement called  Macooshina,  on  the  island  of  Oonalashca,  at 
the  distance  of  no  less  than  forty  miles  to  the  north-west. 
This  new  island  is  tolerably  high,  and  about  twenty  miles  in 
circumference.  It  has  been  remarked,  that  it  has  not  increased 
in  size  since  the  year  1799  ;  and  that  no  alteration  has  taken 
place  in  its  appearance,  except  that  some  of  the  highest  points 
have  been  thrown  down  by  violent  eruptions." 


192  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   BURNING   SPRINGS. 

CHAP.  XLVII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  BURNING  SPRINGS. 

Naphtha  Springs — Burning  Springs  in  Kentucky — Hot  Springs 
of  Iceland — Hot  Springs  of  Ouachitta — Other  Burning 
Springs. 

"  Adored  Artificer!  what  skill  divine, 
What  wonders,  in  the  wide  creation  shine  !* 

Naphtha  Springs. — Dr.  James  Mounsey,  and  Jonas  Han- 
way,  Esq.,  have  given  a  particular  account  of  these  springs. 
Both  gentlemen,  by  their  travels,  their  residence  in  Muscovy, 
and  their  acquaintance  with  several  people  who  have  been 
upon  the  spot,  have  had  great  opportunities  of  becoming  per- 
fectly informed  of  every  thing  relating  to  the  subject;  and 
whose  judgment  and  veracity  may  be  depended  on.  Both 
their  accounts  agree,  that  on  the  western  coast  of  the  Caspian 
Sea,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Baku,  there  is  a  large  spot  of 
ground,  where,  on  taking  off"  two  or  three  inches  of  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  and  then  applying  a  live  coal,  and  blowing, 
a  flame  imniediatelv  issues  forth,  without  either  burning  the 
reed  or  j)aper,  provided  the  edges  be  covered  with  clav.  This 
method  supplies  the  want  of  candle  in  their  houses.  Three  or 
four  of  these  will  also  boil  water  in  a  pot,  and  they  dress  their 
victuals  in  this  way.  The  flame  may  be  blown  out  like  that  of  a 
lamp,  but  otherwise  it  continues  burning;  it  smells  somewhat 
sulphureous,  or  rather  like  naphtha,  but  very  little  offensive. 
The  ground  is  dry  and  stony,  and  the  more  stony  the  ground, 
the  stronger  and  clearer  the  flame.  Near  this  place  they  dig 
out  brimstone,  and  here  are  also  the  naphtha  springs.  But  the 
chief  place  for  naphtha  is  Swieten  Island,  a  small  tract  of 
land  on  the  western  coast  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  unin- 
habited, except  at  such  seasons  as  they  fetch  naphtha  from 
thence,  which  the  Persians  load  in  their  wretched  embark- 
ations, without  barrels  or  any  other  vessels,  so  that  sometimes 
you  see  the  sea  covered  with  it  for  leagues  together.  The 
springs  boil  up  highest  in  thick  and  heavy  weather,  and  the 
naphtha  sometimes  takes  fire  on  the  surface,  and  runs  lighted 
or  burning  into  the  sea  in  great  quantities,  and  to  great  dis- 
tances. In  clear  weather,  it  does  not  bubble  above  two  or 
three  feet.  People  make  cisterns  near  the  springs,  into 
which  they  convey  what  overflows  by  troughs,  taking  off"  the 
naphtha  from  the  surface,  under  which  there  is  a  mixture  ot 
water,  or  some  other  heavier  ffuid.     The  greater  part  is  of  a 


BURNING   SPRING    IN    KENTUCKY.  493 

dark  gray  colour,  very  unpleasant  to  the  smell,  but  used  in 
lamps  by  the  poorer  sort.  There  are  also  springs  of  black 
naphtha,  which  is  thick,  and  in  distillation  grows  not  clear,  but 
yellow  ;  but  the  most  valuable  is  the  white  naphtha,  which  is 
naturally  clear  and  yellowish,  and  bears  a  great  price.  Th'^ 
Russians  drink  it  as  a  cordial,  but  it  does  not  intoxicate  :  it  is 
used  externally  in  paralytic  disorders,  and  is  carried  into 
India  as  a  great  rarity,  where  they  make  with  it  the  most 
beautiful  and  lasting  Japan  that  has  ever  yet  been  known. 

What  the  Indians  call  the  Everlasting  Fire,  lies  aboiit  ten 
English  miles  north-east-by-east  from  the  city  of  Baku,  on 
dry  rocky  ground.  There  are  several  ancient  tem))les,  built 
with  stone,  supposed  to  have  been  all  dedicated  to  Fire  :  most 
of  them  are  low  arched  vaults,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  hioh. 
Amongst  the  rest,  there  is  a  temple  in  which  the  Indians  now 
worship;  near  the  altar,  about  three  feet  high,  there  is  a  large 
hollow  cave,  from  the  end  of  which  issues  a  flame,  in  colour 
and  gentleness,  not  unlike  a  lamp  that  burns  with  spirits. 
The  Indians  affirm  that  this  flame  has  continued  burniu;^'  some 
thousands  of  years,  and  believe  it  will  last  to  the  end  of  the 
world  ;  and  that  if  it  was  resisted  or  suppressed  in  this  place, 
it  would  rise  in  some  other.  By  the  number  of  temples,  it  is 
probable  there  were  formerly  a  great  numbei  of  worshippers  of 
fire,  as  well  Indians  as  Persians:  they  are  called  Gouers.  At 
present  there  are  about  twenty  persons,  who  reside  there  con- 
stantly, and  go  almost  naked.  In  summer  it  is  very  hot; 
and  in  winter  they  dwell  within  doors,  and  keep  what  fire 
they  please,  in  the  manner  above  described  :  they  live  upon 
roots  and  herbs  for  the  most  part,  and  are  supposed  to  attend 
as  mediators  for  the  sins  of  many  who  are  absent;  and  by 
their  applications  to  this  fire,  in  which  the  Deity  is  supposed 
to  be  present  and  visible,  they  atone  for  the  sins  of  others. 
A  little  way  from  the  temple  just  now  mentioned,  near  Baku, 
is  a  low  cliff'  of  a  lock,  in  which  there  is  a  horizontal  gap, 
two  feet  from  the  ground,  between  five  and  six  long,  and  about 
(iuce  feet  broad,  out  of  which  issues  a  constant  flame,  much 
of  the  colour  mentioned  already,  being  a  light  blue.  It  rises 
sometimes  eight  feet  high,  but  is  lower  in  still  weather.  They 
do  not  perceive  the  rock  waste  in  the  least.  This  also  the 
Indians  worship,  and  say  it  cannot  be  put  out.  About 
twenty  yards  on  the  back  of  this  cliff"  is  a  well,  and  a  rock 
twelve  or  fourteen  fathoms  deep,  with  exceedingly  good 
water. 

We  shall  next  introduce  an  account  of  a  Burning  Spring 
IN  Kentucky. — This  is  a  phenomenon  which  has  for  several 
years  excited  the  attention  of  travellers,  under  the  name  of  a 
burning  spring  :  it  exists  in  one  of  the  principal  forks  of  Lick- 


494  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   BURNING  SPRINGS. 

ing  river  in  Kentucky.  It  is  situated  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  from  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  about  eighty  miles 
above  its  junction  with  Ohio,  opposite  Cincinnati.  A  spring 
here  breaks  out  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  forming  a  basin  of  water 
about  six  feet  in  diameter  and  two  feet  deep,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  issues  a  stream  of  gas,  which  in  volume  and  force  is 
about  equal  to  the  blast  forced  from  a  common  smith's 
bellows  ;  but  there  is  no  cessation  of  its  force,  which  is  such 
as  to  create  a  violent  ebullition  in  the  water.  Being  heavier 
than  common  atmospheric  air,  the  gas,  on  passing  up  throiio-h 
the  water,  constantly  occupies  the  surface,  which  is  still  the 
lower  part  of  an  indenture  in  the  earth  at  that  place.  On 
presenting  a  taper,  this  gas  instantly  takes  fire,  and  burns 
with  great  brilliancy.  There  is  no  absorption  of  it  by  the 
water,  which  possesses  the  purity  of  common  spring  water, 
neither  is  any  oft'ensive  odour  thrown  oft.  This  spring  has 
been  known  to  dry  up  entirely  in  the  summer,  when  the  air 
rushes  out  with  increased  force,  accompanied  by  a  hissing 
noise.  There  is  nothing  like  smoke  emitted. — Schoolcroft, 
Oil  the  Lead  Mines  of  Missouri,  p.  216. 

Hot  Springs  of  Iceland. — From  Sir  G,  Mackenzie's 
Travels  in  Iceland. 

"  The  hot  springs  in  the  valley  of  Reikholt,  or  Reikiadal, 
though  not  the  most  magnificent,  are  not  the  least  curious 
araono;  the  numerous  phenomena  of  this  sort  that  are  found 
in  Iceland.  On  entering  the  valley,  we  saw  numerous  columns 
of  vapour  ascending  from  different  parts  of  it.  The  first 
springs  we  visited,  issued  from  a  number  of  apertures  in  a 
sort  of  platform  of  rock,  covered  by  a  thin  coating  of  calca- 
reous incrustations.  From  several  of  the  apertures  the  water 
rose  with  great  force,  and  was  thrown  two  or  three  feet  into 
the  air.  On  plunging  the  thermometer  into  such  of  them 
as  we  could  approach  with  safety,  we  found  that  it  stood  at 
212''. 

"  A  little  further  up  the  valley,  there  is  a  rock  in  the  middle 
of  the  river,  about  ten  feet  high,  twelve  yards  long,  and  six 
or  eight  feet  in  breadth  :  from  the  highest  part  of  this  rock 
a  jet  of  boiling  water  proceeded  with  violence;  dashing 
the  water  up  to  the  height  of  several  feet.  Near  the  middle, 
and  not  more  than  two  feet  from  the  edsje  of  the  rock,  there 
is  a  hole,  about  two  feet  in  diameter,  full  of  water  boiling 
stronglv.  There  is  a  third  hole  near  the  other  end  of  the 
rock,  in  which  water  also  boils  briskly.  At  the  time  we  saw 
these  springs,  there  happened  to  be  less  water  in  the  river 
than  usual,  and  a  bank  of  gravel  was  left  drv  a  little  higher 
up  than  the  rock.  From  this  bank  a  considerable  quantity  of 
boiliuiT  water  issued. 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  ICELAND.  495 

"  About  a  mile  further  down,  at  the  foot  of  the  valley,  is  the 
Tunoahver,  an  assemblage  of  springs  the  most  extraordinary, 
perhaps,  in  the  whole  world.  A  rock  (luaoke?)  rises  from  the 
boii',  about  twentv  feet,  and  is  about  fifty  yards  in  length,  the 
breadth  not  being  considerable.  This  seems  formerly  to  have 
been  a  hillock,  one  side  of  which  remains  covered  with  grass, 
while  the  other  has  been  worn  away,  or  perhaps  destroyed  at 
the  time  when  the  hot  water  burst  forth.  Along  the  face  of 
the  rock  are  arranged  no  fewer  than  sixteen  springs,  all  of 
them  boiling  furiously,  and  some  of  them  throwing  the  water 
to  a  considerable  height.  One  of  them,  however,  deserves 
particular  notice.  On  approaching  this  place,  we  observed  a 
high  jet  of  water  near  one  extremity  of  the  rock.  Suddenly 
this  jet  disappeared,  and  another,  thicker  but  not  so  high, 
rose  within  a  very  short  distance  of  it.  At  first  we  supposed 
that  a  piece  of  the  rock  had  given  way,  and  that  the  water 
had  at  that  moment  found  a  more  convenient  passage.  Having 
left  our  horses,  we  went  directly  to  the  place  where  this  had 
apparently  happened  ;  but  we  had  scarcely  reached  the  spot, 
when  this  new  jet  disappeared,  and  the  one  we  had  seen  before 
was  renewed.  We  observed  that  there  were  two  irregular 
holes  in  the  rock,  within  a  yard  of  each  other ;  and  while  from 
one  a  jet  proceeded  to  the  height  of  twelve  or  fourteen  feet, 
the  other  was  full  of  boiling  water.  We  had  scarcely  made 
this  observation,  when  the  first  jet  began  to  subside,  and  the 
water  in  the  other  hole  to  rise  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  first  had 
entirelv  sunk  down,  the  other  attained  its  greatest  height, 
which  was  about  five  feet.  In  this  extraordinary  manner, 
these  two  jets  played  alternately.  The  smallest  and  highest 
jet  continued  about  four  minutes  and  a  half,  and  the  other 
about  three  minutes.  We  remained  admiring  this  very  remark- 
able phenomenon  for  a  considerable  time,  during  which  we 
saw  many  alternations  of  the  jets,  which  happened  regularly 
at  the  intervals  already  mentioned. 

"  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  give  a  name  to  this  spring,  and 
to  call  it  '  The  Alternating  Geyser.' 

"  These  sprin^js  have  been  formerly  observed,  though  the 
singularity  of  the  alternations  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
attended  to  as  any  thing  remarkable,  Olafson  and  Paulson 
mention,  that  the  jets  appear  and  disappear  successively,  in 
the  second,  third,  and  fourth  openings.  We  observed  no  ces- 
sations in  any  of  the  springs,  except  in  the  two  under  con- 
sideration. 

"  To  form  a  theory  of  this  regular  alternation  is  no  easy 
matter;  and  it  seems  to  require  a  kin<l  of  mechanism  very 
different  from  the  simple  apparatus  usually  employed  by  nature 
in  ordinary  intermittent  or  spouting  springs.  The  prime 
mover  in  this  case  is  evidently  steam,  an  agent  sufficiently 


496        cuRiosiriEs  respecting  burning  springs. 

powerful  for  the  phenomena.  The  two  orifices  are  manifestly 
connected;  for,  as  the  one  jet  sinks  towards  the  surface,  the 
other  rises,  and  this  in  a  reoular  and  uniform  manner.  I 
observed  once,  that  when  one  of  the  jets  was  sinkintr,  and  the 
other  beginning  to  rise,  the  first  rose  again  a  little  before  it 
was  quite  sunk  down,  and  then  when  this  happened,  the  other 
ceased  to  make  any  efforts  to  rise,  and  returned  to  its  former 
state,  till  the  first  again  sunk,  when  the  second  rose  and  played 
as  usual.  This  communication  must  be  formed  in  such  a 
manner,  that  it  is  never  complete,  but  alternately  interrupted, 
first  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the  other.  To  erf'ect  this  with- 
out the  intervention  of  valves,  seems  to  be  impossible  ;  and 
yet  it  is  diflficult  to  conceive  the  natural  formation  of  a  set  of 
permanent  valves  :  so  that  this  fountain  becomes  one  of  the 
greatest  curiosities  ever  presented  by  nature,  even  though,  in 
attempting  to  explain  the  appearances  it  exhibits,  we  take 
every  advantage  that  machinery  can  give  us.  If  it  is  occa- 
sioned by  natural  valves,  these  must  be  of  very  durable  mate- 
rials, in  order  to  withstand  the  continual  agitation  and  conse- 
quent attrition." 

We  next  proceed  to  a  description  of  the  Hot  Springs  of 
OuACHiTTA,  (Washitaw.) — These  springs,  which  have  been 
known  for  many  years,  are  situated  on  a  stream  called  Hot 
Spring  Creek,  which  falls  into  tlie  Washitaw  River,  eight 
miles  below.  They  lie  fifty  mdes  south  of  the  Arkansa  Ri- 
ver, in  Clark  county,  territory  of  Arkansa,  (lately  Missouri,) 
and  six  miles  west  of  the  roafl  from  Cadron  to  Mount  Prairie, 
on  Red  River. 

The  approach  to  the  springs  lies  up  the  valley  of  the  creek. 
On  the  right  of  the  valley  rises  the  hot  mountain,  with  the 
springs  issuing  at  its  foot  ;  on  the  left,  the  cold  mountain, 
which  is  little  more  than  a  coiifused  and  mighty  pile  of 
stones.  The  hot  mountain  is  about  300  feet  high,  rising  quite 
sleeji,  and  presenting  occasionally  ledges  of  rocks  ;  it  termi- 
nates ubove  in  a  confused  mass  of  broken  rocks.  The  steep 
and  otherwise  sterile  sides  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth 
of  vines.  The  valley  between  this  and  the  cold  mountain  is 
about  fifty  yards  wide. 

The  springs  issue  at  the  foot  of  the  hot  mountain,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  ten  feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek  ;  thev 
are  very  numerous  all  along  the  hill-side,  and  the  water,  which 
runs  in  copious  streams,  is  quite  hot;  it  will  scald  the  hand, 
and  boil  an  egg  hard  in  ten  minutes.  Its  temperature  is  con- 
sidered that  of  boiling  water,  but  Dr.  Andrews,  of  Red  River, 
thinks  it  is  not  above  200°  Fahr.  There  is  a  solitary  spring, 
situated  seventy  feet  higher  than  the  others  on  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  but  it  is  of  an  equal  temperature,  and  diners  in  no 


VARIOUS  BURNING  SPRINGS.  497 

Sfespert  from  those  below.  A  dense  fog  continually  liangs 
over  the  springs  and  upon  the  side  of  tlie  hill,  whicli  at  a  dis- 
tance loo-ks  like  a  number  of  furnaces  in  blast.  To  this  fog, 
condensed  into  water,  is  attributed  the  rank  growth  of  the 
vines  on  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

Very  little  is  known  of  the  chemical  nature  of  the  water  ;  an 
analysis  is  said  to  have  been  made,  which  indicated  a  little 
carbonate  of  lime.  An  abundance  of  beautifid  green  moss 
grows  at  the  edges  of  the  springs,  and  the  paths  of  their 
waters  are  marked  by  a  brighter  vegetation  than  occurs  else- 
wheie.  The  substance  of  the  rocks  here,  are,  limestone,  slate, 
and  quartz, — Schoolcroft,  Lead  Mines  of  Missouri,  p.  258. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  various 
OTHER  Burning  Springs. — There  are  many  burning  springs 
in  different  parts  of  the  world,  particularly  one  in  France,  in 
the  department  of  Isere,  near  Grenoble  ;  another  near  Her- 
manstadt,  in  Transylvania;  a  third  at  Chermay,  a  village  near 
Switzerland;  a  fourth  in  the  canton  of-Friburg;  and  a  fifth 
not  far  from  the  city  of  Cracow,  in  Poland.  There  also  is,  or 
was,  a  famou-s  spring  of  this  kind  at  Wigan,  in  Lancashire, 
which,  upon  the  approach  of  a  lighted  candle,  would  take  fire 
and  burn  like  spirit  of  wine  for  a  whole  day.  But  the  most 
remarkable  one  in  Eng-land,  or  at  least  that  of  which  we  have 
the  minutest  description,  was  discovered  in  1711,  at  Brosely, 
in  Shropshire.  The  following  account  of  this  remarkable 
spring  was  given  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mason  Woodwardin,  Pro- 
fessor at  Cambridge,  dated  Feb.  18th,  1746  : — "  The  well,  for 
four  or  five  feet  deep,  is  six  or  seven  feet  wide  ;  within  that,  is 
another  less  hole  of  like  depth,  dug  in  the  clay,  in  the  bottom 
whereof  is  placed  a  cylindric  earthen  vessel,  of  about  four  or 
five  inches  diameter  at  the  mouth,  having  the  bottom  taken 
off,  and  the  sides  well  fixed  in  the  clay,  which  is  rammed  close 
about  it.  Within  the  pot  is  a  brown  water,  thick  and  puddly, 
continually  forced  up  with  a  violent  motion  beyond  that  of 
boiling  water,  and  a  rumbling  hollow  noise,  rising  or  falling 
by  fits,  five  or  six  inches  ;  but  there  was  no  appearance  of  any 
vapour  risino-,  which  perhaps  might  have  been  visible,  had 
not  the  sun  shone  so  bright.  Upon  putting  a  candle  down  at 
the  end  of  a  stick,  at  about  a  quarter  of  a  yard  distance,  it 
took  fire,  darting  and  flashing  after  a  very  violent  manner  for 
about  half  a  yard  high,  much  in  the  manner  of  spirits  in  a 
lamp,  but  with  great  agitation.  It  v/as  said,  that  a  teakettle 
had  been  made  to  boil  in  nine  minutes,  and  that  it  had  been 
left  burning  for  forty-eight  hours  without  any  sensible  dimi- 
nution. It  was  extingviished  by  putting  a  wet  mop  upon  it; 
which  must  be  kept  there  for  a  little  time,  otherwise  it  would 
not  go  out.     Upon  the  removal  of  the  mop,  there  arises  a  sul- 

3R 


'498  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    EARTHQUAKES. 

phureoiis  smoke,  lasting  about  a  minute,  and  yet  the  water  is 
very  cold  to  the  touch."  In  1755,  this  well  totally  disappeared, 
by  the  sinking  of  a  coal-pit  in  its  neighbourhood.  The  cause 
of  the  inflammable  property  of  such  waters  is  with  great  pro- 
bability supposed  to  be  their  mixture  with  petroleum,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  inflammable  substances  in  nature,  and  has 
the  property  of  burning  on  the  surface  of  water. 


CHAP.  XLVIII. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   EARTHQUAKES, 

Earthquakes,  Nature's  aojonizin^  pangs. 

Oft  shake  the  astonish'd  isles  ;  the  Solfaterre 

Or  sends  forth  thick,  blue,  suffocating  steams, 

Or  shoots  to  temporary  flames.    A  din. 

Wild,  thro'  the  mountain's  quivering  rocky  caves. 

Like  the  dread  crash  of  tumbling  planets,  roars. 

When  tremble  thus  the  pillars  of  the  globe. 

Like  the  tall  cocoa  by  the  fierce  north  blown, 

Can  the  poor  brittle  tenements  of  man 

Withstand  the  dread  convulsion  .'    Their  dear  homes. 

Which  shaking,  tottering,  crashing,  bursting,  fall, 

The  boldest  fly  ;  and,  on  the  open  plain 

AppaU'd  in  agony,  the  moment  wait. 

When,  with  disrupture  vast,  the  waving  earth 

Shall  whelm  them  in  her  sea-disgorging  womb. 

Nor  less  attrighted  are  the  bestial  kind: 

The  bold  steed  quivers  in  each  panting  vein, 

And  staggers,  bath'd  in  deluges  of  sweat: 

The  lowing  herds  forsake  their  grassy  food,  -. 

And  send  forth  frighted,  \\  oful,  hollow  sounds  : 

The  dog,  thy  trusty  centinel  of  night. 

Deserts  the  post  assign'd,  and  piteous  howls. 

Wide  ocean  feels 

The  mountain  waves,  passing  their  custom 'd  bounds. 

Make  direful  loud  incursions  on  tlie  land. 

All  overwhelming:  sudden  they  retreat. 

With  their  whole  troubled  waters  ;  but  anon 

Sudden  return,  ^^itll  louder,  mightier  force  ; 

The  black  rocks  whiten,  the  vcxt  shores  resound ; 

And  yet,  more  rapid,  distant  tliey  retire. 

Vast  corruseations  lighten  all  the  sky 

With  volum'd  flames,  while  thunder's  awful  voice. 

From  forth  his  slirine  by  night  and  horror  girt, 

Astounds  tlic  guilty,  and  appals  the  good  Grainger. 

Earthquakes  and  their  Causes. — From  A.  de  Hum- 
boldt's Personal  Narrative  of  Travels,  translated  by  Helen 
Maria  Williams. 

"  It  is  a  very  old  and  commonly  received  opinion  at  Cum- 
ana,  Acapulca,"  and  Lima,  that  a  perceptible  connection  exists 


HON 

or  rs: 


GEN  ERAL  OBSERVATIONS.  499 

between  earthquakes,  and  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  that 
precedes  these  phenomena.  On  the  coast  of  New  Andalusia, 
the  inhabitants  are  alarmed,  when,  in  excessively  hot  weather, 
and  after  lons^  droughts,  the  breeze  suddenly  ceases  to  blow, 
and  the  sky,  clear  and  without  clouds  at  the  zenith,  exhibits 
near  the  horizon,  at  six  or  eight  degrees  elevation,  the  appear- 
ance of  a  reddish  vapour.  These  prognostics  are  however 
very  uncertain  ;  and  when  the  whole  of  the  meteorological 
variations,  at  the  times  when  the  globe  has  been  the  most 
agitated,  are  called  to  mind,  it  is  found,  that  violent  shocks 
take  place  equally  in  dry  and  in  wet  weather,  when  the  coolest 
winds  blow,  or  during  a  dead  and  suflocating  calm.  From 
the  great  number  of  earthquakes,  which  I  have  witnessed  to 
the  north  and  south  of  the  equator;  on  the  continent,  and  in 
the  bason  of  the  seas;  on  the  coasts,  and  at  2500  toises  height; 
it  appears  to  me,  that  the  oscillations  are  generally  very  inde- 
pendent of  the  previous  state  of  the  atmosphere.  This 
opinion  is  embraced  by  a  number  of  enlightened  persons,  who 
inhabit  the  Spanish  colonies;  and  whose  experience  extends, 
if  not  over  a  greater  space  of  the  globe,  at  least  to  a  greater 
number  of  years  than  mine.  On  the  contrary,  in  parts  of 
Europe  where  earthquakes  are  rare  compared  to  America, 
natural  philosophers  are  inclined  to  admit  an  intimate  connec- 
tion between  the  undulations  of  the  ground,  and  certain  me- 
teors, which  usually  take  place  at  the  same  epocha.  In  Italy, 
for  instance,  the  sirocco  and  earthquakes  are  suspected  to 
have  some  connection ;  and  at  London,  the  frequency  of  fall- 
ing stars,  and  those  southern  lights  which  have  since  been 
often  observed  by  Mr.  Dalton,  were  considered  as  the  fore- 
runners of  those  shocks  which  were  felt  from  1748  to  1756. 

"  On  the  days  when  the  earth  is  agitated  by  violent  shocks, 
the  regularity  of  the  horary  variations  of  the  barometer  is  not 
disturbed  under  the  tropics.  I  have  verified  this  observation 
at  Cumana,  at  Lima,  and  at  Riobamba;  and  it  is  so  much  the 
more  worthy  of  fixing  the  attention  of  natural  philosophers, 
as  in  St.  Domingo,  at  the  town  of  Cape  Francois,  it  is  asserted 
that  a  water  barometer  was  observed  to  sink  two  inches  and  a 
half  immediately  before  the  earthquake  of  1770.  It  is  also 
related,  that  at  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  Oran,  a  drug- 
gist fled  with  his  family,  because,  observing  accidentally,  a 
few  minutes  before  the  earthquake,  the  height  of  the  mercury 
in  his  barometer,  he  perceived  that  the  column  sunk  in  an 
extraordinary  manner.  I  know  not  whether  we  can  give  cre- 
dit to  this  assertion  :  but  as  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  examine 
the  variations  of  the  weight  of  the  atmosphere  during  the 
shocks,  we  must  be  satisfied  in  observing  the  barometer  before 
or  after  these  phenomena  have  taken  place.  In  the  temperate 
zone,  the  aurora  borealis  does  not  always  modify  the  variation 


600  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    EARTHQUAKES. 

of  the  needle,  and  the  intensity  of  the  magnetic  forces:  per- 
haps also  earthquakes  do  not  act  constantly  in  the  same  man- 
ner on  the  air  that  surrounds  us. 

"  We  can  scarcely  doubt,  that  the  earth,  when  opened  and 
agitated  by  shocks,  occasionally  sends  forth  gaseous  exhala- 
tions through  the  atmosphere,  in  places  remote  from  the 
mouths  of  volcanoes  not  extinct.  At  Cumana,  as  we  have 
already  observed,  flames  and  vapours,  mixed  with  sulphureous 
acid,  spring  up  from  the  most  arid  soil.  In  other  parts  of  the 
same  province,  the  earth  ejects  water  and  petroleum.  At  Rio- 
bamba,  a  muddy  and  inflammable  mass,  which  is  called  moya, 
issues  from  crevices  that  close  again,  and  accumulates  into 
elevated  hills.  At  seven  leagues  from  Lisbon,  near  Colares, 
during  the  terrible  earthquake  of  the  1st  of  November,  1755, 
flames,  and  a  column  of  thick  smoke,  were  seen  to  issue  from 
the  flanks  of  the  rocks  of  Alvidras,  and,  according  to  some 
witnesses,  from  the  bosom  of  the  sea.  This  smoke  lasted 
several  days,  and  it  was  the  more  abmidant  in  proportion  as 
the  subterraneous  noise,  which  accompanied  the  shocks,  was 
louder. 

"  Elastic  fluids  thrown  into  the  atmosphere  may  act  locally 
on  the  barometer,  not  by  their  mass,  which  is  very  small 
compared  to  the  mass  of  the  atmosphere  ;  but  because,  at  the 
moment  of  the  great  explosions,  an  ascending  current  is  pro- 
bably formed,  which  diminishes  the  pressure  of  the  air.  I  j.m 
inclined  to  think,  that  in  the  greater  number  of  earthquakes, 
nothing  escapes  from  the  agitated  earth,  and  that,  when 
gaseous  exhalations  and  vapours  take  place,  they  oftener 
accompany  or  follow,  than  precede,  the  shocks.  This  last 
circumstance  explains  a  fact,  which  seems  indubitable ;  I 
mean  that  mysterious  influence,  in  equinoctial  America,  of 
earthquakes  accompanying  a  change  of  climate,  and  the  order 
of  the  dry  and  rainy  seasons.  If  the  earth  generally  acts  on 
the  air  only  at  the  moment  of  the  shocks,  we  can  conceive 
why  it  is  so  rare  that  a  sensible  meteorological  change  be- 
comes the  presage  of  these  great  revolutions  of  nature. 

"  The  hypothesis,  according  to  which,  in  the  earthquakes 
of  Cumana,  elastic  fluids  escape  from  the  surface  of  the  soil, 
seems  confirmed  by  the  observation  of  the  dreadful  noise  which 
is  heard  daring  the  shocks  at  the  borders  of  the  wells  in  the 
plain  of  Charas.  Water  and  sand  are  sometimes  thrown  out 
twenty  feet  high.  Similar  phenomena  have  not  escaped  the 
observation  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Greece  and  Asia 
Minor,  abounding  with  caverns,  crevices,  and  subterraneous 
rivers.  Nature,  in  its  uniform  progress,  every  where  sug- 
gests the  same  ideas  of  the  causes  of  earthquakes,  and  the 
means  by  which  man,  forgetting  the  measure  of  his  strength, 
pretendsto  diminish  the  efl'ect  of  the  subterraneous  explosions. 


GENERAI,  onsrnv  ATIONS.  501 

What  a  great  Roman  naturalist  has  said  of  the  utility  of  wells 
and  caverns,  is  repeated  in  the  New  World  by  the  most  igno- 
rant Indians  of  Quito,  when  they  shew  travellers  the  guaicos, 
or  crevices  of  Pichincha. 

"The  subterraneous  noise,  so  frequent  during  earthquakes, 
is  generally  not  in  the  ratio  of  the  strength  of  the  shocks. 
At  Cumana  it  constantly  precedes  them  ;  while  at  Quito,  and 
lately  at  Caraccas,  and  in  the  West  India  Islands,  a  noise  like  the 
discharge  of  a  battery  was  heard  a  long  time  after  the  shocks 
had  ceased.  A  third  kind  of  phenomenon,  the  most  remark- 
able of  the  whole,  is  the  rolling  of  those  subterraneous  thun- 
ders, which  last  several  months,  without  being  accompanied 
by  the  least  oscillating  motion  of  the  ground. 

"  In  every  country  subject  to  earthquakes,  the  point  where 
(probably  by  a  disposition  of  the  stony  strata)  the  effects  are 
the  most  sensible,  is  considered  asthe  cause  and  the  focus  of  the 
shocks.  Thus,  at  Cumana,  the  hill  of  the  castle  of  St.  Antonio, 
and  particularly  the  eminence  on  which  the  convent  of  St. 
Francis  is  placed,  are  believed  to  contain  an  enormous  quan- 
tity of  sulphur,  and  other  inflammable  matter.  We  forget, 
that  the  rapidity  with  which  the  undulations  are  propagated 
to  great  distances,  even  across  the  basin  of  the  ocean,  proves 
that  the  centre  of  action  is  very  remote  from  the  surface  of 
the  globe.  From  this  same  cause,  no  doubt,  earthquakes  are 
not  restrained  to  certain  species  of  rocks,  as  some  naturalists 
pretend,  but  all  are  fitted  to  propagate  the  movement.  In 
order  to  keep  within  the  limits  of  my  own  experience,  I  shall 
here  cite  the  granites  of  Lima  and  Acapulco;  the  gneiss  of 
Caraccas;  the  mica-slate  of  the  peninsula  of  Araya  ;  the  primi- 
tive thonschiefer  of  Tepecuacuilco,  in  Mexico;  the  secondary 
limestones  of  the  Apennines;  Spain,  and  new  Andalusia;  and 
finally,  the  trappean  porphyries  of  Quito  and  Popayan.  In 
these  different  places  the  ground  is  frequently  agitated  by  the 
most  violent  shocks;  but  sometimes,  in  the  same  rock,  the 
superior  strata  form  invincible  obstacles  to  the  propagation 
of  the  motion.  Thus,  in  the  mines  of  Saxony,  we  have  seen 
workmen  hasten  up,  affrighted  by  oscillations  which  were  not 
felt  at  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

"  If,  in  regions  the  most  remote  from  each  other,  primitive, 
secondary,  and  volcanic  rock,  share  equally  in  the  convulsive 
movements  of  the  globe  ;  we  cannot  but  admire  also,  that  ia 
ground  of  little  extent,  certain  classes  of  rocks  oppose  them- 
selves to  the  propagation  of  the  shocks.  At  Cumana,  for 
instance,  before  the  catastrophe  of  1797,  the  earthquakes  were 
felt  only  along  the  southern  and  calcareous  coast  of  the  gulf 
of  Cariaco,  as  far  as  the  town  of  this  name  ;  while  in  the  pen- 
insula of  Araya,  and  at  the  village  of  Marinaquez,  the  ground 
did    not   partake   of  the  same  agitation.     The  inhabitants  of 


.'X)2  CURIOSITIES   UESPECTING   EARTIIQAICES. 

this  northern  coast,  ^vhich  is  composed  of  mica-slate,  built 
their  huts  on  a  motionless  eartli ;  a  gulf  three  or  four  thou- 
sand fathoms  in  breadth  separated  them  from  a  plain  covered 
with  ruins,  and  overturned  by  earthquakes.  This  security, 
founaed  on  the  experience  of  several  ap;es,  has  vanished;  and 
since  the  fourteenth  of  December,  1797,  new  communications 
appear  to  have  been  opened  in  the  interior  of  the  globe.  At 
present  the  peninsula  of  Araya  is  not  merely  subject  to  the 
agitation  of  the  soil  of  Cumana  ;  the  promontory  of  mica-slate 
is  become  in  its  turn  a  particular  centre  of  the  movements. 
The  earth  is  sometimes  strongly  shaken  at  the  village  of 
Marinaquez,  when  on  the  coast  of  Cumana  the  inhabitants 
enjoy  the  most  perfect  tranquillity.  The  gulf  of  Cariaco 
nevertheless  is  only  sixty  or  eighty  fathoms  deep. 

"  It  is  thought,  from  observations  made  both  on  the  con- 
tinent and  in  the  islands,  that  the  western  and  southern  coasts 
are  most  exposed  to  shocks.  This  observation  is  connected 
with  the  ideas  which  geologists  have  long  formed  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  high  chains  of  mountains,  and  the  direction  of  their 
stee|)est  declivities :  the  volcanic  phenomena  of  the  Cordilleras 
andCaraccas,  and  the  frequency  of  the  oscillations  on  the  eastern 
and  northern  coast  of  Terra  Firma,  in  the  gulf  of  Paria,  at 
Carupano,  at  Cariaco,  and  at  Cumana,  are  proofs  of  the  cer- 
tainty of  this  opinion.  In  New  Andalusia,  as  well  as  in  Chili 
and  Peru,  the  shocks  follow  the  course  of  the  shore,  and 
extend  but  little  inland.  This  circumstance,  as  we  shall  soon 
find,  indicates  an  intimate  connection  between  the  causes 
that  produce  earthquakes  and  volcanic  eruptions.  If  the 
earth  was  most  agitated  on  the  coasts,  because  they  are  the 
lowest  part  of  the  land,  why  should  not  the  oscillations  be 
equally  strong  and  frequent  on  those  vast  savannas  or  mea- 
dows, which  are  scarcely  eight  or  ten  toises  above  the  level 
of  the  ocean  ? 

•' The  earthquakes  of  Cumana  are  connected  with  those  of 
the  West  India  Islands;  and  it  has  even  been  suspected,  that 
they  have  some  connection  w'ith  the  volcanic  phenomena  of 
the  Cordilleras  of  the  Andes.  On  the  fourth  of  November, 
1797,  the  soil  of  the  province  of  Quito  underwent  such  a 
destructive  commotion,  that,  notwithstanding  the  extreme 
thinness  of  the  population  of  that  country,  near  forty  thou- 
sand natives  perished,  buried  under  the  ruins  of  their  houses, 
swallowed  up  in  the  crevices,  or  drowned  in  lakes  that  were 
suddenly  forme^l.  At  the  same  period,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
eastern  Antilles  were  alarmed  by  shocks,  which  continued 
during  eight  months,  when  the  volcano  of  Gnadaloupe  threw 
out  j)umice  stones,  ashes,  and  gusts  of  sulphureous  vaj)0urs. 
This  eruption  of  thetwenty-seventh  of  September,  during  which 
verv   long-continued  subterraneous  noises   were  heard,    was 


GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS.  603 

followed  on  the  fourteenth  of  December  by  the  great  earth- 
quake of  Cumana.  Another  volcano  of  the  West  India 
Islands,  that  of  St.  Vincent's,  has  lately  given  a  fresh  instance 
of  these  extraordinary  connections.  This  volcano  had  not 
emitted  flames  since  1718,  when  they  burst  forth  anew,  in 
1812.  The  total  ruin  of  the  city  of  Caraccas  preceded  this 
explosion  thirty-five  days,  and  violent  oscillations  of  the 
ground  were  felt,  both  in  the  islands,  and  on  the  coasts  of 
Terra  Firm  a. 

"  It  has  long  been  remarked,  that  the  effects  of  great  earth- 
quakes extend  much  farther  than  the  phenomena  arising 
from  burning  volcanoes.  In  studying  the  physical  re- 
volutions of  Italy,  and  carefully  examining  the  series  of  the 
eruptions  of  Vesuvius  and  Etna,  we  can  scarcely  recognize, 
notwithstanding  the  proximity  of  these  mountains,  any  traces 
of  simultaneous  action.  It  is,  on  the  contrary,  undeniable, 
that  at  the  period  of  the  last  and  preceding  destruction  of 
Lisbon,  the  sea  was  violently  agitated  even  as  far  as  the  New 
World,  for  instance,  at  the  island  of  Barbadoes,  more  than 
twelve  hundred  leagues  distant  from  the  coasts  of  Portugal. 

"  Several  facts  tend  to  prove,  that  the  causes  which  produce 
earthquakes  have  a  near  connection  with  those  that  act  in 
volcanic  eruptions.  We  learnt  at  Pasto,  that  the  column  of 
black  and  thick  smoke,  which  in  1797  issued  for  several 
months  from  the  volcano  near  this  shore,  disappeared  at  the 
very  hour  when,  sixty  leagues  to  the  south,  the  towns  of 
Riobamba,  Hambato,  and  Tacuno-a,  were  overturned  bv  an 
enormous  shock.  When,  in  the  interior  of  a  burning  crater, 
we  are  seated  near  those  hillocks  formed  by  ejections  of 
scoria  and  ashes,  we  feel  the  motion  of  the  ground  several 
seconds  before  each  partial  eruption  takes  place.  We  ob- 
served this  phenomenon  at  Vesuvius  in  1805,  while  the  moun- 
tain threw  out  scoria;  we  were  witnesses  of  it  in  1812,  on  the 
brink  of  the  immense  crater  of  Pichincha,  from  which  never- 
theless at  that  time  clouds  of  sulphureous  acid  vapours  only 
issued. 

"  Every  thing  in  earthquakes  seems  to  indicate  the  action  of 
elastic  fluids  seeking  an  outlet  to  spread  themselves  in  the 
atmosphere.  Often,  on  the  coasts  of  the  South  Sea,  the  action 
is  almost  instantaneously  communicated  from  Chili  to  the 
gulf  of  Guayaquil,  a  distance  of  six  hundred  leagues  ;  and, 
what  is  very  remarkable,  the  shocks  appear  to  be  so  much  the 
stronger,  as  the  country  is  more  distant  from  burning  vol- 
canoes. The  granitic  mountains  of  Calabria,  covered  with 
very  recent  breccia,  the  calcareous  chain  of  the  Apennines, 
the  country  of  Pignerol,  the  coasts  of  Portugal  and  Greece, 
and  those  of  Peru  and  Terra  Firma,  afford  striking  proofs  of  this 
assertion.     The  globe,  it  may  be  said,  is  agitated  with  greater 


604  CURIOSITIES   RESPEC'llNG    EATHQUAKES. 

force,  in  proportion  as  the  surface  has  a  smaller  number  of 
funnels  communicating  with  the  caverns  of  the  interior.  At 
Naples  and  Messina,  at  the  foot  of  Cotopaxi  and  of  Tungu- 
ragua,  earthquakes  are  dreaded  only  when  vapours  and  flames 
do  not  issue  from  the  crater.  In  the  kingdom  of  Quito,  the 
great  catastrophe  ofRiobamba,  which  we  have  before  men- 
tioned, has  led  several  w'ell-informed  persons  to  think,  that 
this  unfortunate  country  would  be  less  often  desolate,  if  the 
subterraneous  fire  would  break  the  porphyritic  dome  of  Chim- 
borazo ;  and  this  colossal  mountain  should  become  a  burn- 
ing volcano.  At  all  times  analogous  facts  have  led  to  the 
same  hypothesis.  The  Greeks,  who,  like  ourselves,  attributed 
the  oscillations  of  the  ground  to  the  action  of  elastic  fluids, 
cited,  in  favour  of  their  opinion,  the  total  cessation  of  the 
shocks  at  the  island  of  Euboea,  by  the  opening  of  a  crevice  in 
the  Lelantine  plain." 

The  following  is  an  account  of  an  Earthquake  of  Caraceas; 
by  M.  Palacio  Faxar  : — 

"  The  ridge  of  mountains,  which  branches  out  from  the 
Andes  near  the  isthmus  of  Panama,  and  which,  taking  the 
direction  of  the  eastern  coast,  crosses  part  of  New  Granada 
and  Venezuela,  seems  to  have  been  the  seat  of  that  earth 
quake,  which,  on  the  26th  March,  1812,  destroyed  many  po- 
pulous towns  of  the  province  of  Caraccas.  It  is  this  branch 
of  the  Cordilleras,  that  forms  the  Sierra-nevada  of  Chita,  that 
of  Merida  de  Maracaybo,  and  the  height  called  La  Silla  de 
Caracca  ;  and  it  is  between  these  three  remarkable  points  that 
the  gold  mines  of  Pamplona,  the  mineral  water  of  Merida 
de  Maracaybo,  and  the  copper  mines  of  Aroa,  are  found. 
Between  the  picturesque  Sierra-nevada  of  Merida  de  Mara- 
caybo, and  La  Silla  de  Caracca,  where  spring  is  perpetual, 
the  earthquake  was  most  strongly  felt. 

"  At  the  south-east  of  this  ridge  of  mountains,  there  are 
plains  of  an  immense  extent,  covered  with  different  species 
of  grasses,  and  watered  by  innumerable  torrents,  which  falling 
from  the  mountains,  and  uniting  in  different  bodies,  majesti- 
cally enter  the  Orinoco.  These  plains  were  likewise  con- 
vulsed for  above  120  leagues  in  Venezuela:  the  towns  situate 
immediately  at  the  foot  of  the  Cordilliera,  or  in  the  valleys 
between  them,  suffered  most  severely  :  those  seated  in  the 
plains  did  not  sufter  considerable  injury,  though  violently 
shaken.  For  five  months  a  continued  drought  had  parched 
the  earth,  no  rain  having  fallen,  and  in  the  preceding  month 
of  December,  a  slight  shock  of  an  earthquake  had  been  felt 
at  Caraccas.  It  was  on  the  eve  of  the  Crucifixion,  when  Ca- 
tholics assembled  together  in  their  churches,  to  commemorate, 
with  public  prayers  and  processions,  the  sufferings  and  merits 


EARTHQUAKE  OF  CARACCAS.  505 

of  their  Redeemer,  that  tliis  sad  catastrophe  had  happened. 
The  weather  was  tine,  and  the  air  serene,  when  between  four 
and  five  P.  m.  a  hoHow  sound  like  the  roar  of  a  cannon  was 
heard,  which  was  followed  by  a  violent  oscillatory  motion  from 
west  to  east,  which  lasted  about  seventeen  seconds,  and  which 
stopped  all  the  public  clocks  ;  the  convulsion  diminished  for 
some  moments,  but  was  succeeded  by  a  more  violent  shock 
than  the  first,  for  nearly  twenty  seconds,  keeping  the  same 
direction  ;  a  calm  followed,  which  lasted  about  fourteen  se- 
conds, after  which,  a  most  alarming  trepidation  of  the  earth 
took  place  for  fifteen  seconds  :  the  total  duration  about  one 
minute  and  fifteen  seconds.  The  inhabitants  of  Caraccas, 
struck  with  terror,  unitedly  and  loudly  implored  the  protection 
of  Heaven  :  some  ran  wildly  through  the  streets  ;  some  re- 
mained immoveable  with  astonishment ;  while  others,  crowding 
into  the  churches,  sought  refuoe  at  the  foot  of  the  altar.  The 
crash  of  falling  buildings,  the  clouds  of  dust  which  filled  the 
air,  and  the  anxious  cries  of  mothers,  who  inquired  in  vain 
for  their  children  lost  in  the  tumult,  increased  the  horrors  of 
this  sad  day.  To  this  scene  of  disorder  succeeded  the  most 
horrible  despair.  Dead  bodies,  wounded  persons  crying  for 
protection,  presented  themselves  every  where  to  those  who  had 
escaped  from  the  catastrophe,  and  who  could  not  turn  their 
eyes  from  these  objects  of  pity  and  horror,  without  meeting 
with  heaps  of  ruin,  which  had  buried  hundreds  of  unfortunate 
persons,  whose  lamentations  uselessly  pierced  their  hearts, 
for  it  was  impossible  to  give  reliefer  assistance  to  all. 

"  It  has  been  computed,  that  in  this  calamitous  day,  near 
20,000  persons  perished  at  Venezuela.  A  great  part  of  the 
veteran  troops  were  of  this  number  ;  and  all  the  arms  destined 
for  the  defence  of  their  country,  were  buried  under  the  ruins 
of  the  barracks.  The  towns  of  Caraccas,  Merida  de  Mara- 
caybo,  and  Laguaira,  were  totally  destroyed  ;  those  of  Barqui- 
lineto,  Sanfelipe,  and  others,  suffered  considerably.  It  is 
to  be  remarked,  that  Truxillo,  which  is  situate  between 
Merida  de  Maracaybo  and  Sanfelipe,  experienced  very  little 
damage.  At  the  last  place,  near  the  mines  of  Aroa,  the  first 
signal  they  had  of  the  earthquake  was  an  electric  shock,  which 
deprived  many  persons  of  their  power  of  motion  ;  and  in  Va- 
lencia, Caraccas,  and  the  neighbouring  country,  the  inhabi- 
tants were,  for  about  twenty  days  after  the  earthquake,  in 
an  extraordinary  state  of  irritability.  Many  persons,  who 
suffered  from  intermittent  fevers,  recovered  immediately,  in 
consequence  of  the  effect  of  the  earthquake. 

"  At  Vallecillo,  near  Valencia,  a  rivulet  spouted  out  from  a 
hill,  which  continued  to  flow  for  some  hours  after  the  earth- 
quake, and  which  I  visited  a  few  days  after.  The  river  Guaire, 
which  runs  through  the  valley  of  Caraccas,  was  greatlv  svveiled 

3S 


506  CURIOSITIES    IIESPECTING    EARTHQUAKES. 

soon  after  the  earthquake,  and  remained  in  that  state  for  se- 
veral days.  The  water  of  the  bav  of  JNIaraiaybo  withdrew 
considerably,  and  it  is  said  that  the  mountain  Avila,  which 
separates  Caraccas  from  Laguaira,  sunk  several  feet  into  the 
earth. 

"  The  earthquakes  continued  for  many  days,  we  may  say, 
without  interruption  :  they  diminished  as  it  were  by  degrees, 
though  the  last  were  remarkably  strong.  So  late  as  the  month 
of  October  in  the  same  year,  there  was  a  violent  shock.  The 
earthquake  of  the  26th  March  was  felt  at  Santafe  de  Bogota, 
and  even  at  Carthagena,  though  it  was  very  little  felt  at  Cu- 
mana. 

"In  the  following  April,  a  volcano  burst  out  in  the  island  of 
St.  Vincent.  About  the  time  of  the  eruption,  a  noise  like 
that  occasioned  by  the  discharge  of  a  cannon  was  heard 
at  Caraccas  and  Laguaira,  which  caused  a  general  alarm,  the 
inhabitants  of  each  place  supposing  that  the  neighbouring 
town  was  attacked  by  the  enemy.  This  roaring  noise  was 
distinctly  heard  where  the  river  Nula  falls  into  the  Apure, 
which  is  more  than  100  leagues  from  Caraccas.  In  the  same 
year,  1812,  many  strong  shocks  of  an  earthquake  were  felt  at 
Samaica  and  Cura^oa. 

"  The  earthquake  of  the  26th  March  alarmed  so  deeply  the 
inhabitants  of  Venezuela,  that  they  expected  to  see  the  earth 
open  and  swallow  them  at  every  convulsion  ;  and  as  it  hap- 
pened on  the  anniversary  of  their  political  revolution,  they 
supposed  that  event  had  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  Al- 
mighty. The  clergy,  who  were  enemies  to  the  revolution,  as 
their  privileges  had  been  diminished  by  the  new  constitution 
of  Venezuela,  availed  themselves  of  the  disposition  of  the 
people,  and  preached  every  where  against  the  new  republic. 
Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war  at  Venezuela  ;  a  war, 
which  has  desolated  those  beautiful  countries,  and  which  has 
destroyed  the  tenth  part  of  their  population." 

The  celebrated  poet  Cowper,  in  the  second  book  of  his 
admirable  poem.  The  Task,  has  given  us  a  very  accurate  and 
sublime  description  of  the  effects  of  Earthquakes,  from  which 
the  following  is  an  extract : — 

The  rocks  fall  headlon<?,  and  the  valleys  rise, 

The  rivers  die  into  ofl'ensive  pools, 

And,  charg'd  with  putrid  verdure,  breathe  a  gross 

And  mortal  nuisance  into  all  the  air. 

What  solid  was,  by  transformation  stranpe, 

Tirows  fluid  ;  and  the  fixt  and  rooted  earth, 

Tormented  into  billows,  heaves  and  swells, 

Or  with  vortif^inous  and  hideous  whirl 

Sucks  down  its  prey  insatiable.     Immense 

The  tumult  and  the  overthrow,  the  pangs 

And  agonies  of  human  and  of  brute 


SIMOOM,  Oil  nor  wind  of  egypt.  507 

Multitudes,  fugitive  on  ev'ry  side, 
And  fugitive  in  vain.     Tlie  sylvan  scene 
^Migrates  uplifted;  and,,  with  all  its  soil, 
Aliplitinf:;on  far  distant  Jields,  finds  out 
A  new  possessor,  and  survives  the  change. 
Ocean  has  caught  the  frenzy,  and,  upwrougJit 
To  an  enormous  and  o'erbearing  height. 
Not  by  a  mighty  wind,  but  by  that  voice 
Which  winds  and  waves  obey,  invades  the  shore 
Resistless.     Never  such  a  sudden  flood, 
Upridp'd  so  high,  and  sent  on  such  a  charge, 
Possess'd  an  irdand  scene.     Where  now  the  throng 
That  press'd  the  beach,  and,  hasty  to  depart, 
Look'd  to  the  sea  for  safety  ?     They  are  gone, 
Gone  with  the  refluent  wave  into  the  deep — 
A  prince  with  half  his  people." 

It  is  a  consolation  to  every  good  man,  to  consider  that  the 
world  is  governed  by  a  wise  and  good,  as  well  as  powerful 
Being,  who  gives  liberty  to  the  powers  of  nature  to  range, 
or  restrains  them,  as  may  best  suit  his  divine  purposes ; 
which  have  always  the  ultimate  good  of  the  whole  creation  in 


CHAP.  XLIX. 

CURIOSITIE.^   RESPECTIAG    WINDS,    HURRICANES,    ^c 

Uemarkahk  Winds  in  Fjgypt — Wlnrlwiiids  of  Egypt — Tornado— 
Havmattan — Hurricane — Monsoons — Velocity  of  the  Wind. 

Bound  as  they  are,  and  circumscrib'd  in  place, 

Tliey  rend  the  world,  resistless  where  they  pass. 

And  mighty  marks  of  niiscliief  leave  behind  ; 

Such  is  the  rage  of  their  tempestuous  kind. 

First,  Eurus,  to  the  rising  morn  is  sent, 

The  regions  of  the  balmy  continent. 

And  eastern  realms,  where  early  Persians  run 

To  greet  the  blest  appearance  of  the  sun. 

AVestward  the  wanton  Zephyr  wings  his  flight, 

Pleas'd  with  the  remnant  of  departing  light : 

Fierce  Boreas,  with  his  oflsprinj,  issues  forth 

T'  invade  the  frozen  waggon  of  the  north  ; 

While  frowning  Auster  seeks  the  southern  sphere.        Ovid. 

REMARKABLE  WINDS  IN  EGYPT. 

Egypt  is  infested  with  the  destructive  blasts  common  to 
all  warm  countries  which  have  deserts  in  their  neighbourhood. 
These  have  been  distinguished  by  various  names,  such  as  Poi- 
sonous winds,  Hot  winds  of  the  desert,  Samiel,  the  wind  of 
Damascus,  Camseen,  and  Simoom.  In  Egypt  they  are  deno- 
minated "  Winds  of  fifty  days,"  because  they  most  commonly 


508  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING  WINDS. 

prevail  during  the  fifty  days  preceding  and  following  the 
equinox,  tliough,  should  they  blow  constantly  during  one 
"sialf  of  that  time,  an  universal  destruction  would  be  tlie  con- 
sequence. Of  these,  travellers  have  given  various  descriptions. 
M.  Volney  says,  that  the  violence  of  their  heat  may  be  com- 
pared to  that  of  a  large  oven  at  the  moment  of  drawing  out 
the  bread.  They  always  blow  from  the  south,  and  are  undoubt- 
edly owing  to  the  motion  of  the  atmosphere  over  such  vast 
tracts  of  hot  sand,  which  cannot  be  supplied  with  a  sufficient 
qu'antity  of  moisture.  When  they  begin  to  blow,  the  sky 
loses  its  usual  serenity,  and  assumes  a  dark,  heavy,  and  alarm- 
ing aspect,  the  sun  laying  aside  his  usual  splendour,  and 
becoming  of  a  violet  colour.  This  terrific  appearance  seems 
not  to  be  occasioned  by  any  real  haze  or  cloud  in  the  atmo- 
sphere at  that  time,  but  solely  by  the  vast  quantity  of  fine 
sand  carried  along  by  those  winds,  and  which  is  so  excessively 
subtile  that  it  penetrates  every  where.  The  motion  of  this 
wind  is  always  rapid,  but  its  heat  is  not  intolerable  till  it  has 
continued  for  some  time.  Its  pernicious  qualities  are  evi- 
dently occasioned  by  its  excessive  aridity  ;  for  it  dries  and 
shrivels  up  the  skin,  and,  by  affecting  the  lungs  in  a  similar 
manner,  soon  produces  suffocation  and  death.  The  danger  is 
greatest  to  those  of  a  plethoric  habit,  or  who  have  been  ex- 
hausted by  fatigue  ;  and  putrefaction  very  soon  takes  place 
in  the  bodies  of  such  as  are  destroyed  by  it.  Its  extreme 
dryness  is  such,  that  water  sprinkled  on  the  floor  evaporates 
in  a  few  minutes;  all  the  plants  are  withered  and  stripped  of 
their  leaves,  and  a  fever  is  instantly  produced  in  the  human 
species  by  the  suppression  of  perspiration.  It  usually  lasts 
three  days,  but  is  altogether  insupportable  if  it  continue  be- 
yond that  time. 

The  danger  is  greatest  when  the  wind  blows  in  squalls,  and 
to  travellers  who  happen  to  be  exposed  to  its  fury  without 
any  shelter.  The  best  method,  in  this  case,  is  to  stop  the 
nose  and  mouth  with  a  handkerchief:  camels,  by  a  natural  in- 
stinct, bury  their  noses  in  the  sand,  and  keep  them  there  till 
the  squall  is  over.  The  inhabitants,  who  have  an  opportunity 
of  retiring  to  their  houses,  instantly  shut  themselves  up  in 
them,  or  go  into  pits  made  in  the  earth,  till  the  destructive 
blast  is  over. 

The  descri|)tion  of  a  blast  of  this  kind,  which  overtook  Mr. 
Bruce,  in  the  desert  of  Nubia,  is  still  more  terrible. — The  sun 
was  now  obscured  by  them,*  and  the  transmission  of  his  rays 
gave  them  a  dreadful  appearance,  resembling  pillars  of  fire. 
This  was  pronounced  by  the  guide  to  be  a  sign  of  the  ap- 
proaching simoom,  or  hot  wind;  and  he  directed,  that  when 
it  came,  the  people  should  fall  upon  their  faces,  and  keep  their 
The  moving  columns  of  sand. 


WHIKI.WINDS   OF   EGYPT.  509 

mouths  on  the  sand,  to  avoid  drawing  in  this  peinicious  blast 
with  their  breath.  On  his  calling;-  out  that  the  simoon  was 
coming,  INIr.  Bruce  turned  lor  a  moment  to  the  quarter  from 
whence  it  came,  wdiich  was  the  south-east.  It  appeared  like 
a  haze  or  fog  of  a  purple  colour,  but  less  bright  than  the  pur- 
ple part  of  the  rainbow  ;  seemingly  about  twenty  yards  in 
breadth,  and  about  twelve  feet  high  from  the  ground.  It 
moved  with  such  rapidity,  that  before  he  could  turn  about 
and  fall  down,  he  felt  the  vehement  heat  of  its  current  upon 
his  face  ;  and  even  after  it  passed  over,  which  was  very  quickly, 
the  air  which  followed  was  of  such  a  heat  as  to  threaten  suffo- 
cation. Mr.  Bruce  had  unfortunately  inspired  some  part  of 
the  pernicious  blast;  by  which  means  he  almost  entirely  lost 
his  voice,  and  became  subject  to  an  asthmatic  complaint, 
from  which  he  did  not  get  free  for  two  years. 

The  same  phenomenon  occurred  twice  over  on  their  journey 
throuiih  this  desert.  The  second  time  it  came  from  the  south 
a  little  to  the  east,  but  it  seemed  to  have  a  shade  of  blue 
along  with  the  purple,  and  its  edges  were  less  perfectly  de- 
fined, resembling  rather  a  thin  smoke,  and  having  about  a 
yard  in  the  middle  tinged  with  blue  and  purple. 

The  third  time,  it  was  preceded  by  an  appearance  of  sandy 
pillars,  more  magnificent  than  any  they  had  yet  observed  ;  the 
sun  shining  through  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  those 
which  were  nearest  a  resemblance  of  being  spangled  with 
stars  of  gold.  The  simoom  which  followed  had  the  same 
blue  and  purple  appearance  as  before,  and  was  followed  by  a 
most  suftbcating  wind  for  two  hours,  which  reduced  our  tra- 
vellers to  the  lowest  degree  of  weakness  and  despondency. 

It  was  remarkable,  that  this  wind  always  came  from  the 
south-east,  while  the  sandy  pillars,  which  prognosticated  its 
approach,  seemed  to  keep  to  the  westward,  and  to  occupy  the 
vast  circular  space  inclosed  by  the  Nile  to  the  west  of  their 
route,  going  round  by  Chaigie  towards  Dongola.  The  heaps 
of  sand  left  by  them  when  they  fell,  or  raised  by  the  whirl- 
winds which  carried  them  up,  were  twelve  or  thirteen  feet  high, 
exactly  conical,  tapering  to  a  fine  point,  and  their  bases  well 
proportioned. 

The  following  account  of  the  Whirlwinds  of  Egypt,  is 
from  Belzoni's  Narrative  : — "  A  strong  wind  which  arose  this 
day  leads  me  to  mention  some  particulars  of  the  phenomena 
that  often  happen  in  Egypt.  The  first  I  shall  notice  is  the 
whirlwinds,  which  occur  all  the  year  round,  but  especially  at 
the  time  of  the  camseen  wind,  which  begins  in  April,  and  lasts 
fifty  days.  Hence  the  name  oi  camsee)t,  which  in  Arabic  sig- 
nifies fifty.  It  generally  blows  from  the  south-west,  and  lasts 
four,  five,  or  six  days  without  varying,  so  very  strong  that  it 


610  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  WINDS. 

raises  the  sands  to  a  great  height,  forming  a  general  cloud, 
so  thick  that  it  is  impossible  to  keep  the  eyes  open,  if  not 
under  cover.  It  is  troublesome,  even  to  the  Arabs;  it  forces 
the  sand  into  the  houses  through  every  cranny,  and  fills  every 
thing  with  it.  The  caravans  cannot  proceed  in  the  deserts; 
the  boats  cannot  continue  their  voyages  ;  and  travellers  are 
obliged  to  eat  sand,  in  spite  of  their  teeth.  The  whole  i*s  like 
a  chaos.  Often  a  quantity  of  sand  and  small  stones  gradually 
ascends  to  a  great  height,  and  forms  a  column  of  sixty  or 
seventy  feet  in  diameter,  and  so  thick,  that  were  it  steady  on 
one  spot,  it  would  appear  a  solid  mass.  This  not  only  revolves 
M'ithin  its  own  circumference,  but  runs  in  a  circular  direction 
over  a  great  space  of  ground,  sometimes  maintaining  itself  in 
motion  for  half  an  hour,  and  wherever  it  falls  it  accumulates 
a  small  hill  of  sand.  God  help  the  poor  traveller  who  is 
caught  under  it!" 

We  shall  now  describe  a  Tornado. — This  is  a  sudden  and 
vehement  gust  of  wind  from  all  points  of  the  compass,  and 
frequent  on  the  coast  of  Guinea.  A  tornado  seems  to  partake 
much  of  the  nature  of  a  whirlwind,  or  perhaps  of  a  water- 
s|)0ut,  but  is  more  violent  in  its  effects.  It  commences  very 
suddenly :  several  clouds  being  previously  drawn  together, 
a  spout  of  wind,  proceeding  from  them,  strikes  the  ground, 
in  a  round  spot  of  a  few  rods  or  perches  in  diameter,  and 
proceeds  thus  half  a  mile  or  a  mile.  The  proneness  of  its 
descent  makes  it  rebound  from  the  earth,  throwing  such  things 
as  are  moveable  before  it,  sideways,  or  in  a  lateral  direction 
from  it.  A  vapour,  mist,  or  rain,  descends  with  it,  by  which 
the  path  of  it  is  marked  with  wet. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  one  which  happened  a  few 
•  ears  since  at  Leicester,  about  fifty  miles  from  Boston,  in 
New  England  :  it  happened  in  July,  on  a  hot  day,  abo\it  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  A  few  clouds  having  gathered  west- 
ward, and  coming:  over-head,  a  sudden  motion  of  their  runninc; 
together  in  a  point,  being  observed,  inunediately  a  spout  of 
wind  struck  the  west  end  of  a  house,  and  instantly  carried  it 
away,  with  a  negro  man  in  it,  who  was  afterwards  found  dead 
in  its  path.  Two  men  and  a  woman,  by  the  breach  of  the 
floor,  fell  into  the  cellar;  and  one  man  was  driven  forcibly 
up  into  the  chinmey  corner.  These  were  preserved,  though 
much  bruised  ;  they  were  wet  with  a  vapour  or  mist,  as  were 
the  remains  of  the  floor,  and  the  whole  path  of  the  spout. 
This  wind  raised  boards,  timbers,  &.c.  A  joist  was  found  on 
one  end,  driven  nearly  three  feet  into  the  ground.  The  spout 
])robably  took  it  in  its  elevated  state,  and  drove  it  forcibly 
down.  The  tornado  moved  with  the  celerity  of  a  moderate 
wind,  and  declined  in  strength  till  it  entirelv  ceased. 


HARMATTAN. —  HURRICANE.  511 

Harmattan. — This  is  a  name  given  to  a  singular  wind, 
which  blows  periodically  from  the  interior  parts  of  Africa, 
towards  the  Atlantic  ocean.  It  prevails  in  December,  Janu- 
ary, and  February,  and  is  generally  accompanied  by  a  fog  or 
haze,  that  conceals  the  sun  for  whole  days  together.  Extreme 
dryness  is  the  characteristic  of  this  wind  :  no  dew  falls  durino- 
its  continuance,  which  is  sometimes  for  a  fortnight  or  more. 
The  whole  vegetable  creation  is  withered,  and  the  grass 
becomes  at  once  like  hay.  The  natives  take  the  opportunity 
which  this  wind  gives  them,  of  clearing  the  land,  by  setting 
fire  to  trees  and  plants  in  this  their  exhausted  state.  The 
dryness  is  so  extreme,  that  household  furniture  is  damaged, 
and  the  wainscot  of  the  rooms  flies  to  pieces.  The  human 
body  is  also  affected  by  it,  so  as  to  cause  the  skin  to  peel  off; 
but  in  other  respects  it  is  deemed  salutary  to  the  constitution, 
by  stopping  the  progress  of  infection,  and  curing  almost  all 
cutaneous  diseases. 

We  now  proceed  to  some  curious  particulars,  under  the 
term  Hurricane. — This  is  indeed  a  general  name  for  any 
violent  storm  of  wind,  but  is  peculiarly  applied  to  those 
storms  which  happen  in  the  warmer  climates,  and  which 
greatly  exceed  the  most  violent  ones  known  in  this  country. 
Dr.  Mosely,  in  his  Treatise  on  Tropical  Diseases,  observes, 
that  the  ruin  and  desolation  accompanying  a  hurricane  can 
scarcely  be  described.  Like  fire,  its  resistless  force  consumes 
every  thing  in  its  track,  in  the  most  terrible  and  rapid  manner. 
It  is  generally  preceded  by  an  awful  stillness  of  the  elements, 
and  a  closeness  and  mistiness  in  the  atmosphere,  which  makes 
the  sun  appear  red,  and  the  stars  larger.  But  a  dreadful 
reverse  succeeds  :  the  sky  is  suddenly  overcast  and  wild  ;  the 
sea  rises  at  once  from  a  profound  calm  into  mountains ;  the 
wind  rages  and  roars  like  the  noise  of  cannon  ;  the  rain  de- 
scends in  a  deluge;  a  dismal  obscurity  envelops  the  earth 
with  darkness ;  and  the  superior  regions  appear  rent  with 
lightning  and  thunder.  The  earth  on  these  occasions  often 
does,  and  always  seems  to  tremble  ;  whilst  terror  and  conster- 
nation distract  all  nature  :  birds  are  carried  from  the  woods 
into  the  ocean;  and  those  whose  element  is  the  sea,  seek  for 
refuge  on  land  ;  the  frightened  animals  in  the  field  assemble 
together,  and  are  almost  suffocated  by  the  impetuosity  of  the 
wind  in  searching  for  shelter,  which,  when  found,  is  but  the 
prelude  to  destruction.  The  roofs  of  houses  are  carried  to 
vast  distances  from  their  walls,  which  are  beat  to  the  ground, 
burying  their  inhabitants  under  them.  Large  trees  are  torn 
up  by  the  roots,  and  huge  branches  shivered  off,  and  driven 
ihrough  the  air  in  every  direction  with  immense  velocity. 
Every  tree  and  shrub  that  withstands  the  shock   is   stripped 


512  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   WINDS. 

of  its  loughs  and  foliage;  plants  and  grass  are  laid  flat  on 
the  earth  ;  and  luxuriant  spring  is  changed  in  a  moment  to 
dreary  winter.  This  direful  tragedy  ended,  (when  it  happens 
in  a  town,)  the  devastation  is  surveyed  with  accumulated  horror: 
the  harbour  is  covered  with  wrecks  of  boats  and  vessels;  and 
the  shore  has  not  a  vestige  of  its  former  state  remaining. 
Mounds  of  rubbish  and  rafters  in  one  place;  i)eaps  of  earth 
and  trunks  of  trees  in  another;  deep  gullies  from  torrents  of 
water;  and  the  dead  and  dying  bodies  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  half  buried,  and  scattered  about,  where  streets  stood 
but  an  hour  before, — present  the  miserable  survivors  with  the 
shocking  conclusion  of  a  spectacle,  to  be  followed  by  fa- 
mine, and,  when  accompanied  by  an  earthquake,  by  mortal 
diseases. 

Philosophers  are  now  inclined  to  attribute  these  terrible 
phenomena  to  electricity,  though  the  manner  in  which  it  acts 
in  this  case  is  by  no  means  known.  It  seems  probable,  in- 
deed, that  not  only  hurricanes,  but  even  the  most  gentle 
gales  of  wind,  are  produced  by  the  action  of  the  electric 
fluid. 

In  the  next  place  we  shall  treat  of  Monsoons,  or  Trade- 
Winds. 

"  Trade-winds,  observinjf  well  their  stated  course, 

To  human  good  employ  their  pow'rful  force; 

The  loaded  ships  across  the  ocean  fann'd 

By  steady  gales,  spread  commerce  through  the  land: 

Tiiese  you  observe — but  have  you  no  desire 

The  hidden  spring  of  such  effects  t'inquirc  ? 

Or,  wlicn  contending  winds  around  you  blow, 

Do  you  ne'er  wish  the  cause  of  them  to  know  ?" 

Monsoons   are  those   winds  which   blow  six  months  con 
stantly  the   same   way,    and   the   contrary  way  the  other  six 
months. 

Mr.  Olinthus  Gregory  observes,  that  "  though  the  winds  in  a 
temperate  zone  of  the  earth  are  very  inconstant  and  change- 
able, yet  this  is  not  the  case  in  every  part  of  the  terrestrial 
globe  ;  for  in  the  torrid  zone,  and  some  other  parts,  the  winds 
are  generally  very  uniform  and  constant  in  their  direction,  as 
will  appear  from  the  following  facts  relative  thereto: — • 

"  1.  Over  the  Atlantic,  and  Pacific  oceans,  particularly  be- 
tween thirty  degrees  of  north  and  thirty  degrees  of  south 
latitude,  the  trade-winds,  as  they  are  called,  blow  tmiformly 
from  east  to  west,  all  the  year  round,  with  a  small  variation  in 
the  different  seasons. 

"2.  When  the  sun  is  on  the  equator,  the  trade-winds,  in  sail- 
ing northward,  veer  more  and  more  from  the  east  towards  the 
north  ;    so   that  about  their  limit  they  become  nearly  north- 


TRADE-WINDS.  513 

east;  and  vice  versa  in  sailing  southward,  they  become  at  last 
nearly  south-east.  3.  When  the  sun  is  near  the  tropic  of 
Cancer,  the  trade-winds  north  of  the  equator  become  more 
nearly  east  than  at  other  times,  and  those  south  of  the  equator 
more  nearly  south  ;  and  vice  versa,  when  the  sun  is  near  the 
tropic  of  Capricorn.  4.  The  trade-winds  are  not  due  east 
upon  the  equator,  but  about  four  degrees  to  the  north  of  it. 

"  To  account  for  these  facts  relative  to  the  winds,  is  a  most 
curious  and  important,  though  mysterious,  inquiry  ;  having 
employed  the  pens  of  several  very  eminent  philosophers:  but 
amongst  all  the  explanations  I  have  seen,  there  is  none  in  my 
opinion  more  agreeable  to  nature  than  one  given  by  Mr.  John 
Dalton,  of  Manchester,  in  his  "  Meteorological  Observations 
and  Essays."  The  method  of  reasoning  applied  to  the  subject 
in  that  work,  I  shall  here  make  use  of. 

"  The  inequality  of  heat  in  the  different  climates  and  places, 
and  the  earth's  rotation  on  its  axis,  appears  to  be  the  prin- 
cipal causes  of  all  winds,  regular  and  irregular.  It  may  be 
obfierved,  that  whenever  the  heat  is  greatest,  there  the  air  will 
ascend,  and  a  supj^ly  of  colder  air  will  be  received  from  the 
neighbouring  parts:  it  will  be  willingly  allowed,  that  the  heat 
is  at  all  times  greatest  in  the  torrid  zone,  and  decreases 
gradually  in  proceeding  northward  or  southward  ;  also  that 
the  poles  may  at  all  times  be  considered  as  the  centres  of 
cold.  Hence  it  reasonably  follows,  that  abstracting  from 
accidental  circumstances,  there  will  be  a  constant  ascent  of 
air  over  the  torrid  zone,  which  air  will  afterwards  fall  north- 
ward and  southward,  whilst  the  colder  air  below  is  determined 
by  a  continual  impulse  towards  the  equator. 

"  When  the  effects  of  the  earth's  rotation  are  taken  into 
consideration,  our  reasoning  must  be  as  follows:  the  air  over 
any  part  of  the  earth's  surface,  when  apparently  at  rest,  or 
calm,  will  have  the  same  rotatory  velocity  as  that  part ;  but 
if  a  quantity  of  air  in  the  northern  hemisphere  receive  an  im- 
pulse in  the  direction  of  the  meridian,  either  northward  or 
southward,  its  rotatory  velocity  will  be  greater  in  the  former 
case,  and  less  in  the  latter,  than  that  of  the  air  into  which  it 
moves;  consequently,  if  it  move  northward,  it  will  have  a 
greater  velocity  eastward  than  the  air,  or  surface  of  the  earth 
over  which  it  moves,  and  will  therefore  become  a  south-west 
wind,  or  a  wind  between  the  south  and  west;  and,  vice  versa, 
if  it  move  southward,  it  becomes  a  north-east  wind.  From 
similar  considerations  it  will  appear,  that  in  the  southern 
hemisphere  the  winds  will  be  north-west  and  south-east  re- 
spectively. 

"The  trade-winds  may  therefore  be  explained  thus  :  The 
two  general  masses  of  air  proceeding  from  both  hemispheres 
towards  the  equator,  as  thev  advance  are  constantly  deflected 

3T 


514  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   WINDS, 

more  and  more  towards  the  east,  by  reason  of  the  earth's  ro- 
tation ;  that  from  the  southern  hemisphere,  originally  a  south 
wind,  is  made  to  veer  more  and  more  towards  the  east ;  in  like 
manner,  that  from  the  northern  hemisphere  is  made  to  change 
its  directions  from  the  north  towards  the  east :  these  two 
masses  meeting  near  the  equator,  their  velocities  south  and 
north  destroy  each  other,  and  they  proceed  afterwards  with 
their  common  velocity  from  east  to  west  round  the  torrid  zone, 
excepting  the  irregularities  produced  by  the  continents.  The 
equator  is  not  in  reality  the  place  of  concourse,  but  the  north- 
ern parallel  of  four  degrees  ;  because  the  centre  of  heat  is 
thereabouts,  the  sun  being  longer  on  the  north  side  of  the 
equator,  than  on  the  south  side.  Moreover,  when  the  sun  is 
near  one  of  the  tropics,  the  centre  of  heat  upon  the  earth's 
surface  is  then  nearer  that  tropic  than  usual,  and  therefore 
the  winds  about  the  tropic  are  more  nearly  east  at  that  time, 
and  those  about  the  other  tropic  more  nearly  north  and 
south. 

"  If  all  the  terrestrial  globe  were  covered  with  water,  or  if 
the  variations  of  the  earth's  surface  in  heat  were  regular  and 
constant,  so  that  the  heat  was  the  same  in  every  part  of  the 
same  parallel  of  latitude,  the  winds  would  then  be  very  nearly 
regular  also  :  but  this  is  not  the  case  ;  for  we  find  the  irregu- 
larities of  heat,  arising  from  the  interspersion  of  land  and  sea, 
are  such,  that  though  all  the  parts  of  the  atmosphere  in  some 
measure  conspire  to  pix)duce  regular  winds  about  the  torrid 
zone,  yet  very  striking  irregularities  are  often  fotind  to  take 
))lace.  A  remarkable  instance  we  have  in  monsoons,  which 
are  winds  that  in  the  Indian  ocean,  &c.  blow  for  six  months 
together  one  way,  and  the  next  six  months  the  contrary  way: 
these,  with  sea  and  land  breezes,  do  not  seem  easily  to  be  ac- 
counted for  on  any  other  principle  than  that  of  rarefaction. 

"  Perhaps  some  persons  may  be  led  to  suppose,  that  the 
winds  in  the  northern  teniperate  zone  should  be  between  the 
north  and  east  towards  the  poles,  and  between  the  south  and 
west  nearer  the  equator,  almost  as  regular  as  the  trade-winds: 
but  when  the  change  of  seasons,  the  diHerent  capacities  of 
land  and  water  for  heat,  the  interference  and  opposition  of  the 
two  general  currents,  be  considered,  it  might  be  concluded 
almost  next  to  impossible  that  the  winds  in  the  temperate 
zone  should  exhibit  any  thing  like  regularity:  however,  not- 
withstanding this,  observations  sufficientlv  evince,  that  the 
winds  therein  are,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  direction  of  one 
of  the  general  currents  •,  namely,  somew  here  between  the  south 
and  west,  or  more  commonly  between  the  north  and  east;  and 
that  w  inds  in  other  directions  happen  only  as  accidental  varie- 
ties, chiefly  in  unsettled  weather. 

"  We  may  have  frequently  taken  notice,  that  several  winds. 


MONSOON   IN    INDIA.  615 

particularly  stormy  ones,  are  attended  with  a  cloudy  sky;  to 
this  it  may  be  added,  that  we  have  more  winds  than  usually 
occur  in  rather  less  latitudes,  where  the  atmosphere  is  gene- 
rally more  serene;  these  considered,  make  it  exceedingly  pro- 
bable, that  the  aqueous  vapours  which  are  sustained  by  the 
air,  from  whence  come  clouds  and  rains,  may  be  one  great 
cause  of  irregular  winds.  It  has  been  determined,  from  very 
accurate  experiments,  that  one  inch  of  water  when  evaporated 
will  fill  more  than  2000  inches  of  space  :  hence  it  appears 
that  the  water  which  falls  in  drops  of  rain,  &.c.  occupied  more 
than  2000  times  the  space  when  it  floated  in  the  atmosphere 
in  vapours;  the  condensation  thereof  must  tlierefore  occasion 
vacua  of  such  a  nature,  as  will  cause  winds  (jf  (liferent  kinds 
and  degrees,  according  to  the  deficiency  which  is  to  be  sup- 
plied. 

"  The  economy  of  winds,  an  illustration  of  whicli  has  been 
here  attempted,  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  various  purposes 
of  nature,  and  to  the  general  intercourse  of  mankind: — if  the 
earth  had  been  fixed,  and  the  sun  had  revolved  about  it,  the 
air  over  the  torrid  zone,  and  particularly  about  the  equator, 
would  have  been  almost  always  stagnant;  and  in  the  other 
zones  the  winds  would  have  had  little  variation  either  in  direc- 
tion or  strength  ;  in  this  case  navigation  would  have  be«n 
greatly  impeded,  and  a  communication  between  the  two  hemi- 
spheres by  sea,  rendered  impracticable.  On  the  present 
system  of  things,  however,  the  irregularity  of  winds  is  of  the 
happiest  consequence,  by  being  subservient  to  navigation  : 
and  a  general  circulation  of  air  constantly  takes  place  between 
the  eastern  and  western  hemispheres,  as  well  as  between  the 
polar  and  equatorial  regions ;  by  reason  of  which",  that  diffu- 
sion and  intermixture  of  the  different  aerial  fluids,  so  neces- 
sary for  the  life,  health,  and  prosperity  of  the  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms,  is  accomplished  : — such  is  the  transcend- 
ent wisdom  and  providential  care  of  the  beneficent  Father  of 
all!" 

The  following  interesting  description  of  the  South-west 
Monsoon  in  Inuia,  is  taken  from  Elphinstone's  Account  of 
Cabul. — The  most  remarkable  rainy  season,  is  that  called  in 
India  the  South-west  Monsoon.  It  extends  from  Africa  to  the 
Malay  Peninsula,  and  deluges  all  the  intermediate  countries 
within  certain  lines  of  latitude,  for  four  months  in  the  year. 
In  the  south  of  India,  this  monsoon  commences  about  the  be- 
ginning of  June,  but  it  gets  later  as  we  advance  towards  the 
the  north.  Its  approach  is  announced  by  vast  masses  of 
clouds  that  rise  from  the  Indian  ocean,  and  advance  towards 
the  north-east,  gathering  and  thickening  as  tiiey  a[)proach  the 
land.     After  some  threatening  days,  the  sky  assumes  a  troubled 


516  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  WINDS. 

appearance  in  the  evenings,  and  the  monsoon  in  general  sets 
in  during  the  night.  It  is  attended  with  such  a  thunder-storm 
as  can  scarcely  be  imagined  by  those  who  have  only  seen  that 
phenomenon  in  a  temperate  climate.  It  generally  begins  with 
violent  blasts  of  wind,  which  are  succeeded  by  floods  of  rain. 
For  some  hours,  lightning  is  seen  almost  without  intermission ; 
sometimes  it  only  illuminates  the  sky,  and  shews  the  clouds 
near  the  horizon  ;  at  others,  it  discovers  the  distant  hills,  and 
again  leaves  all  in  darkness  ;  when  in  an  instant  it  re-appears 
in  vivid  and  successive  flashes,  and  exhibits  the  nearest  ob- 
jects in  all  the  brightness  of  day.  During  all  this  time  the 
distant  thunder  never  ceases  to  roll,  and  is  only  silenced  by 
some  nearer  peal,  which  bursts  on  the  ear  with  such  a  sudden 
and  tremendous  crash,  as  can  scarcely  fail  to  strike  the  most 
insensible  heart  with  av%e.  At  length  the  thunder  ceases,  and 
nothing  is  heard  but  the  continued  pouring  of  the  rain,  and 
the  rushing  of  the  rising  streams.  The  next  day  presents  ii 
gloomy  spectacle  :  the  rain  still  descends  in  torrents,  and 
scarcely  allows  a  view  of  the  blackened  fields ;  the  rivers  are 
swollen  and  discoloured,  and  sweep  down  along  with  them  the 
hedges,  the  huts,  and  the  remains  of  the  cultivation,  which  was 
carried  on  during  the  dry  season,  into  their  beds. 

This  lasts  for  some  days,  after  which  the  sky  clears,  and 
discovers  the  face  of  nature,  changed  as  if  by  enchantment. 
Before  the  storm,  the  fields  were  parched  up,  and,  except  in 
the  beds  of  the  rivers,  scarce  a  blade  of  vegetation  was  to  be 
seen  ;  the  clearness  of  the  sk\  was  not  interrupted  by  a  single 
cloud,  but  the  atmosphere  w-as  loaded  with  dust,  which  was 
. suflScient  to  render  distant  objects  dim,  as  in  a  mist,  and  to 
make  the  sun  appear  dull  and  discoloured,  till  he  attained  a 
considerable  elevation  :  a  parching  wind  blew  like  a  blast 
iVom  a  furnace,  and  heated  wood,  iron,  and  every  other  solid 
material,  even  in  the  shade;  and  immediately  before  the  mon- 
soon, this  wind  had  been  succeeded  by  still  more  sultry 
calms.  But  when  the  first  violence  of  the  storm  is  over,  the 
whole  earth  is  covered  with  a  sudden  but  luxuriant  verdure  : 
the  rivers  are  full  and  tranquil,  the  air  is  pure  and  delicious; 
and  the  sky  is  varied,  and  embellished  with  clouds.  The  effect 
of  the  change  is  visible  on  all  the  animal  creation,  and  can 
only  be  imagined  in  Europe,  by  supposing  the  depth  of  a 
dreary  winter  to  start  at  once  into  all  the  freshness  and  bril- 
liancy of  spring.  From  this  time  the  rain  falls  at  intervals 
for  about  a  month,  when  it  comes  on  again  with  great  violence, 
and  in  July  the  rains  are  at  their  height;  during  the  third 
month,  they  rather  diminish,  but  are  still  heavy  ;  and  in  Sep- 
tember they  gradually  abate,  and  are  often  entirely  suspended 
till  near  the  end  of  the  month,  when  they  depart  amidst 
thunders  and  tempests,  as  they  came. 


VELOCITY   OF  THE   WIND. 


;i7 


The  following  Table,  which  gives  some  particulars  respect- 
ing the  Velocity  of  the  Wind,  was  calculated  by  Mr.  John 
Smeaton,  the  celebrated  engineer,  and  is  founded  on  a  correct 
series  of  practical  observations  : — 


Miles  per  hour. 


Feet  per  second. 


1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
10 
15 


1.47 
2.93 
4.40 
5.87 
7.33 

14.67 

9'2 


20 29.34 

25 36.67 

30 40.01 

35 51.34 

40 58.68 

45 66.01 

50 73.35 

60 88.02 

80 117.36 

100 146.70 


Light  airs. 
Breeze. 
Brisk  gale. 
Fresh  gale. 
Strong  gale. 


Hard  gale. 


Storm. 

Hurricane,  tearing 
up  trees,  &c. 


We  conclude   this  chapter  with  a  poetical   enumeration  Oi 
the  benefits  arising  from  the  wind  : — 

"  Of  what  important  use  to  human  kind, 

To  what  great  ends  subservient,  is  the  wind ! 

Where'er  the  aerial  active  vapour  flies, 

It  drives  the  clouds,  and  ventilates  the  skies  ; 

Sweeps  from  the  earth  infection's  noxious  train. 

And  swells  to  wholesome  ra2:e  the  sluggish  main. 

For  should  the  sea  unagitated  stand. 

Death,  witii  huge  strides,  would  desolate  the  land; 

The  scorcliing  sun,  with  unpropitious  beam, 

Would  give  to  grief  an  everlasting  theme; 

And  baneful  vapours,  lurking  in  the  veins, 

Would  fiercely  burn  with  unabating  pains. 

Nor  thus  alone  air  purifies  the  seas. 

O'er  torrid  climes  it  pours  the  healthful  breeze: 

Clinics  \\here  the  sun  direct  flings  scorching  day. 

Feel  cooling  air  his  sultry  rage  allay  ; 

Unceasing  goodness,  with  unceasing  skill. 

Educing  certain  good  from  seeming  ill. 

His  guardian  care  extends  o'er  ev'ry  shore, 

And  blends  his  favours  with  what  men  deplore  ; 

The  sable  nations  hence,  and  burning  skies. 

See  luscious  fruits  in  varying  beauty  rise  ; 

Spontaneous  Nature  laugh  at  culture's  toil, 

And  rich  luxuriance  bless  the  grateful  soil." 


Ol8  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   SHOWERS,  ETC. 

CHAP.  L. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   SHOWERS,    STORMS,   ^c. 

Surprising  Shoivers  of  Hail — Singular  Effects  of  a  Storm — The 
Mirage — Sand  Floods — Showers  of  Gossamers — Winter  in 
Russia. 

Ye  vapours,  hail,  and  snow. 

Praise  ye  th'  Almighty  Lord, 

And  stormy  winds  that  blow 

To  execute  his  word.  Watts. 

Then  from  aerial  treasures  downwards  pours 

Sheets  of  unsully'd  snow  in  lucid  show'rs  ; 

Flake  after  flake,  thro'  air  thick  wav'rin<^  flies 

'Till  one  vast  shining  waste  all  nature  lies. 

Then  the  proud  hills  a  virgin  whiteness  shed, 

A  dazzling  brightness  glitters  from  the  mead  ; 

The  hoary  trees  reflect  a  silver  show, 

And  groves  beneath  the  lovely  burden  low.        Broome. 

SURPRISING   SHOWERS   OF   HAIL. 

Natural  historians  record  various  instances  of  surprising 
showers  of  hail,  in  which  the  hailstones  were  of  extraordinary 
magnitude.  Mezeray,  speaking  of  the  war  of  Lewis  XII.  in 
Italy,  in  1510,  relates,  that  there  was  for  some  time  a  horri- 
ble darkness,  thicker  than  that  of  night;  after  which  the 
clouds  broke  into  thunder  and  lightning,  and  there  fell  a 
shower  of  hailstones,  or  rather  (as  he  calls  them)  pebble- 
stones, which  destroyed  all  the  fish,  birds,  and  beasts,  of  the 
country.  It  was  attended  with  a  strong  smell  of  sulphur  ;  and 
the  stones  were  of  a  bluish  colour,  some  of  them  weighing 
1001b.— //;.s^  de  France,  torn.  ii.  p.  339. 

At  Lisle,  in  Flanders,  in  1686,  hailstones  fell  of  a  very 
large  size  ;  some  of  which  contained  in  the  middle,  a  dark 
brown  matter,  which,  thrown  on  the  fire,  gave  a  very  great 
report. —  i'hil.  Trans.  No.  203. 

Dr.  Halley  and  others  relate,  that  in  Cheshire,  Lancashire, 
8cc.  April  29,  1697,  a  thick  black  cloud,  coming  from  Carnar- 
vonshire, disposed  the  vapours  to  congeal  in  such  a  manner, 
that  for  about  the  breadth  of  two  miles,  which  was  the  limit 
of  the  cloud,  in  its  progress  for  sixty  miles  it  did  incon- 
ceivable damage  ;  not  only  killing  all  sorts  of  fowls  and  other 
small  animals,  but  splitting  trees,  kno'-king  down  horses  and 
men,  and  even  ploughing  up  the  earth  so  that  the  hailstones 
buried  themselves  underground  an  inch  or  an  inch  and  a  half 
deep.  The  hailstones,  many  of  whic'i  weighed  five  ounces 
and  some  half  a  pound,  being  five  or  «ix  inches  in  circumfe- 


SINGULAR   EFFECTS   OF   A    STORM.  519 

fence,  were  of  various  figures  :   some  round,  others  half  round  ; 
some  smooth,  others   embossed   and   crenated  ;  the    icy  sub 
stance  of  them  was  very  transparent  and  hard,  but  there  was 
a  suiowy  kernel  in  the  centre. 

In  Hertfordshire,  May  4,  1697,  after  a  severe  storm  ot 
ihimder  and  lightning,  a  shower  of  hail  succeeded,  which  far 
exceeded  the  former:  some  persons  were  killed  by  it,  their 
bodies  beat  all  black  and  blue  ;  vast  oaks  were  split,  and  fields 
of  rve  cut  down  as  with  a  scythe.  The  stones  measured  from 
ten  to  fourteen  inches  round.  Their  figures  were  various,  some 
oval,  some  fiat.  &ic.—FkiL  Trans.  No.  229. 

The  following  account  of  the  Singular  Effects  of  a 
Storm,  was  comminiicated  to  the  Dublin  Philosophical  So- 
ciety, by  the  secretary: — 

"  Mrs.  Close  gave  Mr.  Molyneux  the  following  account  of 
the  efiects  of  thunder  and  lightning  on  her  house  at  New 
Forge,  in  the  county  of  Down,  in  Ireland,  on  August  9,  1707: 
She  observed,  that  the  whole  day  was  close,  hot,  and  sultry, 
with  little  or  no  wind  stirrino-  till  towards  the   evenino-    when 

^    .  .  .  .       ^  . 

there  was  a  small  breeze,  with  some  mizzling  rain,  which 
lasted  about  an  hour;  that  as  the  air  darkened  after  sunset, 
she  saw  several  faint  flashes  of  liohtning,  and  heard  some 
thunder-claps  at  a  distance  ;  that  between  ten  and  eleven 
o'clock,  both  were  very  violent  and  terrible,  and  so  increased, 
and  came  on  more  frequently  until  a  little  before  twelve  o'clock; 
that  one  flash  of  lightning  and  clap  of  thunder  came  both  at 
the  same  time,  louder  and  more  dreadful  than  the  rest,  which, 
as  she  thought,  shook  and  inflamed  the  whole  house  ;  and 
being  sensible  at  that  instant  of  a  violent  strong  sulphureous 
smell  in  her  chamber,  and  feeling  a  thick  gross  dust  falling 
on  her  hands  and  face  as  she  lay  in  bed,  she  concluded  that 
part  of  her  house  was  thrown  down  by  the  thunder,  or  set  on 
fire  by  the  li^htnino; ;  that,  arising;  in  this  frioht,  she  called 
up  her  family,  and  candles  being  lighted,  she  found  her  bed- 
chamber, and  the  kitchen  beneath  it,  full  of  smoke  and  dust, 
and  the  looking-glass  in  her  chamber  was  broken. 

"  The  next  day  she  found,  that  part  of  the  cornice  of  the 
chimney,  which  stood  without  the  gabel-end  of  the  house 
where  her  chamber  was,  had  been  struck  off;  that  part  of  the 
coping  of  the  splay  of  the  gable-end  itself  was  broken  down, 
and  twelve  or  sixteen  of  the  shingles  on  the  adjoining  roof 
were  raised  or  ruffled,  but  none  shattered  or  carried  away; 
that  a  part  of  the  ceiling  in  her  chamber  beneath  those  shingles 
was  forced  down,  and  part  of  the  plaster  and  pinning  stones  of 
the  adjoining  wall  was  also  broken  off  and  loosened,  the  whole 
breach  being  sixteen  or  twenty  inches  broad;  that  at  this 
place  there  was  left  on  the  wall  a  smutted  scar  or  trace,  as  it 


520  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   SHOWERS,   ETC. 

blacked  by  the  smoke  of  a  candle,  which  pointed  downwards 
towards  another  place  on  the  same  wall,  where  a  like  breach 
was  made,  partly  behind  the  place  of  the  looking-glass;  that 
the  boards  on  the  back  of  a  large  hair-trunk,  full  of  linen, 
standing  beneath  the  looking-glass,  were  forced  in,  and  splin- 
tered as  if  by  the  blou  of  a  smith's  sledge;  that  two-tliirds  of 
the  linen  within  this  trunk  were  pierced  or  cut  through,  the 
cut  appearing  of  a  quadrangular  figure,  and  between  two  or 
three  inches  over;  that  one  end  of  the  trunk  was  forced  out, 
as  the  back  was  driven  in  ;  that  at  about  two  feet  distance  from 
the  end  of  the  trunk,  where  the  floor  and  the  side-wall  of  the 
house  joined,  there  was  a  breach  matle  in  the  plaster,  where 
d  small  chink  or  crevice  was  to  be  seen  between  the  sideboard 
•)f  the  Hoor  and  the  wall,  so  wide  that  a  man  could  thrust  his 
ringers  down;  and  that  just  beneath  this,  in  the  kitchen,  the 
ceiling  was  forced  down,  and  some  of  the  plaster  of  the  wall 
broken  off;  that  exactly  under  this  there  stood  a  large  tub  or 
vessel  of  wood,  inclosed  with  a  crib  of  brick  and  lime,  which 
was  broken  and  splintered  all  to  pieces,  and  most  of  the  brick 
and  lime  work  of  it  scattered  about  the  kitchen. 

"  The  lookino-ulass  was  broken  with  such  violence,  that 
there  was  not  a  piece  of  it  to  be  found  of  the  size  of  half-a- 
crown,  and  several  pieces  of  it  were  sticking  like  hail-shot  in 
the  chamber  door,  which  was  of  oak,  and  on  the  other  side  of 
the  r<;om  ;  several  of  the  edges  and  corners  of  some  of  the 
pieces  of  the  broken  ii;lass  were  tinned  of  a  litiht  Hame  colour, 
as  if  heated  in  the  fire;  the  curtains  of  the  bed  were  cut  in 
several  places,  supposed  to  be  done  by  the  pieces  of  the  glass. 
Several  pieces  of  muslin  and  wearing  linen,  left  on  the  large 
hair-trunk,  were  thrown  about  the  room,  no  way  singed  or 
scorched,  and  yet  the  hair  on  the  back  of  the  trunk,  where 
the  breach  was  made,  was  singed  ;  the  uppermost  part  of  the 
linen  within  the  trunk  was  not  touched,  and  the  lowermost 
parcel,  consisting  of  more  than  350  ply  of  linen,  was  pierced 
through,  of  which  none  was  anywise  smutted,  except  the 
uppermost  ply  of  a  tablecloth,  that  lay  over  all  the  rest;  there 
was  a  yellow  tinge  or  stain  perceivable  on  some  part  of  the 
damaged  linen,  and  the  whole  smelt  strongly  of  sulphur;  the 
glass  of  two  windows  in  the  bed-chamber  above,  and  two 
windows  in  the  kitchen  below,  were  so  shattered,  that  there 
was  scarcely  one  whole  frame  left,  in  many  of  them.  The 
pewter,  brass,  and  iron  furniture  in  the  kitchen,  were  thrown 
down,  and  scattered  about;  particularly,  a  livrge  girdle,  about 
twenty  pounds  weight,  that  hung  upon  an  iron  hook  near 
the  ceiling,  was  found  lying  on  the  floor.  A  cat  was  found 
dead  next  morning  in  the  kitchen,  with  her  legs  extended  in 
a  moving  posture,  with  no  other  sign  of  being  hurt,  than  that 
«he  tur  was  singed  a  little  about  the  rump. 


EFFECTS   OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE.— Page  199. 

The  engraviii!;  rciiri'seiits  the  great  earth(|U:ike  of  175"),  in  wliich  tlie  city  of  Lisbon,  in 

I'ortugal,  wa.s  eatircly  destroyed,  and  20,000  persons  were  killed. 


SAND  STORM   OR  SAND  FLOOD  IN  THE  DESERTS  OF  ARABIA.— Page  5l21. 

these  terrible  wliiilwinds  of  sand,  wliolo  caravans  are  sometimes  overwhelmed  and  destroyed. 


THE  MIRAGE. SAND  FLOODS.  621 

"  It  was  further  remarkable,  that  the  wall,  both  above  and 
below  a  little  window  in  the  same  gable-end,  was  so  shattered, 
that  the  «i2:ht  could  be  seen  through  the  crevices  in  the  wall, 
and  upon  a  larsre  stone  on  the  outside  of  the  wall ;  beneath 
this  wnidow  was  a  mark,  as  if  made  by  the  stroke  of  a  smith's, 
sledge,  and  a  splinter  of  the  stone  was  broken  off",  of  some 
pounds  weight.  I  was  further  informed,  that  from  the  time 
of  the  great  thunder-clap,  both  the  thunder  and  lightning 
diminished  gradually,  so  that  in  an  hour's  time  all  was  still 
and  quiet  again." 

We  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  The  Mirage. — From 

Belzoni's  Narrative. 

"  This  phenomenon  is  often  described  by  travellers,  who 
assert  having  been  deceived  by  it,  as  at  a  distance  it  appears 
to  them  like  water.  This  is  certainly  the  fact,  and  I  must 
confess  that  I  have  been  deceived  myself,  even  after  I  was 
aware  of  it.  The  perfect  resemblance  to  water,  and  the  strong 
desire  for  this  element,  made  me  conclude,  in  spite  of  all  my 
caution  not  to  be  deceived,  that  it  was  really  water  I  saw.  It 
generally  appears  like  a  still  lake,  so  unmoved  bv  the  wind, 
that  every  tiling  above  it  is  to  be  seen  most  distinctly  reflected, 
which  is  the  principal  cause  of  the  deception.  If  the  wind 
agitate  any  of  the  plants  that  rise  above  the  horizon  of  the 
mirage,  the  motion  is  seen  perfectly  at  a  great  distance.  If 
the  traveller  stands  elevated  much,  above  the  mirage,  the  water 
seems  less  united  and  less  deep,  for,  as  the  eyes  look  down 
upon  it,  there  is  not  thickness  enough  in  the  vaj)our  of  the 
surface  of  the  ground  to  conceal  the  earth  from  the  sight ; 
but  if  the  traveller  be  on  a  level  with  the  horizon  of  the 
mirage,  he  cannot  see  through  it,  so  that  it  appears  to  him 
clear  water.  By  putting  my  head  first  to  the  ground,  and 
then  mountino;  a  camel,  the  height  of  which  from  the  "-round 
might  have  been  ten  feet  at  the  most,  I  found  a  great  differ- 
ence in  the  appearance  of  the  mirage.  On  approaching  it,  it 
becomes  thinner,  and  appears  as  if  agitated  by  the  wind,  like 
a  field  of  ripe  corn.  It  gradually  vanishes  as  the  traveller 
approaches,  and  at  last  entirely  disappears  when  he  is  on  the 
spot." 

We  shall  now  introduce  to  the  reader  a  curious  account  of 
Sand  Floods;  a  name  given  to  the  flowing  of  sand  so 
common  in  the  deserts  of  Arabia.  Mr.  Bruce  gives  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  some  that  he  saw  in  travelling  through 
that  long  and  dreary  desert. — "  At  one  o'clock  (says  he)  we 
alighted  among  some  acacia  trees  at  Waadi  el  Halboub,  hav- 
ing gone  twenty-one  miles.  We  were  here  at  once  surprised 
and  terrified  by  a  sight,  surely  oue  of  the  most  magnificent  ia 

3U 


^22  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  SHOWERS. 

the  world.  In  that  vast  expanse  of  desert  from  west  to  north- 
west of  us,  we  saw  a  number  of  prodigious  pillars  of  sand  at 
different  distances,  at  times  moving  with  great  celerity,  a» 
others  stalking  on  with  a  majestic  slowness  :  at  intervals  we 
thought  they  were  coming  in  a  few  minutes  to  overwhelm  us; 
and  small  quantities  of  sand  did  actually  more  than  once 
reach  us.  Again  they  would  retreat  so  as  to  be  almost  out  of 
sight,  their  tops  reaching  to  the  very  clouds.  Here  the  tops 
often  separated  from  the  bodies;  and  these,  once  disjoined, 
dispersed  in  the  air,  and  did  not  appear  more.  Sometimes 
they  were  broken  near  the  middle,  as  if  struck  with  a  large 
cannon-shot.  About  noon  they  began  to  advance  with  con- 
siderable swiftness  upon  us,  the  wind  being  very  strong  at 
north.  Eleven  of  them  ranged  alongside  of  us  about  the 
distance  of  three  miles.  The  greatest  diameter  of  the  largest 
appeared  to  me,  at  that  distance,  as  if  it  would  measure  ten 
feet.  They  retired  from  us  with  a  wind  at  south-east,  leaving 
an  impression  upon  my  mind  to  which  I  can  give  no  name, 
though  surely  one  ingredient  in  it  was  fear,  with  a  considerable 
deal  of  wonder  and  astonishment.  It  was  in  vain  to  think  of 
flying;  the  swiftest  horse,  or  fastest  sailing  ship,  could  not 
carry  us  out  of  this  danger ;  and  the  full  persuasion  of  this 
riveted  me  as  if  to  the  spot  where  I  stood,  and  let  the  camels 
gain  on  me  so  much  in  my  state  of  lameness,  that  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  I  could  overtake  them.  The  same  appearance 
of  moving  pillars  of  sand  presented  themselves  to  us  this  day, 
in  form  and  disposition  like  those  we  had  seen  at  Waadi  el 
Halboub,  only  they  seemed  to  be  more  in  number  and  less  in 
size.  They  came  several  times  in  a  direction  close  upon  us, 
that  is,  I  believe,  within  less  than  two  miles.  They  became, 
immediately  after  sun-rise,  like  a  thick  wood,  and  almost 
darkened  the  sun  :  his  rays  shining  through  them  for  near  an 
hour,  gave  them  an  appearance  of  pillars  of  fire.  Our  people 
now  became  desperate:  the  Greek  shrieked  out,  and  said  it 
was  the  day  of  judgment;  Ismael  pronounced  it  to  be  hell; 
and  the  Tucorories,  that  the  world  was  on  fire.  I  asked 
Idris  if  ever  he  had  before  seen  such  a  sight?  He  said  he 
had  often  seen  them  as  terrible,  though  never  worse  ;  but 
wliat  he  feared  most  was  that  extreme  redness  in  the  air, 
which  was  a  sure  presage  of  the  coming  of  the  simoom." 

The  flowing  of  sand,  though  far  from  being  so  tremendous 
and  hurtful  as  in  Arabia,  is  of  very  bad  consequences  in  Bri- 
tain, as  many  valuable  pieces  of  land  have  thus  been  entirely 
lost;  of  which  we  give  the  following  instances  from  Mr.  Pen- 
nant, together  with  a  probable  means  of  preventing  them  in 
future. — "  I  have  more  than  once  (says  he)  on  the  east  coasts 
of  Scotland,  observed  the  calamitous  state  of  several  exten- 
sive tracts,  formerly  in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  at  present 


SAND   FLOODS. — SHOWER   OF   GOSSAMERS.  523 

coeered  with  sands,  unstable  as  those  of  the  deserts  of  Arabia. 
The  parish  of  Fyrie,  in  the  county  of  Aberdeen,  is  now  re 
duced  to  two  farms,  and  above  five  hundred  pounds  a  year 
lost  to  tlie  Errol  family,  as  appears  by  the  oath  of  the  factor  in 
1600,  made  before  the  court  of  session,  to  ascertain  the  minister's 
salary  :  not  a  vestige  is  to  be  seen  of  any  buildings,  unless  a 
fraiiment  of  the  church.  The  estate  of  Coubin,  near  Forres, 
is  another  melancholy  instance.  This  tract  was  once  worth 
three  hundred  pounds  a  year,  but  at  this  time  is  overwhelmed 
with  sand.  This  strange  inundation  was  still  in  motion  in 
1769,  chiefly  when  a  strong  wind  prevailed.  Its  motion  is  so 
rapid,  that  I  have  been  assured,  that  an  apple-tree  has  been 
so  covered  with  it  one  season,  that  only  the  very  summit 
appeared.  This  distress  was  brought  on  about  ninety  years 
ago  and  was  occasioned  by  the  cutting  down  some  trees,  and 
pulling  up  the  bent  or  star  which  grew  on  the  sand-hills  ; 
which  at  last  gave  rise  to  the  act  of  15  George  II.  c.  33.  to 
prohibit  the  destruction  of  this  useful  plant. 

"  I  beg  leave  to  suggest  to  the  public  a  possible  means  of 
of  putting  a  stop  to  these  destructive  ravages.  Providence 
has  kindly  formed  this  plant  to  grow  only  in  pure  sand. 
Mankind  was  left  to  make,  in  after  times,  an  application  of  it 
suitable  to  their  wants.  The  sand-hills  on  a  portion  of  the 
Flintshire  shores,  in  the  parish  of  Llanasa,  are  covered  with  it 
naturally,  and  kept  firm  in  their  place.  The  Dutch  perhaps 
owe  the  existence  of  part  at  least  of  their  country,  to  the  sow- 
ing of  it  on  the  mobile  solum,  their  sand-banks.  My  humane 
and  amiable  friend,  the  late  Benjamin  Stillingfleet,  Esq. 
recommended  the  sowing  of  this  plant  on  the  sandy  wilds  of 
Norfolk,  that  its  matted  roots  might  prevent  the  deluges  of 
sand  which  that  country  experiences.  It  has  been  already 
remarked,  that  wheresoever  this  plant  grows,  the  salutary 
effects  are  soon  observed  to  follow.  A  single  plant  will  fix 
the  sand,  and  gather  it  into  a  hillock;  these,  by  the  increase  of 
vegetation,  are  formed  into  larger,  till  by  degrees  a  barrier  is 
often  made  against  the  encroachments  of  the  sea,  and  might 
often  prove  preventive  of  the  calamity  in  question.  I  can- 
not, therefore,  but  recommend  the  trial  to  the  inhabitants  of 
many  parts  of  North  Britain  :  the  plant  grows  in  most  places 
near  the  sea,  and  is  known  to  the  Highlanders  by  the  name  of 
murah,  and  to  the  English  by  that  of  bent-star" 

The  following  is  a  singular  but  authentic  account  of  the 
curious  phenomenon  of  a  Shower  of  Gossamers. — From 
White's  Natural  History  of  Selborne. 

"  On  September  21,  1741,  being  intent  on  field  diversions, 
I  rose  before  daybreak  :  when  I  came  into  the  inclosures,  I 
found  the  stubbles  and  clover  grounds  matted  all  over  with  a 


624  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  SHOWERS,  ETC. 

thick  coat  of  cobweb,  in  the  meshes  of  which  a  copious  and 
heavy  dew  hung  so  plentifully,  that  the  whole  face  of  the 
country  seemed,  as  it  were,  covered  with  two  or  three  setting 
nets,  drawn  one  over  another.  When  the  dogs  attempted  to 
hunt,  their  eyes  were  so  blinded  and  hoodwinked,  that  they 
could  not  proceed,  but  were  obliged  to  lie  down  and  scrape 
the  incumbrances  from  their  faces  with  their  fore  feet.  As 
the  morning  advanced,  the  sun  became  bright  and  warm,  and 
the  day  turned  out  one  of  those  most  lovely  ones,  which  no 
season  but  the  autumn  produces  ;  cloudless,  calm,  serene,  and 
worthy  the  south  of  France  itself.  About  nine,  an  appearance, 
very  unusual,  began  to  demand  our  attention  ;  a  shower  of 
cobwebs  falling  from  very  elevated  regions,  and  continuing 
without  any  interruption  till  the  close  of  day.  There  webs 
were  not  single  filmy  threads,  floating  in  the  air  in  all  direc- 
tions, but  perfect  flakes  or  rags,  some  near  an  inch  broad, 
and  five  or  six  long.  On  every  side,  as  the  observer  turned 
his  eyes,  might  he  behold  a  continual  succession  of  fresh 
flakes  falling  into  his  sight,  and  twinklino  like  stars  as  they 
turned  their  sides  towards  the  sun.  Neither  before  nor  after,  was 
any  shower  observed  ;  but  on  this  day  the  flakes  hung  on  the 
trees  and  hedges  so  thick,  that  a  diligent  person  might  have 
gathered  baskets  full." 

This  chapter  closes  with  a  description  of  Winter  in 
Russia. — The  winter,  in  the  climate  of  Russia,  approaches 
very  suddenly.  There  is  something  very  wonderful  in  the  in- 
stantaneous change  of  weather  about  the  time  of  winter.  On 
one  day  the  warmth  shall  be  that  of  spring,  while  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  winter  shall  break  forth  in  all  its  horrors  ; 
snow  and  ice  are  spread  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  and  the 
abruptness  of  this  instant  change  affects  even  a  Russian  con- 
stitution. Nothing  can  defend  the  shivering  inhabitant,  but 
the  artificial  heat  of  his  own  house ;  where  he  seals  himself 
up  during  the  hibernal  rigours,  yet  even  there  they  reach 
him. 

There  is  a  pleasing  description  of  these  sudden  winters  in 
one  of  the  letters  of  the  poet  Metastasio,  while  residing  at 
Vienna.  The  passage  is  very  interesting,  and  finely  describes 
the  instantaneous  change  which  occurred. 

"  Within  these  few  days  the  Teutonic  winter  has  unexpect- 
edly appeared,  with  all  his  magnificent  train,  and  without  the 
least  precursor  to  announce  his  arrival.  All  is  covered  with 
snow.  The  rivers,  as  well  as  lakes,  were  instantly  frozen  ni  a 
most  solid  manner;  and  the  cold  blown  from  the  seven  neigh- 
bouring hills  is  so  subtle  and  penetrating,  that  we  cannot 
exclude  it  from  our  warmest  apartment.  But  notwithstanding 
all  this  unforeseen  and  violent  change  of  nature,  I  sti)'   find 


THE  GREENLAND,  OR   POLAR  ICE.  525 

much  amusement  here,  having  been  more  formed  for  Arcadian 
tranquillity  than  the  bustle  and  magnificence  of  courts.  I  ana 
pleased  with  the  silent  concord  of  all  existence;  the  roving 
about  in  search  of  well-known  paths,  fields,  bushes,  pastoral 
borders,  and  every  known  object,  of  which,  though  the  fall 
of  si^.ow  has  changed  the  colouring,  yet  the  design  is  still 
*'aitlifallv  ])reserved.  I  reflect  with  sentiments  of  gratitude,  that 
the  friendly  forest,  which  by  its  shade  but  lately  defended  me 
from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun,  now  affords  me  materials  for 
combating  the  extreme  fury  of  the  season.  I  laugh  at  winter 
with  all  its  horrors,  which  I  see  without  feeling-  havino-  it  in 
our  power  to  compose  an  artificial  spring  in  our  apartments 
at  pleasure;  but  by  an  impulse  of  self-love,  what  pleases  me 
more  is,  the  finding  out,  that,  compared  with  other  seasons, 
winter  has  still  its  conveniences,  beauties,  and  advantages." 


CHAP.  LI. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ICE. 

On  the  Greenland,  or  Polar  Ice — On  the  Tremendous  Concussion 
of  Fields  of  Ice — Icebergs — Magnitude  of  Icebergs — The 
Glaciers — Shower  of  Ice — Remarkable  Frosts, 

There  winter,  arm'd  with  terrors  here  unknown. 

Sits  absolute  on  his  unshaken  throne  ; 

Piles  up  his  stores  amid  the  frozen  waste. 

And  bids  the  mountains  he  has  built,  stand  fast; 

Beckons  the  legions  of  his  storms  away 

From  happier  scenes,  to  make  this  land  a  prey  ; 

Proclaims  the  soil  a  conquest  he  has  won, 

And  scorns  to  share  it  with  the  distant  sun.  Cowper. 

Another  poet  thus  describes  the  polar  regions  : — 

Vast  reo^ions,  dreary,  bleak,  and  bar^! 

There  on  an  icy  mountain's  height. 

Seen  only  by  the  moon's  pale  light, 

Stern  winter  rears  his  giant  form, 

His  robe  a  mist,  his  voice  a  storm : 

His  frown  the  shiv'ring  nations  fly. 

And,  hid  for  half  the  year,  in  smoky  caverns  lie.         Scott. 

THE  GREENLAND,  OR  POLAR  ICE. 

The  following  account  of  the  Greenland,  or  Polar  Ice,  is 
abridged  by  the  Editor  of  this  work  from  a  paper,  by  W. 
Scoresby,  jun.  M.  W.  S.  published  in  The  Memoirs  of  the 
Wernerian  Natural-History  Society  : — 


526  CARIOSITIES   RESPECTtNG  ICE. 

'*  Greenland  is  a  country  where  every  object  is   strikingly 
singular,  or  highly  magnificent.     The   atmosphere,  the  land, 
and  the  ocean,  each   exhibit  remarkable   or  sublime  appear 
ances. 

"  With  regard  to  the  atmosphere,  several  peculiarities  may 
be  noticed,  viz.  its  darkness  of  colour,  and  density  ;  its  fre- 
quent production  of  crystallized  snow  in  a  wonderful  perfec- 
tion and  variety  of  form  and  texture  ;  and  its  astonishingly 
sudden  changes  from  calm  to  storm,  from  fair  weather  to 
foul,  and  vice  versa. 

"The  land  is  of  itself  a  sublime  object ;  its  stupendous 
mountains  rising  by  steep  acclivities  from  the  very  margin  of 
the  ocean  to  an  immense  height,  terminating  in  rigid,  conical, 
or  pyramidical  summits ;  its  surface,  contrasting  its  native 
protruding  dark-coloured  rocks,  with  its  burden  of  purest 
snow  ; — the  whole  viewed,  under  the  density  of  a  gloomy  sky, 
forms  a  picture  impressive  and  grand. 

"  Of  the  inanimate  productions  of  Greenland,  none  perhaps 
excites  so  much  interest  and  astonishment  in  a  stranger,  as 
the  ice,  in  its  great  abundance  and  variety.  The  stupendous 
masses  known  by  the  name  of  Ice  Islands,  Floating  Moun- 
tains, or  Icebergs,  common  to  Davis'  Straits,  and  sometimes 
met  with  here,  from  their  height,  various  forms,  and  the  depth 
of  water  in  which  they  ground,  are  calculated  to  strike  the 
beholder  with  wonder:  yet  the  fields  of  ice,  more  peculiar  to 
Greenland,  are  not  less  astonishing.  Their  deficiency  in  ele- 
vation is  suflSciently  compensated  by  their  amazing  extent  of 
surface.  Some  of  them  have  been  observed  near  100  miles  in 
length,  and  more  than  half  that  breadth  ;  each  consisting  of 
a  single  sheet  of  ice,  having  its  surface  raised  in  general  four 
or  six  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water,  and  its  base  depressed 
to  the  depth  of  nearly  twenty  feet  beneath. 

The  various  kinds  of  Ice  described. — "  The  ice  in  general  is 
designated  by  a  variety  of  appellations,  distinguishing  it  ac- 
cording to  the  size  or  number  of  pieces,  their  form  of  aggre- 
gation, thickness,  transparency,  &c.  I  perhaps  cannot  better 
explain  the  terms  in  common  acceptation  amongst  the  whale- 
fishers,  than  by  marking  the  disruption  of  a  field.  The  thickest 
and  strongest  field  cannot  resist  the  power  of  a  heavy  swell; 
indeed,  such  are  much  less  capable  of  bending  without  being 
dissevered,  than  the  thinner  ice,  which  is  more  pliable.  When 
a  field,  by  the  set  of  the  current,  drives  to  the  southward, 
and,  being  deserted  by  the  loose  ice,  becomes  exposed  to  the 
effects  of  a  ground  swell,  it  ];)resently  breaks  into  a  great 
many  pieces,  few  of  which  will  exceed  forty  or  fifty  yards  in 
diameter.  Now,  such  a  number  of  these  pieces  collected  to- 
gether in  close  contact,  so  that  they  cannot,  from  the  top  of 
the  ship's  mast,  be  seen  over,  are  termed  a.  pack. 


THE  GREENLAND,  OR  POLAR  ICE.  527 

'*  When  the  collection  of  pieces  can  be  seen  across,  if  it 
assume  a  circular  or  polygonal  form,  the  name  of  patch  is 
applied,  and  it  is  called  a  stream  when  its  shape  is  more  of  an 
oblong,  how  narrow  soever  it  may  be,  provided  the  continuity 
of  the  pieces  is  preserved. 

"  Pieces  of  very  large  dimensions,  but  smaller  than  fields, 
are  denominated  Jioes :  thus,  a  field  may  be  compared  to  a 
pack,  and  a  floe  to  a  patch,  as  far  as  regards  their  size  and 
external  form. 

"  Small  pieces  which  break  off,  and  are  separated  from  thi 
larger  masses  by  the  effect  of  attrition,  are  called  brask-i:e, 
and  may  be  collected  into  streams  or  patches. 

"  Ice  is  said  to  be  loose  or  open,  when  the  pieces  are  so  far 
separated  as  to  allow  a  ship  to  sail  freely  amongst  them:  this 
has  likewise  been  called  drift-ice. 

"  A  hummock  is  a  protuberance  raised  upon  any  plane  of  ire 
above  the  common  level.  It  is  frequently  produced  by  pres- 
sure, where  one  piece  is  squeezed  upon  another,  often  set 
upon  its  edge,  and  in  that  position  cemented  by  the  frost. 
Hummocks  are  likewise  formed  by  pieces  of  ice  mutually 
crushing  each  other,  the  wreck  being  heaped  upon  one  or 
both  of  them.  To  hummocks,  the  ice  is  indebted  for  its 
variety  of  fanciful  shapes,  and  its  picturesque  appearance. 
They  occur  in  great  numbers  in  heavy  packs,  on  the  edges, 
and  occasionally  in  the  middle  of,  fields  and  floes.  They  often 
attain  the  height  of  thirty  feet  or  upwards. 

"  A  calf,  is  a  portion  of  ice  which  has  been  depressed  by 
the  same  means  as  a  hummock  is  elevated.  It  is  kept  down 
by  some  larger  mass,  from  beneath  which  it  shews  itself  on 
one  side.  I  have  seen  a  calf  so  deep  and  broad,  that  the  ship 
sailed  over  it  without  touching,  when  it  might  be  observed  on 
both  sides  of  the  vessel  at  the  same  time:  this,  however,  is 
attended  with  considerable  danger,  and  necessity  alone  war- 
rants the  experiment,  as  calves  have  not  unfrequently  (by  a 
ship's  touching  them,  or  disturbing  the  sea  near  them)  been 
called  from  their  submarine  situation  to  the  surface,  and  with 
such  an  accelerated  velocity,  as  to  stave  the  planks  and  tim- 
bers of  the  ship,  and  in  some  instances  to  reduce  the  vessel 
to  a  wreck. 

"  Any  part  of  the  upper  superficies  of  a  piece  of  ice,  which 
comes  to  be  immersed  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water,  ob- 
tains the  name  of  a  tongue. 

"  A  bight  signifies  a  bay  or  sinuosity,  on  the  border  of  any 
large  mass  or  body  of  ice.  It  is  supposed  to  be  called  bight, 
from  the  low  word  bite,  to  take  in,  or  entrap;  because,  in  this 
situation,  ships  are  sometimes  so  caught  by  a  change  of  wind, 
that  the  ice  cannot  be  cleared  on  either  tack  ;  and  in  som« 
cases,  a  total  loss  has  be?n  the  consequence." 


628  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTINQ  ICE. 

On  THE  Tremendous  Concussions  of  Fields  of  Ice. — 
The  occasional  rapid  motion  of  fields,  with  the  strange  effects 
produced  on  any  opposing  substance,  exhibited  by  such  im- 
mense bodies,  is  one  of  the  most  striking  objects  this  country 
presents,  and  is  certainly  the  most  terrific.  They  not  unfre- 
quently  acquire  a  rotary  movement,  whereby  the  circumference 
attains  a  velocity  of  several  miles  per  hour.  A  field,  thus  in 
motion,  coming  in  contact  with  another  at  rest,  or,  more 
especially,  with  a  contrary  direction  of  movement,  produces  a 
dreadful  shock.  The  consequences  of  a  body  of  more  than  ten 
thousand  millions  of  tons  in  weight,  meeting  with  resistance 
when  in  motion,  may  be  better  conceived  than  expressed  !  The 
weaker  field  is  crushed  with  an  awful  noise;  sometimes  the 
destruction  is  mutual:  pieces  of  huge  dimensions  and  weight 
are  not  unfrequently  piled  upon  the  top,  to  the  height  of 
twenty  or  thirty  feet,  whilst  doubtless  a  proportionate  quantity 
is  depressed  beneath.  The  view  of  these  stupendous  effects, 
in  safety,  exhibits  a  picture  sublimely  grand  ;  but  where  there 
is  danger  of  being  overwhelmed,  terror  and  dismay  must  be 
the  predominant  feelings.  The  whale-fishers  at  all  times  re- 
quire unremitting  vigilance  to  secure  their  safety,  but  scarcely 
in  any  situation  so  much,  as  when  navigating  amidst  those 
fi:c1ds  ;  in  foggy  weather,  they  are  particularly  dangerous,  as 
their  motions  cannot  then  be  distinctly  observed.  It  may 
easily  be  imagined,  that  the  strongest  ship  can  no  more  with- 
stand the  shock  of  two  fields,  than  a  sheet  of  paper  can  stop 
a  musket-ball.  Numbers  of  vessels,  since  the  establishment 
of  the  fishery,  have  been  thus  destroyed  ;  some  have  been 
thrown  upon  the  ice,  some  have  had  their  hulls  completely 
torn  open,  and  others  have  been  buried  beneath  the  heaped 
fragments  of  the  ice. 

Icebergs. — "  The  term  icebergs  has  commonly  been  applied 
to  those  immense  bodies  of  ice  situated  on  the  land,  '  filling 
the  valleys  between  the  high  mountains,'  and  generally  exhi- 
biting a  square  perpendicular  towards  the  sea.  They  recede 
backward  inland  to  an  extent  never  explored.  Martin,  Crantz, 
Phipps,  and  others,  have  described  those  wonders  of  nature, 
and  all  aoree  as  to  their  manner  of  formation,  in  the  conoela- 
tion  of  the  sleet  and  rains  of  summer,  and  of  the  accumulated 
snow,  partly  dissolved  by  the  summer  sun,  which,  on  its  de- 
cline, freezes  to  a  transparent  ice.  Thev  are  as  permanent  as 
the  rocks  on  which  they  rest  :  for  although  large  portions 
may  be  frequently  separated,  yet  the  annual  growth  replaces 
the  loss,  and  probably  on  the  whole,  produces  a  perpetual 
increase.  I  have  seen  those  styled  the  Seven  Icebergs,  situated 
in  the  valleys  of  the  north-west  coast  of  Spitzbergen  ;  their 
perpendicular  front  may  be  about  300  feet  in  height,  the  green 


MAGNITUDE  OF  ICEBERGS. — THE  GLACIERS.  52f/ 

colour,  and  glistening  surface  of  which,  form  a  pleasing  va- 
riety in  prospect,  with  the  magnificence  of  the  encompassing 
snow-clad  mountains,  which,  as  they  recede  from  the  eye, 
seem  to  rise  '  crag  above  crag,'  in  endless  perspective. 

"  Large  pieces  may  be  separated  from  those  icebergs  in  the 
summer  stason,  when  they  are  particularly  fragile,  liy  their 
ponderous  overhanging  masses  overcoming  the  force  of  cohe- 
sion ;  or  otherwise,  by  the  powerful  expansion  of  the  water» 
filling  any  excavation  or  deep-seated  cavity,  when  its  dimen- 
sions are  enlarged  by  freezing,  thereby  exerting  a  tremendous 
force,  and  bursting  the  whole  asunder. 

"  Pieces  thus  or  otherwise  detached,  are  hurled  into  the  sea 
with  a  dreadful  crash:  if  they  are  received  into  deep  water, 
they  are  liable  to  be  drifted  off' the  land,  and,  under  the  form 
of  ice-islands,  or  ice-mountains,  they  likewise  still  retain 
their  parent  name  of  icebergs.  I  much  question,  however,  if 
all  the  floatino;  beros  seen  in  the  seas  west  of  Old  Greenland, 
thus  derive  their  origin,  their  number  being  so  great,  and  their 
dimensions  so  vast." 

Magnitude  of  Icebergs. — "  If  all  the  floating  islands  oF 
ice  thus  proceed  from  disruptions  of  the  icebergs  generated 
on  the  land,  how  is  it  that  so  few  are  met  with  in  Greenland, 
and  those  comparatively  so  diminutive,  whilst  Baffin's  Bav 
aff"ords  them  so  plentifully,  and  of  such  amazing  size?  The 
largest  I  ever  saw  in  Greenland,  was  about  1000  yards  in  cir- 
cumference, nearly  square,  of  a  regular  flat  surface,  twenty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  ;  and  as  it  was  composed  of 
the  most  dense  kind  of  ice,  it  must  have  been  150  or  160  feet 
in  thickness,  and  in  weight  about  2,000,000  of  tons.  But 
masses  have  been  repeatedly  seen  in  Davis' Straits,  nearly  two 
miles  in  length,  and  one-third  as  broad,  whose  ruo-o^ed  moun- 
tain  summits  were  reared  with  various  spires  to  the  height  of 
more  than  100  feet,  whilst  their  base  must  have  reached  to 
the  depth  of  150  yards  beneath  the  surface  of  the  sea.  Others, 
again,  have  been  observed,  possessing  an  even  surface  of  five 
or  six  square  miles  in  area,  elevated  thirty  yards  above  the 
sea,  and  fairly  run  aground  in  water  of  90  or  100  fathoms  in 
depth;  the  weight  of  which  must  have  been  upwards  of  two 
thousand  millions  of  tons." 

The  Glaciers. — Those  vast  piles  of  eternal  ice  with  which 
it  has  pleased  the  Author  of  nature  to  crown  the  immense 
chasms  between  the  summits  of  the  Alps,  are  objects  more 
grand,  sublime,  and  terrific,  than  any  others  of  the  phenomena  of 
nature  which  remain  stationary.  These  tremendous  spires  and 
towers,  of  uncertain  and  brittle  fabric,  seem  to  forbid  the  at- 
♦eniDts  of  travellers  to  explore  the  depth  between  them,  or 

3X 


630  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   ICE. 

even  the  rocks  and  rich  valleys  around  them  ;  but  coiirage  and 
perseverance  have  been  attended  with  commensurate  success, 
and  we  are  enabled  by  their  labours  to  learn  previously  con- 
cealed wonders,  and  to  reason  upon  the  causes  which  produced 
them. 

Mr.  Bourrit,  precentor  of  the  cathedral  church  at  Geneva, 
mentions,  in  the  relation  of  his  journey  to  the  glaciers  of 
Savoy,  the  enterprise  of  Messrs.  Windham  andPocock,  in  1741, 
who,  inspired  by  the  artless  relations  of  the  peasants,  descrip- 
tive of  the  sublimity  of  their  country,  when  they  descended  with 
honey  and  crystals  for  sale,  determined  to  visit  those  frightful 
regions  of  ice  which  had  received  the  appellation  of  Les  Mon- 
tague's Maitdites;  or  the  Accursed  Mountains.  The  gentlemen 
alluded  to  took  every  precaution  for  securing  their  safety; 
but  entertaining  many  well-grounded  fears,  naturally  arising 
from  a  first  attempt,  they  did  not  reach  any  considerable  dis- 
tance beyond  the  edge  of  the  ice  in  the  valley  of  Montanvert, 
yet  their  example  operated  so  powerfully  as  to  induce  several 
others  to  imitate  them,  and  proceed  to  the  boundary  whence 
they  returned  :  at  length  M.  de  Saussure  had  the  resolution 
and  courage  to  penetrate  across  the  ice  to  the  very  extremities 
of  the  valleys  ;  Mr.  Coxe  followed  soon  after  :  and  from  their 
publications  every  possible  information  may  be  obtained,  of 
which  the  nature  of  the  subject  will  admit. 

The  most  astonishing  phenomenon  attending  the  glaciers, 
is  their  near  approach  to  the  usual  vegetation  of  summer;  for 
what  can  be  more  wonderful  than  to  view  wheat  ready  for  the 
sickle,  parched  brown  by  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  separated  only 
by  the  intervention  of  a  few  feet,  from  the  chilling  influence 
of  an  endless  bed  of  ice,  which  seems  impenetrable  to  its 
rays. 

Many  systems  and  theories  have  been  ingeniously  suggested, 
to  ascertain  the  first  cause  of  the  glaciers,  their  maintenance, 
and  whether  they  increase  or  diminish  in  extent;  of  which, 
Gruner's,  improved  and  illustrated  with  actual  observations 
by  M.  de  Saussure,  is  the  most  rational  and  probable,  and 
Mr.  Coxe  implicitly  adopts  it.  Admitting  that  a  person  could 
be  raised  sufficiently  above  the  summits  of  the  Alps  of  Switzer- 
land, Savoy,  and  Dauphiny,  to  comprehend  the  whole  at  one 
view,  he  would  observe  a  vast  chaos  of  mountains  and  val- 
leys, with  several  ])arallel  chains,  the  highest  of  which  arc 
situated  in  the  centre,  and  the  remainder  gradually  lessening 
as  they  retire  from  it.  The  central  chain  he  would  find  to  be 
surmounted  by  stupendous  fragments  of  rock,  towering  in 
rude  masses,  which  bear  vast  acc»nnulations  of  snow  and  ice, 
where  they  are  not  decidedly  perpendicular,  or  do  not  over- 
hang their  bases:  on  each  side  he  would  see  the  intervening 
chasms   and   gulfs,  filled   with   ice,    descending   thence  even 


THE  GLACIERS.  531 

intj  the  verdant  valleys,  rich  with  foliage  and  cultivation. 
The  inferior  ranges  of  mountains,  next  the  central,  present 
the  same  appearance  in  a  less  degree;  but  in  those  more 
remote,  the  snow  and  ice  are  confined  to  the  most  elevated 
points ;  and  others,  still  further  removed,  are  covered  with 
grass  and  plants,  which,  in  their  turn,  give  place  to  such  hills 
and  valleys  as  are  common  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

Mr.  Coxe  divides  the  glaciers,  in  the  above  general  survey, 
into  two  classes  :  the  first  occupy  the  deep  valleys  situated 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Alps,  and  the  second  adhere  to  the  sides 
and  summits  of  the  mountains.  Those  in  the  valleys  are  far 
more  extensive  than  the  upper  glaciers ;  some  are  several 
leagues  in  length  ;  and  that  of  Des  Bois  is  three  miles  broad 
and  fifteen  long :  but  they  do  not  communicate  with  each 
other,  and  there  are  few  parallel  to  the  central  chain  ;  their 
upper  extremities  are  connected  with  inaccessible  precipices, 
and  the  lower  proceed,  as  already  mentioned,  quite  into  the 
vales.  The  depth  of  these  astonishing  accumulations  of  frozen 
fluid  vary  from  eighty  to  six  hundred  feet,  and  they  generally 
rest  on  an  inclined  plane,  where,  urged  forward  by  their  own 
enormous  weight,  and  but  weakly  supported  by  the  pointed 
rocks  inserted  in  their  bases,  they  are  universally  intersected  by 
yawnino;  chasms,  of  dreadful  aspect  to  the  curious  investigator, 
who  beholds  fanciful  representations  of  walls,  towers,  and 
pyramids,  on  every  side  of  him  ;  but  upon  reaching  those 
parts  where  the  glacier  rests  upon  an  horizontal  plane,  his 
progress  is  seldom  impeded  by  considerable  fissures,  and  he 
walks  in  safety  over  a  surface  nearly  uniform,  and  not  so  per- 
fectly polished  as  that  of  ponds  and  rivers  suddenly  and 
violently  frozen. 

The  absence  of  transparency,  the  various  marks  of  air- 
bubbles,  and  the  general  roughness,  so  perfectly  resemble  the 
congelation  of  snow  when  half  restored  to  fluidity,  that  M.  de 
Saussure  was  immediately  led  to  form  the  following  proba})le 
theory  of  the  formation  of  the  glaciers.  Snow  is  constantly 
accumulating  in  the  recesses  or  depths  of  the  mountains, 
during;  nine  months  of  the  year,  by  the  usual  fall  of  moisture, 
and  the  descent  of  vast  masses,  borne  down  by  their  weight, 
from  the  precipices  and  crags  above.  Part  of  this  is  neces- 
sarily reduced  to  water  by  slight  thaws  and  casual  rains,  and, 
being  frozen  in  this  state,  the  glacier  is  composed  of  a  porous 
opaque  ice. 

The  upper  glaciers  Mr.  Coxe  subdivides  into  those  which 
cover  the  summits,  and  those  which  extend  along  the  sides  of 
the  Alps;  the  former  originate  from  the  snow  frequently  fall- 
ing and  congealing  into  a  firm  body,  tiiough  not  becoming 
actual  ice,  which  the  brillianey  of  the  projections  has  induced 
some  philosophers  to  suppose  it  to  be.    M.  de  Saussure,  having 


532  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   ICE. 

explored  Mont  Blanc,  ascertained  that  the  top  was  encrusted 
with  ice,  (which  might  be  penetrated  by  a  stick,)  covering  a 
mass  of  snow  on  the  declivities,  so  chilled  and  dry  as  to  be 
incapable  of  coherence. 

The  sides  of  the  Alps  support  a  congelation  of  half-dis- 
solved snow,  which  is  different  from  the  pure  snow  of  the 
summits,  and  the  ice  of  the  lower  glaciers.  Two  causes 
operate  to  produce  this  effect;  the  first  is  the  descent  of 
water  from  the  higher  regions,  where  a  dissolution  of  snow 
sometimes  occurs ;  and  the  second  arises  from  the  more 
favourable  situation  of  these  parts  for  reflecting  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  and  the  consequent  melting  of  the  snow.  From 
hence  downwards,  the  ice  adhering  to  the  cavities  becomes 
gradually  more  solid  by  the  freezing  of  the  snow-water,  then 
nearly  divested  of  that  air  which  in  the  less  dissolved  portions 
renders  the  ice,  formed  from  it,  porous,  opaque,  and  full  of 
bubbles. 

An  idea  of  the  sublimity  of  the  glaciers  may  be  formed  by 
reading  the  account  of  M.  Bourrit,  who  appears  to  have  viewed 
and  described  them  with  all  that  enthusiasm  which  such 
splendid  objects  must  have  inspired. — "  To  come  at  this  col- 
lected mass  of  ice,  (Des  Bois,)  we  crossed  t])e  Arve,  and  tra- 
velling- in  a  tolerable  road,  passed  some  villages  or  hamlets, 
whose  inhabitants  behaved  with  much  politeness  ;  they  invited 
lis  to  go  in  and  rest  ourselves,  apologized  for  our  reception, 
and  offered  us  a  taste  of  their  honey.  After  amusing  our- 
selves some  time  amongst  them,  we  resumed  our  road,  and 
entered  a  beautiful  wood  of  lofty  firs,  inhabited  by  squirrels. 
The  bottom  is  a  fine  sand,  left  there  by  the  inundations  of  the 
Arveron  ;  it  is  a  very  agreeable  walk,  and  exhibits  some  ex- 
traordinary appearances.  In  proportion  as  Ave  advanced  into 
this  wood,  we  observed  the  objects  gradually  to  vanish  from 
our  sight ;  surprised  at  this  circumstance,  we  were  earnest  to 
discover  the  cause,  and  our  eyes  sought  in  vain  for  satis- 
faction, till,  having  passed  through  it,  the  charm  ceased. 
Judge  of  our  astonishment,  when  we  saw  before  us  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  ice,  twenty  times  as  large  as  the  front  of  our 
cathedral  of  St.  Peter,  and  so  constructed,  that  we  have  only  to 
change  our  situation  to  make  it  resemble  whatever  we  please. 
It  is  a  magnificent  palace,  cased  over  with  the  purest  crystal; 
a  majestic  temple,  ornamented  with  a  portico  ;  and  columns 
of  several  shapes  and  colours  ;  it  has  the  appearance  of  a 
fortress,  flanked  with  towers  and  bastions  to  the  right  and 
left;  and  at  the  bottom  is  a  grotto,  terminating  in  a  dome  of 
bold  construction.  This  fairy  dwelling,  this  enchanted  re- 
sidence, or  cave  of  fancy,  is  the  source  of  the  Arveron,  and  of 
the  gold  which  is  found  in  the  Arve.  And  if  we  add  to  all 
this  rich  variety,  the  ringing  tinkling  sound  of  water  dropping 


SHOWER   OF   ICE. —  U  EM  A  UK  A  B  LE   FROSTS.  533 

from  its  sides,  with  the  glittering  refraction  of  the  solar  rays, 
whilst  tints  of  the  most  lively  green,  blue,  yellow,  or  violet, 
have  the  effect  of  different  coniipartments  in  the  several 
divisions  of  the  grotto,  the  whole  is  so  theatrically  splendid, 
so  completely  picturesque,  so  great  and  beautiful  beyond 
imagination,  that  I  can  hardly  believe  the  art  of  man  has  ever 
yet  produced,  or  ever  will  produce,  a  building  so  grand  in 
its  construction,  or  so  varied  in  its  ornaments.  Desirous  of 
surveying  every  side  of  this  mass,  we  crossed  the  river  about 
four  hundred  yards  from  its  source,  and,  mounting  upon  the 
rocks  and  ice,  approached  the  vault;  but  while  we  were 
attentively  employed  in  viewing  all  its  parts,  astonished  at  the 
sportiveness  of  nature,  we  cast  our  eyes  at  one  considerable 
member  of  the  pile  above  us,  which  was  most  unaccountably 
supported,  for  it  seemed  to  be  held  by  almost  nothing  :  our 
imprudence  was  too  evident,  and  we  hastened  to  retreat ;  yet 
scarcely  had  we  stepped  back  thirty  paces,  before  it  broke  off 
all  at  once  with  a  prodigious  noise,  and  tumbled,  rolling  to 
the  very  spot  where  we  were  standing  just  before." 

Shower  of  Ice. — A  very  uncommon  kind  of  shower  fell 
in  the  west  of  England,  in  December  1672,  whereof  we  have 
various  accounts  in  the  Philos.  Trans. — "  This  rain,  as  soon 
as  it  touched  any  thing  above  ground,  as  a  bough  or  the  like, 
immediately  settled  into  ice  ;  and,  by  multiplying  and  enlarg- 
ing the  icicles,  broke  every  thing  down  by  its  weight.  The  rain 
that  fell  on  the  ground  immediately  became  frozen,  without 
sinking  into  the  snow  at  all.  It  made  an  incredible  destruc- 
tion of  trees,  beyond  any  thing  mentioned  in  history.  Had 
it  concluded  with  a  gust  of  wind,  (says  a  gentleman  who  was 
on  the  spot,)  it  might  have  been  of  terrible  consequence.  I 
weighed  the  sprig  of  an  ash  tree,  of  just  three-quarters  of  a 
pound,  the  ice  on  which  weighed  sixteen  pounds.  Some 
were  frightened  with  the  noise  in  the  air,  till  tiiey  dis- 
cerned that  it  was  the  clatter  of  icy  boughs,  dashed  against 
each  other." 

Dr.  Beale  remarks,  that  there  was  no  considerable  frost 
observed  on  the  ground  during  the  above  :  whence  he  con- 
cludes, that  a  frost  may  be  very  intense  and  dangerous  on  the 
tops  of  some  hills  and  plains;  while  at  other  places  it  keeps 
at  two,  three,  or  four  feet  distance  above  the  ground,  rivers, 
lakes,  8cc.  and  may  wander  about  very  furiously  in  some 
places,  and  be  mild  in  others  not  far  off.  The  frost  was  fol- 
lowed by  glowing  heats,  and  a  wonderful  forwardness  of 
flowers  and  fruits. 

We  close  this  division  with  an  account  of  Remarkabe 
Fposts.— In    the  year   220,   a   frost   in    Britain    'asted    five 


534  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTIISG    RlHxNS. 

month?  — In  250,  The  Thames  was  frozen  nine  weeks. — 291, 
Most  rivers  in  Britain  frozen  six  weeks. — 359,  Severe  frost  in 
Scotland  for  fourteen  weeks. — 508,  The  rivers  in  Britain  fro- 
zen for  two  months. — 558,  Danube  quite  frozen  over. — 695, 
Thames  frozen  six  weeks,  and  booths  built  on  it. — 759,  Frost 
from  Oct.  1  till  Feb.  26  following. — 827,  Frost  in  England  for 
nine  weeks. — 859,  Carriages  used  on  the  Adriatic. — 908,  Most 
rivers  in  England  frozen  two  months. —  923,  The  Thames  fro- 
zen thirteen  weeks. — 987,  Frost  lasted  130  days;  begun  Dec. 
22. — 998,  Thames  frozen  five  weeks. — 1035,  Severe  frost  on 
June  24 :  the  corn  and  fruits  destroyed. — 1063,  The  Thames 
frozen  fourteen  weeks. — J 076,  Frost  in  England  from  Nov. 
till  April. — 1114,  Several  wooden  bridges  carried  away  by  ice. 
—  1205,  Frost  from  Jan.  15  till  March  22.— 1407,  Frost  that 
lasted  fifteen  weeks. — 1434,  From  Nov.  24  till  Feb.  10,  Thames 
frozen  down  to  Gravesend. — 1683,  Frost  for  thirteen  weeks. — 
1708-9,  An  extraordinary  frost  throughout  the  most  parts  of 
Europe,  though  scarcely  felt  in  Scotland  or  Ireland. — 1715, 
Severe  frost  for  many  weeks. — 1739,  One  for  nine  weeks; 
begun  Dec.  14. — 1742,  Severe  frost  for  many  weeks. — 1747, 
Severe  IVost  in  Russia. — 1754,  Severe  one  in  England. — 1760, 
The  same  in  Germany. — 1776,  The  same  in  England. — 1788, 
The  Thames  frozen  below  London  bridge;  and  booths  erected 
on  it. — 1795,  The  Zuyder  Zee  frozen  over,  and  the  rivers  ol 
Holland  passed  by  the  French. 


CHAP.  LII. 

CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   RUINS. 

Ruin  at  Siwa,  in  J'^gijpt — Rnins  of  Palmyra — Ruins  of  TIercu 
ianeum,  and  Pompeii — Ancient   Ruins  of  Palhec — Ruins  of 
Agrigentum,  in  !Sici/y — Ancient  Grandeur  of  Carthage. 

The  cloud-capt  towers,  the  fjor^eous  palaces, 

The  solemn  temples,  the  ^reat  sjlobe  itself, 

Yea,  all  Mhleh  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve.  Shahspeare, 

Ruin  at  Siwa,  in  Egypt. — A  great  curiosity  about  Siwa, 
is  a  ruin,  of  undoubted  antiquity,  which,  according  to  Mr. 
Browne,  resembles  exactly  those  of  Upper  Egypt,  and  was 
erected  and  adorned  by  the  same  intelligent  race  of  men. 
The  figures  of  Isis  and  Anubis  are  conspicuous  among  the 
sculptures;  and  the  proportions  are  those  of  the  Egyptian 
temples,  thoiigh  in  miniature.  Wlv.it  remains  of  it,  is  a  single 
apartment,  built  of  massy  stones,  of  the  same  kind   as  those 


RUINS   OF   PALMYRA.  535 

of  which  the  pyramids  consist.  The  length  is  thirty-two  feet, 
the  height  eighteen,  the  width  fifteen.  A  gate  at  one  end 
forms  the  principal  entrance  ;  and  two  doors  open  opposite  to 
each  other.  The  other  end  is  quite  ruinous.  In  the  interior 
are  three  rows  of  emblematical  figures,  representing  a  proces- 
sion ;  and  the  space  between  them  is  filled  with  hieroglyphic 
characters.  It  has  been  supposed,  with  some  degree  of  pro- 
bability, that  Siwa  is  the  Siropum  of  Pliny,  and  that  this 
building  was  coeval  with  the  famous  temple  of  Jupiter  Ammon, 
and  a  dependency  on  it. 

Ruins  of  Palmyra. — These  celebrated  ruins  consist  of 
temples,  palaces,  and  porticos,  of  Grecian  architecture  ;  and 
lie  scattered  over  an  extent  of  several  miles.  They  were  acci- 
dentally discovered  by  some  English  travellers  from  Aleppo, 
above  a  century  ago.  The  most  remarkable  of  them  is  the 
temple  of  the  sun,  of  which  the  ruins  are  spread  over  a  square 
of  220  yards.  It  was  encompassed  with  a  stately  wall,  built 
of  large  square  stones,  and  adorned  with  pilasters  within  and 
witliout,  to  the  number  of  sixty-two  on  a  side.  Within  the 
court  are  the  remains  of  two  rows  of  noble  marble  pillars, 
thirty-seven  feet  high,  with  their  capitals,  of  most  exquisite 
workmanship.  Of  these,  only  fifty-eight  remain  entire,  but 
they  appear  to  have  gone  round  the  whole  court,  and  to  have 
supported  a  double  piazza.  The  walks  opposite  the  castle 
appear  to  have  been  spacious.  At  each  end  of  this  line  are 
two  niches  for  statues,  with  their  pedestals,  borders,  sup- 
porters, and  canopies,  carved  with  the  utmost  propriety  and 
elegance.  The  space  within  this  inclosure  seems  to  have  been 
an  open  court,  in  the  middle  of  which  stood  the  temple,  en- 
compassed with  another  row  of  pillars  of  a  different  order, 
and  much  taller,  being  fifty  feet  high  ;  but  of  these,  sixteen 
only  remain.  The  whole  space  contained  within  these  pil- 
lars is  fifty-nine  yards  in  length,  and  near  twenty-eight  in 
breadth. 

The  temple  is  thirty-three  yards  long,  and  thirteen  or  four- 
teen broad.  It  points  north  and  south;  and  exactly  in  the 
middle  of  the  building  on  the  west  side,  is  a  most  magnificent 
entry,  on  the  remains  of  which  are  some  vines  and  clusters  of 
grapes,  carved  in  the  most  masterly  imitation  of  nature  that 
can  be  conceived.  Just  over  the  door  are  discerned  a  pair  of 
wings,  which  extend  its  whole  breadth  ;  but  the  body,  whether 
of  an  eagle  or  an  angel,  is  destroyed.  The  north  end  of  this 
temple  is  adorned  with  the  most  curious  fret-work  in  bas- 
relief;  and  in  the  middle  is  a  dome,  or  cupola,  about  ten  feet 
diameter. 

North  of  this  place  is  an  obelisk,  consisting  of  seven  large 
stones,  besides  its  capital.     It  is    about  fifty  feet  high,  and 


636  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    RUINS. 

just  above  the  pedestal  is  twelve  feet  in  circumference.  About 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  this  joiliar,  to  the  east  and  west,  are 
two  otliers,  besides  the  fragment  of  a  third.  About  100 
paces  from  the  middle  obelisk,  is  a  magnificent  entry  to  a 
piazza,  which  is  forty  feet  broad,  and  more  than  half  a  mile 
long,  inclosed  with  two  rows  of  marble  pillars  twenty-six  feet 
high,  and  eight  or  nine  in  compass.  Of  these  there  still 
remain  129,  but  there  must  originally  have  been  no  less  than 
560.  The  upper  end  of  the  piazza  was  closed  by  a  row  of 
pillars. 

To  the  left  are  the  ruins  of  a  stately  banqueting-house,  built 
of  better  marble,  and  finished  with  yet  greater  elegance,  than 
the  piazza.  The  pillars  which  supported  it  were  of  one  entire 
stone.  It  measures  twenty-two  feet  in  length,  and  in  compass 
eight  feet  nine  inches. 

In  the  west  side  of  the  piazza  are  several  apertures  for  gates 
into  the  court  of  the  palace.  Each  of  these  were  adorned 
with  four  porphyry  pillars,  placed  by  couples  in  the  front  of 
the  gate  facing  the  palace,  two  on  each  side.  Two  of  these 
only  remain  entire.  They  are  thirty  feet  long,  and  nine  in 
circumference.  On  the  east  side  of  the  piazza  stands  a  great 
number  of  marble  pillars,  some  perfect,  but  the  greater  part 
mutilated. 

At  a  little  distance  are  the  remains  of  a  small  temple,  with- 
out a  roof.  Before  the  entry,  which  looks  to  the  south,  is  a 
piazza  supported  by  six  pillars,  two  on  each  side  of  the  door, 
and  one  at  each  end.  The  pedestals  of  those  in  front  have 
been  filled  with  inscriptions,  both  in  the  Greek  and  Palmyrene 
languages,  which  are  become  totally  illegible. 

Among  these  ruins  are  many  sepulchres.  They  are  all 
square  towers,  four  or  five  stories  high.  There  is  a  walk  across 
the  whole  building ;  the  space  on  each  hand  is  subdivided 
into  six  partitions  by  thick  walls.  The  space  between  the 
partitions  is  wide  enough  to  receive  the  largest  corpse  ;  and  in 
these  niches  there  are  six  or  seven  piled  one  upon  another. 
Many  inscriptions  have  been  found  at  Palmyra,  which  have 
occupied  much  of  the  attention  of  the  learned. 

Ruins  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii, — two  ancient 
cities  of  Campania  in  Italy,  which  were  destroyed  by  an  erup- 
tion of  Vesuvius,  in  the  first  year  of  the  emperor  Titus,  or  the 
79th  of  the  Christian  ara,  and  lately  rendered  famous  on  ac- 
count of  the  curious  monuments  of  antiquity  discovered  in 
their  ruins  ;  an  account  of  which  has  been  published  by  order 
of  the  king  of  Naples,  in  a  work  of  six  volumes  folio.  The 
epocha  of  the  foundation  of  Herculaneum  is  unknown.  Diony 
sius  of  Halicarnassus  conjectures  that  it  may  be  referred  to  sixty 
years  before  the  war  of  Troy,  or  about  1342  B.C.;  and  the:e~ 


RU)NS  OF   HEKCULANEL'M   AND   POMPEII.  537 

foe  that  it  lasted  about  1400  years.  The  thickness  of  the 
heaps  of  hiva,  by  which  the  city  was  overwhelmed,  has  been 
much  increased  by  fiery  streams  vomited  since  that  catastro 
phe,  and  now  forms  a  mass  twenty-four  feet  deep,  of  dark 
grey  stone,  which  is  easily  broken  in  pieces.  By  its  noa- 
adhesion  to  foreign  bodies,  marbles  and  bronzes  are  preserved 
in  it  as  in  a  case  made  to  fit  them,  and  exact  moulds  of  the 
faces  and  limbs  of  statues  are  frequently  found  in  this  sub- 
stance. 

The  precise  situation  of  this  subterraneous  city  was  not 
known  till  1713,  when  it  was  accidentally  discovered  by  some 
labourers,  who,  in  digging  a  well,  struck  upon  a  statue  on 
the  benches  of  the  theatre.  Many  others  were  afterwards  dug 
out,  and  sent  to  France  by  the  prince  of  Elboeuf.  But  little 
progress  was  made  in  the  excavations,  till  Charles,  infant  of 
Spain,  ascended  the  Neapolitan  throne,  by  whose  unwearied 
eliorts  and  liberality  a  very  considerable  part  of  Herculaneura 
has  been  explored,  and  such  treasures  of  antiquity  drawn  out, 
as  form  the  most  curious  museum  in  the  world. 

It  being  too  arduous  a  task  to  attempt  removing  the  cover- 
ing, the  king  contented  himself  with  cutting  galleries  to  the 
principal  buildings,  and  causing  the  extent  of  one  or  two  of 
them  to  be  cleared.  Of  these,  the  theatre  is  the  most  consi- 
derable. On  a  balustrade  which  divided  the  orchestra  from 
the  stage,  was  found  a  row  of  statues  ;  and,  on  each  side  of 
the  pulpitum,  the  equestrian  figure  of  a  person  of  the  Nonian 
family.  They  are  now  placed  under  porticos  of  the  palace; 
and  from  the  great  rarity  of  equestrian  statues  in  marble, 
would  be  very  valuable  objects,  were  the  workmanship  even 
less  excellent  than  it  is  ;  one  of  them  in  particular  is  a  very 
fine  piece  of  sculpture.  The  collection  of  curiosities  brought 
out  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  consist  not  only  of  statues, 
busts,  altars,  inscriptions,  and  other  ornamental  appendages 
of  opulence  and  luxury;  but  also  comprehend  an  entire  assort- 
ment of  the  domestic,  musical,  and  chirurgical  instruments 
used  by  the  ancients  ;  tripods  of  elegant  form  and  exquisite 
execution,  lamps  in  endless  variety,  vases  and  basons  of  noble 
dimensions,  chandeliers  of  the  most  beautiful  shapes,  pateras 
and  other  appurtenances  of  sacrifice;  looking-glasses  of  po- 
lished metal;  coloured  glass,  so  hard,  clear,  and  well  stained, 
as  to  appear  like  emeralds,  sapphires,  and  other  precious 
stones;  a  kitchen  completely  fitted  up  with  copper  pans  lined 
with  silver,  cisterns  for  heating  watei,  and  every  utensil 
necessary  for  culinary  purposes;  specimens  of  various  sorts 
of  combustibles,  retaining  their  form,  though  burnt  to  a  cin- 
der; corn,  bread,  fish,  oil,  wine,  and  flour;  a  lady's  toilet, 
fully  furnished  with  combs,  thimbles,  rings,  paint,  ear-rings, 
and  other  articles. 

23.  3Y 


538  cuRiosniE.s  respecting  ruins. 

Among  the  statues,  which  are  numerous,  a  Mercury  and  a 
sleeping  fawn  are  most  admired  by  connoisseurs.  The  busts 
fill  several  rooms  ;  but  very  few  of  the  originals  whom  they 
were  meant  to  imitate  are  known.  The  floors  are  paved  with 
ancient  mosaic.  Few  rare  medals  have  been  found  in  these 
ruins:  the  most  curious  is  a  gold  medallion  of  Augustus, 
struck  in  Sicily,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  reign.  The 
fresco  paintings,  which,  for  the  sake  of  preservation,  have 
been  torn  off  the  walls,  and  framed  and  glazed,  are  to  be  seen 
in  another  part  of  the  palace. 

The  streets  of  the  city  of  Pompeii  are  said  to  be  daily  dis- 
encumbered. Mr.  Williams,  a  late  traveller,  informs  us,  that 
he  entered  by  the  Appian  Way  through  a  narrow  street  of 
small  tombs,  beautifully  executed,  with  the  names  of  the 
deceased,  plain  and  legible.  At  the  gate  was  a  sentry-box,  in 
which  the  skeleton  of  a  soldier  was  found,  with  a  lamp  in  his 
hand.  The  streets  are  lined  with  public  buildings,  the  painted 
decorations  of  which  are  fresh  and  entire.  There  were  several 
tradesmen's  shops  also  discovered — such  as,  a  baker's,  an 
oilman's,  an  ironmonger's,  a  wine  shop,  with  money  in  the  till, 
and  a  surgeon's  house,  with  chirurgical  instruments;  also  a 
great  theatre,  a  temple  of  justice,  an  amphitheatre  220  feet 
long,  various  temples,  a  barrack  for  soldiers,  (the  columns  of 
which  are  scribbled  with  their  names  and  jests,)  and  stocks 
for  prisoners,  in  one  of  which  a  skeleton  was  likewise  dis- 
covered. The  principal  streets  are  about  sixteen  feet  wide ; 
the  subordinate  ones  from  six  to  ten  feet. 

The  Ancient  Ruins  of  Balbec. — To  give  a  just  idea 
of  these  ruins,  we  must  suppose  ourselves  descending 
from  the  interior  of  the  town.  After  having  crossed  the 
rubbish  and  huts  with  which  it  is  filled,  we  arrive  at  a  vacant 
place,  which  appears  to  have  been  a  square;  there,  in  front, 
towards  the  west,  we  perceive  a  grand  ruin,  which  consists  of 
two  pavilions  ornamented  with  pilasters,  joined  at  their  bot- 
tom angle  by  a  wall  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length. 
This  front  commands  the  open  country  from  a  terrace,  on  the 
edge  of  which  we  distinguish  with  difficulty  the  bases  of 
twelve  columns,  which  formerly  extended  from  one  pavilion 
to  the  other,  and  formed  a  portico.  The  principal  gate  is 
obstructed  by  heaps  of  stones  ;  but,  that  obstacle  surmounted, 
we  enter  an  empty  space,  which  is  an  hexagonal  court  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  ieet  in  diameter.  This  court  is  strewed 
with  broken  columns,  mutilated  capitals,  and  the  remains  of 
pilasters,  entablatures,  and  cornices  ;  around  it  is  a  row  of 
ruined  edifices,  which  display  all  the  ornaments  of  the  richest 
architecture. 

At  the  end  of  this  court,   opposite  the  west,  is    an    outlet. 


BALBEC.  539 

>Yhich  formerly  was  a  gate,  through  uhich  we  perceive  a  still 
more  extensive  range  of  ruins,  whose  magnificence  strongly 
excites  curiosity.  To  have  a  full  prospect  of  these,  we  must 
asc  end  a  slope,  up  which  were  the  steps  to  this  gate  ;  and  we 
then  arrive  at  the  entrance  of  a  square  court,  much  more 
spacious  than  the  former,  being  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
wide,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  in  length.  The  eye  is 
first  attracted  by  the  end  of  this  court,  where  six  enormous 
and  majestic  columns  render  the  scene  astonishingly  grand 
and  picturesque.  Another  object,  not  less  interesting,  is  a 
second  range  of  columns  to  the  left,  which  appear  to  have 
been  part  of  the  peristyle  of  a  temple  ;  but  before  we  pass 
thither,  we  cannot  refuse  particular  attention  to  the  edifices 
which  inclose  this  court  on  each  side.  They  form  a  sort  of 
gallery,  which  contains  various  chambers,  seven  of  which  may 
be  reckoned  in  each  of  the  principal  wings,  viz.  two  in  a 
semicircle,  and  five  in  an  oblong  square.  The  bottom  of  these 
apartments  still  retains  pediments  of  niches  and  tabernacles, 
the  supporters  of  which  are  destroyed.  On  the  side  of  the 
court  they  are  open,  and  present  only  five  or  six  columns 
totally  destroyed.  The  beauty  of  the  pilasters,  and  the  rich- 
ness of  the  frieze  of  the  entablature,  are  admirable.  The 
sino;uIar  effect  which  results  from  the  mixture  of  the  garlands, 
the  large  foliage  of  the  capitals,  and  the  sculpture  of  wild 
plants  with  which  they  are  every  where  ornamented,  is 
peculiarly  pleasing.  In  traversing  the  length  of  the  court,  we 
find  in  the  middle  a  little  square  esplanade,  where  was  a 
pavilion,  of  which  nothing  remains  but  the  foundation.  On 
arriving  at  the  foot  of  the  six  columns,  we  perceive  all  the 
boldness  of  their  elevation,  and  the  richness  of  their  work- 
manship. Their  shafts  are  twenty-one  feet  eight  inches  in 
circumference,  and  fifty-eight  high  ;  so  that  the  total  height, 
including  the  entablature,  is  from  seventy-one  to  seventy-two 
feet. 

The  sight  of  this  superb  ruin,  thus  solitary  and  unac- 
companied, at  first  strikes  us  with  astonishment;  but,  on 
a  more  attentive  examination,  we  discover  a  series  of  founda- 
tions, which  mark  an  oblong  square  of  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  feet  in  length,  and  one  hundred  and  forty-six  wide,  and 
which,  it  seems  probable,  was  the  peristyle  of  a  grand  temple, 
the  primary  purpose  of  the  whole  structure.  It  presented  to 
the  great  court,  on  the  east,  a  front  often  columns,  with  nine- 
teen on  each  side,  which,  with  the  other  six,  made  in  all  fifty- 
four.  The  ground  on  which  it  stood  is  an  oblong  square,  on  a 
level  with  this  court,  butnarrower,  so  that  there  was  only  a  terrace 
of  twenty-seven  feet  wide  round  the  colonnade;  the  esplanade 
this  produces  fronts  the  open  country  towards  the  west,  by  a 
sloping  wall  of  about  thirty  feet.     This  descen-t,  near  the  city, 


640  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    RUINS. 

becomes  less  steep,  so  that  the  foundation  of  the  pavilion  is 
level  with  the  foot  of  the  hill ;  whence  it  is  evident  that  the 
whole  ground  of  the  courts  has  been  artificially  raised. 

Such  was  the  former  state  of  this  edifice;  but  the  southern 
side  of  the  grand  temple  was  afterwards  blocked  up  to  build 
a  smaller  one,  the  peristyle  and  walls  of  which  are  still 
remaining.  This  temple,  situated  somewhat  lower  than  the 
other,  ])resents  a  side  of  thirteen  columns  by  eight  in  front, 
(in  all  thirty-four,)  which  are  likewise  of  the  Corinthian  order; 
their  shafts  are  fifteen  feet  eight  inches  in  circumference, 
and  forty-four  in  height.  The  building  they  surround  is  an 
oblong  square,  the  front  of  which,  turned  towards  the  east,  is 
out  of  the  line  of  the  left  wing  of  the  great  court.  To  reach 
it,  we  must  cross  trunks  of  columns,  heaps  of  stone,  and  a 
ruinous  wall,  by  which  it  is  now  hid.  After  surmounting 
these  obstacles,  we  arrive  at  the  gate,  where  we  may  survey 
the  inclosure,  which  was  once  the  habitation  of  a  god  ;  but 
instead  of  the  solemn  scene  of  a  prostrate  people,  and  sacri- 
fices offered  by  a  multitude  of  priests,  the  sky,  which  is  open, 
from  the  falling  in  of  the  roof,  only  lets  in  light  to  shew  a 
chaos  of  ruins  covered  with  dust  and  weeds.  Tlie  walls, 
formerly  enriched  with  all  the  ornaments  of  the  Corinthian  order, 
now  present  nothing  but  pediments  of  niches  and  taberna- 
cles, of  which  almost  all  the  supporters  are  fallen  to  the 
ground.  Between  these  niches  is  a  range  of  fluted  pilasters, 
whose  capitals  support  a  broken  entablature  ;  but  what  re- 
mains of  it  displays  a  rich  frieze  of  foliage,  resting  on  the  heads 
of  satyrs,  horses,  bulls,  &,c.  Over  this  entablature  was  the 
ancient  roof,  which  was  fifty-seven  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred 
and  ten  in  length.  The  walls  which  supported  it  are  thirty- 
one  feet  high,  and  without  a  window.  It  is  impossible  to 
form  any  idea  of  the  ornaments  of  this  roof,  except  from  the 
fragments  lying  on  the  ground  ;  but  it  could  not  have  been 
riclier  than  the  gallery  of  the  peristyle:  the  principal  remain- 
ing parts  contain  tablets  in  the  form  of  tables,  on  which  are 
represented  Jupiter  seated  on  his  eagle,  Leda  caressed  by  the 
swan,  Diana  with  her  bow  and  crescent,  and  several  busts, 
which  seem  to  be  figures  of  emperors  and  empresses. 

Ruins  of  Agrigentum,  in  Sicily. — The  present  town. 
Girgenti,  occupies  the  mountain  on  which  the  ancient  citadel 
stood.  At  the  north-east  angle  of  the  ancient  limits,  upon 
some  foundations  of  large  irregular  stones,  a  church  has 
been  erected  ;  a  road  appears  hewn  in  the  solid  rock,  for  the 
convenience  of  votaries,  who  visited  this  temple  in  ancient 
days.  It  was  then  dedicated  to  Ceres  and  her  daughter 
Proserpine,  the  peculiar  patronesses  of  Sicily.  Bishop  Blaisft 
has  succeeded  to  their  honours. 


AGRIGEMUM,  IN   SICILY.  541 

At  the  south-east  corner,  where  the  ground,  rising  gradu- 
ally, ends  in  a  bold  eminence,  which  is  crowned  with  majestic 
columns,  are  the  ruins  of  a  temj)le,  said  to  have  been  con- 
secrated to  Juno.  To  the  west  of  this,  stands  the  building 
commonly  called  the  Temple  of  Concord  ;  the  stone  of  which, 
and  the  other  buildings,  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  neighbour- 
ing mountains  and  cliffs,  a  conglutination  of  sea-sand  and 
shells,  full  of  perforations, — of  a  hard  and  durable  texture,  and 
a  deep  reddish  brown  colour.  This  Doric  temple  has  all  its 
columns,  entablature,  pediments,  and  walls,  entire  ;  only  part 
of  the  roof  is  wanting.  It  owes  its  preservation  to  the  piety 
of  some  Christians,  who  have  covered  half  the  nave,  and  con- 
verted it  into  a  church,  consecrated  under  the  invocation  of 
St.  Gregory,  bishop  of  Girgenti. 

In  the  same  direction  are  rows  of  sepulchres  cut  in  the 
rock.  Some  masses  of  it  are  hewn  into  the  shape  of  coffins; 
others  are  drilled  full  of  small  square  holes,  employed  in  a 
different  mode  of  interment,  and  serving  as  receptacles  of 
urns.  One  ponderous  piece  of  it  lies  in  an  extraordinary 
position;  by  the  failure  of  its  foundation,  or  the  shock  of  an 
earthquake,  it  has  been  loosened  from  the  general  quarry, 
and  rolled  down  the  declivity,  where  it  now  remains  supine, 
with  the  cavities  turned  upwards. 

Only  a  single  column  marks  the  confused  heap  of  moss- 
grown  ruins  belonging  to  the  temple  of  Hercules.  It  stood 
on  a  projecting  rock  above  a  chasm  in  the  ridge,  which  was 
cut  through  for  a  passage  to  the  port. 

In  the  same  tract,  over  some  hills,  is  situated  the  Tomb  of 
Thero.  It  is  surrounded  by  aged  olive-trees,  which  cast  a 
wild  irregular  shade  over  the  ruin.  The  edifice  inclines  to 
the  pyramidal  shape,  and  consists  at  present  of  a  triple 
plinth,  and  a  base  supporting  a  square  pedestal  :  upon  this 
plain  solid  foundation  is  raised  a  second  order,  having  a  win- 
dow in  each  front,  and  at  each  angle  two  Ionic  pilasters, 
crowned  with  an  entablature  of  the  Doric  order.  Its  inside 
is  divided  into  a  vault,  a  ground  room,  and  one  in  the  Ionic 
story,  communicating  with  each  other  by  means  of  a  small 
internal  staircase. 

In  the  plain  are  seen  the  fragments  of  the  temple  of  iEscula- 
pius  :  part  of  two  columns  and  two  pilasters,  with  an  inter- 
mediate wall,  support  the  end  of  a  farm-house,  and  were 
probably  the  front  of  the  cells. 

Towards  the  west  are  the  gigantic  remains  of  the  temple  of 
Jupiter  Olympus,  minutely  described  by  Diodorus  Siculus. 
It  may  literally  be  said,  that  it  has  not  one  stone  left  upon 
another;  and  it  is  barely  possible,  with  the  help  of  much 
conjecture,  to  discover  the  traces  of  its  plan  and  dimensions. 
Diodorus    calls    it    the   largest  temple  in   the  whole  island  j 


542  cLi;  osiTiEs  respecting  ruins. 

but  adds,  that  the  calamities  of  war  caused  the  work  to  be 
abandoned  before  the  roof  could  be  put  on  ;  and  that  the 
Aorigentines  were  ever  after  reduced  to  such  a  state  of  poverty 
and  dependence,  that  they  never  had  it  in  their  power  to  finish 
this  superb  monument  of  the  taste  and  opulence  of  their 
ancestors.  The  length  of  this  temple  was  370  Greek  feet,  its 
breadth  60,  and  its  height  220,  exclusive  of  the  foundation; 
the  extent  and  solidity  of  its  vaults  and  underworks,  its  spa- 
cious porticos  and  exquisite  sculpture,  were  suited  to  the  gran- 
deur of  the  whole. 

The  next  ruin  belongs  to  the  temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux: 
vegetation  has  covered  the  lower  parts  of  the  building,  and 
only  a  few  fragments  of  columns  appear  between  the  vines. 
This  was  the  point  of  the  hill  where  the  wall  stopped  on  the 
brink  of  a  large  fishpond,  spoken  of  by  Diodorus  :  it  was  cut 
in  the  solid  rock  thirty  feet  deep,  and  water  was  conveyed  to  it 
from  the  hills.  In  it  was  bred  a  great  quantity  offish,  for  the 
use  of  public  entertainments  ;  swans,  and  various  other  kinds 
of  wild  fowl,  swam  along  its  surface,  for  the  amusement  of 
the  citizens;  and  the  great  depth  of  water  prevented  an  enemy 
from  surprising  the  town  on  that  side.  It  is  now  dry,  and 
used  as  a  garden. 

On  the  opposite  bank  are  two  tapering  columns  without 
their  capitals,  placed  in  a  tuft  of  carob  trees.  Monte  Tore, 
where  Hanna  encamped  with  the  Carthaginian  army,  before 
the  Roman  consuls  drew  him  into  an  engagement  that  ruined 
his  defensive  plan,  is  a  noble  back-ground  in  this  picturesque 
group  of  objects. 

The  whole  space,  comprehended  within  the  walls  of  the 
ancient  city,  abounds  with  traces  of  antiquity,  foundations, 
brick  arches,  and  little  channels  for  the  conveyance  of  water; 
but  in  no  part  are  there  any  ruins  that  can  be  presumed  to  have 
belonged  to  places  of  public  entertainment.  This  is  the  more 
extraordinary,  as  the  Agrigentines  were  fond  of  shows  and 
dramatic  performances ;  and  the  Romans  never  dwelt  in  any 
place  long,  without  introducing  their  savage  games. 

We  conclude  this  division  of  Curiosities  by  a  description  of 
the  Anciemt  Grandeur  of  Carthage. — At  the  third  Punic 
war,  Carthage  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  first  cities  in 
the  world.  >twas  no  less  than  360  stadia,  or  forty-five  miles, 
in  circumference,  and  was  joined  to  the  continent  by  an  isth- 
mus, twenty-three  stadia,  or  three  miles  and  a  furlong,  in 
breadth.  On  the  west  side  projected  a  long  tract  of  land, 
half  a  stadium  broad;  which  shooting  out  into  the  sea,  sepa- 
rated it  from  a  lake,  or  morass,  and  was  strongly  fortified  on 
all  sides  by  rocks  and  a  single  wall.  In  the  middle  of  the 
city  stood   the  citadel  of  Byrsa,  having  on   the   top  of  it  a 


ANCIENT  GRANDEUR  OF  CARTHAGE.  543 

temple  sacred  to  ^sculapius,  seated  upon  rocks,  to  wliich 
the  ascent  was  by  sixty  steps.  On  tlie  south  side  th.e  city 
was  surrounded  by  a  triple  wall,  thirty  cubits  high  \  flanked 
all  round  by  parapets  and  towers,  at  equal  distances  of  480 
feet.  Every  tower  had  its  foundation  sunk  thirty-two  feet 
deep,  and  was  four  stories  high,  though  the  walls  were  but 
two  :  they  were  arched  ;  and  in  the  lower  part,  corresponding 
in  depth  with  the  foundations  above-mentioned,  were  stalls, 
large  enough  to  hold  300  elephants,  with  their  fodder,  Sic. 
Over  these  were  stalls  and  other  conveniences  for  4000  horses; 
and  there  was  likewise  room  for  lodging  20,000  foot  and  4000 
cavalry,  without  incommoding  the  inhabitants.  There  were 
two  harbours,  which  had  one  common  entrance,  seventy  feet 
broad,  and  shut  up  with  chains.  The  first  was  appropriated 
to  the  merchants,  and  included  in  it  a  vast  number  of  places  of 
refreshment,  and  all  kinds  of  accommodations  for  seamen. 
The  second,  as  well  as  the  island  of  Cothon  in  the  midst  of 
it.  was  lined  with  large  quays,  in  which  were  receptacles  for 
sheltering  220  ships  of  war.  Over  these  were  magazines  of 
all  sorts  of  naval  stores.  The  entrance  into  each  of  these  re- 
ceptacles was  adorned  with  two  marble  pillars  of  the  Ionic 
order,  so  that  both  the  harbour  and  island  represented  on 
each  side  two  maonificent  galleries.  Near  this  island  was  a 
temple  of  Apollo,  in  which  was  a  statue  of  the  god,  of  massy 
gold  ;  and  the  inside  of  the  temple  was  lined  with  plates  of 
the  same  metal,  weighing  1000  talents.  The  city  was  twenty- 
three  miles  in  circumference,  and  contained  700,000  inhabit- 
ants. 

"  All  that  remains,  (says  Dr.  Shaw,)  of  this  once  famous 
city,  are, — the  area  of  a  spacious  room  upon  one  of  the  hills  on 
which  it  stood,  commanding  the  south-east  shore,  with  several 
smaller  ones  at  a  little  distance  from  it;  the  common  sewers, 
which  time  has  not  in  the  least  injured  or  impaired  ;  and  the 
cisterns,  which  have  shared  only  in  a  small  degree  the  general 
ruin  of  the  city 


544  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPIES,  ETC. 


CHAP.  LIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  ANCIENT  BUILDINGS,   TEM- 
PLES,  j-  OTHER  MONUMENTS  OF  ANTIQUITY. 

Egyptian  Curiosities: — Pompei/s  Pillar — Buildings,  and 
Library,  of  Alexandria — Temple  of  Tentyra — Palace  of 
Memnon — Temple  of  Osiris. 

If  glorious  structures  and  immortal  deeds 

Enlarge  the  thought,  and  set  our  souls  on  fire; 

My  tongue  has  been  too  cold  in  Egypt's  praise, 

The  queen  of  nations,  and  the  boast  of  times, 

Mother  of  science,  and  the  house  of  gods ! 

Scarce  can  I  open  wide  my  labouring  mind, 

To  comprehend  the  vast  idea,  big 

With  arts  and  arms,  so  boundless  is  its  fame.         Young. 

Pyramids  of  Egypt — From  Cabillia's  Researches,  as  re- 
corded in  Belzoni's  Narrative. — 

"  The  enterprise  of  Captain  Cabillia  was  hazardous  and 
bold,  and  nothing  but  an  enthusiasm  for  discovery  could  in- 
duce a  man  to  take  such  a  step.  The  consul,  with  Mr.  Briggs, 
Mr.  Beechey,  and  myself,  went  to  see  the  operations  that 
were  going  on.  Captain  Cabillia's  circumstances  were  much 
better  than  mine  ;  but  he  had  no  superfluous  wealth  at  com- 
mand, to  continue  what  he  had  begun,  which  required  a  supply 
beyond  his  means.  Mr.  Briggs  was  the  first  who  generously 
offered  to  furnish  money  for  this  purpose  ;  and,  after  a  con- 
sultation with  Mr.  Salt,  they  agreed  to  support  the  work  to 
any  extent  that  might  be  required.  This  gentleman  not  only 
encouraged  the  undertaking  at  the  pyramid,  but  has  exerted 
his  influence  with  Mohammed  Ali,  for  the  general  advantage 
of  the  commerce  of  Europe. 

"  The  enterprise  of  Captain  Cabillia  is  worthy  the  attention 
of  every  one  interested  in  antiquities,  as  he  had  solved  a 
question  by  which  the  learned  world  has  been  puzzled  for 
many  centuries.  The  famous  well,  which  has  given  rise  to  so 
much  conjecture,  turns  out  to  be  a  communication  with  a 
lower  passage,  leading  into  an  inferior  chamber,  discovered 
and  opened  by  himself.  He  first  descended  the  well  to  the 
depth  of  thirty-eight  feet,  where  his  progress  was  stopped  by 
four  large  stones.  Three  of  these  being  removed,  there  was 
space  enough  for  a  man  to  pass  through  ;  but  the  fourth  he 
could  not  stir,  though  he  had  the  help  of  Mr.  Kabitsch,  a 
voung  man  in  the  employment  of  Mr.  Baghos,  who  bore  a 
share  of  the  expense  with  the  captain.     Twenty-one  feet  below 


PYRAMIDS  OF  EGYPT.  645 

this  place  they  found  a  grotto,  seventeen  feet  long  and  four 
high  ;  and  seven  feet  below  this,  a  platform,  from  which  the 
well  descended  two  hundred  feet  lower.  The  captain  went 
down,  and  at  the  bottom  found  earth  and  sand  ;  but  from  the 
hollow  sound  under  his  feet,  he  judged  that  the  pa,ssage  must 
communicate  with  some  other  a|jartment  below.  He  then  set 
some  Arabs  at  work  to  remove  the  sand  ;  but  the  heat  was  so 
great,  and  the  candles  so  incapable  of  burning,  for  want  of 
oxyuen,  that  they  were  compelled  to  desist.  The  captain  then 
turned  his  researches  to  another  quarter,  and  began  to  enlarge 
the  entrance  into  the  first  passage  of  the  pyramid.  For  this 
operation  he  was  well  rewarded  ;  for  by  it  he  found  that  the 
passage  continued  downward,  and  having  employed  several 
men,  and  taken  out  a  great  deal  of  earth  and  rubbish,  at  last, 
after  a  long  and  ardent  toil,  he  came  in  contact  with  the  bot- 
tom of  the  well,  where  he  found  the  baskets  and  rope  which 
had  been  left  there.  The  same  day  that  this  occurred,  was 
that  on  which  we  had  agreed  to  visit  the  pyramids,  and  I  had 
the  pleasure  to  be  an  eye-wilness  of  the  arduous  task  of  Cap- 
tain Cabillia.  Proceeding  in  his  laborious  researches,  he 
found  that  the  passage  led  into  a  chamber  cut  out  of  the 
rock,  under  the  centre  of  the  pyramid. 

"  Captain  Cabillia  made  several  researches  round  the  pyra- 
mids also,  but  none  exceeded  his  toil  in  uncovering  the  temple 
sphinx.  He  found  a  small  temple  between  the  two  paws,  and 
a  large  tablet  of  granite  on  its  breast.  The  tablet  is  adorned 
with  several  figures  and  hieroglyphics,  and  two  representa- 
tions of  sphinxes  are  sculptured  on  it.  Before  the  entrance 
into  the  small  temple  was  a  lion,  placed  as  if  to  guard  the 
approach.  Farther  on  from  the  front  of  the  sphinx,  is  a  stair- 
case of  thirty-two  steps,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  an  altar, 
with  a  Greek  inscription,  of  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies.  At 
each  side  of  the  altar  was  a  sphinx  of  calcareous  stone,  much 
mutilated.  From  the  base  of  the  temple  to  the  summit  of  the 
head,  is  sixty-five  feet ;  the  legs  of  the  sphinx  are  fifty-seven, 
feet  long,  from  the  breast  to  the  extremity  of  the  paws,  which, 
are  eight  feet  high.  Forty-five  feet  from  the  first  altar,  he 
found  anotlier,  with  an  inscription,  alluding  to  the  emperor 
Septimus  Severus  ;  and  near  to  the  first  step  was  a  stone,  with', 
another  Greek  inscription,  alluding  to  Antoninus. 

"  Notwithstanding  his  own  occupation  about  the  sphinx,. 
Captain  Cabillia  employed  other  people  to  carry  on  re- 
searches. He  opened  some  of  the  mausoleums  which  were 
choked  up  with  sand,  and  found  several  small  chambers,,  with 
hieroglyphics  and  figures,  some  of  them  pretty  well  executed, 
and  in  ^ood  preservation.  In  one  of  the  pits  he  found  some 
mummies,  in  their  linen  envelopes,  and  various  fragments  of 
Egyptian  antiquity.      He  also   opened   some   of  the  smaller. 

3Z 


546  CUR/OSITIES    RESPECriNG   TEMPLES,   ETC. 

pyramids,  and  from  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Briggs  to  follow  a 
certain  direction,  he  succeeded  in  findino-  the  entrance  into 
one  of  them  ;  but  it  appears,  that  it  was  so  decayed  in  the 
interior,  he  could  advance  only  a  few  feet.  No  doubt  this  led 
into  some  chamber  or  apartment,  containing  perhaps  a  sarco- 
phagus, vk,c." 

Belzoins  oum  Researches. — M.  Belzoni  determined  on  pene- 
trating one  of  the  famous  pyramids,  and,  after  an  immense 
labour,  succeeded  in  discovering  the  entrance,  and  reached  a 
portcullis;  but  here  a  large  block  of  stone  stared  him  in  the 
face,  and  appeared  to  say,  Ne  plus  ultra.  He  persevered  until 
the  stone  was  removed  and  the  passage  opened,  which  is  only 
four  feet  high,  and  three  feet  six  inches  wide.  After  thirty 
days'  exertion,  he  reached  the  central  chamber,  where  he  found 
a  sarcophagus.  This  chamber  is  forty-six  feet  three  inches 
long,  sixteen  feet  three  inches  wide,  and  twenty-three  feet 
six  inches  high.  It  is  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  from  the  floor 
to  the  roof,  which  is  composed  of  large  blocks  of  calcareous 
stone,  meeting  in  the  centre,  and  forming  a  roof  of  the  same 
slope  as  the  pyramid  itself.  The  sarcophagus  is  eight  feet 
lou"-,  three  feet  six  inches  wide,  and  two  feet  three  inches 
deep  in  the  inside.  It  is  surrounded  by  large  blocks  of  gra- 
nite, apparently  to  prevent  its  removal,  which  could  not  be 
ertected  without  great  labour.  The  lid  had  been  broken  at 
the  side,  so  that  the  sarcophagus  was  quite  open.  It  is  of 
the  finest  granite  ;  but,  like  the  other,  in  the  first  pyramid, 
there  is  not  one  hieroglyphic  on  it. 

On  the  wall,  at  the  west  end  of  the  chamber,  was  au  in- 
scription in  Arabic,  which  has  been  thus  translated  by  IMr. 
Salame  : — ■ 

"  The  master  Mohammed  Ahmed,  lapicide,  has  opened 
them;  and  the  master  Ottoman  attended  this  (opening ;)  and 
the  King  Alij  Mohammed  at  first  (from  the  beginning)  to  the 
closing  up," 

M.  Belxoni  refutes  the  general  assertion,  that  the  pyramids 
were  built  of  stone  brought  from  the  east  side  of  the  Nile  ; 
since  stones  of  immense  size  have  been  cut  from  the  very 
rocks  around  the  pyramids,  and  there  is  yet  stone  enough  to 
build  many  others  if  required.  He  is  of  opinion,  that  the 
pyramids  were  erected  before  writing  in  hieroglyphics  was 
invented,  and  that  they  were  erected  as  sepulchres.  By  the 
measurement  which  he  took  of  the  second  pyramid,  he  found 
it  to  be  as  follows  : —  Feet. 

The  base    684 

Apotome,  or  central  line  down  the  front,   from  the  top  )     r/-n 

to  the  base     ) 

Perpendicular 456 

Coating,  from  the  top  to  the  place  where  it  ends 140 


POMPEYS    PILLAR.  547 

Pompey's  Pillar  at  Alexandria;  with  an  account  of  a 
surprising;  Exj)loit  of  some  British  Sailors. 

The  nUar. — This  pillar  is  situated  a  quarter  of  a  league 
from  the  southern  gate.  It  is  composed  of  red  granite.  The 
capital  is  Corintliian,  with  palm  leaves,  and  not  indented.  It 
is  nine  feet  high.  The  shaft  and  upper  m.ember  of  the  base 
are  of  one  piece  of  ninety  feet  long,  and  nine  in  diameter. 
The  base  is  a  square  of  about  fifteen  feet  on  each  side.  This 
block  of  marble,  sixty  feet  in  circumference,  rests  on  two 
layers  of  stone,  bound  together  with  lead  ;  which,  however, 
has  not  prevented  the  Arabs  from  forcing  out  several  of  them, 
to  search  for  an  imaginary  treasure.  The  whole  column  is  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  feet  high.  It  is  perfectly  well  polished, 
and  only  a  little  shivered  on  the  eastern  side.  Nothing  can 
equal  the  majesty  of  this  monument:  seen  from  a  distance,  it 
overtops  the  town,  and  serves  as  a  signal  for  vessels ;  ap- 
proaching it  nearer,  it  produces  an  astonishment  mixed  with 
awe.  One  can  never  be  tired  with  admiring  the  beauty  of  the 
capital,  the  length  of  the  shaft,  and  the  extraordinary  simpli- 
city of  the  pedestal.  This  last  has  been  somewhat  damaged 
by  the  instruments  of  travellers,  who  are  curious  to  possess  a 
relic  of  this  antiquity.  Learned  men  and  travellers  have  made 
many  fruitless  atten)pts  to  discover,  in  honour  of  what  prince 
it  was  erected.  The  best  informed  have  concluded  that  it 
could  not  be  in  honour  of  Pompey,  since  neither  Strabo  noi 
Diodorus  Siculus  has  spoken  of  it.  The  Arabian  Abulfeda, 
in  his  description  of  Egypt,  calls  it  the  Pillar  of  Severus. 
And  history  informs  us,  that  this  emperor  '  visited  the  city  ot 
Alexandria  ;'  that  he  granted  a  senate  to  its  inhabitants, 
who,  t.ntil  that  time,  under  the  subjection  of  a  Roman  magi- 
strate, had  lived  without  any  national  council,  as  under  the 
reign  of  the  Ptolemies,  when  the  will  of  the  prince  was  their 
only  law;  and  that  he  did  not  terminate  his  benefactions  here, 
but  changed  several  laws  in  their  favour.  This  column,  there- 
fore, Mr.  Savoy  concludes  to  have  been  erected  by  the  inha- 
bitants as  a  mark  of  their  gratitude  to  Severus  ;  and  in  a  Greek 
inscription,  now  half  defaced,  but  visible  on  the  west  side 
when  the  sun  shines  upon  it,  and  which  probably  was  legible 
in  the  time  of  Abulfeda,  he  supposes  the  name  of  Severus  to 
have  been  preserved.  He  further  observes,  that  this  was  not 
the  only  monument  erected  to  him  by  the  gratitude  of  the 
Alexandrians,  for  there  is  still  seen,  in  the  ruins  of  Antinoe, 
built  by  Adrian,  a  magnificent  pillar,  the  inscription  of  which 
is  still  remaining,  dedicated  to  Alexander  Severus. 

The  exploit  of  some  British  Seamen. — One  of  the  volutes 
of  the  column  was  prematurely  brought  down  some  years 
ago,  by  a  prank  of  some  English  captains  ;  which  is  thus  re- 
lated by  Mr.  Irwin.     These  jolly  sons  of  Neptune  had   been 


648  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

pushing  about  the  can  on  board  one  of  the  ships  in  the  harbour, 
until  a  strange  freak  entered  into  one  of  their  brains.  The 
eccentricity  of  the  thought  occasioned  it  inamediately  to  be 
adopted  :  and  its  apparent  impossibility  was  but  a  spur  for 
the  putting  it  into  execution.  The  boat  was  ordered  ;  and 
with  proper  implements  for  the  attempt,  these  enterprising 
heroes  pushed  ashore,  to  drink  a  bowl  of  punch  on  the  top  of 
Pompey's  pillar!  At  the  spot  they  arrived,  and  many  con- 
trivances were  proposed  to  accomplish  the  desired  point.  But 
their  labour  was  vain;  and  they  began  to  despair  of  success, 
when  the  genius  who  struck  out  the  trolic,  happily  suggested 
the  means  of  performing  it. 

A  man  was  dispatched  to  the  city  for  a  pa])er  kite  ;  and 
the  inhabitants,  by  this  time  apprised  of  what  was  going  for- 
ward, flocked  in  crowds  to  be  witnesses  of  the  address  and 
boldness  of  the  Eno-Hsh.  The  "overnor  of  Alexandria  was 
told  that  these  seamen  were  about  to  pull  down  Pompey's 
pillar.  But  whether  be  gave  them  credit  for  their  respect  to 
the  Roman  warrior,  or  to  the  Turkish  government,  he  left 
them  to  themselves  ;  and  politely  answered,  that  the  English 
were  too  great  patriots  to  injure  the  remains  of  Pompey.  He 
knew  little,  however,  of  the  disposition  of  the  people  who 
were  engaged  in  this  undertaking.  Had  the  Turkish  empire 
risen  in  opposition,  it  would  not  at  that  moment  have  deterred 
them.  The  kite  was  brought,  and  flown  directly  over  the 
pillar ;  so  that  when  it  fell  on  the  other  side,  the  string  lodged 
upon  the  capital.  The  chief  obstacle  was  now  overcome.  A 
two-inch  roi)e  was  tied  to  one  end  of  the  strins;,  and  drawn 
over  the  pillar  by  the  end  to  which  the  kite  was  affixed.  By 
this  rope,  one  of  the  seamen  ascended  to  the  top;  and  in  less 
than  an  hour,  a  kind  of  shroud  was  constructed,  by  which  the 
whole  company  went  up,  and  drank  their  punch,  amidst  the 
shouts  of  the  astonished  multitude. 

To  the  eye  below,  the  capital  of  the  pillar  does  not  appear 
capable  of  holding  more  than  one  man  upon  it;  but  our  seamen 
found  it  could  contain  no  less  than  eight  persons  very  conve- 
niently. It  is  astonishing  that  no  accident  befel  these  mad- 
caps, in  a  situation  so  elevated,  that  it  would  have  turned 
a  landman  giddy  in  his  sober  senses.  The  only  detriment 
which  the  pillar  received,  was  the  loss  of  the  volute  before- 
mentioned,  which  came  down  with  a  thundering  sound,  and 
was  carried  to  England  by  one  of  the  captains,  as  a  present  tc 
a  lady  who  had  commissioned  him  to  procure  her  a  piece  of  it 
The  discovery  which  they  made  amply  compensated  for  thi 
mischief;  as  without  tiieir  evidence,  the  world  would  not  have 
known  at  this  hour,  that  there  was  originally  a  statue  on  this 
pillar,  one  foot  and  ancle  of  which  are  stiK  remaining.  The 
statue  must  have  been  of  a  gigantic  size,  to  have  appeared  of 


BUILDINGS,   AND    LIBRARY,   OF   ALEXANDRIA.  549 

a  man's  proportion  at  so  great  a  height.  There  are  circum- 
stances in  this  story  which  might  give  it  an  air  of  fiction, 
weie  it  not  proved  beyond  all  doubt.  Besides  the  testimonies 
of  many  eye-witnesses,  the  adventurers  themselves  have  left  a 
token  of  the  fact,  by  the  initials  of  their  names,  which  are 
very  legibly  painted  in  black  just  beneath  the  capital. 

Buildings,  and  Library,  of  Alexandria. — The  archi- 
tect employed  by  Alexander,  in  this  undertaking,  was  the 
celebrated  Dinocrates,  who  had  acquired  so  much  reputation 
bv  rebuilding  the  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus.  The  city  was 
first  rendered  populous  by  Ptolemy  Soter,  one  of  Alexander's 
captains,  who,  after  the  death  of  the  Macedonian  monarch, 
being  appointed  governor  of  Egypt,  soon  assumed  the  title  of 
king,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Alexandria,  about  three 
hundred  and  four  years  before  Christ.  In  the  thirtieth  year  of 
his  reign  he  made  his  son,  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  partner 
with  him  in  the  empire;  and  by  this  prince  the  city  of 
Alexandria  was  much  embellished.  In  the  first  year  of  his 
reign,  the  famous  watch-tower  of  Pharos  was  finished.  It 
had  been  begun  several  years  before  by  Ptolemy  Soter;  and, 
when  finished,  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world. 

The  same  year,  the  island  of  Pharos  itself,  originally  seven 
furlongs  distant  from  the  continent,  was  joined  to  it  by  a 
causeway.  This  was  the  work  of  Dexiphanes,  who  com- 
pleted it  at  the  same  time  that  his  son  put  the  last  hand  to 
the  tower.  The  tower  was  a  large  square  structure  of  white 
marble,  on  the  top  of  which,  fires  were  kept  constantly  burn- 
ing for  the  direction  of  sailors.  The  building  cost  800 
talents;  which,  if  Attic,  amounted  to  £165.000  ;  if  Alexan- 
drian, to  twice  that  sum.  The  architect  employed  in  this 
famous  structure,  fell  upon  the  following  contrivance  to  usurp 
the  whole  glory  to  himself.  Being  ordered  to  engrave  upon 
it  the  following  inscription,  "  King  Ptolemy,  to  the  Gods  the 
Saviours,  for  the  Benefit  of  Sailors;"  instead  of  the  king's 
name,  he  substituted  his  own,  and  then  filling  up  the  marble 
with  mortar,  wrote  upon  it  the  above-mentioned  inscription. 
In  process  of  time,  the  mortar  being  worn  off,  the  following 
inscription  appeared :  "  Sostratus  the  Cnidian,  the  son  of 
Dexiphanes,  to  the  Gods  the  Saviours,  for  the  Benefit  of 
Sailors." 

This  year,  also,  was  remarkable  for  bringing  the  image  of 
Serapis  from  Pontus  to  Alexandria.  It  vv,is  set  up  in  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  the  city  called  Rhacotis,  where  a  temple  was  after- 
wards erected  to  his  honour,  suitable  to  the  greatness  of  that 
stately  metropolis,  and  called,  from  the  god  worshipped  there, 
Serapium.  This  structure,  according  to  Ammianus  Marcellinus, 


660  CURIOSITIES    UESPECTING   TEMPLES,    ETC. 

surpassed   in   beauty  the   magnificence   of  all  others  m   the 
world,  except  the  capitol  at  Rome. 

Within  the  vero;e  of  this  temple  was  the  famous  Alexan- 
drian library.  It  was  founded  by  Ptolemy  Soter,  for  the  use 
of  an  academy  he  instituted  in  this  city;  and,  from  continual 
additions  by  his  successors,  became  at  last  the  finest  library  in 
the  world,  containing  no  fewer  than  seven  hundred  thousand 
volumes.  One  method  adopted  m  collecting  books  for  this 
library,  was,  to  seize  all  those  which  were  brought  into  Egypt 
by  the  Greeks,  or  other  foreigners.  The  books  were  tran- 
scribed in  the  museum  by  persons  appointed  for  that  purpose  ; 
the  copies  were  then  delivered  to  the  proprietors,  and  the 
originals  laid  up  in  the  library.  Ptolemy  Euergetes,  having 
borrowed  from  the  Athenians  the  works  of  Sophocles,  Euri- 
pides, and  ^schylus,  returned  them  only  the  copies,  which 
he  caused  to  be  transcribed  in  as  beautiful  a  manner  as  pos- 
sible, presenting  the  Athenians  at  the  same  time  with  13 
talents  (upwards  of  £3000  sterling)  for  the  exchange.  As  the 
museum  was  at  first  in  that  quarter  of  the  city  called  Bru- 
chion,  near  the  royal  palace,  the  library  was  placed  there  like- 
wise ;  but  when  it  came  to  contain  four  hundred  thousand 
volumes,  another  library  within  the  Serapium  was  erected,  by 
way  of  suppl^ntient  to  it,  and  on  that  account  called  the 
Daughter  of  the  former.  In  this  second  library,  three  hundred 
thousand  volumes,  in  process  of  time,  were  deposited  ;  and 
both  libraries  together  contained  the  seven  hundred  thousand 
volumes  already  mentioned.  In  the  war  carried  on  by  Julius 
Ceesar  agaii.st  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  the  library  in  the 
Bruchion,  with  the  four  hundred  thousand  volumes  it  con- 
tained, was  reduced  to  ashes.  The  library  in  the  Serapium, 
however,  still  remained  ;  and  here  Cleopatra  deposited  two 
hundred  thousand  volumes  of  the  Permagean  library,  with 
which  Marc  Antony  presented  her.  These,  and  others  added 
from  time  to  time,  rendered  the  new  library  at  Alexandria 
more  numerous  and  considerable  than  the  former  ;  and  though 
it  was  often  plundered  during  the  revolutions  and  troubles  of 
the  Roman  Empire,  yet  it  was  again  and  again  repaired,  and 
filled  with  the  same  number  of  books. 

Temple  of  Tentyra,   in   Egypt. — From  Belzoni's  Nar- 
rative. 

"  Little  could  be  seen  of  the  temple,  till  we  came  near  to  it, 
as  it  is  surrounded  by  hiijh  mounds  of  rubbish  of  the  old 
Tentyra.  On  our  arriving  before  it,  I  was  for  some  time  at  a 
loss  to  know  wherf  I  should  begin  mv  examination ;  the 
numerous  objects  before  me,  all  equally  attractive,  leaving  me 
for  a  while  in  a  state  of  suspense  and  astonishment.  The  enor 
mous   masses  of  stone   employed   in   the  edifice,  are  so  well 


TEMPLE  OF   TENTYRA,  IN    EGYPT,  6i>l 

disposed,  that  the  eye  discovers  the  most  just  proportion 
every  where.  The  majestic  appearance  of  its  construction, 
the  variety  of  its  ornaments,  and,  above  all,  the  singularity  of 
its  preservation,  had  such  an  effect  on  me,  that  I  seated  my- 
self on  the  ground,  and,  for  a  considerable  time,  was  lost  in 
admiration.  It  is  the  first  Egyptian  temple  the  traveller  sees 
on  ascending  the  Nile,  and  it  is  certainly  the  most  magni- 
ficent. It  has  an  advantage  over  most  others,  from  the  good 
state  of  preservation  it  is  in  ;  and  I  should  have  no  scruple  in 
saying,  that  it  is  of  a  much  later  date  than  any  other.  The 
superiority  of  the  workmanship  gives  us  sufficient  reason  to 
believe  it  to  be  of  the  time  of  the  first  Ptolemy  ;  and  it  is  not 
improbable,  that  he  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Alexan- 
drian library,  instituted  the  philosophical  society  of  the 
museum,  and  studied  to  render  himself  beloved  bv  his  people, 
might  erect  such  an  edifice,  to  convince  the  Eji-  ims  of  his 
superiority  of  mind  over  the  ancient  kings  of  i  ,ypt,  even  in 
religious  devotion. 

"  This  is  the  cabinet  of  the  Egyptian  arts,  the  product  of 
study  for  many  centuries,  and  it  was  here  that  Denon  thought 
himself  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  arts  and  sciences.  The  front 
is  adorned  with  a  beautiful  cornice,  and  a  frieze  covered  with 
figures  and  hieroglyphics,  over  the  centre  of  which  the 
winged  globe  is  predominant,  and  the  two  sides  are  em- 
bellished with  compartments  of  sacrifices  and  offerings.  The 
columns  that  form  the  portico  are  twenty-four  in  number, 
divided  into  four  rows,  including  those  in  the  front.  On 
entering  the  gate,  the  scene  changes,  and  requires  more 
minute  observation.  The  quadrangular  form  of  the  capitals 
first  strikes  the  eye.  At  each  side  of  the  square  there  is  a 
colossal  head  of  the  goddess  Isis,  with  cow's  ears.  There  is 
not  one  of  these  heads  but  is  much  mutilated,  particu- 
larly those  on  the  columns  in  the  front  of  the  temple,  facing 
the  outside  :  but,  notwithstandino-  this  disadvantage,  and  the 
flatness  of  their  form,  there  is  a  simplicity  in  their  counte- 
nance that  apj)roaches  to  a  smile.  The  shafts  of  the  columns 
are  covered  with  hieroglyphics  and  figures,  which  are  in  basso 
relievo,  as  are  all  the  figures  in  the  front  and  lateral  walls. 
The  front  of  the  door-way,  which  is  in  a  straight  line  with  the 
entrance,  and  the  sanctuary,  is  richly  adorned  with  figures  of 
smaller  size  than  the  rest  of  the  portico.  The  ceiling  contains 
the  zodiac,  inclosed  by  two  long  female  figures,  which  extend 
from  one  side  to  the  other  of  it.  The  walls  are  divided  into 
several  square  compartments,  each  containing  figures  repre- 
senting deities,  and  priests  in  the  act  of  offering  or  immolat- 
ino;  victims.  On  all  the  walls,  columns,  ceilintr,  or  architraves, 
there  is  nowhere  a  space  of  two  feet  that  is  not  covered  with 
somf    figures   of  human  beings,  animals,  plants,  emblems  of 


562  CURIOSITIES   RESPECriNG  TEMPLES,   ETC. 

agriculture,  or  of  religious  ceremony.  Wherever  the  eyes 
turn,  wherever  the  attention  is  fixed,  every  thing  inspires  re- 
spect and  veneration,  heightened  by  the  solitary  situation  of 
this  temple,  which  adds  to  the  attraction  of  these  splendid 
recesses.  The  inner  apartments  are  much  the  same  as  the 
portico,  all  covered  with  figures  in  basso  relievo. 

"  On  the  top  of  the  temple  the  Arabs  had  built  a  village; 
I  suppose,  to  be  the  more  elevated,  and  exposed  to  the  air: 
but  it  is  all  in  ruins,  as  no  one  now  lives  there.  From  the 
top  I  descended  into  some  apartments  on  the  east  side  of  the 
temple;  there  I  saw  the  famous  zodiac  on  the  ceiling.  The 
circular  form  of  this  zodiac  led  me  to  suppose,  in  some  measure, 
that  this  temple  was  built  at  a  later  period  than  the  rest,  as 
nothing  like  it  is  seen  any  where  else.  In  the  front  of  the 
edifice  there  is  a  propylaeon,  not  inferior  to  the  works  in  the 
temple,  and,  though  partly  fallen,  it  still  shews  its  ancient 
grandeur.  On  the  left,  going  from  the  portico,  there  is  a 
small  temple,  surrounded  by  columns.  In  the  inside  is  a 
figure  of  Isis  sitting  with  Orus  in  her  lap  ;  and  other  female 
figures,  each  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  are  observable.  The 
capitals  of  the  columns  are  adorned  with  the  figures  of 
Typhon.  The  gallery,  or  portico,  that  surrounds  the  tem- 
ple, is  filled  up  with  rubbish,  to  a  great  height,  and  walls 
of  unburnt  bricks  have  been  raised  from  one  column  to 
another. 

"  Farther  on,  in  a  right  line  with  the  propyleeon,  are  the 
remains  of  an  hypajthral  temple,  which  form  a  square  of 
twelve  columns,  connected  with  each  otiier  by  a  wall,  except 
at  the  door-way,  which  fronts  the  pro])yla!on.  The  eastern 
wall  of  the  great  temple  is  richly  adorned  with  figures  in 
inlagiio  relevato;  they  are  perfectly  finished  ;  the  female 
figures  are  about  four  feet  high,  disposed  in  different  com- 
partments. 

"  Behind  the  temple  is  a  small  Egyptian  building,  quite 
detached  from  the  large  edifice;  and,  from  its  construction, 
I  would  venture  to  say,  that  it  was  the  habitation  of  the 
priests.  At  some  distance  from  the  great  temple  are  the 
foundations  of  another,  not  so  large  as  the  first.  The  propy- 
leeon is  still  standing,  in  good  preservation." 

Two  objects  of  great  curiosity  are,  The  Palace  of  Mem- 
NON,  AND  The  Temple  of  Osiris,  at  Abidos. — Abidos, 
an  inland  town  of  Egypt,  between  Ptolemais  and  Diospolis 
Parva,  towards  Gyrene,  is  famous  for  the  Palace  of  Memnoii, 
and  the  Temple  of  Osiris,  and  inliabited  by  a  colony  of 
Milesians.  It  was  the  only  one  in  the  country  into  which  the 
singers  and  dancers  were  forbid  to  enter.  This  city,  reduced 
to  a  village  under  the  empire  of  Augustus,   now  presents  to 


PALACE   OF   MEMNON,   ETC.  5b'6 

our  view  only  an  heap  of  ruins,  without  inhabitants  ;  but  to 
the  west  of  these  ruins  is  still  found  the  celebrated  Tomb  of 
Ismandes.  The  entrance  is  under  a  portico  sixty  feet  hi^h, 
and  supported  by  two  rows  of  massy  columns.  The  immove- 
able solidity  of  the  edifice,  the  hu<;e  masses  which  compose 
it,  the  hieroglyphics  it  is  loaded  with,  stamp  it  as  a  work  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians. 

Beyond  it,  is  a  temple  three  hundred  feet  long,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  wide.  Upon  entering  the  monument, 
we  meet  with  an  immense  hall,  the  roof  of  which  is  supported 
by  twenty-eight  columns,  sixty  feet  high,  and  nineteen  in 
circumference  at  the  base.  They  are  twelve  feet  distant  from 
each  other.  The  enormous  stones  that  form  the  ceiling,  per- 
fectly joined  and  incrusted  as  it  were  one  into  the  other,  offer 
to  the  eye  nothing  but  one  solid  platform  of  marble,  one 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  long,  and  twenty-six  wide.  The 
walls  are  covered  with  hieroglypliirs.  Here  are  seen  a  mul- 
titude of  animals,  birds,  and  human  figures  with  pointed  caps 
on  their  heads,  and  a  piece  of  stufi"  hanging  down  behind, 
dressed  in  loose  robes,  that  come  down  only  to  the  waist. 
The  sculpture,  however,  is  clumsy  ;  and  the  forms  of  the  body, 
with  the  attitudes  and  proportions  of  the  members,  are  ill  ob- 
served. Amongst  these  we  may  distinguish  some  women 
suckling  their  children,  and  men  presenting  offerings  to  them. 
Here  also  we  meet  with  the  divinities  of  India. 

Monsieur  Chevalier,  formerly  governor  of  Chanderna- 
gore,  who  resided  twenty  years  in  that  country,  carefully 
visited  this  monument  on  his  return  from  Bengal.  He  re- 
marked here  the.eods  Juffoernaut,  Gonez,  and  Vechnon,  or 
Wistnou,  such  as  they  are  represented  in  the  temples  of 
Indostan. 

A  great  gate  opens  at  the  bottom  of  the  first  hall,  which 
leads  to  an  apartment,  forty-six  feet  long  by  twenty-two 
wide.  Six  square  pill-ars  support  the  roof  of  it,  and  at  the 
angles  are  the  doors  of  four  other  chambers,  but  so  choked 
up  with  rubbish  that  they  cannot  now  be  entered.  The  last 
hall,  sixty-four  feet  long  by  twenty-four  wide,  has  stairs  which 
form  a  descent  into  the  subterraneous  apartments  of  this  grand 
edifice. 

The  Arabs,  in  searching  after  treasure,  have  piled  up  heaps 
of  earth  and  rubbish.  In  the  part  we  are  able  to  penetrate, 
sculpture  and  hieroglyphics  are  discoverable,  as  in  the  upper 
story.  The  natives  say  that  they  correspond  exactly  with 
those  above  ground,  and  that  the  columns  are  as  deep 
in  the  earth,  as  they  are  lofty  above  ground.  It  would 
be  dangerous  to  go  far  into  those  vaults;  for  the  air  of 
them  is  so  loaded  with  a  mephitic  vapour,  that  a  candle  can 
scarcely  be  kept  burning  in  them. 

4  A 


/>54  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,   ETC. 

Six  lions'  heads,  placed  on  the  two  sides  of  the  temple,  serve 
as  spouts  to  carry  off  the  water.  One  mounts  to  the  top  by 
a  staircase  of  a  very  singular  structure.  It  is  built  with  stones 
incrusted  in  the  wall,  and  projecting  six  feet  out;  so  that, 
being  supported  only  at  one  end,  they  appear  to  be  suspended 
in  the  air.  The  walls,  the  roof,  and  the  columns  of  this  edi- 
fice, have  suffered  nothing  from  the  injuries  of  time  ;  and  did 
not  the  hieroglyphics,  by  being  corroded  in  some  places,  mark 
its  antiquity,  it  would  appear  to  have  been  newly  built.  The 
solidity  is  such,  that  unless  people  make  a  point  of  destroying 
it,  the  building  must  last  a  great  number  of  ages.  Except 
the  colossal  figures,  whose  heads  serve  as  an  ornament  to 
the  capitals  of  the  columns,  and  which  are  scidptured  in  re- 
lievo, the  rest  of  the  hieroglyphics  which  cover  the  inside  are 
carved  in  stone. 

To  the  left  of  this  great  building  we  meet  with  another  much 
smaller,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  sort  of  altar.  This  was 
probably  the  sanctuary  of  the  temple  of  Osiris. 


CHAP.  LIV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  BUILDINGS,  ETC. — (Continued.) 

Temph  of  Diana  at  Ep/iesits — Luocoon — Babylon — Alhanihra. 

Temple  of  Diana,  at  Ephesus. — The  chief  ornament  of 
Epliesus  was  the  temple  of  Diana,  built  at  the  common  charge 
of  all  the  states  in  Asia,  and,  for  its  structure,  size,  and  furni- 
ture, accounted  among  the  wonders  of  the  world.  This  great 
edifice  was  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  and  at  the  head 
of  a  marsh;  which  place  they  chose,  if  we  believe  Pliny,  as 
the  least  subject  to  earthquakes.  This  site  doubled  the 
charges;  for  they  were  obliued  to  be  at  a  vast  expense  in 
making  drains  to  convey  the  water  that  came  down  the  hill 
into  tlie  morass  and  the  Cayster.  Philo  Byzantius  tells  us, 
that  in  this  work  they  used  such  a  quantitv  of  stone,  as  almost 
exhausted  all  the  quarries  in  the  country  ;  and  these  drains,  or 
vaults,  are  wliat  the  present  inhabitants  take  for  a  labyrinth. 
To  secure  the  foundations  of  the  conduits  or  sewers,  which 
were  to  bear  a  building  of  such  prodigious  weight,  they  laid 
beds  of  charcoal,  says  Pliny,  well  rammed,  and  upon  them 
others  of  wood  :  Pliny  says,  four  hundred  years  weie  spent  in 
building  this  wonderful  temple,  by  all  Asia:  others  say,  only 
two  hundred  and  twenty.  It  was  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  in  length,  and  two  hundred  in  breadth,  supported  by 


TEMPLE  OF   DIANA,  AT   EPHESUS.  555 

one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  marble  pillars,  seventy  feet  high, 
of  which  twentv-seven  were  most  curiously  carved,  and  the 
rest  polished.  These  pillars  were  the  works  of  so  many  kings, 
and  the  bas-reliefs  of  one  were  done  by  Sco|)as,  the  most  fa- 
mous sculptor  of  antiquity  ;  the  altar  was  almost  wholly  the 
work  of  Praxiteles.  C'heiromocrates,  who  built  the  city  of  Alex- 
andria, and  offered  to  form  Mount  Athos  into  a  statue  of 
Alexandria,  was  the  arcliitect  employed  on  this  occasion. 

The  temple  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  an  asylum,  which  at 
first  extended  to  a  furlong,  was  afterwards  enlarged  by  Mi- 
.  thridates  to  a  bow-shot,  and  doubled  by  Marc  Antony,  so  that 
it  took  in  part  of  the  city  :  but  Tiberius,  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
many  abuses  and  disorders  that  attended  privileges  of  this 
kind,  revoked  them  all,  and  declared  that  no  man,  guilty  of 
any  wicked  or  dishonest  action,  should  escape  justice,  though 
he  fled  to  the  altar  itself. 

The  prjests  who  officiated  in  this  temple  were  held  in  great 
esteem,  and  entrusted  with  the  care  of  sacred  virgins,  or  priest- 
esses, but  not  till  they  were  made  eunuchs,  ^hey  were  called 
Estiatores  and  Essence,  had  a  particular  diet,  and  were  not 
allowed  to  go  into  any  private  house.  They  were  maintained 
out  of  the  profits  accruing  from  the  lake  Selinusius,  and  an- 
other that  fell  into  it;  which  must  have  been  very  considerable, 
since  they  erected  a  golden  statue  to  one  Artemidorus,  who 
being  sent  to  Rome,  recovered  them,  after  they  had  been  seized 
by  the  farmers  of  the  public  revenues. 

All  the  lonians  resorted  yearly  to  Ephesus,with  their  wives 
and  children,  where  they  solemnized  the  festival  of  Diana 
with  great  pomp  and  magnificence,  making  on  that  occasion 
rich  offerings  to  the  goddess,  and  valuable  presents  to  her 
priests. 

The  Asiarcha,  mentioned  by  St.  Luke,  (Acts  xix.  31,)  were, 
according  to  Beza,  priests  who  regulated  the  public  sports 
annually  pei  formed  atEphesus,  in  honour  of  Diana  ;  and  were 
maintained  with  the  collections  during  the  sports,  for  all  Asia 
flocked  to  see  them. 

The  great  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  as  she  was  styled  by 
her  blind  adorers,  was,  according  to  Pliny,  a  small  statue  of 
ebony,  made  by  one  Canitia,  though  believed  by  the  super- 
stitious to  have  been  sent  down  from  heaven  by  Jupiter.  This 
statue  was  first  placed  in  a  niche,  which,  as  we  are  told,  the 
Amazons  caused  to  be  made  in  the  trunk  of  an  elm.  Such 
was  the  first  rise  of  the  veneration  that  was  paid  to  Diana  in 
this  place.  In  process  of  time  the  veneration  for  the  goddess 
daily  increasing  among  the  inhabitants  of  Asia,  a  most  stately 
and  magnificent  temple  was  built  near  the  place  where  the 
elm  stood,  and  the  statue  of  the  goddess  placed  in  it.  This 
was  the  firs';  temple    and  was  not  quite  so   sumptuous   as  the 


556  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    TEMPLES,  ETC. 

second,  though  reckoned,  as  well  as  it,  one  of  the   wonders 
of  the  world. 

The  second  temple  of  the  great  Diana,  was  remaining  in 
the  times  of  Pliny  and  Strabo ;  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
destroyed  in  the  reign  of  Constantine,  pursuant  to  the  edict 
of  that  emperor,  commanding  all  the  temples  of  the  heathens 
to  be  demolished  : — the  former  was  burnt  the  same  day  that 
Alexander  was  born,  by  one  Erostratus,  who  owned  on  the 
rack,  that  the  only  thing  which  had  prompted  him  to  destroy 
so  excellent  a  work,  was  the  desire  of  transmittino;  his  name 

... 

to  future  ages.  Whereupon  the  common  council  of  Asia  made 
a  degree,  forbidding  any  one  to  name  him;  but  this  prohibi- 
tion served  only  to  make  his  name  the  more  memorable,  such  a 
remarkable  extravagance,  or  rather  madness,  being  taken 
notice  of  by  all  the  historians  who  have  written  of  those  times. 
Alexander  offered  to  rebuild  the  temple  at  his  own  expense, 
provided  the  Ephesians  would  agree  to  put  his  name  on  the 
front;  but  they  received  his  offer  in  such  a  manner  as  pre- 
vented the  resentment  of  that  vain  prince,  telling  him,  "  it 
was  not  fit  that  one  god  should  build  a  temple  to  another." 
The  pillars,  and  other  materials,  that  had  been  saved  out  of 
the  flames,  were  sold,  with  the  jewels  of  the  Ephesian  women, 
who  on  that  occasion  willingly  parted  with  them  ;  and  the 
sum  thus  raised  served  for  the  carrying  on  of  the  work  till 
other  contributions  came  in,  which,  in  a  short  time,  amounted 
to  an  immense  treasure.  This  is  the  temple  which  Strabo, 
Pliny,  and  other  Roman  writers,  speak  of.  It  stood  between 
the  city  and  the  port,  and  was  built,  or  rather  finished,  as 
Livy  tells  us,  in  the  reign  of  king  Servius.  Of  this  wonderful 
structure  there  is  nothing  at  present  remaining  but  some  ruins, 
and  a  few  broken  pillars,  forty  feet  long,  and  seven  in  dia- 
meter. 

Another  curious  monument  of  antiquity,  which  demands  the 
reader's  attention,  is,  Laocoon. — This  is  a  celebrated  monu 
ment  of  Greek  sculj^ture,  exhibited  in  marble,  by  Polydorus, 
Athenodorus,  and  Agesander,  the  three  famous  artists  of 
Rhodes.  This  relic  of  antiquity  was  found  at  Rome,  among 
the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Titus,  in  the  beginning  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  under  the  pontificate  of  Julius  II.  and  since 
deposited  in  theFarnese  palace.  Laocoon  is  represented  with 
his  two  sons,  with  two  hideous  serpents  clinging  round  his 
body,  gnawing  it,  and  injecting  their  poison.  Virgil  has 
given  us  a  beautiful  description  of  the  fact,  -(£//.  lib.  ii. 
201—222. 

This  statue  exhibits  the  most  astonishing  dignity  and  tran- 
quillity of  mind,  in  the  midst  of  the  most  excruciating  torments. 
Pliny  says  of  it,  that  it  is,  opus  omnibus  pictuicc  et  slatuaria 


BABYLON.  557 

artis  prceferendiim. — Lib.  xxxvi.  c.  6.  "  The  Laocoon  (Dr. 
Giles  observes)  maybe  regarded  as  the  triumph  of  Grecian 
sculpture;  since  bodily  pain,  the  grossest  and  most  ungovern- 
able of  all  our  passions,  and  that  pain  united  with  anguish 
and  torture  of  mind,  are  yet  expressed  with  such  propriety 
and  dignity,  as  afford  lessons  of  fortitude  superior  to  any 
taught  in  the  schools  of  philosophy.  The  horrible  shriek 
which  Virgil's  Laocoon  emits,  is  a  proper  circumstance  for 
poetry  ;  but  the  expression  of  this  shriek  would  have  totally 
degraded  the  statue.  It  is  softened,  therefore,  into  a  patient 
sigh,  with  eyes  turned  to  heaven  in  search  of  relief.  The  in- 
tolerable agony  of  suffering  nature  is  represented  in  the  lower 
part,  and  particularly  the  extremity  of  the  body;  but  the 
manly  breast  struggles  against  calamity.  The  contention  is 
still  more  plainly  perceived  in  his  furrowed  forehead  ;  and  his 
languishing  paternal  eye  demands  assistance,  less  for  himself 
than  for  his  miserable  children,  who  look  up  to  him  for  help." 
— Hist,  of  Greece,  ii.  177. 

The  Laocoon  was  sent  to  Paris  by  Bonaparte,  in  1797. 

Babylon. — The  following  account  of  this  city,  in  its  great- 
est splendour,  is  borrowed  principally  from  Heiodotus,  who 
had  been  on  the  spot,  and  is  the  oldest  author  who  has  treated 
of  the  subject. 

The  city  of  Babylon  was  square,  being  a  hundred  and 
twenty  furlongs,  that  is,  fifteen  miles,  or  five  leagues,  every 
way  ;  and  the  whole  circuit  of  it  was  four  hundred  and  eighty 
furlongs,  or  twenty  leagues.  The  walls  were  built  with  large 
bricks,  cemented  with  bitumen,  a  thick  glutinous  fluid,  which 
rises  out  of  the  earth  in  the  neighbouring  country,  and  whicii 
binds  stronger  than  mortar,  and  becomes  harder  than  brick 
itself.  These  walls  were  eighty-seven  feet  thick,  and  three 
hundred  and  fifty  high.  Those  who  mention  them  as  only 
fifty  cubits  high,  refer  to  their  condition  after  Darius,  son 
of  Hystaspes,  had  commanded  them  to  be  reduced  to  that 
height,  to  punish  a  rebellion  of  the  Babylonians. 

The  city  was  encompassed  with  a  vast  ditch,  which  was 
filled  with  water,  and  the  sides  of  which  were  built  up  with 
brick-work.  The  earth  which  was  dug  out,  was  used  in  mak- 
ing bricks  for  the  walls  of  the  city;  so  that  the  depth  and 
width  of  the  ditch  may  be  estimated  by  the  extreme  height 
and  thickness  of  the  walls.  There  were  a  hundred  gates  to 
the  city,  twenty-five  on  each  of  the  four  sides.  These  gates, 
with  their  posts,  &c.  were  all  of  brass.  Between  every  two 
gates  were  three  towers,  raised  ten  feet  above  the  walls,  where 
necessary;  for  the  city  being  encompassed  in  several  places 
with  marshes,  which  defended  the  approach  to  it.  those  parts 
stood  m  no  need  of  towers. 


568  CURIOSITIES   KESPECTTNG   TEMPLES,   ETC 

A  street  corresponded  with  each  gate  ;  so  that  there  were 
fifty  streets,  which  cut  one  another  at  right  angles,  and  each 
of  which  was  fifteen  miles  in  length,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty-one  feet  in  width.  Four  other  streets,  which  had  houses 
on  one  side,  and  the  ramparts  on  the  other,  encompassed  the 
whole  city,  and  were  each  of  them  two  hundred  feet  wide. 
By  the  streets  crossing  each  other,  the  whole  city  was  divided 
into  six  hundred  and  seventy-six  squares,  each  of  which  was 
four  furlongs  and  a  half  on  every  side,  and  two  miles  and  a 
quarter  in  circuit.  The  houses  of  these  squares  were  three  or 
four  stories  high,  and  their  fronts  were  embellished  ;  and  the 
inner  space  was  filled  with  courts  and  gardens. 

The  city  was  divided  into  two  parts  by  the  Euphrates, 
which  ran  from  north  to  south.  A  bridge  of  admirable  struc- 
ture, about  a  furlong  in  length,  and  sixty  feet  in  width, 
formed  the  communication  across  the  river;  and  at  the  two 
extremities  of  this  bridge  were  two  palaces  on  the  east,  and 
the  new  palace  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  Temple  of 
Belus,  which  stood  near  the  old  palace,  occupied  one  entire 
square.  The  city  was  situated  in  a  vast  plain,  the  soil  of 
which  was  extremely  fat  and  fruitful. 

To  people  this  immense  city,  Nebuchadnezzar  transplanted 
hither  an  infinite  number  of  captives,  from  the  manv  nations 
that  he  subdued.  It  would  appear,  however,  that  the  whole 
of  it  was  never  inhabited. 

The  famous  Hanging  Gardens,  which  adorned  the  palace  in 
Babylon,  were  ranked  among  the  wonders  of  the  world. 
They  contained  four  hundred  feet  square,  and  were  composed 
of  several  large  terraces;  and  the  platform  of  the  highest 
terrace  was  equal  in  height  to  the  walls  of  Babylon,  that  is, 
three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  assent  from  terrace  to  ter- 
race was  by  steps  ten  feet  wide.  The  whole  mass  was  sup- 
ported by  large  vaults,  built  upon  each  other,  and  strengthened 
by  a  wall  twenty-two  feet  thick.  The  tops  of  these  arches  were 
covered  with  stones,  rushes  and  bitumen,  and  plates  of  lead, 
to  prevent  leakage.  The  depth  of  earth  was  so  great,  that  in 
it  the  largest  trees  might  take  root.  Here  was  every  thing 
that  could  please  the  sight;  as,  large  trees,  flowers,  plants, 
and  shrubs.  Upon  the  highest  terrace  was  a  reservoir,  sup- 
plied with  water  from  the  river. 

The  predictions  of  the  prophets  against  Babylon,  gradually 
received  their  accomplishment.  Berosus  relates,  that  Cyrus, 
having  taken  this  city,  demolished  its  walls,  lest  the  in- 
habitants should  revolt.  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes,  destroyed 
the  gates,  &c.  Alexander  the  Great  intended  to  rebuild  it, 
but  was  prevented  by  death  from  accomplishing  his  design. 
Seleucus  Nicator  built  Seleucia  on  the  Tigris,  and  this  city 
insensibly  deprived   Babylon  of  its  inhabitants.     Strabo  as- 


ALHAMBRA  559 

sures  us,  that  under  Augustus,  Babylon  was  almost  forsaken; 
and  that  it  was  no  longer  any  thing  more  than  a  great  desert. 
St.  Jerome  relates,  on  the  testimony  of  a  monk  who  dwelt  at 
Jerusalem,  that  in  his  time,  Babylon  and  its  ancient  precincts 
were  converted  into  a  great  j);\rk,  in  which  tlu;  kings  of  Persia 
were  accustomed  to  hunt. 

A  German  traveller,  named  Rauwolf,  who  in  1574  passed 
througli  the  place  where  Babylon  formerly  stood,  speaks  of 
its  ruins  as  follows:  "  The  village  of  Eltigo  now  stands  where 
Babylon  of  Chaldea  was  formerly  situated.  The  harbour  is 
distant  from  it  a  quarter  of  a  leagiie,  and  people  go  on  shore 
to  proceed  by  land  to  the  celebrated  city  of  Bagdad,  which  is 
distant  a  journey  of  a  day  and  a  half  eastward,  on  the  Tigris. 
The  soil  is  so  dry  and  barren,  that  they  cannot  till  it;  and  so 
naked,  tliat  I  could  scarcely  believe,  that  this  powerful  citv, 
once  the  most  stately  and  renowned  in  all  the  world,  and 
situated  in  the  most  fruitful  country  of  Shinar,  co..  d  ever 
have  stood  in  this  place.  My  doubts,  however,  on  this  point, 
were  removed,  by  the  situation,  and  by  many  antiquities  of 
great  beauty,  which  are  still  to  be  seen,  and  particularly  by 
the  old  bridge  over  the  Euphrates,  of  which  some  piles  and 
arches  of  brick  remain,  so  strong  as  to  excite  admiration. 
The  whole  front  of  the  village  of  Elugo  is  the  hill  upon  which 
the  castle  stood;  and  the  ruins  of  its  fortifications,  though 
demolished  and  uninhabited,  are  still  visible.  Behind,  and  at 
a  small  distance  beyond,  was  the  tower  of  Babylon,  which  is 
still  to  be  seen,  and  is  half  a  league  in  diameter.  It  is,  how- 
ever, so  ruinous,  so  low,  and  so  full  of  venomous  creatures, 
which  lodge  in  holes  made  by  them  in  the  rubbish,  that  no 
one  dares  approach  nearer  to  it  than  within  half  a  league, 
except  during  two  months  in  winter,  when  these  animals  never 
leave  their  holes.  In  particular,  one  sort,  which  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country  call  eglo,  possesses  a  very  active  poison,  and 
is  laroer  than  our  lizard." 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  with  a  full  description  of  an 
ancient  fortress  called  Alhambra. 

This  place  was  the  residence  of  the  Moorish  monarchs  of 
Grenada.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  red  colour  of  the 
materials  with  which  it  was  originally  built,  Alhambra  signify- 
ing a  red  house.  It  appears  to  a  traveller  as  huge  a  heap  of 
ugly  buildings  as  can  well  be  seen,  all  huddled  together, 
seemingly  without  the  least  intention  of  forming  one  habita- 
tion out  of  them.  The  walls  are  entirely  unornamented,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  gravel  and  pebbles,  daubed  over  with  plaster 
in  a  very  coarse  manner:  yet  this  was  the  palace  of  the  Moorish 
kings  of  Grenada,  and  it  is  indisputably  the  most  curious 
place  that  exists  in  Spain,  perhaps  in  the  world.     In  many 


560  CUKIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

countries  may  be  seen  excellent  modern,  as  well  as  ancient 
architecture,  both  entire  and  in  ruins;  but  nothinor  to  be  met 
with  any  where  else,  can  convey  an  idea  of  this  edifice,  except 
the  decorations  of  an  opera,  or  the  tales  of  the  genii. 

Passing  round  the  corner  of  the  emperor's  palace,  one  is 
admitted  at  a  plain  unornamented  door  in  a  corner.  "  On 
my  first  visit,  (says  Mr.  Swinburne,  in  his  Travels  in  Spain,) 
I  confess  I  was  struck  with  amazement,  as  I  stepped  over  the 
threshold,  to  find  myself  on  a  sudden  transported  into  a 
species  of  fairy  land.  The  first  place  you  come  to  is  the  court 
called  the  Commitna,  or  De/mesucar,  that  is,  the  common  baths; 
an  oblong  square,  with  a  deep  bason  of  clear  water  in  the 
middle;  two  flights  of  marble  steps  leading  down  to  the 
bottom;  on  each  side  a  parterre  of  flowers,  and  a  row  of 
orange  trees.  Round  the  court  runs  a  peristyle  paved  with 
marble;  the  arches  bear  upon  very  slight  pillars,  in  projior- 
tions  and  style  different  from  all  the  regular  orders  of  architec- 
ture. The  ceilings  and  walls  are  incrusted  with  fretwork  in 
stucco,  so  minute  and  intricate,  that  the  most  patient  draughts- 
man would  find  it  difficult  to  follow  it,  unless  he  made  himself 
master  of  the  general  plan.  This  would  facilitate  the  opera- 
tion exceedingly;  for  all  this  work  is  frequently  and  regularly 
repeated  at  certain  distances,  and  has  been  executed  by 
means  of  square  moulds  applied  successively,  and  the  parts 
joined  together  with  the  utmost  nicety.  In  every  division 
are  Arabic  sentences  of  diflferent  lengths,  most  of  them 
expressive  of  the  following  meanings;  'There  is  no  conqueror 
but  God;'  or,  'Obedience  and  honour  to  our  lord  Abouab- 
doula.'  The  ceilings  are  gilt  or  painted,  and  time  has  caused 
no  diminution  in  the  freshness  of  their  colours,  though  con- 
stantly exposed  to  the  air.  The  lower  part  of  the  wall  is 
mosaic,  disposed  in  fantastic  knots  and  festoons.  The  porches 
at  the  end  are  more  like  grotto-work  than  any  thing  else  to 
which  they  can  be  compared.  That  on  the  right  hand  opens 
into  an  octagon  vault,  under  the  emperor's  palace,  and  forms  a 
perfect  whisperinti;  gallery,  meant  to  be  a  communication 
between  the  offices  of  both  houses.  Opposite  to  the  door  of 
the  Communa  through  which  you  enter,  is  another  leading  into 
the  Quarto  dehs  /eoues,  or  apartment  of  the  lions,  which  is  an 
oblong  court,  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  fifty  in  breadth, 
environed  with  a  colonnade,  seven  feet  broad  on  the  sides,  and 
ten  at  the  end.  Two  porticos  or  cabinets,  about  fifteen  feet 
square,  project  into  the  court  at  the  two  extremities.  The 
square  is  covered  with  coloured  tiles;  the  colonnade,  with 
white  marble.  The  walls  are  covered,  five  feet  up  from  the 
ground,  with  blue  and  yellow  tiles,  disposed  chequerwise. 
Above  and  below  is  a  border  of  small  escutcheons,  enamelled 
blue   and   gold,  with  an  Arabic  motto  on  a  bend,  signifying, 


ALHAMBRA.  561 

"  No  conqueror  but  God."  The  columns  that  support  the 
roof  and  gallery  are  of  white  marble,  verv  sU-nder,  and  fantasti- 
cally adorned.  They  are  nine  feet  hiiih,  including  base  and 
capital,  and  eight  and  a  half  inches  diameter.  They  are  very 
irregularly  placed;  sometimes  singh-,  at  others,  in  groups  of 
three,  but  more  frequently  two  together.  The  width  of  the 
horse-shoe  arches  above  them,  is  four  feet  two  inches  for  the 
large  ones,  and  three  for  the  smaller.  The  ceiling  of  the 
portico  is  finished  in  a  much  finer  and  more  complicated  man- 
ner than  that  of  the  Communa,  and  the  stucco  laid  on  the 
walls  with  inimitable  delicacy;  in  the  ceiling  it  is  so  artfully 
frosted  and  handled,  as  to  exceed  belief.  The  capitals  are  of 
various  designs^  though  each  design  is  repeated  several  times 
in  the  circumference  of  the  (;ourt,  but  not  the  least  attention 
has  been  p-^id  to  placing  them  regularly,  or  opposite  to  each 
other.  Not  the  smallest  representation  of  animal  life  can  be 
discovered  amidst  the  variety  of  foliages,  grotesques,  and 
strange  ornaments.  About  each  arch  is  a  large  square  of 
arabesques,  surrounded  with  a  rim  of  characters,  that  are 
generally  quotations  from  the  Koran.  Over  the  pillars  is  an- 
other square  of  delightful  foliage  vvork.  Higher  up  is  a  wooden 
rim,  or  kind  of  cornice,  as  much  enriched  with  carving  as 
the  stucco  that  covers  the  part  underneath.  Over  this  pro- 
jects a  roof  of  red  tiles,  the  only  thing  that  disfigures  this 
beautiful  square.  This  ugly  covering  is  modern,  put  on  by 
order  of  Mr.  Wall,  the  late  prime  minister.  In  the  centre  of 
the  court  are  twelve  ill-made  lions,  muzzled,  their  fore  parts 
smooth,  their  hind  parts  rough;  which  bear  upon  their  backs 
an  enormous  bason,  out  of  which  a  lesser  rises.  While  the 
pipes  were  kept  in  ^ood  order,  a  great  volume  of  water  was 
thrown  up,  that,  falling  down  into  the  basons,  passed  through 
the  beasts,  and  issued  out  of  their  mouths  into  a  large  reser- 
voir, where  it  communicated  by  channels  with  the  jets  d'eau 
in  the  apartments.  This  fountain  is  of  white  marble,  embel- 
lished with  many  festoons  and  Arabic  distichs,  compliment- 
ing the  monarch  and  his  princess. 

"  Passing  along  the  colonnade,  and  keeping  on  the  south 
side,  you  come  to  a  circular  room,  used  by  the  men  as  a  place 
for  drinking  coffee  and  forbets  in.  A  fountain  in  the  middle 
refreshed  the  apartment  in  summer.  The  form  of  this  hall, 
the  elegance  of  its  cupola,  the  cheerful  distribution  of  light 
from  above,  and  the  exquisite  manner  in  which  the  stucco  is 
designed,  painted,  and  finished,  exceed  all  powers  of  descrip- 
tion. Every  thing  in  it  inspires  the  most  pleasing  voluptuous 
ideas  ;  yet  in  this  sweet  retreat,  they  say,  that  Abouabdoula 
assembled  the  Abbencarrages,  and  caused  their  heads  to  be 
struck  oft' into  the  fountain. 

"  Continuing  your  walk  round,  you  are  next  brought   to  a 

24.  4B 


562  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

couple  of  rooms  at  the  head  of  the  court,  which  are  supposed 
to  have  been  tribunals,  or  audience  chambers. 

"0[)posite  to  ihe  Sa/a de /os  Ahbeticarros^es,\s  theentrance  into 
the  Torre  de  las  dos  llermanas,  or  the  tower  of  the  Two  Sisters  j 
so  named  from  two  very  beautiful  pieces  of  marble  laid  as  flags 
in  the  jiavement.  This  gate  exceeds  all  the  rest  in  profusion 
of  ornaments,  and  in  the  beauty  of  prospect  which  it  affords 
through  a  range  of  a|)artmenls,  where  a  multitude  of  arches 
terminate  in  a  large  window  open  to  the  country.  In  a  gleam 
of  sunshine,  the  variety  of  tints  and  lights  thrown  upon  this 
enfilade,  are  uncommonly  rich.  The  first  hall  is  the  concert- 
room,  where  the  women  sat;  the  musicians  played  above  in 
four  balconies.  In  the  middle  is  a  jet  d'eaii.  The  marble 
pavement  is  equal  to  the  finest  existing,  lor  the  size  of  the 
flags  and  evenness  of  the  colour.  The  two  sisters  are  slabs, 
that  measure  fifteen  feet  by  seven  and  a  half,  without  flaw  or 
stain.  The  walls,  up  to  a  certain  height,  are  mosaic,  and 
above  are  divided  into  very  neat  compartments  of  stucco,  all 
of  one  design,  which  is  also  followed  in  many  of  the  adjacent 
halls  and  galleries.  The  ceiling  is  a  fretted  cove.  To  preserve 
this  vaulted  roof,  as  well  as  some  of  the  other  principal  cupo- 
las, the  outward  walls  of  the  towers  are  raised  ten  feet  above 
the  top  of  the  dome,  and  support  another  roof  over  all,  by 
which  means  no  damage  can  ever  be  caused  by  wet  weather, 
or  excessive  heat  and  cold. 

"  From  this  hall  you  pass  round  the  little  myrtle  garden  of 
Lindarax,  into  an  additional  building  made  to  the  east  end 
by  Charles  V.  The  rooms  are  small  and  low.  His  favourite 
motto,  '  P/iis  outre,'  appears  on  every  beam.  This  leads  to  a 
tower,  projecting  from  the  line  of  the  north  wall,  call  El  To- 
cador,  or  the  dressing-room  of  the  sultana.  It  is  a  small 
square  cabinet,  in  the  middle  of  an  open  gallery,  from  which  it 
received  light  by  a  door  and  three  windows.  The  view  is 
-^harmino-.  In  one  corner  is  a  larare  marble  flas;,  drilled  full 
m  holes,  through  which  the  smoke  of  perfumes  ascended  from 
furnaces  below  ;  and  here,  it  is  presumed,  the  Moorish  queen 
was  wont  to  sit,  to  fumigate  and  sweeten  her  person.  The 
emperor  caused  this  pretty  room  to  be  painted  with  represen- 
tations of  his  wars,  and  a  great  variety  of  grotesques,  which 
appear  to  be  copies,  or  at  least  imitations,  of  those  in  the 
lobby  of  the  Vatican. 

'  From  hence  you  go  through  a  long  passage  to  the  hall  of 
ambassadors,  which  is  ma<2:nificently  decorated  with  innumer- 
able varieties  of  mosaics,  and  the  mottos  of  all  the  kings  of 
Grenada.  This  long  narrow  antichamber  opens  into  the  Com- 
muna  on  the  left  hand,  and  on  the  right  into  the  great  audience 
liall  in  the  tower  of  Comares  ;  a  noble  apartment,  thirty-six 
feet  square,  thirty-six  high  up  to  the  cornice,  and  eighteen 


ALHAMBRA. 


i63 


from  thence  to  the  centre  of  the  cupola.  The  walls  on 
three  sides  are  fifteen  feet  thick,  on  the  other  nine  ;  the  lower 
range  of  windows  thirteen  feet  high.  The  wall  is  inlaid  with 
mosaic  of  many  colours,  disposed  in  intricate  knots,  stars,  and 
other  figures.  In  every  part,  various  Arabic  sentences  are 
repeated. 

"  Having  completed  the  tour  of  the  upper  apartments,  which 
are  upon  a  level  with  the  offices  of  the  new  palace,  you  de- 
scend to  the  lower  floor,  which  consisted  of  bedchambers 
and  summer  rooms  :  the  back  stairs  and  passages,  that  facili- 
tated the  intercourse  between  them,  are  without  number.  The 
most  remarkable  room  below  is  the  king's  bedchamber,  which 
communicated,  by  means  of  a  gallery,  with  the  upper  story. 
The  beds  were  placed  in  two  alcoves,  upon  a  raised  pavement 
of  blue  and  white  tiles;  but  as  it  was  repaired  by  Philip  V. 
who  passed  some  time  here,  it  cannot  be  said  how  ituiayhave 
been  in  former  times.  A  fountain  played  in  the  middle,  to 
refresh  the  apartment  in  hot  weather. 

"  Behind  the  alcoves  are  small  doors,  that  conduct  you  to 
the  royal  baths.  These  consist  of  one  small  closet,  with  mar- 
ble cisterns  for  washing  children,  two  rooms  for  grown-up 
persons,  and  vaults  for  boilers  and  furnaces,  that  supplied  the 
baths  with  water,  and  the  stoves  with  vapoiir.  The  troughs 
are  formed  of  large  slabs  of  white  marble;  the  walls  are  orna- 
mented with  partv-coloured  earthenware,  and  light  is  admitted 
by  holes  in  the  ceiling.  Hard  by,  is  a  whisperiiiLi  gallery,  and 
a  kind  of  gallery,  said  to  have  been  made  foi'  the  diversion  of 
the  women  and  children.  One  of  the  passages  of  communi- 
cation is  fenced  oti"  with  a  strong  iron  oale,  and  called  the 
Prison  of  the  Sultana;  but  it  seems  more  probable  that  it  was 
put  up  to  prevent  any  body  from  climbing  up  into  the  women's 
quarter. 

"  Under  the  council-room  is  a  long  slip,  called  the  King's 
Study  :  and  adjoining  to  it  are  several  vaults,  said  to  be  the 
place  of  burial  of  the  royal  family.  In  the  year  1574,  four 
sepulchres  were  opened,  but,  as  they  contained  nothing  but 
bones  and  ashes,  were  immediately  closed  again." 

This  description  of  the  Alhambra,  concludes  by  observing 
how  admirably  every  thing  was  planned  and  calculated  for 
rendering  this  palace  the  most  voluptuous  of  all  retirements  : 
what  plentiful  supplies  of  water  were  brought  to  refresh  it  in 
the  hot  months  of  sunmier ;  what  a  free  circulation  of  air  was 
contrived,  by  the  judicious  disposition  of  doors  and  windows; 
what  shady  gardens  of  aromatic  trees;  what  noble  views  over 
the  beautiful  hills  and  fertile  plains!  No  wonder  the  Moors 
regretted  Granada;  no  wonder  they  still  offer  up  prayers  to 
God  every  Friday,  for  the  recovery  of  this  city,  which  they 
esteem  a  terrestrial  paradise.   ' 


.')r,4  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,   ETC. 

CHAP.  LV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. — (Continued.) 
Seraglio — Museum — Colossus — and  Obelisk. 

Seraglio. — This  word  is  commonly  used  to  express  the 
house  or  palace  of  a  prince.  In  this  sense  it  is  frequently  used 
at  Constantinople  :  the  houses  of  foreign  ambassadors  are 
called  seraglios.  But  it  is  commonly  used,  by  way  of  eminence, 
for  the  palace  of  the  grand  seignior  at  Constantinople  ;  where 
he  keeps  his  court, — where  his  concubines  are  lodged — and 
where  the  youth  are  trained  up  for  the  chief  posts  of  tlie  em- 
pire. It  is  a  triangle,  about  three  Italian  miles  round,  wholly 
within  the  city,  at  the  end  of  the  promontory  Chrysoceras, 
now  called  the  Seraglio  Point.  The  buildings  run  back  to 
the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  thence  are  gardens  that  reach  to 
the  edge  of  the  sea.  It  is  inclosed  with  a  very  high  and  strong 
wall,  upon  which  there  are  several  watch-towers  ;  and  it  has 
many  gates,  some  of  which  open  towards  the  sea-side,  and 
the  rest  into  the  city  :  but  the  chief  gate  is  one  of  the  latter, 
which  is  constantly  guarded  by  a  company  of  capooches,  or 
porters;  and  in  the  night  it  is  well  guarded  towards  the  sea. 
The  outward  appearance  is  not  elegant ;  the  architecture  being 
irregular,  consisting  of  separate  edifice-s  in  the  form  of  pavi- 
lions and  domes.  The  ladies  of  the  seraglio  are  a  collection 
of  beautiful  young  women,  chiefly  sent  as  presents  from  the 
provinces  and  Greek  islands,  and  most  of  them  the  children  of 
Christian  parents.  The  brave  prince  Heraclicus  for  some 
years  abolished  the  infamous  tribute  of  children  of  both  sexes, 
which  Georgia  formerly  paid  every  year  to  the  Porte.  The 
number  of  women  in  the  Harem  depends  on  the  taste  of  the 
reigning  sultan.  Selim  had  two  thousand,  Achmet  had  but 
three  hundred,  and  the  late  sultan  had  nearly  one  thousand  six 
hundred.  On  their  admission,  they  are  committed  to  the  care 
of  the  old  ladies,  tausht  sewin"',  embroidery,  music,  dancino-, 
&C.  and  furnished  with  the  richest  clothes  and  ornaments. 
They  all  sleep  in  separate  beds,  and  between  every  fifth  there 
is  a  preceptress.  Their  chief  governess  is  called  Katon  Kiaga, 
or  governess  of  the  nolile  young  ladies.  There  is  no  servant, 
for  they  are  obliged  to  wait  on  one  another  by  rotation  ;  the 
last  that  IS  entered  serves  her  who  preceded  her,  and  her- 
self. 

These  ladies  are  scarcely  ever  suffered  to  go  abroad,  except 
when  the  grand  seignior  removes  from  one  place  to  another, 
when  a  troop  of  black  eunuchs   convey  them  to   the  boats. 


SERAGLIO 


5t35 


which  are  inclosed  with  lattices  and  linen  curtains  ;  and  when 
they  go  by  land  they  are  put  into  close  chariots,  and  signals 
are  made  at  certain  distances,  to  give  notice  that  none  approach 
the  roads  through  which  they  march.  The  boats  of  the  Harem, 
which  carry  the  grand  seignior's  wives,  are  manned  with 
twenty-four  rowers,  and  have  white  covered  tilts,  shut  alter- 
nately by  Venetian  blinds.  Among  the  emperor's  attendants 
are  a  number  of  mutes,  who  act  and  converse  by  signs  with 
great  quickness,  and  some  dwarfs,  who  are  exhibited  for  the 
sultan's  amusement. 

When  he  permits  the  women  to  walk  in  the  gardens  of  the 
serao'lio,  all  people  are  ordered  to  retire,  and  on  every  side  is 
a  guard  of  black  eunuchs,  with  sabres  in  their  hands,  while 
others  go  their  rounds  to  hinder  any  person  from  seeing  them. 
If  any  one  is  found  in  the  garden,  even  through  ignorance  or 
inadvertence,  he  is  instantly  killed,  and  his  head  brought  to 
the  feet  of  the  grand  seignior,  who  rewards  the  guard  for  their 
vicrilance. 

Sometimes  the  grand  seignior  passes  into  the  gardens  to 
amuse  himself  when  the  womeir  are  there,  and  it  is  then  they 
make  use  of  all  their  utmost  efforts,  by  dancing,  singing,  se- 
ducing gestures,  and  amorous  blandishments,  to  attract  his 
affections.  It  is  not  permitted  that  the  monarch  should  take 
a  viroin  to  his  bed,  except  during  the  solemn  festivals,  and  on 
occasion  of  some  extraordinary  rejoicings,  or  the  arrival  of 
some  good  news.  Upon  such  occasions,  if  the  sultan  chooses 
a  new  companion  tc  his  bed,  he  enters  into  the  apartment  of 
the  women,  who  are  ranged  in  files  by  the  governesses,  to 
whom  he  speaks,  and  intimates  the  person  he  likes  best.  As 
soon  as  the  grand  seignior  has  chosen  the  girl  destined  to  be 
the  partner  of  his  bed,  all  the  others  follow  her  to  the  bath, 
washing  and  perfuming  her,  and  dressing  her  superbly,  and 
thus  conduct  her,  with  singing,  dancing,  and  rejoicing,  to  the 
bedchamber  of  the  grand  seignior ;  and  if  by  a  certain  time 
she  becomes  pregnant,  and  is  delivered  of  a  boy,  she  is  called 
asaki-sultaiiess,  that  is  to  say,  sultaness-mother.  For  the  first 
son  she  has  the  honour  to  be  crowned,  and  she  has  the  liberty 
of  forming  her  court:  eunuchs  are  also  assigned  for  her 
guard,  and  for  her  particular  service.  No  other  ladies,  though 
delivered  of  boys,  are  either  crowned  or  maintained  with  such 
costly  distinction  at  the  first;  but  they  have  their  service 
apart,  and  handsome  appointments.  At  the  death  of  the  sul- 
tan, the  mothers  of  the  male  children  are  shut  up  in  the  old 
seraglio,  whence  they  can  never  come  out  any  more,  unless 
any  of  their  sons  ascend  the  throne. 

Baron  de  Tott  informs  us,  that  the  female  slave  who  becomes 
the  mother  of  the  sultan,  and  lives  long  enough  to  see  her 
son  mount  the  throne,  is  the  only  woman  who  at  that  period 


566  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

acquires  the  distinction  of  sultana-mother;  she  is  till  then  in 
the  interior  of  her  prison  with  her  son.  The  title  hachl-kadun, 
or  principal  woman,  is  the  first  dignity  of  the  grand  seignior's 
Harem  ;  and  she  has  a  larger  allowance  than  those  who  have 
the  title  of  second,  third,  and  fourth  woman,  which  are  the 
four  free  women  the  Koran  allows. 

It  must  strike  every  reader,  that  the  present  happy  condi- 
tion of  females  in  Christian  countries  is  directly  attributable 
to  Christianity;  and  this  stamps  an  inestimable  value  on  the 
gospel.  Females  should  consider  it  as  the  charter  of  their 
privileges.  The  Christian  religion  has,  by  its  letter  or  spirit, 
exploded  customs  and  practices  \shich  were  the  immediate 
causes  of  female  degradation  and  wretchedness.  It  has  made 
marriage  pure  and  honourable,  by  prohibiting  polygamy, 
and  restricting  within  very  narrow  limits  the  dano;erous  liberty 
of  divorce;  two  customs  which  violate  the  plain  order  and 
design  of  Providence  in  creation,  which  degrade  woman  to 
insignificance  and  slavery,  and  which  brought  on  that  disso- 
luteness and  corruption  of  manners  in  most  ancient  and  some 
modern  nations. 

Museum, — is  a  collection  of  rare  and  interesting  objects, 
selected  from  the  whole  circle  of  natural  history  and  the  arts, 
and  deposited  in  apartments  or  buildings,  either  by  the  com- 
mendable generosity  of  rich  individuals,  general  governments, 
or  monarchs,  for  the  inspection  of  the  learned,  and  the  great 
mass  of  the  public. 

The  term,  which  means  literally  a  studi/,  or  place  of  retire- 
ment, is  said  to  have  been  given  originally  to  that  part  of  the 
royal  palace  at  Alexandria,  appropriated  for  the  use  of  learned 
men,  and  the  reception  of  the  literary  works  then  extant. 
According  to  ancient  writers,  they  were  formed  into  classes 
or  colleges,  each  of  which  had  a  competent  sum  assigned  for 
their  support;  and  we  are  further  informed,  that  the  establish- 
ment was  founded  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  who  added  a 
most  extensive  library. 

It  would  answer  little  purpose  to  trace  the  history  of 
Museums,  as  the  earlier  part  of  it  is  involved  in  obscurity  ; 
and  as  we  approach  our  own  times,  they  multiply  beyond  a 
possibi-lity  of  noticing  even  the  most  important.  Within  our 
brief  limits  we  shall,  therefore,  confine  ourselves  to  those  at 
the  Vatican,  Florence,  Paris,  Oxford,  and  London. 

The  Museum  of  the  Vatican  might  originally  have  been  said 
to  occupy  ali  the  apartment*  of  the  palace,  which  are  more  nu- 
merous than  in  any  other  royal  residence  in  the  world  :  the 
pictures,  the  books,  the  manuscripts,  statues,  bas-reliefs,  and 
every  other  description  of  the  labours  of  ancient  artists,  were 
select,  uncommon,  and  valuable  in  the  extreme,  particularly 


MUSEUMS.  567 

the  Laocoon,  already  described,  and  said,  by  Pliny,  to  have 
been  made  from  a  single  mass  of  marble  ;  which  c+rcumstance 
has  since  caused  a  doubt  whether  that  of  the  Vatican  is  really 
the  original,  as  Michael  Angelo  discovered  that  it  is  composed 
of  more  than  one  piece.  It  was  found,  in  1506,  near  the 
baths  of  Titus,  and,  whether  an  original  or  a  copy,  has  ob- 
tained and  deserves  every  possible  admiration. — This  invalu- 
able collection  continued  to  increase  for  several  centuries,  and 
till  nearly  the  present  period. 

The  grand  dukes  of  Tuscany  were  for  a  long  series  of  years 
ardent  admirers  of  the  arts,  ancient  and  modern,  and  regretted 
no  expense  in  obtaining  the  most  rare  and  beautiful  objects 
which  vast  treasures  were  capable  of  procuring  ;  consequently 
their  Museum  at  Florence  vied  with  that  of  Rome,  and,  in 
some  instances,  the  value  of  particular  articles  exceeded  any 
possibility  of  rivalship:  we  allude  to  the  Venus  de  Medicis, 
of  which  Keysler  speaks  thus,  in  his  excellent  account  of  that 
part  of  the  continent:  "  I  shall  conclude  this  short  criticism 
on  the  celebrated  Venus  de  Medicis,  with  the  following  obser- 
vation, made  by  some  able  connoisseurs,  namely,  that  if  the 
different  parts  of  this  famous  statue  be  examined  separately, 
as  the  head,  nose,  &c.  and  compared  with  the  like  parts  of 
others,  it  would  not  be  impossible  to  find  similar  parts  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  those  of  the  Venus  de  Medicis;  but  if  the 
delicacy  of  the  shape,  the  attitude,  and  symmetry  of  the  whole, 
be  considered  as  an  assemblage  of  beauties,  it  cannot  be 
paralleled  in  the  whole  world.  This  beautiful  statue  is  placed 
between  two  others  of  the  same  goddess,  both  which  would 
be  admired  by  spectators  in  any  other  place  ;  but  here  all 
their  beauties  are  eclipsed  by  those  of  the  Venus  de  Medicis, 
to  which  they  can  be  considered  only  as  foils  to  augment  the 
lustre  of  that  admired  statue."  Little  is  known  in  England  of 
the  present  state  of  the  Florentine  Museum,  but  it  is  feared 
to  be  deplorable. 

We  shall  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  Musee  Central  des 
Arts,  formed  in  the  Louvre  at  Paris,  composed  with  the  best 
collections  on  the  continent,  and  consequently  consisting 
of  the  finest  specimens  of  human  art. 

The  method  adopted  for  arranging  the  paintings  here  assem- 
bled is  judicious,  as  they  are  classed  in  nations,  by  which 
means  the  eye  is  conducted  gradually  to  the  acme  of  the  art, 
in  the  works  of  the  Italian  masters. 

The  gallery  of  antiquities  is  directly  below  the  gallery  of 
pictures  ;  and,  to  give  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  general 
contents,  we  shall  mention  the  names  of  the  several  divisions, 
which  are  :  La  Salle  de  Saisons, — La  Salle  des  Hommes  illus- 
tres, — La  Salle  des  llomains, — La  Salle  de  Laocoon, — La  Salle 
de  I'Apollon, — and  La  Salle  des  Muses.     The  Laocoon,  which 


d68  CURIOS'TIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,    ETC. 

we  have  noticed  in  our  account  of  the  Vatican,  here  received 
distinguished  honours,  within  a  space  railed  in;  and  the  Apollo 
Belvidere  is  equally  honoured,  in  giving  name  to  one  of  the 
halls. 

These  exquisite  works  are  described  in  a  catalogue,  which 
may  be  obtained  in  the  gallery;  and  of  the  manner  we  shall 
venture  to  give  a  specimen,  hoping  that  a  similar  method 
may  be  ado|)ted,  to  explain  the  objects  offered  to  view  in  our 
national  repository.  Under  the  head  '  Pythian  Apollo,  called 
the  Apollo  Belvidere,  the  author  of  the  catalogue  observes, 
"  This  statue,  the  most  sublime  of  those  |ireserved  by  time, 
was  found,  near  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century,  twelve 
leagues  from  Rome,  at  Cape  d'Anzo,  on  the  borders  of  the 
sea,  in  the  ruins  of  ancient  Antium,  a  city  equally  celebrated 
for  its  Temple  of  Fortune,  and  for  its  pleasant  mansions, 
erected  by  successive  emperors,  which,  emulous  of  each  other, 
they  decorated  with  the  most  rare  and  excellent  works  of 
art.  Julius  II.  when  a  cardinal,  obtained  this  statue,  and 
|)laced  it  in  the  palace  wh^re  he  resided,  near  the  church  of 
tiie  Holy  Apostles.  After  his  elevation  to  the  pontificate,  he 
had  it  removed  to  the  Belvidere  of  the  Vatican,  where  it 
remained  three  centuries  an  object  of  universal  admiration. 
A  hero,  conducted  by  victory,  drew  it  from  the  Vatican,  and 
causing  it  to  be  conveyed  to  the  banks  of  the  Seine,  has  fixed 
it  here  for  ever." 

Another  Museum  established  at  Paris  after  the  return  of 
order,  is  that  of  the  National  Monuments.  These  were  indis- 
criminately destroyed,  or  mutilated,  during  the  first  frantic 
emotions  of  the  revolution  ;  and  this  act  contributed  not  a 
little  to  the  general  dislike  it  excited  :  at  length  the  most 
enlightened  part  of  the  National  Convention  decreed  impri- 
sonment in  chains  to  those  who  should  thenceforward  injure 
or  destroy  the  marble  and  bronze  records  of  their  country. 
Le  Noir,  a  man  of  taste  and  learning,  seized  this  opportunity  of 
rescuing  the  French  nation  from  the  reproach  it  had  incurred 
by  destroying  what  was  honourable  to  themselves ;  and  con- 
ceived that,  though  late,  it  might  still  be  possible  to  collect 
whole  monuments  in  some  instances,  and  fragments  in  others, 
sufficient  to  interest  foreigners  in  favour  of  his  country,  or  at 
least  to  evince  to  them  that  a  change  in  sentiment  had  taken 
place.  Fortunately  his  plan  received  public  encouragement, 
and  he  has,  through  the  assistance  of  government,  procured 
an  astonishing  number  of  specimens  from  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom. 

Mr.  Pinkerton  observes  of  this  collection,  "  It  will  not 
escape  the  attention  of  the  reader  of  taste,  that  the  arrange- 
ment is  confused,  nay,  often  capricious,  and  is  capable  of 
great  improvement."      And  Le  Maitre  says,  upon  the  same 


MUSEUMS.  563 

subject,  "  After  several  hours  employed  in  this  second  view, 
I  continue  of  my  former  opinion,  that  the  spot  (formerly  z. 
convent)  in  which  these  monuments  are  collected,  is  infinitely 
too  small;  that  the  oarden,  meant  to  be  the  tranquil  site  of 
sepulchral  honours,  and  the  calm  retreat  of  departed  grandeur, 
is  on  so  limited  a  scale,  so  surrounded  with  adjoining 
houses,  and  altogether  so  ill  arranged,  that  instead  of  pre- 
senting the  model  of 

"  Those  deep  solitudes   

Where  heav'niy  pensive  contemplation  dwells. 
And  ever  musing  melancholy  reigns  ;" 

it  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  the  working  yard  of  a  statuary, 
or  the  pleasure  ground  of  a  tasteless  citizen,  decked  out  with 
Cupids,  Mercuries,  and  Fawns."  T^oth  these  authors,  how- 
ever, agree  in  praising  the  motives  and  perseverance  of  Le 
Noir. 

Oxford  has  the  honour  of  producing  the  first,  and  not  the 
least  important  Museum  in  England;  which  was  founded  in 
1679,  and  the  building  completed  in  16S3,  at  the  expense  of 
the  university.  The  students,  the  public,  and  the  professors, 
are  indebted  to  Elias  Ashmole,  Esq.  for  an  invaluable  collec- 
tion of  interesting  objects  presented  by  him  for  their  use,  and 
immediately  placed  within  it;  since  which  period  it  has  been 
called  the  A**hmolean  Museum.  The  structure,  in  the 
Corinthian  order  of  architecture,  has  a  magnificent  |)ortal; 
and  the  variety  and  value  of  the  articles  contained  in  it, 
renders  a  visit  to  the  apartments  highly  gratifying,  particu- 
lailv  as  they  are  increased  from  time  to  time,  as  often  as  rare 
objects  can  be  procured. 

The  British  Museum,  in  London,  a  repository  under  the 
immediate  care  of  government,  and  itself  governed  by  fifteen 
trustees,  selected  from  the  highest  and  most  honourable 
offices  of  the  state,  promises  to  exceed  every  other  national 
institution,  which  is  not  supported  by  the  spoliation  and 
plunder  of  others.  However  inferior  it  may  appear  to  those 
splendid  collections,  which  consist  of  the  most  exquisite  pro- 
ductions of  the  chisel  and  the  pencil  ever  accomplished  by 
man,  we  have  the  consolation  to  reflect,  that,  had  it  been  pos- 
sible to  procure  them  by  purchase,  the  liberality  of  the 
British  nation  is  such,  that  Italy  and  many  other  countries 
would  have  loiig;  since  been  drained  ;  but  as  the  case  is,  each 
inhabitant  of  England  may  exclaim,  with  his  characteristic 
integrity,  as  he  views  the  vast  collection  which  he  in  common 
with  all  his  countrymen  possesses,  "  These  are  individually  our 
own  by  fair  purchase  or  gift!"  Sir  Robert  Cotton  maybe 
said  to  have  laid  the  foundation  of  the  British  Museum,  by 
his  presenting  his  excellent  collection  of  manuscripts  to  tVe 

40 


570  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPLES,   ETC. 

public ;  those,  and  the  offer  of  Sir  Hans  Sloane's  books, 
manuscripts,  and  curious  articles  in  antiquity  and  natural 
history,  for  £20,000,  suggested  the  propriety  of  accepting  the 
latter,  and  providing  a  place  for  the  reception  of  both  :  from 
this  time  government  proceeded  rapidly  in  forming  the  plan, 
and  at  length  every  interior  regulation  for  officers,  trustees,  &c. 
being  made,  Montague  House,  situated  in  Russell-street, 
Bloomsbury,  was  purchased  for  £10,250,  and  fitted  for  the 
reception  of  the  articles  then  possessed,  and  to  be  bought  at 
the  further  expense  of  £14,484.  6's.  4d.:  after  which  Lord  Ox- 
ford's manuscripts  were  procured  for  £10,000,  to  which  the 
King  added  others  ;  and  since  the  above  period,  vast  numbers 
of  interesting  things  have  been  placed  there, — Sir  William 
Hamilton's  discoveries,  a  vast  variety  of  valuable  medals, 
fossils,  minerals,  manuscripts,  and  printed  books,  together 
with  several  Egyptian  antiquities,  and  the  late  Mr.  Towns- 
ley's  marbles  and  bas-reliefs  from  Italy.  The  latter  were 
given  to  the  public  under  the  express  condition  that  a  proper 
place  should  be  built  for  their  reception,  which  has  been 
complied  with,  and  they  are  now  exhibited,  with  the  rest  of 
the  Museum,  to  an  admiring  people. 

Various  alterations  have  taken  place  in  the  regulations 
adopted  for  the  convenience  of  those  who  read  at  the  Museum, 
and  the  visitors,  since  1757,  when  it  was  first  opened  for 
inspection  and  study;  and  it  is  but  justice  to  say,  each  was 
intended  well,  though  till  lately  it  was  thought  that  too  many 
impediments  existed  in  the  way  of  visiting  that  which  was 
solely  intended  for  the  use  of  the  community  :  at  present, 
however,  no  such  complaint  can  be  made  with  truth,  as  any 
decently  dressed  persons,  presenting  themselves  at  certain 
hours,  are  admitted  free  of  every  kind  of  expense.  Admission 
even  to  the  reading  room,  is  attended  with  no  other  diffi- 
culty than  necessarily  follows  the  ascertaining  whether  the 
applicant  is  deserving  of  the  indulgence,  or  likely  to  injure 
the  interests  of  the  institution;  when  there,  every  facility  is 
afforded  him  by  commodious  tables,  with  pens  and  ink  for 
writintr,  and  a  messenger  in  waiting  to  bring  him  any  books  he 
may  think  proper  to  select  from  the  vast  stores  of  literature 
submitted  in  this  generous  way  to  his  use. 

Colossus, — is  a  statue  of  vast  or  gigantic  size.  The  most 
eminent  of  this  kind  was  the  Colossusof  Rhodes, a  brazen  statue 
of  Apollo,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  It  was  the 
workmanship  of  Chares,  a  disciple  of  Lysippus,  who  spent 
twelve  years  in  making  it;  and  was  at  length  overthrown  bj 
an  earthquake,  B.  C.  224,  after  having  stood  about  sixty-six 
years.  Its  height  was  a  hundred  and  five  feet;  there  were 
few  people  who  could  encompass  its  thumb,  which  is  said  to 


COLOSSUS   OF   RHODES. OBELISKS.  571 

have  been  a  fathom  in  circumference,  and  its  fingers  were 
larger  than  most  statues.  It  was  hollow,  and  in  its  cavities 
were  large  stones,  employed  by  the  artificer  to  counterbalance 
its  weight,  and  render  it  steady  on  its  pedestal. 

On  occasion  of  the  damage  uhich  the  city  of  Rhodes  sus- 
tained by  the  above-mentioned  earthquake,  the  inhabitants 
sent  ambassadors  to  all  the  princes  and  states  of  Greek 
origin,  in  order  to  solicit  assistance  for  repairing  it;  and  they 
obtained  large  sums,  particularly  from  the  kings  of  Egypt, 
Macedon,  Syria,  Pontus,  and  Bithynia,  which  amounted  to 
a  sum  five  times  exceeding  the  damages  which  they  had  suf- 
fered. But  instead  of  setting  up  the  Colossus  again,  for  which 
purpose  the  greatest  part  of  it  was  given,  they  pretended  that 
the  oracle  of  Delphos  had  forbidden  it,  and  converted  the 
money  to  other  uses.  Accordingly,  the  Colossus  lay  neg- 
lected on  the  ground  for  the  space  of  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-four  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  period,  or  about 
the  year  of  our  Lord  653  or  672,  Moawyas,  the  sixth  caliph, 
or  emperor  of  the  Saracens,  made  himself  master  of  Rhodes, 
and  afterwards  sold  the  statue,  reduced  to  fragments,  to  a 
Jewish  merchant,  who  loaded  nine  hundred  camels  with  the 
metal ;  so  that,  allowing  eight  hundred  pounds  weight  for  each 
load,  the  brass  of  the  Co  .^ssus,  after  the  diminution  which  it 
had  sustained  by  rust,  and  probably  by  theft,  amounted  to 
seven  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  pounds  weight.  The 
basis  that  supported  it  was  of  a  triangular  figure  :  its  extremi- 
ties were  sustained  by  sixty  pillars  of  marble.  There  was  a 
winding  staircase  to  go  up  to  the  top  of  it;  where  might 
be  discovered  Syria,  and  the  ships  that  went  to  Egypt,  in 
a  great  looking-glass  that  was  hung  about  the  neck  of  the 
statue. 

This  enormous  statue  was  not  the  only  one  that  attracted 
attention  in  the  city  of  Rhodes.  Pliny  reckons  one  hundred 
other  colossuses,  not  so  large,  which  rose  majestically  in  its 
different  quarters. 

Obelisk, — in  architecture,  is  a  truncated,  quadrangular,  and 
slender  pyramid,  raised  for  the  purpose  of  ornament,  and  fre- 
quently charged  either  with  inscriptions  or  hieroglyphics. 
Obelisks  appear  to  be  of  very  great  antiquity,  and  to  have 
been  first  raised  to  transmit  to  posterity  precepts  of  philoso- 
phy, which  were  cut  in  hieroglyphical  characters:  afterwards 
they  were  used  to  immortalize  the  great  actions  of  heroes,  and 
the  memory  of  persons  beloved  and  venerated  for  having 
performed  eminent  services  to  their  country. 

The  first  obelisk  mentioned  in  history  was  that  of  Rameses, 
king  of  Eiivpt,  in  the  time  of  the  Trojan  war,  which  was  forty 
cubits  high  j  Phuis,  another  king  of  Egypt,   raised  one  of 


572  cuuiosiriEs  respecting  temples,  etc. 

fifty-five  cubits;  and  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  another  of  eighty 
eight  cubits,  in  memory  of  Arsino'e.  Augustus  erected  one  at 
Rome,  in  the  Campus  Martins,  which  served  to  mark  the 
hours  on  an  horizontal  dial,  drawn  on  the  pavement.  They 
were  called  by  the  Egyptian  priests,  the  Fingers  of  the  Sun, 
because  they  were  made  in  Egypt  to  serve  also  as  stiles  or  gno- 
mons, to  mark  the  hours  on  the  groimd.  The  Arabs  still  call 
them  Pharaoh's  Needles  ;  whence  the  Italians  call  them  Agug- 
lia,  and  the  French  Aiguilles. 

The  famous  obelisks  called  the  Devil's  Arrows,  now  reduced 
to  three,  the  fourth  having  been  taken  down  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  stand  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town  of 
Boroughbridge,  to  the  south-west,  in  three  fields,  separated  by 
a  lane,  nearly  two  hundred  feet  asunder,  on  elevated  ground, 
sloping  every  way.  Mr.  Diake  urges  many  arguments  for 
their  Roman  antiquity,  and  plainly  proves  them  to  be  natural, 
and  brought  from  Plumpton  quarries,  about  five  miles  off;  or 
from  Teklv,  sixteen  miles  off.  The  cross  in  the  town,  twelve 
feet  high,  is  of  the  same  kind  of  stone.  The  easternmost,  or 
highest,  is  twenty-two  feet  and  a  half  high,  by  four  broad,  and 
four  and  a  half  in  girth  ;  the  second,  twenty-one  and  a  half 
by  fifty-five  and  a  quarter;  the  third,  sixteen  and  a  half  by 
eighty-four.  Stukeley's  measures  differ.  The  fiutings  arp 
cut  in  the  stone,  but  not  through  :  the  tallest  stands  alone, 
and  leans  to  the  south.  Plot  and  Stukeley  aftirm  them  to  be 
British  monuments,  originally  hewn  square.  Dr.  Gale  sup- 
posed that  they  were  Mercuries,  which  had  lost  their  heads 
and  inscriptions;  but  in  a  manuscript  note  in  his  Antoninus, 
he  acknowledges  that  he  was  misinformed,  and  that  there 
was  no  cavity  to  receive  a  bust. 

On  the  north  side  of  Penrith,  in  the  church-yard,  are  two 
square  obelisks,  of  a  single  stone  each,  eleven  or  twelve  feet 
high,  about  twelve  inches  diameter,  and  twelve  by  eight  at 
the  sides ;  the  highest  about  eighteen  inches  diameter,  with 
something  like  a  transverse  piece  to  each,  and  mortised  into  a 
round  base.  They  are  fourteen  feet  asunder,  and  between 
them  is  a  grave,  which  is  inclosed  between  four  semicircu- 
lar stones,  of  the  unequal  lengths  of  five,  six,  four  and  a 
half,  and  two  feet  high,  having  on  the  outsides  rude  carv- 
ing, and  the  tops  notched.  This  is  called  the  Giant's  Grave, 
and  ascribed  to  Sir  Evan  Caesarius,  who  is  said  to  have 
been  as  tali  as  one  of  the  columns,  and  capable  of  stretching 
his  arms  from  one  to  the  other;  to  have  destroyed  robbers  and 
wild  boars  in  Englewood  forest;  and  to  have  had  an  hermitage, 
called  Sir  Hugh's  Parlour. 

A  little  west  of  these  is  a  stone  called  the  Giant's  Thumb, 
six  feet  hioh,  fourteen  inches  at  the  base,  contracted  to  ten, 
which  is  only  a  rude  cross. 


REMARKABLE  OBELISK.  573 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  description  of  a  Re- 
markable Obelisk,  neau  Forres,  in  Scotland. 

About  a  mile  from  Forres,  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  road, 
is  a  remarkable  obelisk,  said  to  be  the  most  stately  monument 
of  the  Gotliic  kind  in  Europe  ;  and  supposed  to  have  been 
erected  in  memory  of  the  treaty  between  Malcolm  II.  and 
Canute  the  Great,  in  1008.  It  has  been  the  subject  of  many 
able  pens  ;  and  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Cordiner,  in  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Pennant:  "  In  the  first  division,  underneath  the  Gothic 
ornaments,  at  the  top  are  nine  horses,  with  their  riders,  march- 
ing forth  in  order:  in  the  next  is  a  line  of  warriors  on  foot, 
brandishing  their  weapons,  and  appear  to  be  shouting  for  the 
battle.  The  import  of  the  attitudes  in  the  third  division  is 
very  dubious,  their  expression  indefinite.  The  figures,  which 
form  a  square  in  the  middle  of  the  column,  are  pretty  complex, 
but  distinct;  four  sergeants  with  their  halberts,  guarding  a 
company,  under  which  are  placed  several  human  heads,  which 
iiave  belonged  to  the  dead  bodies  piled  up  at  the  left  of  the 
division  :  one  appears  in  the  character  of  exet  utioner,  severing 
the  head  from  another  body  ;  behind  him  are  three  trumpeters 
sounding  their  trumpets,  and  before  him  two  pair  of  combat- 
ants fighting  with  sword  and  target.  A  troop  of  horse  next 
appear,  put  to  flight  bv  infantry,  whose  first  lines  have  bows 
and  arrows,  and  the  three  following  swords  and  target».  In 
the  lowermost  division  now  visible,  the  horses  seem  to  be 
seized  by  the  victorious  party,  their  riders  beheaded,  and 
the  head  of  their  chief  hung  in  chains,  or  placed  in  a  frame; 
the  others  being  thrown  together  beside  the  dead  bodies, 
under  an  arched  cover.  The  greatest  part  of  the  other  side 
of  the  obelisk,  occupied  by  a  sumptuous  cross,  is  covered 
over  with  a  uniform  figure,  elaborately  raised,  and  interwoven 
with  great  mathematical  exactness.  Under  the  cross  are  two 
august  personages,  with  some  attendants,  much  obliterated, 
but  evidently  in  an  attitude  of  reconciliation  ;  and  if  the  mo- 
nument was  erected  in  memory  of  the  peace  concluded  between 
Malcolm  and  Canute,  upon  the  final  retreat  of  the  Danes, 
these  large  figures  may  represent  the  reconciled  monarchs. 
On  the  edge,  below  the  fretwork,  are  some  rows  of  figures 
joined  hand  in  hand,  which  may  also  imply  the  new  degree  of 
confidence  and  security  that  took  place  after  the  feuds  were 
composed,  which  are  characterized  on  the  front  of  the  pillar. 
But  to  whatever  particular  transaction  it  may  allude,  it  can 
hardly  be  imagined,  that  in  so  early  an  age  of  the  arts  in  Scot- 
land, as  it  must  have  been  raised,  so  elaborate  a  performance 
would  have  been  undertaken,  but  in  consequence  of  an  event 
of  the  most  general  importance;  it  is  therefore  surprising, 
that  no  more  distinct  tradition  of  it  arrived  at  the  aera  when 
letters  were  known.     The   height  of  this  monument,  called 


574  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,  ETC. 

King  Sueno's  Stone,  above  the  ground,  is  twenty-three  feet, 
besides  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  under  ground.  Its  breadth 
is  three  feet  ten  inches,  by  one  foot  three  inches  in  thick- 
ness. 

CHAP.  LVL 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,   ETC. (  Coucluded. ) 

Inverlochy  Castle — Magdalen's  Hermitage — Curiosities  of  Fri- 
Ijurg — Curiosities  of  Augsburg — Kscurial —  Horeuce  Statites — 
Great  Wall  of  China — Floating  Gardens — Curiositj/  at 
Falermo. 

Inverlochy  Castle, — is  an  ancient  castle  near  Fort  Wil- 
liam, in  Inverness-shire.  It  is  adorned  with  large  towers, 
which,  by  the  mode  of  building,  seem  to  have  been  the  work 
of  the  English,  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.  who  laid  large  fines 
on  the  Scotch  Barons,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  castles. 
The  largest  of  these  is  called  Cummin's  Tower.  *'  The  castle, 
(says  the  Rev.  Thomas  Ross,  in  his  Statistical  Account  of  Kil- 
manivaio)  has  survived  the  burgh,  and  now  stands  alone  in 
ancient  magnificence,  after  having  seen  the  river  Lochy,  that 
formerly  filled  its  ditches,  run  in  another  course,  and  has  out- 
lived all  history  and  tradition  of  its  own  builder  and  age.  It  is 
a  quadrangular  building,  with  round  towers  at  the  angles, 
measuring  thirty  yards  every  way  within  the  walls.  The 
towers  and  ramparts  are  solidly  built  of  stone  and  lime,  nine 
feet  thick  at  the  bottom,  and  eight  feet  above.  The  towers 
are  not  entire,  nor  are  they  all  equally  high.  The  western  is 
the  highest  and  largest,  and  does  not  seem  to  have  been  less 
than  fifty  feet  when  entire ;  the  rampart  betvTeen  them,  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty.  Ten  or  twelve  yards  without  the  wall? 
the  ditch  begins,  which  surrounded  the  castle,  from  thirty  tr 
forty  feet  broad.  The  whole  building  covers  about  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  yards;  and  within  the  outside  of  the  ditch 
are  seven  thousand  square  yards,  nearly  an  acre  and  a  half 
English.  The  whole  building  would  require  from  five  hundred 
to  six  hundred  men  to  defend  it.  From  the  name  of  the 
western  tower,  it  is  probable  this  castle  was  occupied  by  the 
Cummins  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.  and  previous  to  that 
period  by  the  Thanes  of  Lochaber  ;  among  others  by  the  noted 
Bancho,  predecessor  of  the  race  of  Stuart.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  this  castle  was  once  a  royal  residence,  and  that  the 
famous  league  betwixt  Charles  the  Great  of  France,  and 
Achaius  king;  of  Scots,  had  been  signed  there  on  the  part  of 
tlie  Scotch  monarch,  A.  D.  790." 


Magdalen's  hermitage. — friburg.  675 

Magdalen's  Hermitage. — This  place  is  situated  about 
a  league  from  Friburg,  in  Switzerland,  and  is  described  by 
Mr.  Blainville,  and  also  by  Mr.  Addison.  They  both  say  it 
is  situated  among  woods  and  rocks,  in  the  preitiest  solitude 
imaginable.  The  hermit,  (they  say,)  who  was  then  alive,  had 
worked  out  of  the  rock  a  pretty  chapel,  with  an  altar,  sacristy, 
and  steeple;  also  five  chambers,  a  parlour,  refectory,  kitchen, 
cellar,  and  other  conveniences.  The  funnel  of  his  chimney, 
which  pierces  from  his  kitchen  to  the  top  of  the  rock,  slanting 
all  the  way,  is  ninety  feet  high,  and  cost  him  so  much  toil, 
that  he  was  a  whole  year  about  it,  and  often  despaired  of 
finishing  his  design.  All  this  must  appear  the  more  surpris- 
ing, when  we  consider  the  dimensions  of  *he  different  parts  of 
this  hermitage,  the  chapel  being  sixty-three  feet  in  length, 
thirty-six  in  breadth,  and  twenty-two  in  height.  The  sacristy, 
or  vestry,  is  twenty-two  feet  square,  and  the  height  of  the 
steeple  seventy  feet.  The  chamber  between  the  chapel  and 
the  refectory,  is  above  forty  feet  long;  the  refectory  itself  is 
twenty-one  long;  and  the  cellar  is  twenty-five  feet  long,  and  ten 
feet  deep.  But  the  hall  or  parlour  is  particularly  admired, 
being  twenty-eight  paces  in  length,  twelve  in  breadth,  and 
twenty  feet  in  height,  with  four  openings  for  windows,  much 
higher  and  wider  than  those  of  our  best  houses.  At  one  end 
of  thi«  hall  was  the  hermit's  cabinet,  with  a  small  collection 
of  books  and  other  curiosities.  To  add  to  the  pleasantness 
and  convenience  of  this  habitation,  he  had  cut  the  side  of  the 
rock  into  a  flat,  and  baving-  covered  it  with  g-ood  mould,  had 
formed  a  pretty  garden,  planted  with  divers  sons  of  fruit- 
trees,  herbs,  and  flowers;  and  by  following  the  veins  of  water 
that  dropped  from  several  parts  of  the  rock,  he  had  made 
himself  two  or  three  fountains,  which  supplied  his  table,  and 
watered  his  little  garden. 

This  hermit,  whose  name  was  Jean  du  Pre,  began  this 
laborious  undertaking  at  the  age  of  thirty,  and  said  he  was 
twenty-five  years  in  completing  it,  having  had  no  sort  of  assist- 
ance from  any  person  whatsover,  except  one  servant.  He 
intended  to  have  carried  on  his  work  still  farther,  but  was 
drowned  in  1708,  as  he  was  crossing  a  neighbouring  river  in 
a  boat,  with  some  company  that  came  to  visit  him  on  St. 
Anthony's  day,  the  patron  of  his  chapel.  His  place  is  sup- 
plied by  a  priest,  who  subsists  by  the  generosity  of  strangers 
that  come  to  see  the  hermitage,  whom  he  generally  entertains 
with  bread  and  wine,  and  a  nosegay.  .  Hl 

I  n-. 

Curiosities  of  Friburg. — Friburg  is  a  large  town  of 
Switzerland,  seated  on  the  Sanen,  in  a  most  singular  and 
picturesque  situation.  Mr.  Cox,  in  his  Travels  in  Switzerland, 
thus  describes  it:    "  Tt  stands  partly  in  a  small  plain,  partly 


676  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

on  bold  acclivities  on  a  ridge  of  ru^eed  rocks,  half  encircled 
by  the  river  Sanen,  and  is  so  entirely  concealed  by  the  circum- 
jacent hills,  that  the  traveller  scarcely  catches  the  smallest 
glimpse,  until  he  bursts  upon  a  view  of  the  whole  town  from 
the  overhanging  eminence.  The  fortifications,  which  consist 
of  high  stone  walls  and  towers,  inclose  a  circumference  of 
about  four  miles  ;  within  which  space  the  eye  comprehends 
a  singular  mixture  of  houses,  rocks,  thickets,  and  meadows, 
varying  instantly  from  wild  to  agreeable,  from  the  bustle  ot 
a  town  to  the  solitude  of  the  deepest  retirement.  The  Sanen 
winds  in  such  a  serpentine  manner,  as  to  form  in  its  course, 
within  the  space  of  two  miles,  five  obtuse  angles,  between 
which  the  intervening  parts  of  the  cuiTv^^nt  are  parallel  to  each 
other.  On  all  sides  the  descent  to  the  town  is  extremely 
steep;  in  one  place  the  streets  often  pass  over  the  roofs  of  the 
houses.  Many  of  the  edifices  are  raised  in  regular  gradation, 
like  the  seats  of  an  amphitheatre;  and  mauy  overhang  the 
edge  of  a  precipice  in  such  a  manner,  that,  on  looking  down, 
a  weak  head  would  be  apt  to  turn  giddy.  But  the  most 
extraordinary  point  of  view  is  from  the  Pont-neuf.  On  the 
north-west  a  part  of  the  town  stands  boldly  on  the  sides  and 
the  piked  back  of  an  abrupt  ridge;  and  from  east  lowest, 
a  semicircle  of  high  perpendicular  rocks  is  seen,  whose  base 
is  washed  and  undermined  by  the  winding  Sanen,  and  whose 
tops  and  sides  are  thinly  scattered  with  shrubs  and  under- 
wood. On  the  highest  points  of  the  rocks,  and  on  the  very 
edge  of  the  precipice,  appears,  half  hanging  in  the  air,  the 
gate  called  Bourguillon  :  a  stranger  standing  on  the  bridge 
would  compare  it  to  Laputa,  or  the  Flying  Island,  in  GuUiver'a 
Travels;  and  would  not  conceive  it  to  be  accessible,  but  by 
means  of  a  cord  and  pulleys.  The  houses,  constructed  with 
a  gray  sandstone,  are  neat  and  well  built;  and  the  public 
edifices,  particularly  the  cathedral,  are  extremely  elegant." 

CuRTosiTiES  OF  AuGSBURG. — Tu  the  Square,  near  the 
town-house,  is  the  Fountain  of  Auuustiis,  which  is  a  marble 
bason,  surrounded  with  iron  balustrades  finely  wrought:  at 
the  four  corners  are  four  brass  statues  as  lar^e  as  life,  two  of 
won\en,  and  two  of  men  ;  in  the  middle  oi  the  bason  is  a 
pedestal,  at  the  foot  which  are  four  sj)hinxes,  squirting  water; 
a  little  above  these,  are  four  infants  holding  four  dolphins  in 
their  arms,  which  pour  water  out  of  their  mouths;  and  over 
these  are  festoons  and  pine-apples  of  brass;  upon  the  pedestal 
is  the  statue  of  Augustus,  as  large  as  life.  The  fountain  most 
remarkable  next  to  this,  is  that  of  Hercules,  which  is  an 
hexagon  bason  with  several  brass  figures,  particularly  Hercule:^ 
engaging  the  hydra. — Another  curiosity  is  the  Secret  Gate, 
which  was  contrived  to  let  in  persons  safely  in  time  of  war 


AUGSBURG. — THE  ESCURIAL.  677 

it  has  so  many  engines  and  divisions  with  gates  and  keys, 
and  apartments  for  guards,  at  some  distance  from  each  other, 
where  passengers  are  examined,  that  it  is  impossible  for  ihe 
town  to  be  surprised  this  way ;  the  gates  are  bolted  ana  un- 
bolted, opened  and  shut,  by  unseen  operators,  so  that  it  looks 
like  enchantment. — The  Water  Towers  are  also  very  curious, 
of  which  there  are  three,  seated  on  a  branch  of  the  Lech,  which 
runs  tb.rough  the  city  in  such  a  torrent,  as  to  drive  many 
mills,  which  work  a  number  of  pumps,  that  raise  the  water  in 
large  leaden  pipes  to  the  top  of  the  towers.  One  of  these 
sends  water  to  the  public  fountains;  and  the  rest,  to  near  one 
thousand  houses  in  the  city. 

The  Escuriai., — is  a  royal  residence  of  Spain,  fifteen  miles 
north-west  of  Madrid.  It  is  the  largest  and  most  superb 
structure  in  the  kingdom,  and  one  of  the  finest  in  Europe. 
The  word  is  Arabic,  meaning  "  a  place  full  of  rocks."  It  is 
built  in  a  dry  barren  spot,  surrounded  with  rugged  mountains, 
insomuch  that  every  thing  which  grows  there  is  owing  to  art. 
This  place  was  chosen,  it  is  said,  for  the  sake  of  the  stone 
wherewith  the  fabric  is  built,  which  is  got  from  a  mountain 
just  by,  and  is  very  durable  ;  and  the  design  of  erecting  it 
was  to  commemorate  a  victory  which  Philip  II.  obtained  orer 
the  French  (by  the  assistance  of  the  English  forces)  at  St. 
Quintin,  on  St.  Lawrence's  day,  in  the  year  1557. 

The  Spanish  description  of  this  structure  forms  a  sizeable 
quarto  volume.  Its  founder  expended  upon  it  six  millions^  of 
ducats.  The  apartments  are  decorated  with  an  astonishing 
variety  of  paintings,  sculpture,  tapestry,  ornaments  of  gold 
and  silver,  marble,  jasper,  gems,  and  other  curious  stonesj. 
surpassing  all  imagination.  This  building,  besides  its  palace, 
contains  a  church,  large  and  richly  ornamented  ;  a  mausoleum  ; 
cloisters;  a  convent;  a  college;  and  a  library,  containing 
about  thirty  thousand  volumes  ;  besides  large  apartments  for 
all  kinds  of  artists  and  mechanics,  noble  walks,  with  extensive 
paiks  and  gardens,  beautified  with  fountains  and  costly  orna- 
niputs.  The  fathers  that  live  in  the  convent  are  two  hundred, 
•ud  they  have  an  annual  revenue  of  £12,000. 

It  was  begun  by  Philip  in  1562,  five  years  after  the  battle, 
and  completed  in  twenty-two  years.  It  consists  of  several 
courts  and  quadrangles,  which  all  together  are  disposed  in  the 
shape  of  a  gridiron,  the  instrument  of  the  martyrdom  of  St. 
Lawrence;  the  apartment  where  the  king  resides,  farming  the 
handle.  The  building  is  a  long  square,  of  six  hundred  and 
forty  by  five  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  and  the  height  up  to 
*.he  roof  is  sixty  feet  all  round,  except  on  the  garden  side,  where 
the  ground  is  more  taken  away.  At  each  angle  is  a  square 
tower,  two  hundred  feet  high.     The  number  of  windows  in  the 

4D 


67£  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   TEMPLES,   ETC. 

west  front  is  exactly  200  ;  in  the  east  front,  366.  1"he  orders 
are  Doric  and  Ionic.  There  are  three  doors  in  the  principal 
front.  Over  the  grand  entrance  are  the  arms  of  Spain,  carved 
in  stone  ;  and  a  little  higher,  in  a  niche,  a  statue  of  St.  Law- 
rence in  a  deacon's  habit,  with  a  gilt  gridiron  in  his  right 
hand,  and  a  book  in  his  left.  Directly  over  the  door  is  a 
basso-relievo  of  two  enormous  gridirons,  in  stone. 

This  vast  structure,  however,  with  its  narrow  high  towers, 
small  windows,  and  steep  sloping  roof,  exhibits  a  very  uncouth 
style  of  architecture  ;  at  the  same  time  that  the  domes,  and 
the  immense  extent  of  its  fronts,  render  it  a  wonderfully  grand 
object  from  every  point  of  view. 

The  church  is  in  the  centre,  is  large,  awful,  and  richly  or- 
namented. The  cupola  is  bold  and  light.  The  high  altar  is 
composed  of  rich  marbles,  agates,  and  jaspers  of  great  rarity, 
the  produce  of  this  kingdom.  Two  magnificent  cataj'a/cos 
fill  up  the  side  arcades  of  this  sanctuary  :  on  one,  the  emperor 
Charles  V.  his  wife,  daughter,  and  two  sisters,  are  represented 
in  bronze,  larger  than  life,  kneeling;  opposite  are  the  effigies 
of  Philip  II.  and  of  his  three  wives,  of  the  same  materials, 
and  in  the  same  devout  attitude.  Underneath,  is  the  burial- 
place  of  the  royal  family,  called  the  Pantheon  :  twenty-five 
steps  lead  down  to  this  vault,  over  the  door  of  which  is  a  Latin 
inscription,  denoting,  that  "  this  place,  sacred  to  the  remains 
of  the  Catholic  kings,  was  intended  by  Charles  the  emperor, 
resolved  upon  by  Philip  II.  begun  by  Philip  III.  and  com- 
pleted by  Philip  IV."  The  mausoleum  is  circular,  thirty-six 
feet  in  diameter,  and  incrusted  with  fine  marbles  in  an  elegant 
taste.  The  bodies  of  the  kings  and  queens  lie  in  tombs  of 
marble,  in  niches,  one  above  the  other.  The  plan  of  these 
sepulchres  is  grand,  and  executed  with  a  princely  magnifi- 
cence ;  but,  as  a  modern  traveller  observes,  in  a  style  rather 
too  gay,  too  light,  and  too  delicately  fitted  up,  for  the  idea 
we  are  apt  to  form  of  a  chapel  destined  for  the  reception  of 
the  dead.  The  collection  of  pictures  dispersed  about  various 
paits  of  the  church,  sacristy,  and  convent,  has  been  considered 
;is  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  any  gallery  in  Europe,  except 
mat  of  Dresden.  Formed  out  of  the  spoils  of  Italy,  and  the 
wasted  cabinet  of  that  unfortunate  monarch,  Charles  I.  of 
England,  it  contains  some  of  the  most  capital  works  of  the 
greatest  painters  that  have  flourished  since  the  revival  of  the 
art.  In  the  sacristy  is  an  altar  called  La  Sania  Forma:  this 
is  a  kind  of  tabernacle  of  gems,  marbles,  woods,  and  other 
precious  materials,  inlaid  in  gilt  bronze;  in  which,  rather 
than  in  the  excellence  of  the  workmanship,  or  taste  of  the 
design,  consists  the  merit  of  this  rock  of  riches.  Before  it 
hangs  a  curtain,  on  which  Coello  has  represented  Charles  II. 
and  all  his  court,  in  procession,  coming  to  place   this  Foima. 


FLOKENCE  STATUES. — GREAT  WALL  Oi    CHI^A.    579 

This  is  esteemed  one  of  the  most  curious  collections  of  por- 
traits in  the  world  ;  for  all  the  persons  are  drawn  with  the 
greatest  strength  of  colour  and  truth  of  expression,  and  are 
said  to  be  perfect  resemblances,  not  only  of  the  monarch  and 
grandees,  but  even  of  the  monks,  servants,  and  guards.  The 
statues,  busts,  and  the  medallions  of  the  Escurial,  are  nei- 
ther very  numerous,  nor  remarkable  for  their  excellence  ;  but 
the  library  contains  a  most  precious  collection  of  manuscripts, 
many  fine  drawings,  and  other  curiosities. 

Notvvithstandinc^  the  coldness  of  the  exposure,  the  late 
king,  for  the  sake  of  hunting,  used  to  pass  several  months  of 
the  year  at  this  palace. 

Florence  Statues. — In  the  Duke  of  Florence's  garden 
at  Pratoline,  is  the  statue  of  Pan  ;  sitting  on  a  stool,  with  a 
wreathed  pipe  in  his  hand,  and  that  of  Syrinx,  beckoning  him 
to  play  on  his  pipe.  Pan,  putting  away  his  stool,  and  stand- 
ing up,  plays  on  his  pipe  ;  this  done,  he  looks  on  his  mistress, 
as  if  he  expected  thanks  from  her,  takes  the  stool  again,  and 
sits  down  with  a  sad  countenance. — There  is  also  the  statue 
of  a  Laundress  at  her  work,  turning  the  clothes  up  and 
down  with  her  hand  and  battledore,  wherewith  she  beats  them 
in  the  water. — There  is  the  statue  of  Fame,  loudly  sounding 
her  trumpet;  an  artificial  toad  creeping  to  and  fro;  a  dragon 
bowing  down  his  head  to  drink  water,  and  then  vomiting  it 
up  again  ;  with  divers  other  pieces  of  art,  that  administer 
wonder  and  light  to  the  beholders. 

The  Great  Wall  of  China. — The  principal  defence  of 
the  empire  against  a  foreign  enemy  is  the  Great  Wall,  which 
separates  China  from  Tartary,  extending  more  than  fifteen 
hundred  miles  in  length,  and  of  such  thickness,  that  six  horse- 
men may  easily  ride  abreast  upon  it.  It  is  flanked  with  towers, 
two  bow-shots  distant  from  one  another:  Walker  says,  there 
are  forty-five  thousand  of  these  towers,  (a  number  rather  in- 
credible,) and  that  the  wall  extends  two  thousand  miles.  It  is 
said,  that  a  third  of  the  able-bodied  men  in  the  empire  were 
employed  in  constructing  this  wall.  The  workmen  were 
ordered,  under  pain  of  death,  to  place  the  materials  so  closely, 
that  not  the  least  entrance  might  be  afforded  for  any  instru- 
ment of  iron  ;  and  thus  the  work  was  constructed  with  such 
solidity,  that  it  is  still  almost  entire,  though  two  thousand 
years  have  elapsed  since  it  was  constructed. 

This  extraordinary  work  is  carried,  not  only  through  the 
low  lands  and  valleys,  but  over  hills  and  mountains;  the 
height  of  one  of  which  was  computed  by  F.  Verbiest,  at  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  above  the  level  ot 
the  spot  where  he  stood.     According  to  F.  Martini,  it  begins 


680  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  TEMPLES,  ETC. 

at  the  gulf  of  Leatonof,  and  reaches  to  the  mountains  near  the 
city  of  Kin,  on  the  Yellow  River;  between  which  places  it 
meets  with  no  interruption  except  to  the  north  of  the  city  of 
Suen,  in  Peche-li,  where  it  is  interrupted  by  a  ridge  of  inac- 
cessible mountains,  to  which  it  is  closely  united.  It  is  like- 
Avise  interrupted  by  the  river  Hoang-ho  ;  but  for  others  of  an 
inferior  size,  arches  have  been  constructed,  through  which 
the  water  passes  freely.  Mr.  Bell  informs  us,  that  it  is  carried 
across  rivers,  and  over  the  tops  of  the  highest  hills,  without 
the  least  interruption,  keeping  nearly  along  that  circularrange 
of  barren  rocks  which  incloses  the  country  ;  and,  after  run- 
ning about  one  thousand  two  hundred  miles,  ends  in  impassable 
mountains  and  sandy  deserts.  The  foundation  consists  of 
large  blocks  of  stone  laid  in  mortar  ;  but  all  the  rest  is  of 
brick.  The  whole  is  so  strong  and  well-built,  that  it  scarcely 
needs  any  repairs  ;  and  in  the  dry  climate  in  which  it  stands, 
may  remain  in  the  same  condition  for  many  ages.  When  car- 
ried over  steep  rocks,  where  no  horse  can  pass,  it  is  about 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high  ;  but  wlien  running  through  a  valley, 
or  crossing  a  river,  it  is  about  thirty  feet  high,  with  square 
towers  and  embrasures  at  equal  distances.  The  top  is  flat,  and 
paved  with  cut  stone  ;  and  where  it  rises  over  a  rock  or  emi- 
nence, there  is  an  ascent  made  by  an  easy  stone  stair. 

This  wall  (our  author  adds)  was  begun  and  completely 
finished  in  the  short  space  of  five  years;  and  it  is  rej)orted, 
that  the  labourers  stood  so  close  for  many  miles,  that  they 
could  hand  the  materials  from  one  to  another.  This  seems 
the  more  probable,  as  the  rugged  rocks  among  wliich  it  is 
built  must  have  prevented  all  use  of  carriages  ;  and  neither 
clay  for  making  bricks,  nor  any  kind  of  cement,  are  to  be 
found  among  them. 

Floating  Gardens. — Abbe  Clavigero,  in  ins  History  of 
Mexico,  says,  that  when  the  Mexicans  were  brought  under 
subjection  to  the  Colhuan  and  Tapanecan  nations,  and  confined 
to  the  miserable  little  islands  on  the  Lake  of  Mexico,  they 
had  no  land  to  cultivate,  until  necessity  compelled  them  to 
form  moveable  fields  and  gardens,  which  floated  on  the  waters 
of  the  lake.  The  method  which  they  adopted  to  make  these, 
and  which  they  still  practise,  is  extremely  simple.  They 
plat  and  twist  together  willows  and  roots  of  marsh  plants,  or 
other  materials,  which  are  light,  but  capable  of  supporting 
the  earth  firmly  united.  Upon  this  foundation  they  lay  the 
jight  bushes  which  float  on  the  lake  ;  and  over  all,  the  mud 
and  dirt  which  they  draw  up  from  the  bottom.  Their  regular 
figure  is  quadrangular;  their  length  and  breadth  various;  but 
generally  they  are  about  eight  perches  long,  and  not  more 
than  three  in  breadth,  and  have  less  than  a  foot  of  elevation 


CURIOUS  SIGHT   AT   PALERMO.  581 

above  the  surface  of  the  water.  These  were  the  first  fields 
which  the  Mexicans  had  after  tlie  foundation  of  Mexico  ;  there 
they  first  cultivated  maize,  pepper,  and  other  jilants.  In  time.. 
as  these  fields  became  numerous  from  the  industry  of  tlie 
people,  they  cultivated  gardens  of  flowers  and  odoriferous 
plants,  which  they  employed  in  the  worship  of  their  oods, 
and  for  the  recreation  of  their  nobles.  At  present  they  culti- 
vate flowers,  and  every  sort  of  garden  herbs,  upon  them.  Every 
day  at  sunrise,  innumerable  vessels  loaded  with  various  kinds 
of  flowers  and  herbs,  cultivated  in  those  uardens,  arrive  by 
the  canals,  at  the  great  market-place  of  that  capital.  All 
plants  thrive  in  them  surpiisingly  ;  the  mud  of  the  lake  affords 
a  very  fertile  soil,  and  requires  no  water  from  the  clouds.  In 
the  large  gardens  there  is  commonly  a  little  tree,  and  even  a 
little  hut,  to  shelter  the  cultivator,  and  defend  him  from  rain 
or  the  sun.  When  the  chiiiampn,  or  owner  of  a  garden,  wishes 
to  change  his  situation,  to  remove  from  a  disa"reeable  neio-ji- 
bour,  or  to  come  nearer  to  his  own  family,  he  gets  into  his 
little  vessel,  and  by  his  own  strength  alone,  if  the  garden  is 
small,  he  tows  it  after  him,  and  conducts  it  wherever  he  pleases. 
That  part  of  the  lake,  where  these  floating  gardens  are,  is  a 
place  of  high  recreation,  where  the  senses  receive  all  possible 
gratification. 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  a  Curious 
Sight  at  Palermo. 

Among  the  remarkable  objects  in  the  vicinity  of  Palermo, 
pointed  out  to  strangers,  they  fail  not  to  particularize  a  convent 
of  Capuchins,  at  a  small  distance  from  the  town,  the  beautiful 
gardens  of  which  serve  as  a  public  walk.  You  are  shewn  un- 
der the  fabric  a  vault,  divided  into  four  great  galleries,  into 
which  the  light  is  admitted  by  windows  cut  out  at  the  top  of 
each  extremity.  In  this  vault  are  preserved,  not  in  flesh,  but 
in  skin  and  bone,  all  the  Capuchins  who  have  died  in  the 
convent  since  its  foundation,  as  well  as  the  bodies  of  several 
persons  from  the  city.  There  are  here  private  tombs  belong- 
ing to  opulent  families,  who,  even  after  death,  disdain  to  be 
confounded  with  the  vulgar  part  of  mankind. 

It  is  said,  that  in  order  to  secure  the  preservation  of  the 
bodies,  they  are  prepared  by  being  gradually  dried  before  a 
slow  fire,  so  as  to  consume  the  flesh  without  greatly  injuring 
the  skin.  WHien  perfectly  dry,  they  are  invested  with  the 
Capuchin  habit,  and  placed  upright  on  tablets,  disposed  step 
above  step  along  the  sides  of  the  vault ;  the  head,  the  arms, 
and  the  feet,  are  naked.  A  preservation  like  this  is  horrid. 
The  skin,  discoloured,  dry,  and  as  if  it  had  been  tanned,  nay, 
torn  in  some  places,  is  glued  close  to  the  bone.  It  is  easy 
to   imagine,    from   the   different  grimaces   of  this   numerous 


682  CURIOSITIES   Ri:SPECTINO   THE   ARK,    ETC 

assemblage  of  fleshless  figures,  rendered  still  more  frightful 
by  a  long  beard  on  the  chin,  \vhat  a  hideous  spectacle  this 
must  exhibit;  and  whoever  has  seen  a  Capuchin  alive,  may 
form  an  idea  of  the  singular  eifect  pri>duced  by  this  repository 
of  dead  friars. 


CHAP.  LVIII. 

Curiosities  respecting  the  Ark  of'  Noah — The  Galley  of  Hiero — 
and  the  Bridge  of  Xerxes. 

The  Ark  of  Noah. — That  such  a  wonderful  structure  as 
this  once  existed,  admits  not  of  any  doubt  in  the  Jewish, 
Christian,  and  Mahommedan  world;  yet  its  dimensions  far 
exceed  any  vessel  of  modern  date,  even  of  the  most  extensive 
range,  and  appear  to  have  been  equally  unrivalled  in  ancient 
times. 

There  are  nevertheless  various  difficulties  which  have  been 
proposed  in  regard  to  it,  among  those  by  whom  its  existence 
has  l)een  admitted.  One  question  is,  as  to  the  time  employed 
by  Noah  in  building  it.  Interpreters  generally  believe,  that 
he  was  an  hundred  and  twenty  years  in  forming  this  vast 
structure;  but  some  allow  only  fifty-two  years;  some  no  more 
than  seven  or  eight,  and  others  still  much  less.  The  INIahom- 
medans  say,  he  had  but  two  years  allowed  him  for  this  work. 
Another  question  sometimes  agitated  is,  what  kind  of  wood  is 
meant  by  gopher  wood  ?  Some  think  cedar,  or  box;  others 
cypress,  the  pine,  fir-tree,  and  the  turpentine  tree.  Pelletier 
prefers  the  opinion  of  those  who  hold  the  ark  to  be  made  of 
cedar :  the  reasons  he  urges  for  this  preference  are,  the  in- 
corruptibility of  that  wood  ;  the  great  plenty  thereof  in  Asia  ; 
whence  Herodotus  and  Theophrastus  relate,  that  the  kings  of 
Egypt  and  Syria  built  whole  Heets  of  it  in  lieu  of  deal:  and 
the  common  tradition  throughout  the  East  imports,  that  the 
ark  is  preserved  entire  to  this  day  on  mount  Ararat. 

The  dimensions  of  the  ark,  as  delivered  by  Moses,  are  three 
hundred  cubits  in  length,  fifty  in  breadth,  and  thirty  in 
height;  which,  compared  with  the  great  number  of  things  it 
was  to  contain,  seem  to  many  to  have  been  too  scanty.  And 
hence  an  argument  has  been  drawn  against  the  authority  of 
the  relation.  Celsus  long  ago  laughed  at  it,  calliuix  it  the 
"absurd  ark."  This  difficulty  is  solved  by  Buteo  and  Kircher, 
who,  supposing  the  common  cubit  of  a  foot  and  a  half,  prove, 
geometrically,  that  the  ark  was  abundantly  sufficient  for  all 
the  animals  supposed  to  be  lodged  therein.  The  capacity  of 
the  ark  will  be  doubled,  if  we  admit,  with  Cumberland,  &c 


THE    ARK   OF   NOAH.  583 

that  the  Jewish  cubit  was  twenty-one  thousand  eiglit  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  inches.  Smellius  computes  the  ark  to 
have  been  above  half  an  acre  in  area.  Cuneus,  and  others, 
have  also  calculated  the  capacity  of  the  ark.  Dr.  Arbuthnot 
computes  it  to  have  been  eighty-one  thousand  and  sixty-two 
tons.  Father  Lamy  says,  that  it  was  an  hundred  and  ten  feet 
longer  than  the  church  of  St.  Mary  at  Paris,  and  sixty-four  feet 
narrower;  to  which  his  English  translator  adds,  that  it  must 
have  been  longer  than  St.  Paul's  church  in  London,  from 
west  to  east,  broader  than  that  church  is  high  in  the  inside, 
and  about  fifty-four  feet  in  height  of  our  measure. 

The  vast  assemblage  of  things  contained  in  the  ark,  besides 
eight  persons  of  Noah's  family,  consisted  of  one  pair  of  every 
species  of  unclean  animals,  with  provisions  for  them  all,  dur- 
ing the  whole  year.  The  former  appears,  at  first  view,  almost 
infinite,  but  if  we  come  to  a  calculation,  the  number  of  species 
of  animals  will  be  found  much  smaller  than  is  generally 
imagined;  out  of  which,  in  this  case,  are  to  be  excepted  such 
animals  as  can  live  in  the  water;  and  Bishop  Wilkins 
imagines,  that  only  seventy-two  of  the  quadruped  kind  needed 
a  place  in  the  ark. 

It  appears  to  have  been  divided  into  three  stories;  and  it  is 
agreed  on,  as  most  probable,  that  the  lowest  story  was 
destined  for  the  beasts,  the  middle  for  the  food,  and  the  upper 
for  the  birds,  with  Noah  and  his  family;  each  story  being 
subdivided  into  different  apartments,  stalls,  See.  Though 
Josephus,  Philo,  and  other  commentators,  add  a  kind  of 
fourth  story,  under  all  the  rest;  being,  as  it  were,  the  hold  of 
the  vessel,  to  contain  the  ballast,  and  receive  the  filth  and 
ordure  of  so  many  animals. 

Drexelius  makes  three  hundred  apartments;  father  Four- 
nier,  three  hundred  and  three  ;  the  anonymous  author  of  the 
Questions  of  Genesis,  four  hundred ;  Buteo,  Temporarius, 
Arias  Montanus,  Wilkins,  Lamy,  and  others,  suppose  as 
many  partitions  as  there  were  different  sorts  of  animals. 
Pelletier  only  makes  seventy-two,  viz.  thirty-six  for  the  birds, 
and  as  many  for  the  beasts  :  his  reason  is,  that  if  we  suppose 
a  greater  number,  as  three  hundred  and  thirty-three,  or  four 
hundred,  each  of  the  eight  persons  in  the  ark  must  have  had 
thirty-seven,  forty-one,  or  fifty  stalls  to  attend  and  cleanse 
daily,  which  he  thinks  impossible.  But  there  is  not  much  in 
this  :  to  diminish  the  number  of  stalls,  without  a  diminution 
of  the  animals,  is  vain;  it  being,  perhaps,  more  difficult  to 
take  care  of  three  hundred  animals  in  seventy-two  stalls,  than 
in  three  hundred. 

Buteo  computes,  that  all  the  animals  contained  in  the  ark, 
could  not  be  equal  to  five  hundred  horses  ;  he  even  reduces  the 
whole  to  the  dimensions  of  fifty-six  pair  of  oxen.     Father  Lamy 


684  THE  ARK   OF  NOAH. 

enlarges  it  to  sixty-four  pair,  or  an  hundred  and  twenty-eiiiht 
cxen;  so  that,  supposing  one  ox  equal  to  two  horses,  if  the 
ark  had  room  for  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  horses,  there  must 
have  been  room  for  all  the  animals.  And  the  same  author 
demonstrates,  that  one  floor  of  it  would  suffice  for  five  hundred 
horses,  allowing  nine  square  feet  to  a  horse. 

Of  the  food  contained  in  the  second  story,  it  is  ohserved 
by  Beauteo,  from  Columella,  that  thirty  or  forty  pounds  of 
hay  ordinarily  suffices  an  ox  for  a  day  ;  and  that  a  solid  cubit 
of  hay,  as  usually  pressed  down  in  our  hay-ricks,  weighs 
about  forty  pounds  ;  so  that  a  square  cubit  of  hay  is  more 
than  enough  per  day  for  an  ox.  Now  it  appears,  that  the  second 
story  contained  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  cubits; 
which,  divided  between  two  hundred  and  six  oxen,  will  afiord 
to  each,  more  hay  by  two-thirds  than  he  can  eat  in  a  year. 

Bishop  Wilkins  computes  all  the  carnivorous  animals  equi- 
valent, as  to  the  bulk  of  their  bodies,  and  their  food,  to 
twenty-seven  wolves;  and  all  the  rest  to  two  hundred  and 
eighty  beeves.  For  the  former  he  allows  the  sustenance  of 
eighteen  hundred  and  twenty-five  sheep;  and  for  the  latter, 
one  hundred  and  nine  thousand  five  hundred  cubits  of  hay  : 
all  which  will  be  easily  contained  in  the  two  first  stories,  and 
much  room  to  spare.  As  to  the  third  story,  nobody  doubts 
of  its  being  sufficient  for  the  fowls,  with  Noah,  his  sons,  and 
daughters. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  learned  Bishop  remarks,  that  of  the 
two,  it  appears  much  more  difficult  to  assign  a  sufficient  num- 
ber and  bulk  of  necessary  things  to  answer  the  capacity  of 
the  ark,  than  to  find  rooTn  enough  for  the  several  species  of 
animals  already  known  to  have  been  there.  This  he  attributes 
to  the  imperfectionof  our  lists  of  animals,  especially  those  of  the 
unknown  parts  of  the  earth  ;  adding,  that  the  most  expert  ma- 
thematician, at  this  day,  could  not  assign  the  proportions  of  a 
vessel  better  accommodated  to  the  purpose,  than  is  here  done; 
and  hence  finally  concludes,  that  "  the  capacity  of  the  ark, 
which  has  been  made  an  objection  against  scripturo,  ought 
to  be  esteemed  a  confirmation  of  its  divine  authority  :  since, 
in  those  ruder  ages,  men,  being  less  versed  in  arts  and  philo- 
sophy, were  more  obnoxious  to  vulgar  prejudices  than  now; 
so  that,  had  it  been  of  human  invention,  it  would  have  been 
contrived  according  to  those  wild  apprehensions  which  arise 
from  a  confused  and  general  view  of  things;  as  much  too  big, 
as  it  has  been  represented  too  little." 

The  Galley  of  ITiero. — It  is  to  Iliero  that  Syracuse  was 
indebted  for  those  amazing  machines  of  war,  which  the  Syra- 
cusans  made  use  of  when  besieged  by  the  Romans.  Th'' 
public  buildings,  such  as  palaces,  temples,  arsenals,  &.c.  whicL 


THE  GALLEY  OF  HIERO.  /)85 

were  erected  in  Syracuse,  by  his  order,  and  under  the  direction 
v>f  Archimedes,  were  the  greatest  ornaments  of  that  stately 
metropolis,  lie  caused  also  an  infinite  number  of  ships  to  be 
built,  for  the  exportation  of  corn,  in  which  the  whole  riches 
of  the  island  consisted.  We  are  told  of  a  galley  built  by  his 
order,  whicii  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  that 
a^e.  Archimedes,  who  was  overseer  of  the  work,  spent  a 
whole  year  in  finishing  it,  Hiero  daily  animating  the  workmen 
with  his  presence.  This  ship  had  twenty  benches  of  oars, 
three  spacious  apartments,  and  all  the  conveniences  of  a  large 
palace.  The  floors  of  the  middle  apartment  were  all  inlaid, 
and  represented  in  various  colours  the  stories  of  Homer's  Iliad. 
The  ceilings,  windows,  and  all  other  parts,  were  finished  with 
wonderful  art,  and  embellished  with  all  kinds  of  ornaments. 
In  the  uppermost  apartment  there  was  a  spacious  gymnasium, 
or  place  of  exercise,  and  walks,  with  gardens,  and  plants  of  all 
kinds,  disposed  in  wonderful  order.  Pipes,  some  of  hardened 
clay,  and  others  of  lead,  conveyed  water  all  round  to  refresh 
them.  But  the  finest  of  the  apartments  was  that  of  Venus: 
the  floors  were  inlaid  with  agates,  and  other  precious  stones; 
the  inside  was  lined  with  cypress-wood;  and  the  windows 
were  adorned  with  ivory,  paintings,  and  small  statues.  In 
this  apartment  there  was  a  library,  a  bath  with  three  great 
coppers,  and  a  bathing  vessel  made  of  one  single  stone,  of 
various  colours,  containing  two  hundred  and  fifty  quarts. 
It  was  supplied  with  water  from  a  great  reservoir  at  the  head 
of  the  ship,  which  held  a  hundred  thousand  quarts.  The  ves- 
sel was  adorned  on  all  sides  with  fine  paintings,  and  had  eight 
towers  of  equal  dimensions,  two  at  the  head,  two  at  the  stern, 
and  four  in  the  middle.  Round  these  towers  were  parapets, 
from  whence  stones  might  be  discharged  against  the  enemy's 
vessels  when  they  approached.  Each  tower  was  constantly 
guarded  by  four  young  men  completely  armed,  and  two  archers. 
To  the  side  of  the  vessel  was  fastened  an  engine,  made  by 
Archimedes,  which  threw  a  stone  of  three  hundred  pounds 
weight,  and  an  arrow  eighteen  feet  in  length,  the  distance  of 
a  stadium,  or  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.  Though  the 
hold  of  this  vessel  was  exceedingly  deep,  a  single  man  could 
&oon  clear  it  of  water,  with  a  machine  invented  for  that  pur- 
pose by  Archimedes. 

The  story  of  this  magnificent  vessel  was  celebrated  in  poetic 
numbers  by  an  Athenian  poet,  for  which  he  was  rewarded 
by  Hiero,  who  understood  the  value  of  verse,  with  a  thousand 
medimni,  that  is,  six  thousand  bushels  of  wheat,  which  he 
caused  to  be  carried  to  the  Pyrs^eus,  or  port  of  Athens.  Hiero 
afterwards  made  a  present  of  this  great  vessel  to  Ptolemy, 
(probably  Piiiladephus,)  king  of  Egy|)t,  and  sent  it  to  Alexan- 
dria.    As  there  was  at  that  tiuie  a  great  famine  in  Egy[)t,  good 

Sij.  4  E 


686  THE   BHIOGE   or   XERXES. 

king  Hiero  sent  along  with  it  several  other  ships  of  less 
burden,  with  three  hundred  thousand  quarters  of  corn,  ten 
thousand  great  earthen  jars  of  salt  fish,  twenty  thousand 
quintals  of  salt  meat,  and  an  immense  quantity  of  other  pro- 
visions. 

Xerxes'  Bridge  of  Boats  over  the  Hellespont, — 
Xerxes,  having  resolved  to  attack  Greece,  that  he  might  omit 
nothing  which  could  contribute  to  the  success  of  his  under- 
taking, entered  into  an  alliance  with  the  Carthaginians,  who 
were,  at  that  time,  the  most  powerful  people  of  the  west; 
whereby  it  was  agreed,  that,  while  the  Persians  invaded 
Greece,  the  Carthaginians  should  fall  upon  the  Greek  colo- 
nies in  Sicily  and  Italy,  that  thereby  they  might  be  diverted 
from  helping  each  other.  The  Carthaginians  appointed 
Hamilcar  their  general,  who  not  only  raised  what  forces  he 
could  in  Africa,  but  with  the  money  sent  him  by  Xerxes,  hired 
a  great  many  mercenaries  in  Spain,  Gaul,  and  Italy  ;  so  that 
his  army  consisted  of  three  hundred  thousand  men,  besides  a 
proportionable  number  of  ships  for  transporting  his  forces, 
and  the  necessary  provisions.  Thus  Xerxes,  agreeable  to  the 
prophecy  of  Daniel,  having,  by  his  strength  through  his 
riches,  stirred  up  all  the  nations  of  the  then  known  world, 
against  the  realm  of  Greece,  that  is,  all  the  west  under  the 
command  of  Hamilcar,  and  all  the  east  under  his  own  banners, 
set  out  from  Susa,  to  enter  upon  this  war,  in  the  fifth  year  of 
his  reign,  after  having  spent  three  years  in  making  vast 
preparations  throughout  all  the  provinces  of  his  wide-spread- 
ing empire.  From  Susa  he  marched  to  Sardis,  which  was 
the  place  appointed  for  the  general  rendezvous  of  all  his  land 
forces,  while  his  navy  advanced  along  the  coasts  of  Asia 
Minor,  towards  the  Hellespont. 

Two  things  Xerxes  commanded  to  be  done  before  he  came 
to  the  sea-side  ;  one  of  which  was,  that  a  passage  should  be 
cut  through  Mount  Athos.  This  mountain  reaches  a  great 
way  into  the  sea,  in  the  form  of  a  peninsula,  and  is  joined  to 
the  land  by  an  isthmus  twelve  furlongs  over.  The  sea  in  this 
place  is  very  tempestuous,  and  the  Persian  fleet  had  formerly 
suffered  shipwreck  in  doubling  this  promontory.  To  prevent 
the  like  disaster,  Xerxes  caused  this  passage  to  be  cut  through 
the  mountain,  broad  enough  to  let  two  galleys,  witli  three 
banks  of  oars  each,  pass  in  front.  By  this  means,  he  severed 
from  the  continent  the  cities  of  Dion,  Olophyxus,  Acrothoon, 
Thysus,  and  Cleone.  It  is  said,  however,  that  Xerxes  under- 
took this  enterprise  only  out  of  ostentation,  and  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  his  name,  since  he  might,  with  far  less  trouble, 
have  caused  his  fleet  to  be  conveyed  over  the  isthmus,  as  was 
♦  he  practice  in  those  days. 


THE   BRlDGn   or   XKRXF.S.  587 

He  likewise  commanded  a  bridi;;e  of  boats  to  be  laid  over  the 
Helles|)ont,  for  the  passing-  of  his  forces  from  Asia  into  Europe, 
The  sea  which  separates  Sestos  and  Abydos,  where  the  bridge 
was  built,  is  seven  furlongs  over.  The  work  was  carried  on 
with  great  expedition  by  the  Phccnicians  and  Egyptians,  who 
had  no  sooner  finished  it,  but  a  violent  storm  arising,  broke 
it  in  pieces,  and  dispersed  or  dashed  against  the  shore  the 
vessels  of  which  it  was  composed  :  which  when  Xerxes  heard, 
he  fell  into  such  a  violent  transport  of  anger,  that  he  com- 
manded three  hundred  stripes  to  be  inflicted  on  the  sea,  and 
a  pair  of  fetters  to  be  thrown  into  it ;  enjoining  those  who  were 
trusted  with  the  execution  of  his  orders,  to  pronounce  these 
Ivords  : — "Thou  salt  and  bitter  element,  thy  master  has  con- 
demned thee  to  this  punishment,  for  offending  him  without 
cause  ;  and  is  resolved  to  pass  over  thee,  in  spite  of  thy  bil- 
lows, and  insolent  resistance."  The  extravagant  folly  and 
madness  of  this  prince  did  not  stop  here,  for,  to  crown  the 
whole,  he  commanded  the  heads  of  those  who  had  the  direc- 
tion of  the  work  to  be  struck  off. 

In  their  room  he  appointed  more  experienced  architects  to 
build  two  other  bridges,  one  for  the  army,  the  other  for  the 
beasts  of  burden,  and  the  baggage.  When  the  whole  work 
was  completed,  and  the  vessels  which  formed  the  bridges 
secure  against  the  violence  of  the  winds,  and  the  current  of 
the  water,  Xerxes  departed  from  Sardis,  where  the  army  had 
wintered,  and  directed  his  march  to  Abydos.  When  he  ar- 
rived at  that  city,  he  desired  to  see  all  his  forces  together; 
and,  to  that  end,  ascending  a  stately  edifice  of  white  stone, 
which  the  Abydenians  had  built,  on  purpose  to  receive  him 
in  a  manner  suitable  to  his  greatness,  he  had  a  free  prospect 
to  the  coast,  seeing  at  one  view  both  his  fleet  and  land  forces. 
The  sea  was  covered  with  his  ships,  and  the  large  plains  of 
Abydos  with  his  troops,  quite  down  to  the  shore.  W'hile  he 
was  surveying  the  vast  extent  of  his  power,  and  deeming  him- 
self the  most  happy  of  mortals,  his  joy  was  suddenly  turned 
into  grief;  he  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears  :  which  Artabanus 
perceiving,  asked  him  what  had  made  him,  in  a  few  moments, 
pass  from  an  excess  of  joy  to  so  great  a  grief.  The  king  re- 
plied, that,  considering  the  shortness  of  human  life,  he  could 
not  restrain  his  tears;  for,  of  all  these  numbers  of  men,  not 
one,  said  he,  will  be  alive  a  hundred  years  hence.  Artabanus, 
who  neglected  no  opportunity  of  instilling  into  the  young 
prince's  mind  sentiments  of  kindness  towards  his  people,  find- 
ing him  touched  with  a  sense  of  tenderness  and  humanity, 
endeavotned  to  make  him  sensible  of  the  obligation  that  is 
incumbent  upon  princes,  to  alleviate  the  sorrows,  and  sweeten 
the  bitterness,  which  the  lives  of  their  subjects  are  liable  to, 
since  it  is  not  in  their  power  to  prolong  them.     In   the  same 


588  THE   BRIDGE   OF   XERXES. 

conversation,  Xerxes  asked  his  uncle,  whether,  if  he  had  not 
seen  the  vision  which  made  him  change  his  mind,  he  would 
still  persist  in  the  same  opinion,  and  dissuade  him  from 
making  war  upon  Greece.  Artabanus  sincerely  owned,  that 
he  still  had  his  fears,  and  was  very  uneasy  concerning  two 
things,  the  sea  and  the  land ;  the  sea,  because  there  were  no 
ports  capable  of  receiving  and  sheltering  such  a  fleet,  if 
a  storm  should  arise;  and  the  land,  because  no  country  could 
maintain  so  numerous  an  army.  The  king  was  very  sensible 
of  the  strength  of  his  reasoning;  but  as  it  was  now  too  late 
to  go  back,  he  made  answer,  that,  in  great  enterprises,  men 
ought  not  to  enter  into  so  nice  a  discussion  of  all  the  incon- 
veniences that  may  attend  them  :  that  bold  and  daring  under- 
takings, though  subject  to  many  evils  and  dangers,  are 
preferable  to  inaction,  however  safe  :  that  great  successes  are 
no  otherwise  to  be  obtained  than  by  venturing  boldly;  and 
that,  if  his  predecessors  had  observed  such  scrupulous  and 
timorous  rules  of  politics,  the  Persian  empire  would  never 
have  attained  to  so  high  a  dearee  of  glory  and  grandeur. 

All  things  being  now  in  readiness,  and  a  day  appointed  for 
the  passing  over  of  the  army,  as  soon  as  the  first  rays  of  the 
sun  began  to  appear,  all  sorts  of  perfumes  were  burnt  upon 
the  bridge,  and  the  way  strewed  with  myrtle.  At  the  same 
time,  Xerxes,  pouring  a  libation  into  the  sea  out  of  a  golden 
cup,  and  addressing  the  sun,  implored  the  assistance  of  that 
deity,  begging  that  he  might  meet  with  no  impediment  so 
great,  as  to  hinder  him  from  carrying  his  conquering  arms  to 
the  utmost  limits  of  Europe.  This  done,  he  threw  the  cup 
into  the  Hellespont,  with  a  golden  bowl,  and  a  Persian 
cimeter;  and  the  foot  and  horse  began  to  pass  over  that 
bridtre  which  was  next  to  the  Euxine,  while  the  carriages  and 
beasts  of  burden  passed  over  the  other,  which  was  placed 
nearer  the  iEgean  sea.  The  bridges  were  boarded,  and 
covered  over  with  earth,  having  rails  on  each  side,  that  the 
horses  and  cattle  might  not  be  frightened  at  the  sight  of  the 
sea.  The  army  spent  seven  days  and  nights  in  passing  over, 
though  they  marched  day  and  night,  without  intermission, 
and  were,  by  frequent  blows,  obliged  to  quicken  their  pace. 
At  the  same  time,  the  fleet  made  to  the  coasts  of  Europe. 
After  the  whole  army  was  passed,  Xerxes  advanced  with  his 
land  forces,  through  the  Thracian  Chersonessus  to  Doricus. 
a  city  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Hebrus,  in  Thrace:  but  the 
fleet  steered  a  quite  difterent  course,  standing  to  the  west- 
ward for  the  promontory  of  Sarpedon,  where  they  were  com- 
manded to  attend  farther  orders.  Xerxes,  having  encamped 
in  the  large  plains  of  Doriscus,  and  judging  them  convenient 
for  reviewing  and  numbering  his  troops,  dispatched  orders  to 
his  admirals  to  bring  the  fleet  to  the  adjacent  shore,  that  he 


THE  BRIDGE  OF  XEIIXES.  689 

might  take  an  account  both  of  his  sea  and  land  forces.  His 
land  army,  upon  the  muster,  was  found  to  consist  of  one 
million  seven  hundred  thousand  foot,  and  fourscore  thousand 
horse  ;  which,  together  with  twenty  thousand  men  that  con- 
ducted the  camels,  and  took  care  of  the  baggage,  amounted 
to  one  million  eight  hundred  thousand  men.  His  fleet  con- 
sisted of  twelve  hundred  and  seven  large  ships,  and  three 
thousand  galleys  and  transports  :  on  board  of  all  these  vessels, 
there  were  found  to  be  five  hundred  and  seventeen  thousand 
six  hundred  and  ten  men.  So  that  the  whole  number  of  sea 
and  land  forces,  which  Xerxes  led  out  of  Asia  to  invade 
Greece,  amounted  to  two  millions  three  hundred  and  seven- 
teen thousand  six  hundred  and  ten  men. 

We  are  told,  that,  on  his  passing  the  Hellespont,  to  enter 
Europe,  an  inhabitant  of  that  country  cried  out:  "  O  Jupiter, 
why  art  thou  come  to  destroy  Greece,  in  the  shape  of  a 
Persian,  and  under  the  name  of  Xerxes,  with  all  mankind 
following  thee  ;  whereas  thy  own  power  is  sufficient  to  do  this, 
without  their  assistance?"  After  he  had  entered  Europe,  the 
nations  on  this  side  the  Hellespont  that  submitted  to  him, 
added  to  his  land  forces  three  hundred  thousand  more,  and 
two  bundled  and  twenty  ships  to  his  fleet,  on  board  of  which 
were  twenty-four  thousand  men.  So  that  the  whole  number 
of  his  forces,  when  he  arrived  at  Thermopylae,  was  two  millions 
six  hundred  and  forty-one  thousand  six  hundred  and  ten  men, 
without  including  servants,  eunuchs,  women,  sutlers,  and 
other  people  of  that  sort,  who  were  computed  to  equal  the 
number  of  the  forces  :  so  that  the  whole  multitude  of  persons 
that  followed  Xerxes  in  this  expedition,  amounted  to  five 
millions  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  thousand  two  hundred 
and  twenty.  Among  these  riiillions  of  men,  there  was  not  one 
that  could  vie  with  Xerxes,  either  in  comeliness  or  stature,  or 
that  seemed  more  worthy  of  that  great  empire.  But  this  is 
a  poor  recommendation,  when  unaccompanied  with  other 
qualifications  of  more  sterling  worth.  Accordingly,  Justin, 
after  he  has  mentioned  the  number  of  his  troops,  emphatically 
concludes,  "  but  this  vast  body  wanted  a  head."  iJesides  the 
subordinate  generals  of  each  nation,  who  commanded  the 
troops  of  their  respective  countries,  the  whole  army  was 
under  the  command  of  six  Persian  generals:  viz.  Mardonius, 
the  son  of  Gobryus  :  Triatatsechmes,  the  son  of  Artabanus  ; 
Smerdones,  the  son  of  Olanes  (the  two  latter  were  cousins  to 
Xerxes  ;)  Masistus,  the  son  of  Darius  by  Atossa;  Gerges,  the 
son  of  Ariazus;  and  Megabyzus,  the  son  of  the  celebrated 
Zopyrus.  The  ten  thousand  Persians,  who  were  called  the 
Immortal  Band,  obeyed  no  other  commander  but  Hydnrnes. 
The  fleet  was  commanded  })y  four  Persian  admirals  :  and  like- 
wise the  cavalry  had  their  particular  generals  and  commanders. 


AQO  CURIOSITIES — BASALTIC   AND   ROCKY. 

CHAP.  LVIII. 

BASALTIC  AND  ROCKY  CURIOSITIES. 
Giaut^s  Causeway —  Sinnc/iet/ge. 

Giant's  Causeway,  in  Ireland. — Tli*^  following  account 
is  taken  from  notes  of  a  mineralogical  excursion  to  the 
Giant's  Causeway,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Grierson,  as  published  in 
the  Annals  of  Philosophy. 

"  I  left  (says  the  Doctor)  Colerain  on  the  morning  of  Sept, 
17,  in  company  with  a  gentleman  of  that  place,  whose  obliging- 
ness, intelligence,  hospitality,  and  kindness,  afforded  me  a 
most  agreeable  specimen  of  the  Irish  character,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Giant's  Causeway.  The  day  was  charming;  and  it 
is  not  easy  for  me  to  express  the  gratification  I  felt,  as  we 
made  our  way  through  a  fine  and  gently  varied  district,  at 
the  idea  of  having  it  in  my  power  soon  to  contemplate  in 
favourable  circumstances  one  of  the  most  stupendous  and 
interesting  natural  phenomena,  that  are  any  where  to  be  seen. 
From  Coleraine  to  the.  Causeway  is  eight  miles  in  a  northerly 
direction,  and  I  could  observe  no  rock  on  our  way,  but  the 
trap  formation.  On  crossing  the  river  Bush,  at  the  village 
called  Bushmills,  the  country  begins  gradually  to  rise,  and  we 
descry,  about  two  miles  before  us,  a  ridge  of  considerable 
height,  seeming  to  terminate  quite  abruptly  on  the  other  side. 
What  we  perceive  is  the  land  side  of  the  precipice  of  the 
Giant's  Causeway.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  hill  of  basalt, 
with  nearly  perpendicular  columnar  concretions,  cut  in  two, 
as  it  were,  by  a  vertical  section,  and  the  half  of  the  hill  next 
the  sea  carried  away.  On  getting  in  front  of  this  precipice, 
which  you  do  by  a  pass  on  the  west  side  of  it,  a  most 
stupendous  scene  presents  itself.  The  precipice,  extending 
for  a  mile  or  two  along  the  shore,  is  in  many  places  quite 
perpendicular,  and  often  three  hundred  and  fifty  and  four 
hundred  feet  high,  consisting  of  pure  columnar  basalt,  some 
of  the  columns  fifty  feet  in  perpendicular  height,  straight  and 
smooth,  as  if  polished  with  a  chisel.  In  other  parts  the 
columns  are  smaller,  inclined,  or  bent;  and  a  less  length  of 
them  strikes  the  eye.  From  the  bottom  of  this  precipice 
issues,  with  a  gentle  slope  of  about  one  foot  in  thirty  towards 
the  sea,  an  immense  and  surprising  pavement,  as  it  were,  con- 
sisting of  the  upper  ends  of  the  fragments  of  vertical  columns 
of  basalt,  that  have  been  left  when  the  seaward  half  of  the 
basaltic  hill  was  carried  off.  The  ends  of  these  columns  are 
in   general    fifteen   or   twenty   inches    in    diameter,    some    of 


^"'  -«""•«>-"""    GIANTS   CAUSEWAY,   IN    IRELAND.  591 

them  of  three  sides,  some  four,  five,  six,  seven,  eight,  or  even 
nine.  Five  or  six  sides  seem  to  prevail  most.  From  the 
bottom  of  the  precipice  to  the  sea  at  low  water,  along  this 
pavement  or  causeway,  which,  from  the  artificial  appearance 
it  puts  on,  has  doubtless,  in  a  rude  age,  given  name  to  the 
place,  is  a  length  of  seven  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  It  has 
been  observed  to  proceed  into  the  ocean  as  far  as  can  be 
traced  by  the  eye  in  a  calm  and  clear  day.  To  any  person 
who  has  seen  both  this  place  and  StafFa,  the  idea  naturally 
enough  suggests  itself,  that  they  are  parts  of  the  same  once 
continuous  immense  bed  of  columnar  basalt. 

"  There  are  ])roperly  three  pavements  proceeding  into  the 
sea,  distinguished  by  the  names  of  the  Great  Causeway,  the 
Middle  Causeway,  and  the  West  Causeway.  These  are  three 
large  gently  sloping  ridges  of  the  ends  of  basaltic  columns, 
with  depressions  between  them,  covered  with  large  blocks  or 
masses,  that  seem  to  have  been  from  time  to  time  detached,  and 
rolled  from  the  precipice.  I  had  no  opportunity  of  perceiv- 
ing with  what  rocks  the  basalt  of  the  Giant's  Causeway  is 
connected.  I  am  told  conchoidal  white  lime-stone  meets  it 
on  both  the  east  and  west  sides.  There  is  in  one  place,  near 
the  east  side  of  the  Great  Causeway,  a  green-stone  vein,  eight 
or  ten  feet  wide,  intersecting  the  basalt  from  north-west  to 
south-east. 

"  There  was  now  pointed  out  to  us  by  the  guides  a  very 
rare  and  curious  phenomenon,  and  which  is  particularly 
interesting,  as  it  has  been  thought,  by  those  who  hold  the 
igneous  origin  of  basalt,  to  be  a  confirmation  of  their  doctrine. 
Nearly  opposite  to  the  West  Causeway,  and  within  about 
eighty  feet  of  the  top  of  the  cliff",  is  found  to  exist  a  quantity 
of  slags  and  ashes,  unquestionably  the  production  of  fire. 
On  ascending  to  this  spot,  which  can  be  easily  done,  I  found 
the  slags  and  ashes  deposited  in  a  sort  of  bed  about  four  feet 
thick,  and  running  horizontally  along  the  face  of  the  basaltic 
precipice  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  The  ashes  are  in  general 
observed  to  lie  underniost,  and  the  slags  above  them.  They 
are  covered  with  a  considerable  quantity  of  earth  and  stones, 
which  all  consist  of  basalt,  are  of  a  large  size,  some  of  them 
three  or  four  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  and  the  ashes  likewise 
rest  on  the  same  sort  of  materials.  What  struck  me  here  was, 
that  these  ashes  and  slags  are  entirely  unconnected  with  any 
rock  or  formation  which  seems  to  be  in  situ,  or  in  its  original 
position.  They  are  therefore,  in  my  opinion,  distinctly  arti- 
ficial, and  nothing  more  than  the  remains  of  some  large  and 
powerful  fire,  which  had  been  kept  burning  for  a  long  while 
on  the  top  of  this  precipice,  used  either  as  a  signal,  or  for 
some  other  purpose  which  we  cannot  now  ascertain  ;  and  that, 
owing  to  the  part  of  the  cliff"  on  which  the  ashes  were  lying 


692  CURIOSITIES — BASALTIC  AND   ROCKY. 

havinp;  given  way  and   tumbled   down,  they  have  been  tl 
buried  beneath  the  ruins,  and  there  remain. 

"  A  considerable  way  from  the  repository  of  the  ashes  a 
slags,  and  to  the  east  of  the  Great  Causeway,  is  another  cu 
ous  appearance.  Here,  in  the  pure  basalt,  seventy  or  eighvj' 
feet  from  the  top  of  the  cliff,  is  a  horizontal  bed  of  wood  coal, 
eight  feet  thick.  The  coal  to  all  appearance  rests  immediately 
on  the  basalt  below,  and  the  ends  of  perpendicular  basaltic 
columns  are  seen  distinctly  to  rest  on  it  above.  The  basalt  is 
not  in  the  least  changed  by  the  contact  of  the  coal,  nor  the 
coal  by  that  of  the  basalt.  The  coal  is  very  beautiful  and 
distinct,  and  in  one  place  is  seen  a  coalified  tree,  (if  I  may 
use  the  word,)  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  running  di- 
rectly in  below  the  basalt. 

"  Within  sight  of  this  spot,  and  about  three  hundred  yards  to 
the  east  of  it,  are  the  beautifully  conspicuous  basaltic  pillars, 
forty-five  feet  long,  and  vertical,  with  the  longest  ones  in  the 
middle,  and  others  gradually  shortening  towards  each  side, 
like  the  columns  of  an  organ.  From  this  appearance  they 
have  received  the  appropriate  name  of  The  Organ. 

"  At  the  bottom  of  this  cliff,  by  examining  and  breaking 
the  loose  columnar  pieces  of  the  rock  that  have  fallen  down, 
we  found  many  fine  specimens  of  calcedony,  zeolite,  and  semi- 
opal.  These  occur  in  cavities  in  the  basalt.  Sometimes  the 
cavity  is  not  completely  filled  with  the  calcedony  or  opal  ; 
and  when  that  is  the  case,  the  empty  space  is  observed  to  be 
always  the  upper  part  of  the  cavity,  while  the  rock  is  in  situ. 
Moreover,  the  surface  of  the  calcedony  or  opal,  next  to  the 
empty  space,  is  always  found  to  be  flat  and  horizontal,  which 
would  shew  that  the  substance  must  have  been  filtered  into 
its  situation  in  a  fluid  state,  and  afterwards  consolidated." 

Stonkhenge, — a  celebrated  monument  of  antiquity,  stands 
in  the  middle  of  a  flat  area,  near  the  summit  of  a  hill  six  miles 
from  Salisbury.  It  is  inclosed  by  a  circular  double  bank  and 
ditch  near  thirty  feet  broad,  after  crossing  which,  we  ascend 
thirty  yards  before  we  reach  the  work.  The  whole  fabric  con- 
sisted of  two  circles  and  two  ovals.  The  outer  circle  is  about 
one  hundred  and  eight  feet  diameter,  consistinjj,  when  entire, 
of  sixty  stones,  thirty  u])rights,  and  thirty  imposts,  of  which 
remain  only  twenty-four  uprights,  seventeen  standing,  and 
seven  down,  three  and  a  half  feet  asunder;  and  eight  imposts. 
Eleven  uprights  have  their  five  imposts  on  them  by  the  grand 
entrance.  These  stones  are  from  thirteen  to  twenty  feet  high. 
The  lesser  circle  is  somewhat  more  than  eight  feet  from  the  in- 
side of  the  outer  one,  and  consisted  of  forty  lesser  stones  (the 
highest  six  feet,)  of  which  only  nineteen  remain,  and  onlv 
eleven  standin<r:  the  walk  between  these  two  circles  is  three 


STONEHENGE.  593 

hundred  feet  in  circumference.  The  adytum,  or  cell,  is  an 
oval  formed  of  ten  stones,  (from  sixteen  to  twenty-two  feet 
high,)  in  pairs,  with  imposts,  which  Dr.  Stukeley  calls  trili- 
t/ions,  and  above  thirty  feet  high,  rising  in  height  as  they  go 
round,  and  each  pair  separate,  and  not  connected  as  the  outer 
pair;  the  highest  eight  feet.  Within  these  are  nineteen  smaller 
single  stones,  of  which  only  six  are  standing.  Three  of  the 
five  trilithons  at  the  west  end  fell  flat  westward,  levelling  also 
in  their  descent,  a  stone  of  the  second  circle  that  stood  in  the 
line  of  their  precipitation,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1797.  At  the 
upper  end  of  the  adytum  is  the  altar,  a  large  slab  of  blue 
coarse  marble,  twenty  inches  thick,  sixteen  feet  long,  and 
four  broad  ;  pressed  down  by  the  weight  of  the  vast  stunes 
that  have  fallen  upon  it.  The  whole  number  of  stones,  up- 
rights and  altar,  is  exactly  one  hundred  and  forty.  The  stones 
are  far  from  being  artificial,  but  were  most  probably  brought 
from  those  called  the  Grey  Weathers,  on  Marlborough  Downs, 
fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  otf;  and  if  tried  with  a  tool,  they  ap- 
pear of  the  same  hardness,  grain,  and  colour,  generally  reddish. 
The  heads  of  oxen,  deer,  and  other  beasts,  nave  been  found 
on  digging  in  and  about  Stonehenge  ;  and  human  bones  in 
the  circumjacent  barrows.  There  are  three  entrances  from 
the  plain  to  this  structure,  the  most  considerable  of  which  is 
from  the  north-east,  and  at  each  of  them  were  raised,  on  the 
outside  of  the  trench,  two  huge  stones,  with  two  smaller  within, 
parallel  to  them. 

It  has  long  been  a  dispute  among  the  learned,  by  wha' 
nation,  and  for  what  purpose,  these  enormous  stones  were 
collected  and  arranged.  The  first  account  of  this  structure 
we  meet  with,  is  in  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth,  who,  in  the  reign 
of  King  Stephen,  wrote  the  History  of  the  Britons,  in  Latin. 
He  tells  us,  that  it  was  erected  bv  the  counsel  of  Merlin,  the 
British  enchanter,  at  the  command  of  Aurelius  Amlirosius, 
the  British  king,  in  memory  of  four  hundred  and  sixty  Britons, 
who  were  murdered  by  Hengist  the  Saxon.  The  next  account 
is  that  of  Polydore  Virgil,  who  says  that  the  Britons  erected 
this  as  a  sepulchral  monument  of  Boadicea,  the  famous  British 
queen.  Inigo  Jones  is  of  opinion,  that  it  was  a  Roman  tem- 
ple, from  a  stone  sixteen  feet  long,  and  four  broad,  placed  in 
an  exact  position  to  the  east,  altar-fashion.  Mr.  Charlton 
attributed  it  to  the  Danes,  who  where  two  years  masters  of 
Wiltshire  :  a  tin  tablet,  on  which  were  some  unknown  cha- 
racters, supposed  to  be  Runic,  was  dug  up  near  it,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.  but  is  lost. 

Its  common  name,  Stonehenge,  is  Saxon,  and  signifies  a 
Stone  Gallows,  to  which  these  stones,  having  transverse  im- 
posts, bear  some  lesemblance.  It  is  also  called,  in  Welsh, 
Choir  Gawr,  or  the   Giant's  Dance.     INIr.  Grose  thinks  that 

4F 


594  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  CUSTOMS. 

Dr.  Stukeley  has  completely  proved  this  structure  to  have 
been  a  British  temple,  in  which  the  Druids  officiated.  He 
supposes  it  to  have  been  the  metropolitan  temple  of  Great: 
Britain,  and  translates  the  words  choir  gaivr,  the  great  choir,' 
or  temple.  Mr.  Bryant  is  of  opinion,  that  it  was  erected  by  a 
colony  of  Cuthites,  probably  before  the  time  of  the  Druids; 
because  it  was  usual  with  them  to  place  one  vast  stone  upon 
another,  for  a  religious  memorial ;  and  these  they  often  placed 
so  equally,  that  a  breath  of  wind  would  sometimes  make  them 
vibrate.  Of  such  stones,  one  remains  in  the  pile  of  Stone- 
henge.  The  ancients  distinguished  stones  erected  with  a  reli- 
gious view,  by  the  name  of  Amber;  by  which  was  signified 
any  thing  solar  and  divine.  The  Grecians  called  them  petr<E. 
ambrosia:.  Stonehenge,  according  to  Mr.  Bryant,  is  com- 
posed of  these  amber  stones:  hence  the  next  town  is  denomi- 
nated Amhresbury  ;  not  from  a  Roman  Anibrosius,  but  from 
the  amOrosia  pet ra,  in  whose  vicinity  it  stood.  Some  of  these 
were  Rocking  Stones;  and  there  was  a  wonderful  monument 
of  this  sort  near  Penzance,  in  Cornwall,  which  still  retains 
the  name  of  Main-amber,  or  the  Sacred  Stones.  Such  a  one 
is  mentioned  by  Apollonius  Rhodius,  supposed  to  have  been 
raised  in  the  time  of  the  Argonauts,  in  the  island  of  Tenos,  as 
the  monument  of  the  two-winged  sons  of  Boreas,  slain  by 
Hercules ;  and  there  are  others  in  China,  and  other  coun- 
tries. 


CHAP.  LIX. 

CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    THE    VARIOUS   CUSTOMS 
OF  MANKIND 

Curious  Demonstrations  of  Friendship — Singularities  of  different 
Nations  in  Hating — Female  Beauty  and  Ornaments — Various 
Modes  of  Salutation — Maiden — Ladjt/  of  the  Lamb — Curious 
Custom  respecting  Catching  a  Hare — Extraordinary  Ancient 
Custom, 


Customs, 


Though  they  be  never  so  ridiculous, 

Nay,  let  e'ln  be  unmanly,  yet  are  follow'd,  Shalupeare. 

Curious  Demonstrations  of  Friendship. — The  de- 
monstrations of  friendship  in  a  rude  state  have  a  savage  and 
gross  character,  which  it  is  not  a  little  curious  to  observe. 
The  Tartars  pull  a  man  by  the  ear  to  press  him  to  drink,  and 
they  continue  tormenting  him  till  he  opens  his  mouth ;  and 


DEMONSTRATIONS  OF  FRIENDSHIP.  55^6 

when  they  have  accomplished  their  object,  they  clap  their 
hands  and  dance  before  him. 

No  customs  seem  more  ridiculous,  than  those  practised  by 
a  Kamtschadale,  when  he  wishes  to  make  another  his  friend. 
He  first  invites  him  to  his  hut  to  eat.  If  the  invitation  is  ac- 
cepted, the  host  and  his  guest  strip  themselves  in  a  cabin, 
which  is  heated  to  an  uncommon  degree.  While  the  guest 
devours  the  food  with  which  they  serve  him,  the  other  con- 
tinually stirs  the  fire.  The  stranger  must  bear  the  excess  of 
the  heat,  as  well  as  of  the  repast.  He  discharges  the  food 
from  his  stomach  ten  times  before  he  will  yield  ;  but  at  length, 
obliged  to  acknowledge  himself  overcome,  lie  begins  to  com- 
|>ound  matters.  He  purchases  a  moment's  resiiite  by  a  present 
of  clothes  or  dogs;  for  his  host  tlireatens  to  heat  the  cabin, 
and  to  oblige  him  to  eat  till  he  dies.  The  stranger  has  the 
right  of  retaliation  allowed  to  him  :  he  treats  the  other  in  the 
same  manner,  and  exacts  the  same  presents.  Should  his  host  not 
accept  the  invitation  of  his  guest,  whom  he  has  so  handsomely 
regaled,  he  would  come  and  inhabit  his  cabin,  till  he  had 
obtained  from  him  the  presents  he  had  in  so  singular  a  manner 
given  to  him. 

For  this  extravagant  custom  a  curious  reason  has  been  al- 
leged. It  is  meant  to  put  the  person  to  a  trial,  where  friendship 
is  sought.  The  Kamtschadale,  who  is  at  the  expense  of  the 
fires  and  the  repast,  is  desirous  to  know  if  the  stranger  has 
the  strength  to  support  pain  with  him,  and  if  he  is  generous 
eiu^ugh  to  share  with  him  some  part  of  his  property.  While 
the  guest  is  employed  on  his  meal,  he  continues  heating  the 
cabin  to  an  insupportable  degree,  and,  as  a  last  proof  of  the 
stranger's  constancy  and  attachment,  he  exacts  more  clothes 
and  more  dogs.  The  host  passes  throuuh  the  same  ceremo- 
nies in  the  cabin  of  the  stranger;  and  he  shews  in  his  turn, 
with  what  degree  of  fortitude  he  can  defend  his  friend. — It  is 
thus  the  most  singular  customs  would  appear  simple,  if  it 
were  possible  for  the  philosopher  to  contemplate  them  on  the 
spot. 

As  a  distinguishing  mark  of  esteem,  two  friendly  Negroes 
of  Ardra  drink  out  of  one  cup  at  the  same  time.  The  king  of 
Loango  eats  in  one  house,  and  drinks  in  another.  A  Kamt- 
schadale kneels  before  his  guest;  he  cuts  an  enormous  slice 
from  a  sea-calf;  he  crams  it  entire  into  the  mouth  of  his 
friend,  furiously  crying  out.  Tana!  (There!)  and  cutting  away 
what  hangs  about  his  lips,  snatches  and  swallows  it  with 
avidity. 

Singularities  of  Different  Nations  in  Eating. — 
The  Maldivian  islanders  eat  alone.  They  retire  into  the  most 
hidden  parts  of  their  houses  ;  when  thev  draw  down  the  cloths 


596  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

that  serve  as  blinds  to  their  windows,  that  they  may  eat 
unobserved.  This  custom  probably  arises  from  the  savage, 
in  the  early  periods  of  society,  concealing  himself  to  eat,  from 
a  fear  that  another  with  as  sharp  an  appetite,  but  possessing  more 
bodily  strength  than  himself,  should  come  and  ravish  his  meal 
from  him.  The  powerful  ideas  of  witchcraft,  too,  are  widely 
spread  among  barbarians;  and  they  are  not  a  little  fearful 
that  some  incantation  may  be  made  use  of  while  devouring 
their  victuals. 

In  noticing  the  solitary  meal  of  the  Maldivian  islander, 
another  reason  may  be  alleged  for  this  misanthropical 
repast.  They  never  will  eat  with  any  one  who  is  inferior  to 
them  in  birth,  in  riches,  or  in  dignity;  and  as  it  is  a  difficult 
matter  to  settle  this  equality,  they  are  condemned  to  lead  this 
unsociable  life. 

On  the  contrary,  the  islanders  of  the  Philippines  are  remark- 
ably sociable.  Whenever  one  of  them  finds  liimself  without 
a  companion  to  partake  of  his  meal,  he  runs  till  he  meets  with 
one  ;  and  we  are  assured,  that,  however  keen  his  appetite  may 
be,  he  ventures  not  to  satisfy  it  without  a  guest. 

The  tables  of  the  rich  Chinese  shine  with  a  beautiful 
varnish,  and  are  covered  with  silk  carpets  very  elegantly 
worked.  They  do  not  make  use  of  plates,  or  knives  and 
forks:  every  guest  has  two  little  ivory  or  ebony  sticks,  which 
he  handles  very  adroitly. 

The  Otaheiteans,  who  are  lovers  of  society,  and  very  gentle 
in  their  manners,  feed  separately  from  each  other.  At  the  hour 
of  repast,  the  members  of  each  family  divide;  two  brothers, 
two  sisters,  and  even  husband  and  wife,  father  and  mother, 
have  each  their  respective  basket. 

They  place  themselves  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  yards 
from  each  other;  they  turn  their  backs  to  their  companions, 
and  take  their  meal  in  profound  silence. 

Various  are  the  opinions  and  customs  of  mankind  with 
respect  to  Female  Beauty  and  Ornaments, — as  will  be 
perceived  from  the  following  prejudices  of  different  nations. 

The  ladies  in  Japan  gild  their  teeth  ;  and  those  of  the  Indies 
paint  them  red.  The  blackest  teeth  are  esteemed  the  most 
beautiful  in  Guzerat,  and  in  some  parts  of  America.  In 
Greenland  the  women  colour  their  faces  with  blue  and  yellow  ; 
and  a  Muscovite  lady  would  consider  her  beauty  incomplete, 
unless  she  were  plastered  over  with  paint,  however  prodigal 
nature  may  have  been  in  her  gifts.  The  Chinese  must  have 
their  feet  as  diminutive  as  those  of  the  she-goats,  and  to  ren- 
der them  thus,  their  youth  is  passed  in  tortures.  In  ancient 
Persia,  an  aquiline  nose  was  often  thought  worthy  of  the 
crown  ;  and  if  there  was  any  competitiDn  between  two  princes. 


\ 


FEMALE   BErtUTY   AND  ORNAMENTS.  597 

the  people  2;enerally  went  by  this  criterion  of  majesty.  In 
some  countries,  the  mothers  break  the  noses  of  their  children  ; 
and  others  press  the  head  between  two  boards,  that  it  may 
become  square.  The  modern  Persians  have  a  strong  aversion 
to  red  hair  :  the  Turks,  on  the  contrary,  are  warm  admirers  of 
it.  The  Indian  beauty  is  thickly  smeared  with  bear's  fat ; 
while  the  female  Hottentot  regrets  not  the  absence  of  silks 
and  wreaths  of  flowers,  if  she  can  but  receive  from  the 
hand  of  her  lover  the  warm  entrails  and  reeking  tripe  of 
animals  he  has  just  slaughtered,  that  she  may  deck  herself 
with  these  enviable  ornaments. 

In  China,  small  eves  are  liked  ;  and  the  girls  are  continually 
plucking  their  eyebrows,  that  they  may  be  small  and  long.  The 
Turkish  women  dip  a  gold  brush  in  the  tincture  of  a  black 
drug,  which  they  pass  over  their  eyebrows.  This  is  too 
visible  by  day,  but  it  looks  shining  by  night.  They  also 
tinge  their  nails  with  a  rose  colour. 

An  ornament  for  the  nose  appears  to  us  perfectly  unnecces- 
sary.  The  Peruvians,  however,  think  otherwise;  and  they 
bang  on  it  a  weighty  ring,  the  thickness  of  which  is  regulated 
by  the  rank  of  their  husbands.  The  custom  of  boring  the 
nose,  as  our  ladies  do  their  ears,  is  very  common  in  several 
nations.  Through  the  perforation  are  hung  various  materials; 
such  as  green  crystal,  gold,  stones,  a  single  and  sometimes 
a  great  number  of  gold  rings,  which  become  at  times  rather 
troublesome  to  them. 

The  female  head-dress  is  carried  in  some  countries  to 
singular  extravagance.  The  Chinese  fair  carries  on  her  head 
the  figure  of  a  certain  bird.  This  bird  is  composed  of  copper 
or  of  gold,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  person  :  the  wings 
spread  out,  fall  over  the  front  of  the  head-dress,  and  conceal 
the  temples  ;  the  tail,  long  and  open,  forms  a  beautiful  tuft 
of  feathers  ;  the  beak  covers  the  top  of  the  nose  ;  the  neck 
is  fastened  to  the  body  of  the  artificial  animal  by  a  spring, 
that  it  may  the  more  freely  play,  and  tremble  at  the  slightest 
motion. 

The  extravagance  of  the  Myantses  is  far  more  ridiculous 
than  the  above.  They  carry  on  their  heads  a  slight  board, 
rather  longer  than  the  foot,  and  about  six  inches  broad:  with 
this  they  cover  their  hair,  and  seal  it  with  wax.  They  cannot 
lie  down,  nor  lean,  without  keeping  the  neck  very  straight ; 
and  the  country  being  very  woody,  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
find  them  witli  their  head-dress  entangled  in  the  trees.  When- 
ever they  comb  their  hair,  they  pass  an  hour  by  the  fire  in 
melting  the  wax  ;  but  this  combing  is  only  performed  once  or 
twice  a  year. 

To  this  curious  account,  extracted  from  Duhalde,  we  must 
join  that  of  the   inhabitants  of  the  land  of  Natal.      They  wear 


698  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  CUSTOMS. 

caps  or  bonnets,  from  six  to  ten  inches  high,  composed  oi 
the  fat  of  oxen.  They  then  gradually  anoint  the  head  with 
a  purer  grease,  which  mixing  with  the  hair,  fastens  these 
bonnets  for  their  lives. 

The  reader  will  be  amused  with  the  following  account  of 
The  Various  Modes  of  Salutation. — When  men,  says 
the  compiler  of  L' Esprit  des  Usages  et  des  Coutumes,  salute 
each  other  in  an  amicable  manner,  it  signifies  little  whether 
they  move  a  particular  part  of  the  body,  or  practise  a  parti- 
cular ceremony.  In  these  actions  there  must  exist  different 
customs.  Every  nation  imagines  it  employs  the  most  reason- 
able ones.  This  infinite  number  of  ceremonies  may  be 
reduced  to  two  kinds;  to  reverences  or  salutations,  and 
to  the  touch  of  some  part  of  the  human  body.  Modes  of 
salutation  have  very  different  characters,  and  it  is  not  un- 
interesting to  examine  their  shades.  Many  display  a  refine- 
ment of  delicacy ;  while  others  are  remarkable  for  their 
simplicity,  or  sensibility. 

The  islanders  near  the  Philippines  take  the  hand  or  foot 
of  him  they  salute,  and  with  it  they  gently  rub  their  face. 
The  Laplanders  apply  their  nose  strongly  against  that  of  the 
persons  they  salute.  Dampier  says,  that  at  New  Guinea  they 
are  satisfied  in  placing  on  their  heads  the  leaves  of  trees, 
which  have  ever  passed  for  symbols  of  friendship  and  peace. 
Other  salutations  are  very  incommodious  :  it  requires  great 
practice  to  enable  a  man  to  be  polite  in  an  island  in  the 
straits  of  the  Sound.  Houtman  tells  us,  "  they  raised  his 
left  foot,  which  they  passed  gently  over  the  right  leg,  and 
thence  over  his  face."  The  inhabitants  of  the  Philippines 
bend  their  bodies  very  low,  ir  placing  their  hands  on  their 
cheeks,  and  raising  at  the  same  time  one  foot  in  the  air,  with 
their  knee  bent.  An  Ethiopian  takes  the  robe  of  another, 
and  ties  it  about  his  own  waist,  so  that  he  leaves  his  friend 
half  naked.  This  custom  of  undressing  takes  other  forms : 
sometimes  men  place  themselves  naked  before  the  person 
whom  they  salute,  to  sliow  their  humility,  and  that  they  are 
unworthy  of  a  covering  in  his  presence.  This  was  practised 
before  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  when  he  received  the  visit  of  two 
Otaheitan  ladies.  Their  innocent  simplicity  did  not  appear 
immodest  in  the  eyes  of  the  virtuoso.  Sometimes  they  only 
undress  partially.  The  Japanese  only  take  off  a  slipper;  the 
people  of  Arracan  their  sandals  in  the  street,  and  their 
stockings  in  the  house.  The  grandees  of  Spain  claim  the 
right  of  appearing  covered  before  the  king,  to  shew  tliat  they 
are  not  so  much  subjected  to  him  as  the  rest  of  the  nation. 

Snelgrave  gives  an  odd  representation  of  the  embassy 
which  the  king  of  Dahomy  sent  to  him.     The  ceremonies  of 


MODES   OF   SALUTATION. — THE   MAIDEN.  599 

salutations  consisted  in  the  most  ridiculous  contortions. 
When  two  negro  monarchs  visit,  they  salute  by  snapping 
three  times  the  middle  finger.  Barbarous  nations  frequently 
imprint  on  their  salutations  their  character.  When  the 
inhabitants  of"  Carmena  (says  Athenaius)  would  shew  a  pecu- 
liar mark  of  esteem,  they  breatlied  a  vein,  and  presented  for 
the  beverage  of  their  frieud  the  blood  as  it  issued.  The 
Franks  tore  hair  from  their  head,  and  presented  it  to  the  per- 
son whom  they  saluted.  The  slave  cut  his  hair,  and  offered 
it  to  his  master.  The  Chinese  are  singularly  affected  in  their 
personal  civilities:  they  ev  .n  calculate  the  number  of  their 
reverences.  The  men  move  their  hands  in  an  affectionate 
manner,  while  they  are  joined  together  on  their  breast,  and 
bow  their  head  a  little.  If  two  persons  meet  after  a  long 
separation,  they  both  fall  on  their  knees  and  bend  their  faces 
to  the  earth,  and  this  they  repeat  two  or  three  times.  They 
substitute  artificial  ceremonies  for  natural  actions.  Their 
expressions  mean  as  little  as  their  ceremonies.  If  a  Chinese 
is  asked  how  he  finds  himself  in  health?  He  answers,  "  Very 
well,  thanks  to  your  abundant  felicity."  If  they  would  tell 
a  man  that  he  looks  well,  they  say,  "  Prosperity  is  painted  on 
your  face;"  or,  "Your  air  announces  your  happiness."  All  these 
and  many  other  answers  are  prescribed  by  the  Chinese  academy 
of  compliments.  There  are  determined  the  number  of  bows, 
the  expressions  to  be  employed,  the  genuflections,  and  the 
inclinations  to  be  made  to  the  right  or  left  hand,  the  saluta- 
tions of  the  master  before  the  chair,  where  the  stranger  is  to 
be  seated,  for  he  salutes  it  most  profoundly,  and  wipes  the 
dust  away  with  the  skirts  of  his  robe.  The  lower  class  of 
people  are  equally  nice  in  these  punctilios;  and  ambassadors 
pass  forty  days  in  practising  them  before  they  can  appear  at 
court.  A  tribunal  of  ceremonies  has  been  erected,  and  every 
day  very  odd  decrees  are  issued,  to  which  the  Chinese  most 
religiously  submit.  The  marks  of  honour  are  frequently 
arbitrary  :  to  be  seated,  with  us,  is  a  mark  of  repose  and 
familiarity;  to  stand  up.  that  of  respect.  There  are  countries, 
however,  in  which  princes  will  only  be  addressed  by  persons 
who  are  seated,  and  it  is  considered  as  a  favour  to  be  per- 
mitted to  stand  in  their  presence.  This  custom  prevails  in 
despotic  countries:  a  despot  cannot  suffer,  without  disgust, 
the  elevated  figure  of  his  subjects;  he  is  pleased  to  bend  theii 
bodies  with  their  genius;  his  presence  must  lay  those  who 
behold  him  prostrate  on  the  earth  ;  he  desires  no  eagerness, 
no  attention;  he  would  only  inspire  terror. 

We  shall  next  give  an  account  of  The  Maiden. — This 
term  is  applied  to  an  ancient  English  custom,  or,  more 
properly,  to  an  instrument  for  beheading  criminals  ;  of  the  use 


600  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

and  form  of  which  Mr.  Pennant  gives  the  following  account: 
"  It  seems  to  have  been  confined  to  the  limits  of  the  forest  of 
Hardvvick,  or  the  ei<2,hteen  towns  and  hamlets  within  its  pre- 
cincts. The  time  when  this  custom  took  place  is  unknown  ; 
whether  Earl  Warren,  lord  of  this  forest,  might  have  estab- 
lished it  among-  the  sanguinary  laws  then  in  use  against  the 
invaders  of  the  huntino-  riiihts,  or  whether  it  mipht  not  take 
place  after  the  woollen  manufactures  at  Halifax  began  to  gain 
strength,  is  uncertain.  The  last  is  very  probable,  for  the  wild 
country  around  the  town  was  inhabited  by  a  lawless  set.  whose 
depredations  on  the  cloth-tenters  might  soon  stifle  the  efforts 
of  infant  industry.  For  the  protection  of  trade,  and  for  the 
greater  terror  of  offenders  by  speedy  execution,  tliis  custom 
seems  to  be  established,  so  as  at  last  to  receive  the  force  of 
law,  which  was  'That  if  a  felon  be  taken  within  the  liberty  of 
the  forest  of  Hardwick,  with  goods  stolen  out,  or  within  the 
said  precincts,  either  handhaband,  backberand,  or  confes- 
sioned,  to  the  value  of  tiiirteen-pence-halfpenny,  he  shall,  after 
three  market  days,  or  meeting  days,  within  the  town  of  Hali- 
fax, next  after  such  his  apprehension,  and  being  condemned, 
be  taken  to  the  gibbet,  and  there  have  his  head  cut  fro»n  his 
body.'  The  offender  had  always  a  fair  trial  ;  fcr  as  soon  as  he 
was  taken,  he  was  brouoht  to  the  lord's  bttiiiff",  at  Halifax  :  he 
was  then  exposed  to  the  three  markets,  (which  here  were  held 
thrice  in  a  week,)  placed  in  the  stocks,  with  the  goods  stolen 
on  his  back,  or,  if  the  theft  was  of  the  cattle  kind,  they  were 
placed  by  him  ;  and  this  was  done  both  to  strike  terror  into 
others,  and  to  ))roduce  new  informations  against  him. 

'  The  bailiff'  then  summoned  four  freeholders  of  eacii  town 
within  the  forest,  to  form  a  jury.  The  felon  and  prosecutors 
were  brought  face  to  face;  and  the  goods,  the  cow,  or  horse, 
or  whatsoever  was  stolen,  produced.  If  he  was  found  guilty, 
he  was  remanded  to  prison,  had  a  week's  time  allowed  for 
preparation,  and  then  was  conveyed  to  this  spot,  where  his 
head  was  struck  oflf  with  this  machine.  I  should  have  pre- 
mised, that  if  the  criminal,  either  on  apprehension,  or  in  the 
way  of  execution,  should  escape  out  of  the  limits  of  the  forest, 
(part  being  close  to  the  town.)  the  bailiff'  had  no  further  power 
over  him  ,  but  if  he  should  be  caught  witliin  the  precincts  at 
any  time  after,  he  was  immediately  executed  on  his  former 
sentence. 

*'  This  privilege  was  very  freely  used  during  the  reign  OT 
Elizabeth;  the  records  before  that  time  are  lost.  Twenty- 
five  suflTered  in  her  reign,  and  at  least  twelve  from  1623  to 
1650;  after  which,  I  believe,  the  privilege  was  no  more  ex- 
erted. 

"  This  machine  of  leath  is  now  destroyed  ;  but  1  saw  one 
of  the  same  kind   in  a  room  under  the   parliament-house  at 


LADY  OF  THE  LAMB. — CATCHING  A  HARE,  ETC.    601 

Edinburgn,  where  it  was  introduced  by  the  regent  Morton, 
who  took  a  model  of  it  as  he  passed  through  Halifax,  and  at 
length  suffered  by  it  himself.  It  is  in  form  of  a  painter's  easel, 
and  about  ten  feet  high  :  at  four  feet  from  the  bottom  is  a 
cross  bar,  on  which  the  felon  lays  his  head,  which  is  kept 
down  by  another  placed  above.  In  the  inner  edges  of  the 
frames  are  grooves  ;  in  these  is  placed  a  sharp  axe,  with  a  vast 
weight  of  leail,  supported  at  the  very  sunanit  with  a  i»eg  :  to 
that  peg  is  fas^tened  a  cord,  which  the  executioner  cutting,  the 
axe  falls,  and  does  the  affair  effectually,  without  sufferino-  the 
unha|3py  criminal  to  undergo  a  repetition  of  strokes,  as  has 
been  the  case  in  the  common  method.  I  must  add,  tiiat  if  the 
sufferer  is  condemned  for  stealing  a  horse  or  a  cow,  the  string 
is  tied  to  the  beast,  which,  on  being  whipped,  pulls  out  the 
peg,  and  becomes  the  executioner."  This  apparatus  is  now 
in  possession  of  the  Scottish  Antiquarian  Society. 

Lady  of  the  Lamb. — At  Kidlington,  in  Oxfordshire,  there 
is  a  custom,  that  on  the  next  Monday  after  Whitsun-week, 
there  is  a  fat  live  lamb  provided,  and  the  maiils  of  the  town, 
having  their  thumbs  tied  behind  them,  run  after  it;  and  she 
that  with  her  mouth  takes  and  holds  the  lamb,  is  declared 
Lady  of  the  Lamb, — which  being  dressed  by  the  butcher,  with 
the  skin  hanging  on,  is  carried  on  a  long  pole  before  the  lady 
and  her  companions  to  the  green,  attended  with  music,  and 
a  morisco-dance  of  men,  and  another  of  women,  where  the 
rest  of  the  day  is  spent  in  dancing,  mirth,  and  merry  glee. 
The  next  day  the  lamb  is  part  baked,  boiled,  and  roasted,  for 
the  lady's  feast;  where  she  sits  majestically,  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  table,  and  her  companions  with  her,  with  music  and 
other  attendants,  which  ends  the  ceremony. 

The  following  is  a  Curious  Custom  Respecting  catch- 
ing a  Hare. — They  have  an  ancient  custom  at  Coleshill,  in 
the  county  of  Warwick,  that  if  the  young  rnen  of  the  town  can 
catch  a  hare,  and  bring  it  to  the  parson  of  the  parish,  before 
ten  of  the  clock  on  Easter  Monday,  the  parson  is  bound  to 
give  them  a  calPs  head,  and  an  hundred  of  eggs  for  their 
breakfast,  and  a  groat  in  money. 

This  chapter  concludes  with  an  account  of  an  Extraordi- 
nary Ancient  Custom.— A  court,  called  Lawless  Court,  is 
held  annually  on  Kingshill,  at  Rochford,  in  Essex,  on  Wed- 
nesday morning  next  after  Michaelmas-day,  at  cock-crowing, 
at  which  court  the  whole  of  tlie  business  is  transacted  in  a 
whisper;  no  candle  is  allowed  in  the  court,  nor  any  pen  and 
ink,  but  the  proceedings  are  written  with  a  piece  of  charcoal, 
and  he  that  holds  suit  and  service  there,  and  does  not  appear, 

4G 


602  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

forfeits  double  the  amount  of  his  rent  to  the  lord  of  the  manor 
This  court  is  mentioned  by  Camden,  who  says,  "  the  servile 
attendance  was  imposed  on  the  tenants  for  conspiring  at  the 
like  unseasonable  time  to  raise  a  commotion."  It  belongs  to 
the  honour  of  Raleigh,  and  is  called  Lawless,  because  held  at 
an  unlawful  hour,  or,  quia  dicta  sine  lege. 


CHAP.  LX. 

CURIOSITIES      RESPECTING     THE     CUSTOMS     OF     MANKIND.—  - 

( Continued.) 

Marriage  Ceremonies  oj  different  Nations — Marriage  Custom  of 
the  Japanese — Bacon  Flitch  Custom  at  Dunmow,  Essex — On 
the  Origin  of  Rings  in  general — Matrimonial  Ring — Extra- 
ordinary Marriage  Custom — Hand- Fasting. 

Tho*  fools  spurn  Hymen's  gentle  pow'rs, 
They  who  improve  his  jfolden  hours, 

By  sweet  experience  know, 
That  marriage,  rightly  understood, 
Gives  to  the  tender  and  the  good 

A  paradise  below.  Cotton. 

Marriage  Ceremonies  of  different  Nations. — 
Marriage  ceremonies  vary  in  different  countries,  and  at 
different  times.  Where  the  practice  is  to  purchase  a  wife,  whe- 
ther among  savages,  or  among  luxurious  people  in  hot  climates, 
payment  of  the  price  completes  this  marriage,  without  any 
other  ceremony.  Other  ceremonies,  however,  are  sometimes 
practised.  In  old  Rome,  the  bride  was  attended  to  the  bride- 
groom's house,  with  a  female  slave  carrying  a  distaff"  and  a 
spindle,  importing  that  she  ought  to  spin  for  the  family. 
Among  the  savages  of  Canada,  and  of  neighbouring  countries, 
a  strap,  a  kettle,  and  a  faggot,  are  put  in  the  bride's  cabin,  as 
symbols  of  her  duty,  viz.  to  carry  burdens,  to  dres*  victuals, 
and  to  provide  wood.  On  the  other  hand,  the  bride,  in  token 
of  her  slavery,  takes  her  axe,  cuts  wood,  bundles  it  up,  and 
lays  it  before  the  door  of  the  bridegroom's  hut.  All  the 
salutation  she  receives  is,  "  It  is  time  to  go  to  rest."  The 
inhabitants  of  Sierra  Leone,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  have  in 
all  their  towns  a'  boarding-school,  where  young  ladies  are 
educated  for  a  year,  under  the  care  of  a  venerable  old  gentle- 
man. When  their  education  is  completed,  they  are  carried 
in  their  best  attire  to  a  public  assembly  ;  which  may  be 
termed  a  matrimonial  market,  because  there  young  men  cou- 


MARRIAGE   CERKIMONIES.  603 

vene  to  make  a  choice.  Those  who  fit  themselves  to  their 
fancy  pay  the  dowry;  and,  over  and  above,  reward  the  old 
superintendant  for  his  extraordinary  care  in  educating  the 
bride.  In  the  island  of  Java,  the  bride,  in  token  of  subjection, 
washes  the  bridegroom's  feet;  and  this  is  a  capital  ceremony. 
In  Russia,  the  bride  presents  to  the  bridegroom  a  bundle  of 
rods,  to  be  used  against  her  when  she  deserves  to  be  chas- 
tised ;  and  at  the  same  time  she  pulls  off"  his  boots.  Very 
different  were  the  manners  of  Peru  before  the  Spanish  con- 
quest. The  bridegroom  carried  shoes  to  the  bride,  and  put 
them  on  with  his  own  hands  •  but  there,  purchasing  wives 
is  unknown.  Marriage  ceremonies  in  Lapland  are  directed 
by  the  same  principle.  It  is  the  custom  there,  for  a  man  to 
make  presents  to  his  children  of  rein-deer;  and  young  women 
who  have  a  large  stock  of  these  animals,  have  lovers  in 
plenty.  A  young  man  looks  for  such  a  wife  at  a  fair,  or  at  a 
meeting  for  paying  taxes.  Being  solicitous,  in  particular,  to 
have  an  eloquent  pleader,  he  carries  to  the  house  of  the  young 
woman  some  of  his  relations.  They  are  all  admitted  except 
the  lover,  who  must  wait  till  he  be  called  in.  After  drinking 
some  spirits,  brought  with  them  for  the  purpose,  the  spokes- 
man addresses  the  father  in  humble  terms,  bowing  the  knee,  as 
if  he  were  introduced  to  a  prince.  He  styles  him  the  worship- 
ful father,  the  high  and  mighty  father,  the  best  and  most 
illustrious  father,  &c. 

The  marriage  ceremonies  among  the  Hottentots  are  of 
a  singular  nature.  After  all  matters  are  adjusted  among  the 
old  people,  the  young  couple  are  shut  up  by  themselves  ;  and 
pass  the  night  in  struggling  for  superiority,  which  proves  a 
very  serious  work,  where  the  bride  is  reluctant.  If  she 
persevere  to  the  last  without  yielding,  the  young  man  is 
discarded  ;  but,  if  he  prevail,  which  commonly  happens,  the 
marriage  is  completed  by  another  ceremony,  no  less  singular. 
The  men  and  women  squat  on  the  ground  in  difl^erent  circles, 
the  bridegroom  in  the  centre  of  one,  and  the  bride  in  the 
centre  of  another,  where  ceremonies  of  a  most  indelicate 
nature  take  place.  The  ceremonies  among  the  present  Greeks 
ai"e  no  less  remarkable.  Among  other  particulars,  the  bride- 
groom and  bride  walk  three  rounds  ;  during  which  they  are 
kicked  and  cutfed  heartily.  Tournefort  adds,  that  he  only 
and  his  companions  forbore  to  join  in  the  ceremony  ;  which 
was  ascribed  to  their  rusticity,  and  ignorance  of  polite  man- 
ners. Marriage  ceremonies  among:  the  Kamtschadales  are 
extremely  whimsical.  A  young  man,  after  making  his  pro- 
posals, enters  into  the  presence  of  his  intended  father-in-law. 
If  he  prove  agreeable,  he  is  admitted  to  the  trial  of  the  touch. 
The  young  woman  is  swaddled  up  in  leathern  thongs,  and  in 
that  condition   is  put  under  the  guard  of  some  old  women« 


604  CDKIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

Watching  every  opportunity  of  a  slack  guard,  he  endeavours 
to  uncase  her,  in  order  to  touch  what  is  always  the  most  con- 
cealed. The  bride  must  resist,  in  appearance  at  least ;  and 
therefore  cries  out  for  her  guards,  who  fail  with  fury  on  the 
bridegroom,  tear  his  hair,  scratch  his  face,  and  act  in  violent 
opposition.  The  attempts  of  the  lover  sometimes  prove 
unsuccessful  for  months;  but  the  moment  the  touch  is 
achieved,  the  bride  testifies  her  satisfaction,  by  pronouncing 
the  word  fsi,  N/,  witii  a  soft  and  loving  voice.  The  next  night 
they  associate  together  without  any  opposition. 

One  marriage  ceremony  among  the  island  negroes  is  singu- 
lar. As  soon  as  preliminaries  are  adjusted,  the  bridegroom, 
with  a  number  of  his  companions,  set  out  at  night,  and  sur- 
round the  house  of  the  bride,  as  if  intending  to  carry  her  off 
by  force.  She  and  her  female  attendants,  pretending  to  make 
all  possible  resistance,  cry  aloud  for  help,  but  no  person 
appears.  This  resembles  strongly  a  marriage  ceremony  that 
is,  or  was,  customary  in  Wales.  On  the  morninp;  of  the  wed- 
ding-day, the  bridegroom,  accompanied  with  his  friends  on 
horseback,  demands  the  bride.  Her  friends,  who  are  likewise 
'an  horseback,  give  a  positive  refusal ;  upon  which  a  mock 
scuffle  ensues.  The  bride,  mounted  behind  her  nearest  kins- 
man, is  carried  off,  and  is  pursued  by  the  bridegroom  and  his 
friends,  with  loud  shouts.  It  is  not  uncommon  on  such  an 
occasion  to  see  two  or  three  hundred  sturdy  Cambro-Britons 
riding  at  full  speed,  crossing  and  jostling,  to  the  no  small 
amusement  of  the  spectators.  When  they  have  fatigued  them- 
selves and  their  horses,  the  bridegroom  is  suffered  to  overtake 
his  bride.  He  leads  her  away  in  triumph,  and  the  scene  is 
concluded  with  feasting  and  festivity.  The  same  marriage 
ceremony  was  usual  in  Muscovy,  Lithuania,  and  Livonia,  as 
reported  by  Olaus  Magnus. 

Marriage  Custom  or  the  Japanese. — A  very  singular 
custom  at  the  marriages  of  the  Japanese,  is,  that  the  teeth  of 
the  bride  are  made  black  by  some  corrosive  liquid.  The  teeth 
remain  black  ever  after,  and  serve  to  shew  that  a  woman  is 
married,  or  a  widow.  Another  circumstance  is,  at  the  birth 
of  every  child,  to  plant  a  tree  in  a  garden  or  court-yard,  which 
attains  its  full  growth  in  as  many  years  as  a  man  requires  to 
be  mature  for  the  duties  of  marriao-e.  When  he  marries,  the 
tree  is  cut  down,  and  the  wood  is  made  into  chests  and  boxes, 
to  contain  the  clothes  and  other  things  which  are  made  for 
the  new-married  couple. 

The  Japanese  may  marry  as  often  as  they  please  :  marriages 
with  sisters  are  prohibited,  but  they  can  marry  any  other  re- 
lative. 


BACON    FI.ITCIl    CUSTOM,   AT    DUNMOW.  605 

Bacon  Flitch  Custom  at  Dunmovv,  Essex. — Many 
persons  who  are  so  often  jocular  about  a  certain  "  Flitch  of 
Bacon,"  with  those  who  are  supposed  to  be  in  a  nuich  happier 
state  than  themselves,  are  not  always  familiar  with  the  origin 
of  this  institution,  and  with  the  whimsical  rhyming  oath  to  be 
taken  with  the  Hitch.  Old  Fuller  has  preserved  it,  in  his  very 
scarce  work  of  the  Worthies  ;  and  it  will  probably  amuse  those 
who  have  more  wit  than  reading  on  this  occasion. 

The  celebrated  flitch  of  bacon  of  Dunmow,  in  Essex,  which 
can  only  be  claimed,  without  perjury,  by  a  select  few  in  the 
married  state,  was  a  jocular  institution  by  the  monks  of  a 
monastery,  in  the  priory  of  Dunmovv,  in  Essex.  Fuller  observes, 
that  these  mortified  men  would  be  mirthful  at  times,  as  hereby 
may  a|)])ear. — 

"  Any  person  from  any  part  of  England,  coming  hither,  and 
liumbly  kneeling  on  two  stones  at  the  churcii  door  (which  are 
yet  to  be  seen,)  before  the  priory  or  convent,  might  demand 
a  gannnon  or  flitch  of  bacon,  upon  the  solemn  taking  of  the 
)>rescribed  oath. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  register  of  the  form  and 
ceremony  observed  on  a  claim  made  more  than  a  century  ago, 
to  this  flitch  of  bacon,  by  William  Parsley,  of  Much-Easton, 
and  Jane,  his  wife. 

Dunmow,  Nuper. — At  a  court  baron  of  the  Priorat'  right 
worsiiipful  Sir  Tliomas  May,  knight,  there  holden  upon  Friday 
the  seventh  of  June,  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  our 
sovereign  Lord  William  III.  by  the  grace  of  God,  &,c.  and  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord,  1701,  before  Thomas  Wheeler,  gent 
steward  of  the  said  manor.     It  is  thus  enrolled  : — 

J-  r  "  EtiZAnKTH  BiiAi'MONT,  spinster,  "-^ 

o  \      HKNRir.TTA  Bkaumont,  spinster,  #      s-i 

5  •.      Annai'.klla  Bkaumont,  spinster,       -      S 

a^  /     .lAMi  Ukaumont,  spinster,  i       S- 

^  V     Mary  Wuiai-ii,  spinster.    .  J 

"  Be  it  remembered,  that  at  this  court,  in  full  and  open 
court,  it  is  found,  and  presented  by  the  homage  aforesaid,  that 
William  Parsley,  of  Much-Easton,  in  the  county  of  Essex, 
butcher,  and  Jane  his  wife,  have  been  married  for  the  space  ot 
three  years  the  last  |)ast,  and  upward  ;  and  it  is  likewise  found, 
|)resented,  and  adjudged,  by  the  homage  aforesaid,  that  the 
said  William  Parsley,  and  Jane  his  wife,  bv  means  of  tlieir 
quiet,  peaceable,  tender,  and  loving  cohabitation,  for  the 
space  of  time  aforesaid,  (as  appears  by  the  said  homage,)  are 
fit  and  qualified  persons  to  be  admitted  by  the  court  to  receive 
the  ancient  and  accustomed  oath,  wliereby  to  entitle  them- 
selves to  have  the  bacon  of  Dunmow  delivered  unto  them, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  manor. 

"Whereupon,  at  this  co  \rt,  in  full  and  open  court,  came 


606  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

the  snid  William  Parsley,  and  Jane  his  wife,  in  their  proper 
persons,  and  humbly  prayed,  they  might  be  admitted  to  take 
the  oath  aforesaid;  whereupon  the  said  steward,  with  the 
ury,  suitors,  and  other  officers  of  the  court,  proceeded,  with 
the  usual  solemnity,  to  the  ancient  and  accustomed  place  for 
the  administration  of  the  oath  and  receiving  the  gammon 
aforesaid,  (that  is  to  say)  the  two  great  stones  lyin^  near  the 
church  door,  within  the  said  manor;  where  the  said  William 
Parsley,  and  Jane  his  wife,  kneeling  down  on  the  said  two 
stones,  and  the  said  steward  did  administer  unto  them  the 
above-mentioned  oath  in  these  words,  or  to  this  effect  fol- 
lowing, viz. 

You  do  swear  by  custom  of  confession. 
That  you  ne'er  made  nuptial  transgression; 
Nor  since  you  were  married  man  and  wife. 
By  household  brawls,  or  contentious  strife, 
Or  otherwise,  in  bed  or  at  board, 
Offended  each  other  in  deed  or  in  word ; 
Or  in  a  twelve  montiis'  time  and  a  day, 
Repented  not  in  thought  any  way  ; 
Or  since  the  church  clerk  said  Amen, 
Wish'd  yourselves  unmarried  again  ; 
But  continue  true,  and  in  desire 
As  when  you  join'd  hands  in  holy  quire. 

"  And  immediately  thereupon,  the  said  William  Parsley, 
and  Jane  his  wife,  claiming  the  same  gammon  of  bacon,  the 
court  pronounced  the  sentence  for  the  same,  in  these  words, 
or  to  the  effect  following  : 

Since  to  these  conditions,  without  any  fear. 

Of  your  own  accord  you  do  freely  swear, 

A  whole  gammon  of  bacon  you  do  receive, 

And  bear  it  away  with  love  and  good  leave. 

For  this  is  the  custom  of  Dunmow  well  known; — 

Though  the  pleasure  be  ours,  the  bacon's  your  own. 

"  And  accordingly  a  gammon  of  bacon  was  delivered  \int^ 
the  said  William  Parsley,  and  Jane  his  wife,  with  the  usual 
solemnity. 

"  Examined  per  Thomas  Wheeler,  steward.  The  same  day 
a  gammon  was  delivered  to  Mr.  Reynolds,  steward  to  Sir 
Charles  Barington,  of  Hatfield,  Broad  Oak." 

The  Origin  of  Rings  in  general. — The  origin  of  rings, 
their  matter  and  uses,  together  with  the  supposed  virtue  of 
the  precious  stones  set  in  them,  afford  a  subject  well  deserv- 
ing the  notice  of  the  curious.  According  to  the  accounts  of  the 
heathen  mvthologv,  Prometheus,  who  in  the  first  times  had 
discovered  a  great  number  of  secrets,  having  been  delivered 
from  tho  chains  by  which  he  was  fastened  to  Mount  Caucasus 


ORIGIN  OF   RINGS.  607 

for  stealing  fire  from  heaven  ;  in  memory  or  acknowledgment 
of  the  favour  he  received  from  Jupiter,  made  himself,  of  one 
ot  those  chains,  a  ring,  in  whose  collet  he  represented  the 
figure  of  part  of  the  rock  where  he  had  been  detained,  o»' 
rather,  as  Pliny  says,  set  in  it  a  bit  of  the  same  rock,  and  put 
it  on  his  finger.  This  was  the  first  ring,  and  the  first  stone.  But 
we  otherwise  learn  that  the  use  of  rings  is  very  ancient,  and 
that  the  Egyptians  were  the  first  inventors  of  them  ;  which 
seems  confirmed  by  the  history  of  Joseph,  who,  as  we  read  in 
Genesis,  chap.  xli.  for  having  interpreted  Pharaoh's  dream, 
received  not  only  his  liberty,  but  was  rewarded  with  this 
prince's  ring,  and  the  superintendency  of  Egypt.  Josephus, 
in  the  third  book  of  the  Jewish  Antiquities,  says,  the  Israelites 
had  the  use  of  them  after  passing  the  Red  Sea,  because 
Moses,  on  his  return  from  Mount  Sinai,  found  that  they  had 
forged  the  golden  calf  from  their  wives'  rings.  The  same 
Moses  (which  was  upwards  of  four  hundred  years  before  the 
wars  of  Troy)  permitted  the  priests  to  have  established  the 
use  of  gold  rings,  enriched  with  precious  stones.  The  high- 
priest  wore  upon  his  ephod,  which  was  a  kind  of  camaieu, 
rings,  that  served  him  as  clasps;  a  large  emerald  was  set, 
and  engraved  with  mysterious  names.  The  ring  he  wore  on 
his  finger  was  of  estimable  value  and  celestial  virtue.  Had 
not  Aaron,  the  high  priest  of  the  Hebrews,  a  ring  on  his 
finger,  whereof  the  diamond,  by  its  virtue,  operated  pro- 
digious thino's  ?  for  it  chanored  its  vivid  lustre  into  a  dark 
colour,  when  the  Hebrews  were  to  be  punished  by  death  for 
their  sins  :  when  they  were  to  fall  by  the  sword,  it  appeared 
ol' a  blood  colour;  if  they  were  innocent,  it  sparkled  as  usual. 
It  is  observable,  that  the  ancient  Hebrews  used  rings  in  the 
time  even  of  the  war  of  Troy,  Queen  Jezebel,  to  destroy 
Nabath,  as  it  is  related  in  the  first  book  of  Kings,  made  use 
of  the  ring  of  Ahab,  king  of  the  Israelites,  her  husband,  to 
seal  the  counterfeit  letters  that  ordered  the  death  of  that 
unfortunate  man.  Did  not  Judah,  as  mentioned  in  the  thirty- 
eighth  chapter  of  Genesis,  deceive  his  daughter-in-law  Tamar, 
(who  had  aisguised  herself,)  by  giving  her  his  ring  and  brace- 
lets as  a  pledge  of  the  faith  he  had  promised  her  ?  Though 
Homer  is  silent  in  reijard  to  rings  both  in  his  Iliad  and 
Odyssey,  they  were,  notwithstanding,  used  in  the  time  of  the 
Greeks  and  Trojans;  and  it  is  from  them  that  several 
other  nations  received  them.  The  Lacedemonians,  as  re- 
lated by  Alexander  ab  Alexandro,  pursuant  to  the  orders 
of  their  king  Lycurgus,  had  only  iron  rings,  despising 
those  of  gold  ;  probably  because  their  king  was  willing  there- 
by to  retrench  luxury,  and  discouracje  the  use  of  effeminate 
ornaments  among  his  subjects,  as  inconsistent  with  the  manly 
plainness  oi^  Spartan  virtue. 


60cS  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  CUSTOMS. 

The  ring  was  reputed,  by  some  nations,  a  symbol  of  libe- 
rality, esteem,  and  friendship,  particularly  among  the  Per- 
sians, none  being  permitted  to  wear  any,  except  given  to  him 
from  the  king  himself.  This  is  what  may  also  be  remarked 
in  the  person  of  Apollonius  Thvaneus,  who,  as  a  token  of 
singular  esteem  and  great  liberality,  received  one  from  the 
great  Jarchas,  prince  of  the  gymnosophists,  who  were  the 
ancient  priests  of  the  Indies,  and  dwelt  in  forests,  as  our  bards 
and  Druids,  where  they  applied  themselves  to  the  study  of 
wisdom,  and  to  the  speculation  of  the  heavens  and  stars.  This 
philosopher,  by  the  means  of  that  ring,  learned  every  day  the 
greatest  secrets  in  nature. 

Though  the  ring  found  by  Gyges,  shepherd  to  the  king  of 
Lydia,  has  more  of  fable  than  truth  in  it,  it  will  not,  however, 
be  amiss  to  relate  what  is  said  concerning  Herodotus,  Cselius 
after  Plato,  and  Cicero,  in  the  third  book  of  his  Offices. 
This  Gyges,  after  a  great  flood,  passed  into  a  very  deep  cavity 
in  the  earth,  where  having  found,  in  the  belly  of  a  brasen  horse, 
with  a  large  a|)erture  in  it,  a  human  body  of  enormous  size, 
he  pulled  from  off  one  of  the  fingers,  a  ring  of  surprising  vir- 
tue;  for  the  stone  on  the  collet  rendered  him  who  wore  it 
invisible,  when  the  collet  was  turned  towards  the  palm  of  the 
hand  ;  so  that  the  party  could  see,  without  being  seen,  all 
manner  of  persons  and  things.  Gyges,  having  made  trial  of 
its  efficacy,  bethought  himself  that  it  would  be  a  means  for 
ascending  the  throne  of  Lydia,  and  for  gaining  the  queen  by  it. 
He  succeeded  in  his  designs,  having  killed  Candaules,  her 
husband.  The  dead  body  this  ring  belonged  to  was  that  of 
an  ancient  Brahmin,  who  in  his  time  was  chief  of  all.  The 
rings  of  the  ancients  often  served  for  seals.  Alexander  the 
Great,  after  the  defeat  and  death  of  Darius,  used  his  ring  for 
sealing  the  letters  he  sent  into  Asia,  and  his  own  for  those  he 
sent  to  Europe.  It  was  customary  in  Rome  for  the  bridegroom 
to  send  the  bride,  before  marriage,  a  ring  of  iron,  without 
either  stone  or  collet,  to  denote  how  lasting  their  union  ought 
to  be,  and  the  frugality  they  were  to  observe  together;  but 
luxury  herein  soon  gained  oround,  and  there  was  a  necessity 
of  moderating  it.  Caius  Marius  did  not  wear  one  of  gold 
till  his  third  consulship  :  and  Tiberius,  as  Suetonius  says, 
m.ide  some  regulation  in  the  authority  of  wearing  rings;  for 
besides  the  liberty  of  birth,  he  required  a  considerable  revenue, 
l)Otli  on  the  father  and  grandt'alher's  side. 

hi  the  preceding  dissertation  we  have  anticipated  the  Ma- 
riiiMONiAL  Ring,  therefore  our  further  observations  need  be 
!)i!t  few. 

Swinburne  savs,  the  iron  ring  was  adorned  with  an  adamant, 
(be  metal  hard  and  difrable,  signifying  the  duration  and  pros- 


n  AN  D-rASTlNG. —  FUNERAL  CEREMONIES.  609 

poriiy  of  tlie  contract.  "  Ilowbeit,"  he  says,  "  it  skilleth  not 
at  this  day  wliat  metal  the  ring  be  of.  The  form  of  it  being 
round,  and  without  end,  doth  import  that  their  love  should 
circulate  and  flow  continually.  The  finger  on  whith  this  ring 
is  to  be  worn,  is  the  fourth  finger  on  the  left  hand,  next  unto 
the  little  finger,  because  there  was  supposed  a  vein  of  blood 
to  pass  from  thence  into  the  heart." 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  an  an- 
cient custom,  called  Hand-Fasting. 

This  custom  formerly  took  place  at  an  annual  fair,  in  the 
parish  of  Eskdale-muir,  in  Dumfriesshire,  thus  described  by 
the  Rev.  W.  Brown,  in  his  Statistical  Account  of  that  parish  : 
"  At  that  fair  it  was  the  custom  for  the  unmarried  persons  of 
both  sexes,  to  choose  companions  with  whom  they  were  to 
live  till  that  time  next  year.  If  they  were  pleased  with  each 
other  at  that  time,  then  they  continued  together  for  life;  if 
not,  they  separated,  and  were  free  to  make  another  choice,  as 
at  first.  The  fruit  of  their  connection,  if  there  were  any,  was 
always  attached  to  the  disaffected  person.  A  priest,  whom 
they  named  13ook-i'-bosom,  (because  he  carried  in  his  bosom 
a  Bible,  or  a  register  of  the  marriages,)  came  from  time  to 
time  to  confirm  the  marriages."  jNlr.  Brown  traces  this  custom 
from  the  Romans. — See  Sir  J.  Siiic/aii-'s  Statistical  Account,, 
vol.  xii.  p.  615. 

CHAP.  LXI. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     THE    CUSTOMS    OF    MANKlNDi: — 

(Continued.) 

Funeral  Ceremonies  oj  the  Ancient  Ethiopians — Funeral  Cere- 
monies of  the  Chinese — Ancient  Funeral  Ceremonies  of  the 
Dajakkese — Ancient  Modes  of  Mourning — Feasts  among,  the 
Ancients  of  various  Nations — Feast  of  Lanterns. 

Funeral  Ceremonies  of  the  Ancient  Ethiopians. — 

The  Ethiopians  had  very  particular  ceremonies  in  their  fune- 
rals. According  to  Ctesias,  after  having  salted  the  bodies, 
they  put  them  into  a  hollow  statue  of  gold,  which  resembled 
the  deceased,  and  are  placed  in  a  niche,  on  a  pillar  set  up 
for  that  purpose.  The  remains  of  the  richest  Ethiopians  were 
thus  honoured  :  the  bodies  of  those  of  the  next  class  were 
contained  in  silver  statues;  the  poor  were  enshrined  in  statues 
of  earthenware.  Herodotus  informs  us,  that  the  neares"f 
relations  of  the  dead  kept  the  body  a  year  in  their  houses, 

4H 


610  CVK    OSITIES   RESPECTING    CUSTOMS. 

and  oflVrfd  sacrifice  and  first-fruits  during  that  time  to  their 
deceased  friend  ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  they  fixed  the 
corpse  in  a  place  set  apart  for  the  purpose  near  their  town. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  country  above  INleroe  had  various  me- 
thods of  paying  respect  to  their  deceased  friends.  Some 
threw  their  bodies  into  the  river,  thinking-  that  the  most 
honourable  sepulchre.  Others  kept  them  in  their  houses  in 
niches,  thinking  that  their  children  would  be  stinialated  to 
virtuous  deeds  by  the  sight  of  their  ancestors  ;  and  that  trrown 
peopW,  by  the  same  objects,  would  retain  their  parents  in 
their  memories.  Others  put  their  dead  bodies  into  coffins  of 
earthenware,  and  buried  them  near  their  temples.  To  swear 
with  their  hand  laid  upon  a  corpse,  was  their  most  sacred  and 
inviolable  oath. 

Funeral  Ceremonies  of  the  Chinese. — The  funeral 
ceremonies  are  considered  by  the  Chinese  as  the  most  import- 
ant of  anv.  A  few  moments  after  a  perst)n  has  expired,  he  is 
dressed  out  in  his  richest  attire,  and  adorned  with  every  badge 
of  his  dignity  ;  after  which  he  is  placed  in  the  colttn.  The 
preparation  of  a  coffin,  in  which  his  body  may  be  inclosed 
after  death,  is  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  attention  to  a  Chi- 
nese during  his  life,  and  great  expense  is  often  thrown  away 
upon  it  \  insomuch  that  the  poor  will  give  all  they  are  worth, 
and  the  rich  expend  one  thousand  crowns ;  nav,  a  son  will  sell 
lumself  for  a  slave,  to  purchase  a  coffin  for  his  father.  Some- 
times the  cothn,  when  purchased  with  all  this  labour  and  ex- 
pense, will  remain  twenty  years  useless  in  the  family  ;  but  it 
is  considered  as  the  most  valuable  piece  of  furniture  in  his 
possession.  The  manner  of  interment  is  as  follows  : — First, 
they  sprinkle  some  lime  in  the  bottom  of  the  coffin  ;  then  they 
lay  the  body  in  it,  taking  care  to  place  the  head  on  a  pillow, 
and  to  add  a  great  ileal  of  cotton,  that  it  may  remain  steady. 
The  body  remains  thus  exposed  seven  days  ;  but  the  time  may 
be  reduced  to  three,  if  any  weighty  reason  makes  it  neces- 
sary;  and,  during  this  interval,  all  the  relations  and  friends, 
who  are  purposely  invited,  come  and  pay  their  respects  to  the 
deceased,  the  nearest  relations  remaining  in  the  house.  The 
coffin  is  exposed  in  the  liall  of  ceremony,  which  is  then  hung 
with  white,  but  some  pieces  of  black  or  violet-coloured  silk 
are  here  and  there  interspersed,  as  well  as  some  other  orna- 
ments of  mourninu-.  Before  the  cotfin  is  placed  a  table,  on 
which  stands  the  image  of  the  deceased,  or  a  carved  ornament 
inscribed  witii  his  name;  and  these  are  alwavs  accompanied 
with  flowers,  perfumes,  and  lighted  wax  candles.  In  the 
mean  time,  those  who  enter  the  liall  salute  the  deceased,  as  if 
still  in  life.  They  prostrate  themselves  ))efore  the  table,  and 
knock  their  foreheads  several  times  against  the  earth  ;  after 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES  OF  THE  CHINESE.  611 

tvliich  tliey  place  on  the  table  some  perfumes  and  wax  candles. 
Their  salutations  are  returned  by  the  eldest  son,  acconijianied 
by  his  brothers.  The  latter  come  forth  from  behind  a  curtain, 
which  hangs  on  one  side  of  the  coffin,  creepin;^  alon<;-  the 
ground  until  they  reach  the  spot  where  those  stand  whom  they 
are  going  to  salute;  after  which,  they  return  without  rising 
up.  The  women  are  also  concealed  behind  the  same  cur- 
tain, from  whence  they  every  now  and  then  send  forth  dismal 
cries. 

The  funeral  procession  at  last  commences.  A  troop  of  men 
march  in  a  fde,  carrying  different  figures  made  of  j)asteboard, 
and  representing  slaves,  lions,  tigers,  horses,  Sec.  Others 
follow,  marching  in  two  files  ;  some  of  whom  carry  standards, 
some  flags,  or  censers  filled  with  perfumes ;  while  melancholy 
and  plaintive  airs  are  j)layed  by  others,  on  musical  instru- 
ments. These  musicians  immediately  precede  the  coffin,  which 
is  covered  with  a  canopy,  in  form  of  a  dome,  of  violet-coloured 
silk:  its  four  corners  are  ornamented  with  tufts  of  white  silk, 
neatly  embroidered,  and  covered  at  the  top  with  net-work. 
The  coffin  is  placed  on  the  bottom  of  this  machine,  and  Is 
carried  by  sixty-four  men.  The  eldest  son,  clothed  in  a  frock 
of  canvass,  having  his  body  bent,  and  leaning  on  a  staff,  fol- 
lows near  the  coffin  ;  and  behind  him  his  brothers  and  nephews, 
but  none  of  them  clothed  in  canvass.  Then  come  the  rela- 
tions and  friends,  all  clad  in  mourning,  and  followed  by  a  great 
number  of  chairs,  covered  with  white  stuff,  containing  the 
wives  and  female  slaves  of  the  deceased.  These  make  great 
show  of  sorrow,  by  doleful,  yet  methodical  cries.  When 
they  arrive  at  the  buryiug-place,  the  coffin  is  deposited  in  a 
tomb  appropriated  for  it,  not  far  from  which  there  are  tables 
arranged  in  diflerent  halls,  on  which  the  assistants  are  enter- 
Jiained  with  great  splendour.  The  entertainment  is  sometimes 
followed  by  fresh  marks  of  homage  to  the  corpse  ;  but  these 
are  often  changed  into  thanks  to  the  eldest  son,  who,  how- 
ever, answers  only  by  signs.  But  if  the  deceased  was  a  gran- 
dee of  the  empire,  a  certain  number  of  his  lelations  do  not 
leave  the  tomb  for  a  month  or  two;  but  reside  in  apartments 
provided  for  them,  and  every  day  renew  their  marks  of  grief, 
with  the  children  of  the  deceased.  The  magnificence  of  these 
funeral  ceremonies  is  proportioned  to  the  wealth  or  dignity  of 
the  deceased.  That  of  one  of  the  brothers  of  the  emperor, 
was  attended  by  sixteen  thousand  people,  each  of  whom  had 
a  jiarticular  office  assigned  him  relating  to  the  ceremony. 
Mourning  continues  in  Ciiina  for  three  years  ;  during  all  which 
time  they  must  abstain  from  flesh  and  wine,  nor  can  they  as- 
sist at  any  entertainment,  or  attend  any  ])ublic  assembly.  At 
first  they  are  not  even  permitted  to  go  abroad;  and  when  they 
do  so,  thev  are  carried  in  a  chair,  covered  with  a  \\hite  clo'^.h. 


612  CUKIOSITIES   RESPECTING    CUSTOMS. 

Sometimes  the  filial  piety  of  the  Chinese  is  carried  to  sich 
a  length,  that  they  jDreserve  the  bodies  of  their  fathers  in 
their  houses  for  three  or  four  years,  and  impose  upon  them- 
selves a  great  number  of  other  duties,  using  no  other  seat 
during  the  day,  but  a  stool  covered  with  a  white  serge,  and 
no  other  bed  but  a  plain  mat  made  of  reeds,  which  is  placed 
neai  the  coffin. 

^  Funeral  and  Marriage  Ceremonies  of  the  Dajak- 
KESE  In  habitants  of  Borneo. — The  corpse  is  placed  in  a 
coffin,  and  remains  in  the  house  till  the  son,  the  father,  or  the 
nearest  of  blood,  can  procure  or  purchase  a  slave,  who  is 
beheaded  at  the  time  that  the  corpse  is  burnt,  in  order  that 
he  may  become  the  slave  of  the  deceased  in  the  next  world. 
The  ashes  of  the  deceased  are  then  placed  in  an  earthen  urn, 
on  which  various  figures  are  exhibited;  and  the  head  of  the 
slave  is  dried,  and  prepared  in  a  peculiar  manner  with  cam- 
phor and  drugs,  and  deposited  near  it.  It  is  said  that  this 
practice  often  induces  them  to  purchase  a  slave  guilty  of  some 
capital  crime,  at  five-fold  his  value,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  able  to  put  him  to  death  on  such  occasions. 

Marriage  Ceremonies. — Nobody  can  be  permitted  to  marry 
till  he  can  present  a  human  head  of  some  other  tribe  to  his 
proposed  bride,  in  which  case  she  is  not  permitted  to  refuse 
him.  It  is  not,  however,  necessary  that  this  should  be  ob- 
tained entirely  by  his  own  personal  prowess.  When  a  person 
is  determined  to  go  a  head-hunting,  as  it  is  often  a  very 
dangerous  service,  he  consults  with  his  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, who  frequently  accompany  him,  or  send  their  slaves 
along  with  him.  The  head-hunter  then  proceeds  with  his 
party  in  the  most  cautious  manner  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
villages  of  another  tribe,  and  lies  in  ambush  till  they  surprise 
some  heedless  unsuspecting  wretch,  who  is  instantly  de- 
capitated. Sometimes,  too,  they  surprise  a  solitary  fisherman 
in  a  river,  or  on  the  shore,  who  undergoes  the  same  fate. 
When  the  hunter  returns,  the  whole  village  is  filled  with  joy, 
and  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  hurry  out  to  meet  him, 
and  conduct  him  with  the  sound  of  brasen  cymbals,  dancing 
in  long  lines  to  the  house  of  the  female  he  admires,  whose 
family  likewise  come  out  to  greet  him  with  dances,  pro- 
vide him  a  seat,  and  give  him  meat  and  drink.  He  still  holds 
the  bloody  head  in  his  hand,  and  puts  part  of  the  food  into 
its  mouth,  after  which,  the  females  of  the  family  receive  the 
head  from  him,  which  they  hang  up  to  the  ceiling  over  the 
door. 

If  a  man's  wife  die,  he  is  not  permitted  tn  make  proposals 
of  marriage  to  another,  till  he  has  provided  another  head  of 
a  different  tribe,   as  if  to  revenge  the  death  of  his  deceased 


MARRl  AG  !■:.     -ANCl  r.  NT    MODKS   Ul     MUUIINING.  G13 

wife.  The  heads  procured  in  this  manner,  they  preserve  with 
great  care,  and  sometimes  consult  in  divination.  The  re- 
ligious opinions  connected  with  this  practice,  are  by  no  means 
correctly  understood.  Some  assert,  that  they  believe  that 
every  person  whom  a  man  kills  in  this  world,  becomes  his 
slave  in  the  next.  The  Idaan,  it  is  said,  think  that  the 
entrance  into  paradise  is  over  a  long  tree,  which  serves  for 
a  bridge,  over  which  it  is  impossible  to  pass  without  the 
assistance  of  a  slave  slain  in  this  world. 

The  practice  of  stealing  heads  causes  frequent  wars  among 
the  different  tribes  of  the  Idaan.  Many  ])ersons  never  can 
obtain  a  head,  in  which  case  they  are  generally  despised  by 
the  warriors  and  the  women.  To  such  a  height  is  it  carried, 
liowever,  that  a  person  who  had  obtained  eleven  heads,  has 
been  seen  by  Mr.  Burn  ;  and  he  pointed  out  his  son,  a  young 
lad,  who  had  procured  three. 

Ancient  Modes  of  Mourning. — Amongst  the  ancient 
Jews,  on  the  death  of  their  relations  or  intimate  friends, 
mourning  was  expressed  by  weeping,  tearing  their  clothes, 
smiting  their  breasts,  or  lacerating  them  with  their  nails, 
pulling  or  cutting  off  their  hair  and  beards,  walking  softly, 
i.  e.  barefoot,  lying  u|:)on  the  ground,  fasting,  or  eating  upon 
the  ground.  They  kept  themselves  close  shut  up  in  their 
houses,  covered  tlieir  faces,  and  abstained  from  all  work,  even 
reading  the  law,  and  saying  their  usual  prayers.  They  neither 
dressed  themselves,  nor  made  their  beds,  nor  cut  their  nails, 
nor  went  into  the  bath,  nor  saluted  any  body.  The  time  of 
mourning  was  generally  seven  days,  less  or  more,  according 
to  circumstances,  but  thirty  days  were  thought  sufficient 
upon  the  severest  occasions.  The  different  periods  of  the 
time  of  mourning  required  different  degrees  of  grief,  and 
different  tokens  of  it. 

The  Greeks,  on  the  death  of  their  friends,  shewed  their 
sorrow  by  secluding  themselves  from  all  gaiety,  enteitain- 
ments,  games,  public  solemnities,  wine,  and  music.  They 
sat  in  gloomy  and  solitary  ]daces,  stripped  themselves  of  all 
external  ornaments,  put  on  a  coarse  black  stuff  by  way  of 
mourning,  tore  their  hair,  shaved  their  heads,  rolled  them- 
selves in  the  dust  and  mire,  sprinkled  ashes  on  their  heads, 
smote  their  breasts  with  their  palms,  tore  their  faces,  and 
frequently  cried  out  with  a  lamentable  voice  and  drawli-ng 
tone.  At  the  funerals  of  soldiers,  their  fellow  soldiers,  as  a 
testimony  of  their  affliction,  held  their  shields,  their  spears, 
and  the  rest  of  their  armour,  inverted. 

The  tokens  of  private  grief  among  the  Romans,  were  the 
same  as  those  among  the  Greeks.  Black  or  dark  brown  were 
the  colours  of  the  mourning  habits  worn  by  the  men  ;  they  were 


b]A  cuiMosniiis  uiisrr.cTiNc;  customs. 

also  comnion  to  the  women.  The  niournino-  of  tlie  eni|3trors 
at  first  was  black.  In  the  time  of  Augustus,  the  women  wore 
white  veils,  and  the  rest  of  their  dress  was  black.  From  the 
lime  of  Dorr.itian,  they  wore  nothing  but  white  habits,  without 
any  ornaments  of  gold,  jewels,  or  pearls.  The  men  let  their 
hair  and  beards  grow,  and  wore  no  wreaths  of  flowers  on  their 
heads,  while  tlie  davs  of  mournins:  continued.  The  longest 
time  of  mourning  was  ten  months  :  this  was  Numa's  establish- 
i  ment,  and  took  in  his  whole  year.  For  a  widow  to  marry 
during  this  time,  was  infamous.  Mourning  was  not  used  for 
children  who  died  under  three  years  of  age.  From  this  age 
to  ten.  they  mourned  as  many  months  as  the  child  was  yea.^s 
old.  A  remarkable  victory,  or  other  happy  event,  occasioned 
the  shortening  of  the  time  of  mourning.  The  birth  of  a  child, 
or  the  attainment  of  any  remaikable  honour  in  the  family, 
certain  feasts  in  honour  of  the  gods,  or  the  consecration  of  a 
temple,  had  the  same  effect.  After  the  defeat  at  Cannae,  the 
(commonwealth  decreed  that  mourning  should  not  be  worn  for 
more  than  thirty  days,  that  the  loss  might  be  forgot  as  soo*» 
as  possible.  When  public  magistrates  died,  or  persons  of 
great  note,  also  when  any  remarkable  calamity  happened,  all 
public  meetings  were  intermitted,  the  schools  of  exercise,  baths, 
shops,  temples,  and  all  places  of  concourse,  were  shut  up, 
and  the  whole  city  put  on  a  face  of  sorrow  ;  the  senators  laid 
aside  the  laliclnve,  and  the  consuls  sat  in  a  lower  seat  than 
ordinary.  This  was  the  custom  of  Athens  also,  and  was 
observed  upon  the  death  of  Socrates,  wlien  the  fickle  Athe- 
nians became  sensible  of  the  calamity  their  state  had  suffered 
in  the  loss  of  that  oreat  and  virtuous  man. 

The  modes  of  mourning  differ  in  various  countries,  as  well 
as  the  colours  used  for  that  end.  In  Europe,  the  ordinary 
colour  for  mourning  is  black  ;  in  China,  it  is  white  ;  in  Turkey, 
blue  or  violet ;  in  Egypt,  yellow  ;  in  F^thiopia,  brown.  Wliite 
obtained  formerly  in  Castile,  on  the  dealh  of  their  princes. 
Herrera  observes,  that  the  last  time  it  was  used  was  in  14.98, 
at  the  death  of  prince  John.  FLach  people  assign  their  reasons 
for  the  ])articular  colour  of  their  mourning  :  white  is  supposed 
to  denote  purity  ;  yellow,  that  death  is  the  end  of  human  hopes, 
in  regard  that  leaves  when  they  fall,  and  flowers  when  they 
fade,  become  yellow  ;  brown  denotes  the  earth,  whither  the 
dead  return;  black,  the  privation  of  light;  blue  expresses  the 
happiness  which  it  is  hoped  the  deceased  does  enjoy;  and 
purple  or  violet,  sorrow  on  the  one  side,  and  hope  on  the  other, 
as  beino-  a  mixture  of  black  and  blue. 

o 

Feasts  among  the  Ancients  of  vauious  Nations.— 
All  nations,  whether  savage  or  civilized,  have  regarded  the 
pleasures  of  the  table  as  the  occasion  of  the  most  agreeable 


FEASTS  AMONG    VARIOUS   NATIONS.  Ol5 

society.  Tliis  species  of  enjoynieiit  (abstracterl  from  its  sus- 
ceptibility of  abuse)  makes  but  one  family  of  all  that  it  brings 
together.  It  levels  the  distinctions  introduced  by  policy  or 
prejudice,  and  disposes  men  to  regard  one  another  as  brethren. 
Here  people  feel  the  equality  established  by  nature ;  here 
they  forget  the  evils  of  life;  extinguish  their  animosities,  and 
drop  their  enmities.  For  this  reason  Aristotle  considers  as  a 
breach  of  the  social  principle,  that  custom  of  the  Egvptians 
of  eating  apart,  and  praises  the  convivial  repasts  established 
by  INlinos  and  Lycurgus. 

We  learn  from  Herodotus,  that  the  ancients  had  neither 
cups  nor  bowls  at  their  feasts,  but  that  they  drank  out  of  little 
horns  tij)t  with  silver  or  gold.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  kept 
a  domestic,  for  the  purpose  of  reading  during  their  meals  and 
feasts.  Sometimes  the  chief  of  the  family  himself  performed 
the  otlice  of  reader;  and  history  informs  us,  that  the  Emperor 
Severus  often  read  while  his  family  ate.  The  time  of  reading 
was  generally  at  supper;  and  guests  were  invited  to  a  reading 
as  they  are  now-a-days  to  play  at  cards. 

The  Greeks,  in  their  flourishing  times,  did  not  profane, 
(according  to  their  own  expression)  the  holiness  of  the  table, 
but  rather  adorned  it  with  ingenious  and  elegant  conversation  : 
they  proposed  moral  topics,  of  which  Plutarch  has  preserved 
a  collection.  Heroes  rarely  assembled  convivially,  without 
bringing  aliairs  of  consequence  into  discourse,  or  deliberating 
upon  those  that  regarded  either  present  events  or  future  con- 
tingencies. The  Scythians,  while  at  meat,  used  to  make  the 
strings  of  their  bows  resound,  lest  their  warlike  virtues  might 
be  enfeebled  or  lost  in  the  season  of  pleasure.  People  of  rank 
among  the  Rhodians,  by  a  fundamental  law  of  the  state,  were 
obliged  to  dine  daily  with  those  who  had  the  management 
of  affairs,  in  order  to  deliberate  with  them  concerning  such 
things  as  were  necessary  or  useful  for  the  country  ;  and  on 
this  account  the  principal  ministers  of  the  kingdom  were 
obliged  to  keep  open  table  for  all  who  could  be  of  use  to  the 
state.  The  Persians  also  generally  delibrrnted  on  business  at 
table,  but  never  determined,  or  put  their  determinations  in 
execution,  except  lu  the  morning  before  eating. 

Among  the  Romans,  the  place  where  they  supped  was  gene- 
rally the  vestibule,  that  a  more  retired  part  of  the  house  might 
not  encoura<ie  licentiousness  and  disorder.  There  were  several 
laws  that  restricted  their  meals  to  these  vestibules.  When 
luxury  reigned  in  Rome,  they  had  superb  halls  for  their  enter- 
tainments. Lucullus  had  many,  each  of  which  bore  the  name 
of  some  deity  ;  and  this  name  was  a  mark  which  indicated  to 
the  servants  the  expense  of  the  entertainment.  The  expense 
of  a  supper  in  Lucullus's  hall  of  Apollo,  amounted  to  fifty 
thou.san(i  drachmas.     Singers,  dancers,  musicians,  stage-play- 


616  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    CUSTOMS. 

ers,  jesters,  and  bufFoons,  were  brought  into  these  balls  to 
amuse  the  guests. 

Plutarch  informs  us,  that  Caesar,  after  his  triumphs,  treated 
the  Roman  people  at  twenty-two  thousand  tables;  and  by 
calculation  it  would  seem,  that  there  were  at  these  tables  up- 
wards of  two  hundred  thousand  persons.  The  hall  in  which 
iVero  feasted,  by  the  circular  motion  of  its  walls  and  ceiling, 
imitated  the  revolutions  of  the  heavens,  and  represented  the 
different  seasons  of  the  year,  changing  at  every  course,  and 
showering  down  flowers  and  perfumes  on  the  guests.  The 
Romans  did  not,  as  we  do,  use  but  one  table  at  their  feasts; 
they  had  generally  two  :  the  first  was  for  the  service  of  animal 
food,  which  was  afterwards  removed,  and  another  introduced 
with  fruits;  at  this  last  they  sung,  and  poured  out  fheir  liba- 
tions. The  Greeks  and  eastern  nations  had  the  same  custom, 
and  even  the  Jews  in  their  solemn  feasts,  and  at  sacrifices. 
The  Romans,  in  the  time  of  Nero,  had  tables  made  of  citron- 
wood  brought  from  Mauritania ;  they  were  varnished  with 
purple  and  gold.  Dion  Cassius  affirms,  that  Seneca  had  five 
hundred  of  these,  which  he  made  use  of  one  after  another; 
and  Tertullian  tells  us,  that  Cicero  had  but  one.  The  Romans 
chose  the  king  of  the  feast  by  a  throw  of  the  dice.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  feast  they  drank  out  of  a  large  cup,  as  often 
as  there  were  letters  in  the  names  of  their  mistresses. 

Feasting  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  delight  of  the  Britons, 
Germans,  Gauls,  and  all  the  other  Celtic  nations  ;  in  which 
tliey  indulged  themselves  to  the  utmost,  as  often  as  they  had 
opportunity.  "Among  these  nations  (says  M.  Pellontier,  in 
his  Hi&t.  Celt.  lib.  ii.  c.  12.  p.  463.)  there  is  no  public  as- 
sembly, either  for  civil  or  religious  purposes,  duly  held  ;  no 
birth-day,  marriage,  or  funeral,  properly  celebrated  ;  no  treaty 
of  peace  or  alliance  rightly  cemented, — without  a  great  feast." 
When  the  Germans,  says  Tacitus,  wanted  to  reconcile  enemies, 
to  make  alliances,  to  name  chiefs,  or  to  treat  of  war  and 
peace,  it  was  during  the  repast  that  they  took  counsel;  a 
time  in  which  the  mind  is  most  open  to  the  impressions  of 
simple  truths,  or  most  easily  animated  to  great  attempts. 
These  artless  people,  during  the  conviviality  of  the  feast,  spoke 
without  disguise.  Next  day  they  weighed  the  counsels  of  the 
former  evening:  they  deliberated  at  a  timewhen  they  were 
not  disposed  to  feign,  and  took  their  resolution  when  they 
were  least  liable  to  be  deceived.  It  was  by  frequent  enter- 
tainments of  this  kind,  that  the  great  men  or  chieftains  gained 
the  affections  and  rewarded  the  services  of  their  followers  ;  and 
those  who  made  the  greatest  feasts  were  sure  to  be  most 
popular,  and  to  have  the  greatest  retinue.  These  feasts,  in 
which  plenty  was  more  regarded  than  elegance,  lasted  cotn- 
moniy  several  days,  and  th"^  guests  seldom  retired  until  they 


FEASTS   AMONG   VARIOUS   NATIONS.  Gl7 

liad  consumed  all  the  provisions  and  exhausted  all  the 
liquors. 

Athenaaus  describes  an  entertainn:ient  that  was  given  by 
Arcanines,  a  very  wealthy  prince  of  Gaul,  which  continued 
a  whole  year  without  interruption,  and  at  which  all  the  people 
of  Gaul,  and  even  all  strangers  who  passed  through  that 
country,  were  made  welcome.  At  these  feasts  they  some- 
times consulted  about  the  most  important  affairs  of  state, 
and  formed  resolutions  relating  to  peace  and  war;  imagin- 
ing that  men  spoke  their  real  sentiments  with  the  greatest 
freedom,  and  were  apt  to  form  the  boldest  designs,  when  their 
spirits  were  exhilarated  with  the  pleasures  of  the  table.  The 
conversation  at  these  entertainments  very  frequently  turned 
on  the  great  exploits,  which  the  guests  themselves,  or  their 
ancestors,  had  performed  in  war;  which  sometimes  occasioned 
quarrels,  and  even  bloodshed.  It  was  at  a  feast  that  the  two 
illustrious  British  princes,  Carbar  and  Oscar,  quarrelled  about 
their  own  bravery  and  that  of  their  ancestors,  and  fell  by 
mutual  wounds. — Ossian,  vol.  ii.  p.  8,  &c. 

As  to  the  drink  used  at  those  feasts,  particularly  in  Britain^ 
it  seems  probable,  that  before  the  introduction  of  agriculture 
into  the  island,  mead,  or  honey  diluted  with  water,  was  the 
only  strong  liqa^r  known  to  its  inhabitants,  as  it  was  to  many 
other  ancient  nations  in  the  same  circumstances.  This  con- 
tinued to  be  a  favourite  beveraoe  amoncr  the  ancient  Britons 
and  their  posterity,  long  after  they  had  become  acquainted 
with  other  liquors,  fSee  Mead.)  After  the  introduction  of 
agriculture,  ale  or  beer  became  the  most  general  drink  of  all 
the  British  nations  who  practised  that  art,  as  it  had  long  been 
of  all  the  Celtic  people  on  the  continent,  fSee  Ale.)  If  the 
Phoenicians  or  Greeks  imported  any  wine  into  Britain,  it  was 
only  in  very  small  quantities;  that  liquor  being  very  little 
known  in  this  island  before  it  was  conquered  by  the  Romans. 
The  drinking  vessels  of  the  Gauls,  Britons,  and  other  Celtic 
nations,  were  for  the  most  part  made  of  the  horns  of  oxen 
and  other  animals;  but  those  of  the  Caledonians  consisted 
of  large  shells,  which  are  still  used  by  some  of  their  posterity 
in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland. 

The  dishes  in  which  the  meat  was  served  up  were  either  of 
wood  or  earthenware,  or  a  kind  of  baskets  made  of  osiers. 
These  last  were  most  used  by  the  Britons,  as  they  very  much 
excelled  in  the  art  of  making  them,  both  for  their  own  u«e 
and  for  exportation.  The  guests  sat  in  a  circle  upon  the 
ground,  with  a  little  hay,  grass,  or  the  skin  of  some  animal,  under 
them.  A  low  table  or  stool  was  set  before  each  person,  with 
the  portion  of  meat  allotted  to  him  upon  it.  In  this  distribu- 
tion, they  never  neglected  to  set  the  largest  and  best  pieces 
before  those   who   were   most   distinguished   for   their   rank, 

41 


618  (  uniosniEs  uespecting  customs. 

their  exploits,  or  their  riches.  Every  guest  took  the  meat  set 
before  him  in  his  hands,  and,  tearing  it  with  his  teeth,  fed 
upon  it  in  the  best  manner  he  could.  If  any  one  found  diffi- 
culty in  separating  any  part  of  his  meat  with  his  hands  and 
teeth,  he  made  use  of  a  large  knife,  that  lay  in  a  particular 
place  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  company.  Servants,  or 
young  boys  and  girls,  the  children  of  the  family,  stood  behind 
the  guests,  ready  to  help  them  to  drink,  or  any  thing  they 
wanted. 

As  the  ancient  Britons  greatly  excelled,  and  very  much 
delighted  in,  music,  all  their  feasts  were  accompanied  with 
the  joys  of  song,  and  the  music  of  harps.  In  the  words  of 
Ossian,  (vol.  ii.  p.  9,  2cc.)  "  whenever  the  feast  of  shells  is 
prepared,  the  songs  of  bards  arise.  The  voice  of  sprightly 
mirth  is  heard.  The  trembling  harps  of  joy  are  strung.  They 
sing  the  battles  of  heroes,  or  the  heaving  breasts  of  love." 
Some  of  tlie  poems  of  that  illustrious  British  bard  appear  to 
have  been  composed  in  order  to  be  sung  by  the  hundred 
bards  of  Fingal,  at  the  feasts  of  Selma,  (see  vol.  i.  p.  87,  209.) 
Many  of  the  songs  of  the  bards,  which  were  sung  and  played 
at  the  feasts  of  the  ancient  Britons,  were  of  a  grave  and  solemn 
strain,  .celebrating  the  brave  actions  of  the  guests,  or  of  the 
heroes  of  other  times;  but  these  were  sometimes  intermixed 
with  sprightly  and  cheerful  airs,  to  which  the  youth  of  both 
sexes  danced.  It  has  been  observed  by  some  authors,  that 
no  nation  comes  near  the  English  in  the  magnificence  of  their 
feasts.  Those  made  at  our  coronations,  instalments,  conse- 
crations, &c.  transcend  the  belief  of  foreigners  ;  and  yet  it  is 
doubted  whether  those  now  in  use  are  comparable  to  the  feasts 
of  former  ages. 

William  the  Conqueror,  after  he  was  peaceably  settled  on 
the  throne  of  England,  sent  agents  into  dilferent  countries,  to 
collect  the  most  admired  and  rare  dishes  for  his  table;  by 
which  means,  says  John  of  Salisbury,  this  island,  which  is 
naturally  productive  of  plenty  and  variety  of  provisions,  was 
overHowed  with  every  thing  that  could  inflame  a  luxurious 
appetite.  The  same  writer  tells  us,  that  he  was  present  at  an 
entertainment  which  lasted  from  three  p.  m.  to  midnight,  at 
which  delicacies  were  served  up,  which  had  been  brought 
from  Constantinople,  Babvlon,  Alexandria,  Palestine,  Tripoli, 
Syria,  and  Phoenicia.  These  delicacies  were  doubtless  very 
expensive.  Thomas  Becket  (says  his  historian  Fitz-Stephen) 
gave  £o,  equivalent  to  £75  at  present,  for  one  dish  of  eels. 
The  sumptuous  entertainments  which  the  kings  of  England 
gave  to  their  nobles  and  prelates,  at  the  festivals  of  Christmas, 
Easter,  and  Whitsuntide,  in  which  they  spent  a  great  part  of 
their  revenues,  contributed  very  much  to  diffuse  a  taste  for 
profuse  and  expensive  banqueting.     It  was  natural  for  a  proud 


FEASTS    AMONG    VAlllOUS   NATIONS.  619 

and  wealthy  baron  to  imitatt-,  in  his  own  castle,  the  enteitain- 
Jnents  he  had  seen  in  the  pahice  of  his  prince.  Many  of  the 
clergy,  tea,  both  seculars  and  regulars,  being  very  rich,  kept 
excellent  tables. 

The  monks  of  St.  Swithin's,  at  Winchester,  made  a  formal 
complaint  to  Henry  II.  against  their  abbot,  for  taking  away 
three  of  the  13  dishes  they  used  to  have  every  day  at 
dinner.  The  monks  of  Canterbury  were  still  more  luxurious  : 
for  they  had  at  least  17  dishes  every  day,  besides  a  dessert; 
and  these  dishes  were  dressed  with  spiceries  and  sauces, 
vvhich  excited  the  appetite  as  well  as  pleaseid  the  taste.  Great 
men  had  some  kinds  of  provisions  at  their  tables,  that  are 
:iot  now  to  be  found  in  Britain. 

When  Henry  II.  entertained  his  own  court,  the  great  officers 
of  his  army,  with  all  the  kings  and  great  men  of  Ireland,  in 
Dublin,  at  the  feast  of  Christmas,  A.  D.  1171,  the  Irish  princes 
and  chieftains  were  quite  astonished  at  the  profusion  and 
variety  of  provisions  which  they  beheld,  and  were  with  difficulty 
prevailed  upon  by  Henry  to  eat  the  flesh  of  cranes,  a  kind  of 
food  to  which  they  had  not  been  accustomed.  In  the  remain- 
ing monuments  of  this  period,  we  meet  with  the  names  of 
several  dishes,  as  dcllegroiit,mavpigynium,  karumpie,  ^c.  i\\Q 
composition  of  which  is  now  unknown. 

The  coronation  feast  of  Edward  III.  cost  £2835.  18s.  2d. 
equivalent  to  about  £40,000  of  our  money.  At  the  installation 
of  Ralph,  abbot  of  St.  Augustine,  Canterbury,  A.  D.  1309, 
6000  ouests  were  entertained  with  a  dinner,  consisting  of 
3000  dishes,  which  cost  £287.  5s.  equal  in  value  to  £4300 
in  our  times.  "  It  would  require  a  long  treatise  (says  Matthew 
Paris)  to  describe  the  astonishing  splendour,  magnificence, 
and  festivity,  with  which  the  nuptials  of  Richard  Earl  of  Corn- 
wall, and  Cincia  daughter  of  Raymund  Earl  of  Provence,  were 
celebrated  at  London,  A.  D.  1243.  To  give  the  reader  some 
idea  of  it,  in  a  few  words,  above  30,000  dishes  were  served 
up  at  the  marriage  dinner." 

The  niq^tials  of  Alexander  III.  of  Scotland,  and  the  princess 
Margaret  of  England,  were  solemnized  at  York,  A.  D.  1251, 
with  still  greater  pomp  and  profusion.  "  If  I  attempted  (says 
M.  Paris)  to  display  all  the  grandeur  of  this  solemnity, — 'the 
numbers  of  the  noble  and  illustrious  guests, — the  richness  and 
variety  of  the  dresses, — the  sumptuousness  of  the  feasts, — the 
multitudes  of  the  minstrels,  mimics,  and  others  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  amuse  and  divert  the  company,  those  of  my 
readers  who  were  not  present,  would  imagine  that  I  was  im- 
posing upon  their  credulity.  The  following  particular  will 
enable  them  to  form  a  judgment  of  the  whole.  The  arch- 
bishop of  York  made  the  King  of  England  a  present  of  60  fat 
oxen;    which    made    only   one    article    of  provision    for   the 


620  CURIOSITIES   UESPECTINC    CUSTOMS. 

marriage  feast,  and  were  all  consumed  at  that  entertainment 
The  marriage  feast  of  Henry  IV.  and  his  queen,  Jane  of  Navarre, 
consisted  of  six  courses;  three  of  flesh  and  fowl,  and  three 
of  fish.  All  these  courses  were  accompanied  and  adorned 
with  sutileties,  as  they  were  called.  These  suttleties  were 
figures  in  pastry,  of  men,  women,  beasts,  birds,  &c.  placed  on 
the  table,  to  be  admired,  but  not  touched.  Each  figure  had 
a  label  affixed  to  it,  containing  some  wise  or  witty  saying, 
suited  to  the  occasion  of  the  feast,  which  was  the  reason  they 
were  called  suttleties." 

The  installation  feast  of  George  Neville,  archbisliop  of 
York,  and  chancellor  of  England,  exceeded  all  others  in 
splendour  and  expense,  and  in  the  number  and  quality  of  the 
guests.  The  reader  may  form  some  idea  of  this  enormous 
feast,  from  the  following  list  of  provisions  prepared  for  it.  In 
wheat,  300  quarters;  in  ale,  300  tuns;  in  wine,  100  tuns;  in 
ypocrasse  pipes,  1  ;  in  oxen,  104  ;  in  wild  bulls,  6;  in  muttons, 
lOOO;  in  veals,  304;  in  porks,  304;  in  swans,  400;  in  oeese, 
2000;  in  capons,  1000;  in  pigs,  2000;  in  plovers,  400;  in 
quails,  1200;  in  fowls  called  rees,  2400;  in  peacocks,  104;  in 
mallards  and  teals,  4000;  in  cranes,  204;  in  kids,  204;  in 
chickens,  2000;  in  pigeons,  2000;  in  conies  4000;  in  bitterns, 
204;  in  heronshaws,  400;  in  pheasants,  200  ;  in  partridges, 
500;  in  woodcocks,  400;  in  curlews,  100;  in  egritis,  1000; 
in  stags,  bucks,  and  roes,  500  and  more ;  in  pasties  of  venison, 
cold,  4000;  in  parted  dishes  of  jellies,  1000;  in  plain  dishes 
of  jellies,  3000;  in  cold  tarts,  baked,  4000;  in  cold  custards, 
baked,  3000  ;  iu  hot  pasties  of  venison,  1500;  in  hot  custards, 
2000;  in  pikes  and  breams,  308;  in  porpoises  and  seals,  12: 
spices,  sugared  delicates,  and  wafers,  plenty.  No  turkeys  are 
mentioned  in  this  enormous  bill  of  fare,  because  they  were 
not  then  known  in  England.  Cranes,  heronshaws,  porpoises, 
and  seals,  are  seldom  seen  at  modern  entertainments.  One 
of  the  most  expensive  singularities  attending  the  royal  feasts 
in  those  days,  consisted  in  what  they  called  Ititermeats.  These 
were  representations  of  battles,  sieges,  &c.  introduced  between 
the  courses,  for  the  amusement  of  the  guests.  The  French 
excelled  in  exhibitions  of  this  kind.  At  a  dinner  given  by 
Charles  V,  of  France  to  the  emperor  Charles  IV.  A.  D.  1378, 
the  following  internieat  was  exhibited  :  a  ship,  with  masts, 
sails,  and  rigging,  was  seen  first ;  she  had  for  colours  the  arms 
of  the  city  of  Jerusalem  :  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  appeared  upon 
deck,  accompanied  by  several  knights  armed  cap-a-pie:  the 
ship  advanced  into  the  middle  of  the  hall,  without  the  machine 
which  moved  it  being  perceptible.  Then  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
appeared,  with  all  its  towers  lined  with  Saracens.  The  ship 
approached  the  city;  the  Christians  landed,  and  began  to  as- 
sault, while  the  besieged  made  a  good  defence  :  several  scalcig- 


FEAST   OF   LANTERNS.  621 

ladders  wore  thrown  down  ;  but  at  len<ith  tlie  city  was  taken. 
Internieats  at  ordinary  banquets  consisted  of  certain  delicate 
dishes,  introduced  between  the  courses,  and  designed  rather 
for  gratifying  the  taste,  than  for  satisfying  hunger.  At  those 
feasts,  besides  ale  and  cider,  there  were  great  quantities  of 
wine  of  various  kinds.  Of  these,  a  poet  who  wrote  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  gives  an  ample  enumeration  ;  wherein  he 
mentions  ypocrasse,  malespine,  algrade,  garnade,  and  other 
kinds  now  hardly  known.  Some  of  these  liquors,  as  ypocrasse, 
pyment,  and  claret,  were  compounded  of  wine,  honey,  anc 
spices,  of  different  kinds,  and  in  different  proportions. 

The  chapter  concludes  with  the  Feast  of  Lanterns. — In 
China,  tliis  is  a  celebrated  festival,  held  from  the  thirteenth  to 
the  sixteenth  day  of  the  first  month  ;  so  called  from  the  im- 
mense number  of  lanterns  hung  out  of  the  houses  and  streets; 
which,  it  is  said,  is  no  less  than  two  hundred  millions.  On 
this  day  are  exposed  lanterns  of  all  prices,  whereof  some  are 
said  to  cost  two  thousand  crowns.  Some  of  their  grandees 
retrench  somewhat  every  day  out  of  the  regular  expenses  of 
their  table,  dress,  equipage,  &c.  to  appear  the  more  mag- 
nificent in  their  lanterns.  They  are  adorned  with  gilding, 
sculpture,  painting,  japanning,  &c.  and  tlieir  size  is  extrava- 
gant ;  some  being  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  diameter, 
representing  halls  and  chambers.  Two  or  three  such  machines 
together  would  make  handsome  houses  ;  so  that  in  China  they 
are  able  to  eat,  lodge,  receive  visits,  hold  balls,  and  act  plays, 
in  a  lantern.  To  illuminate  them,  they  light  up  in  them  an  in- 
credible number  of  torches  or  lamps,  which  at  a  distance  have 
a  beautiful  effect.  \n  these  they  exhibit  various  kinds  of 
shows,  to  divert  the  people.  Besides  these  enormous  lanterns, 
there  is  a  multitude  of  smaller  ones,  each  about  four  feet  high, 
and  one  and  a  half  broad. 


b'22  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    CUSTOMS. 


CHAP.  LXII. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     THE     CUSTOMS    OF     MANKIND. — 

(Continued. ) 

Origin  of  the  SherifTs  counting  Hobnails — Origin  of  the  Order 
of  the  Garter — Origin  and  History  of  the  Claim  and  Allow- 
ance of  the  'Benefit  of  C/ergj/  '  in  Criminal  Convictions — - 
Curious  Tenures — The  Origin  of  May  Poles  and  Garlands — 
Curious  Custom  at  Oakham — Curious  Practice  in  North  Hol- 
land 

Origin  of  the  Sheriff's  counting  Hobnails. — This 
is  not  an  absurd  custom  of  antiquity,  such  as  nobody  knows 
when  it  begun,  or  why  it  is  continued  ;  but  it  originated  from 
the  following  circumstances  : — 

In  fo'-mer  times,  when  money  was  very  scarce,  and  when 
we  had  no  larger  coin  than  a  penny,  the  reserved  rents  or 
grants  of  lands  or  tenements,  especially  small  ones,  were 
usually  paid  in  something  that  had  a  reference  to  the  nature 
of  the  thing  granted,  or  the  occupation  of  the  grantee. 

The  two  following  extracts  from  records  in  the  Exchequer, 
with  the  translation,  will  clear  up  the  point. 

"  Walter  de  Brun  Mareschallus,  de  Stranda,  redit  compotum 
de  sex  femis  equorum,  pro  habenda  quadam  placea  in  Paro- 
chia  St.  Clementis,  ad  fabrica  quani  ibidem  locandam." — 
Mag.  Rot.  19.  Henry  III. 

"  Walter  Mareschallus,  ad  Crucem  Lapideam,  redit  sex  ferra 
equorum  cum  clavibus,  pro  quadam  fabrica  quam  de  Rege 
tenet  in  capite  ex  opposito  crucis  lapidea." — Mcmor.  1.  Ed- 
ward I. 

•'  Walter  le  Brun.Mareshall,  or  farrier,  of  the  Strand,  renders 
six  horse-shoes,  to  have  a  certain  place  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Clement's,  to  build  a  forge  there." — Great  Rolls  of  tlic  I9th 
Henry  III. 

"  Walter  Mareshal..   or  the  farrier  at  the  Stone  Cross,  ren 
ders  six  horse-shoes  with  their  nails,  for  (or  as  a  reserved  rent) 
a  certain  forge,  opposite  to  the  stone  cross,  which  he  holds  of 
the  king  in  capite." — Memoranda  Rolls  in  the  1l.x chequer  of  the 
first  year  of  King  Edward  the  First. 

The  first  of  these  points  out  the  beginning,  as  well  as  the 
reason,  of  the  payment  of  these  horse-shoes  and  nails;  for  it 
was  to  have  a  piece  of  ground  to  build  a  forge  on,  therefore 
that  must  be  the  first  payment.  The  nineteenth  year  of  Henry 
tlie  Tiiird  falls  in  with  1234,  now  five  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
years  ago.     In   process   of  time,  this   piece   of  ground,  and 


OP.DliU  OF  THE   GAIITF.R. —  IJENEllT   OF  CLERGY.        623 

buildings  on  it,  came  to  the  mayor  and  citizens  of  Lo  ulon  ; 
and  tiiey,  by  the  sheriffs,  have  continued  to  render  them  into 
the  Exchequer  annually  to  this  day. 

The  spot  where  the  stone  cross  once  stood  had  afterwards 
a  Maypole  erected  on  it,  which  many  now  livinji  can  well 
remember. 

Origin  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter. — This  is  vari- 
ously related  by  historians.  The  common  and  not  improbable 
account  is,  that  the  Countess  of  Salisbury,  happening  at  a  ball 
to  drop  her  garter,  the  King  took  it  up,  and  presented  it  to  her 
in  these  words,  "  Honi  soit  qui  mal  y  penae ;''  i.  e.  Evil  to  him 
that  evil  thinks.  This  accident  gave  rise  to  the  order  and  the 
motto  ;  it  being  the  spirit  of  the  times  to  mix  love  and  war 
togetlier.  In  the  original  statutes,  however,  tliere  is  not  the 
least  hint  of  allusion  to  such  a  circumstance,  farther  than  is 
conveyed  in  the  motto. —  Camden,  Fern,  &.c.  take  the  order 
to  have  been  instituted  on  occasion  of  the  victory  obtained  by 
Edward  over  the  French^  at  the  battle  of  Cressy.  That  prince, 
says  some  historians,  ordered  his  garter  to  be  displayed  as  a 
signal  of  battle  ;  in  commemoration  whereof,  he  made  a  garter 
the  principal  ornament  of  the  order  erected  in  memory  of  this 
signal  victory,  and  the  symbol  of  this  indissoluble  union  of 
the  kniohts.  And  thev  account  for  the  motto,  that  king  Ed- 
ward  havingc  laid  claim  to  the  kingdom  of  France,  denounced 
shame  and  defiance  upon  him  that  sdiould  dare  to  think  amiss 
of  the  just  enterprise  he  had  undertjiken  for  recovering  his 
lawful  rights  to  that  crown  ;  and  that  the  bravery  of  those 
knights  wliom  he  had  elected  into  this  order  was  such  as  would 
enable  him  to  maintain  the  quarrel  against  those  that  thought 
ill  of  it.  This  interpretation,  however,  appears  to  be  rather 
forced. — A  still  more  ancient  origin  of  this  order  is  given  in 
Rostel's  Chronicle,  lib.  vi.  quoted  by  Granger,  in  the  Supple- 
ment to  his  Biographical  History  ;  viz.  that  it  was  devised  by 
Richard  I.  at  the  siege  of  Acre,  when  he  caused  twenty-six 
knights,  who  firmly  stood  by  him,  to  wear  thongs  of  blue 
leather  about  their  legs  ;  and  that  it  was  revived  and  perfected 
in  the  nineteenth  year  of  Edward  III. 

Origin  and  History  of  the  Claim  and  Allowance 
OF  the  'Benefit  of  Clergy'  in  Criminal  Convic- 
tions. 

The  following  learned  dissertation  is  extracted  from  '  Chit- 
ty's  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Criminal  Law.' 

"  By  far  the  most  important  circumstance  interveningbetween 
conviction  and  judgment,  is  the  claim  and  allowance  of  the 
Benefit  of  Clergy,  in  those  cases  where  it  is  by  law  to  be 
granted.     It  is  of  course  claimed  immediately  before  judgment 


624  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

at  the  assizes.  This  is  one  of  the  most  singular  relics  of  old 
superstition,  and  certainly  the  most  important.  That,  by  a 
mere  form,  without  the  shadow  of  existing  reason  to  support 
it,  the  severity  of  the  common  law  should  be  tempered,  may 
seem  strange  to  those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  regard 
our  criminal  law  as  a  regular  fabric,  not  only  attaining  great 
practical  benefit,  but  built  upon  solid  and  consistent  princi- 
ples. The  Benefit  of  Clergy  is,  no  doubt,  of  great  practical 
advantaoe,  compared  to  the  dreadful  list  of  offences  which 
would  otherwise  be  punished  as  capital ;  but  it  would  be  well 
worthy  of  an  enlightened  age  to  forsake  such  a  subterfuge, 
and  at  once,  without  resorting  to  it,  to  apportion  tlie  degree 
of  suffering  to  the  atrocity  and  the  danger  of  the  crimes. 

**  The  history  of  this  singular  mode  of  pardon,  if  so  it  can 
be  termed,  is  both  curious  and  instructive.  In  the  eaily  pe- 
riods of  European  civilization,  after  the  final  destruction  of 
the  Roman  empire,  the  church  obtained  an  influence  in  the 
political  artairs  of  nations,  which  threw  a  peculiar  colouring- 
over  their  original  institutions.  Monarchs  who  were  desirous 
of  atoning  for  atrocious  offences,  or  of  obtaining  the  sanction 
of  heaven  to  their  projects  of  ambition,  were  easily  persuaded 
to  confer  immunities  on  the  clergy,  whom  they  regarded  as 
the  vicegerents  of  God.  Presuming  on  these  favours,  that 
aspiring  body  soon  began  to  claim  as  a  right  what  had  been 
originally  conferred  as  a  boon,  and  to  found  their  demand  to 
civil  exemptions  on  a  divine  and  indefeasible  charter,  derived 
from  the  text  of  scripture,  "Touch  not  mine  anointed,  and  do 
my  prophets  no  harm."  It  need  exceed  no  surprise  that  they 
were  anxious  to  take  advantage  of  their  dominion  over  the 
conscience,  to  exempt  themselves  from  the  usual  consequences 
of  crime.  To  the  priests,  impunity  was  a  privilege  of  no  in- 
considerable value.  And  so  successful  was  the  ])ious  zeal  to 
shield  those  who  were  dedicated  to  religion  from  the  conse- 
quences of  any  breach  of  temporal  enactments,  that  in  several 
countries  they  obtained  complete  exemption  from  all  civil 
liabilities,  and  declared  themselves  responsible  only  to  the 
pope  and  his  ecclesiastical  ministers.  They  erected  them- 
selves into  an  independent  community,  and  even  laid  the 
temporal  authorities  under  subjection.  Nobles  were  intimi- 
dated into  vast  pecuniary  benefactions,  and  princes  trembled 
at  the  terrors  of  spiritual  denunciation.  In  England,  however, 
this  authority  was  always  comparatively  feeble.  The  complete 
exemption  of  the  clergy  from  secular  punishments,  though 
often  claimed,  was  never  universally  admitted  :  for  repeated 
objections  were  made  to  the  demand  of  the  bishop  and  ordi- 
nary to  have  the  clerks  remitted  to  them  as  soon  as  they  wers 
indicted.  At  length,  however,  it  was  finally  settled  in  th,i 
reijn  of  Henry  VI.  that  the  prisoner  should  first  be  arraigned. 


BENEFIT  OF  CLERGY.  625 

and  might  then  claim  the  Benefit  of'  the  Clergy  as  an  excuse 
^'or  pleading,  or  might  demand  it  after  conviction:  and  the 
fatter  of  these  courses  has  been  almost  invariably  adopted,  to 
allow  the  prisoner  the  chance  of  a  verdict  of  acquittal. 

"  But  if  the  privileges  of  the  church  were  less  dangerous  in 
England  than  on  the  continent,  they  soon  became  more  exten- 
sive. They  not  only  embraced  every  order  of  clergymen,  but 
v\ere  claimed  for  every  subordinate  officer  of  religious  houses, 
with  the  numerous  classes  of  their  retainers.  And  so  liberal 
was  the  application  of  these  dangerous  benefits,  that,  at  length, 
every  one  who  in  those  days  of  ignorance  was  able  to  read, 
though  not  even  initiated  in  holy  orders,  began  to  demand  them, 
such  reading  bein^  deemed  evidence  of  his  clerical  profession. 
The  privileges  of  the  clergy  were  recognized  and  confirmed  by 
statute  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third.  It  was  then  enacted, 
that  all  manner  of  clerks,  secular  as  well  as  religious,  should 
enjoy  the  privileges  of  holy  church  for  all  treasons  or  felonies  ex- 
cept those  immediately  affecting  his  majesty.  To  the  advantage 
of  this  provision,  all  who  could  read  were  admitted.  But  as 
learning  became  more  common,  this  extensive  interpretation 
was  found  so  injurious  to  the  security  of  social  life,  that  the 
legislature,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the  church, 
were  compelled  to  afford  a  partial  remedy. 

"  In  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh,  a  distinction  was  drawn 
between  persons  actually  in  holy  orders,  and  those  who,  in 
other  respects  secular,  were  able  to  read  ;  by  which  the  latter 
were  only  allowed  the  benefit  of  their  learning  once,  and,  on 
"eceiving  it,  to  be  branded  in  the  left  thumb  with  a  hot  iron, 
in  order  to  afford  evidence  against  them  on  any  future  occa- 
sion. The  church  seems  to  have  lost  ground  in  the  succeed- 
ing reign,  probably  in  consequence  of  the  separation  of 
England  from  the  sway  of  the  Roman  pontiff;  for  all  persons, 
though  actually  in  orders,  were  rendered  liable  to  be  brande-d, 
in  the  same  way  as  the  learned  class  of  laymen.  But,  in  tlie 
time  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  the  clergy  were  restored  to  all  thv 
rights  of  which  they  were  deprived  by  his  predecessor,  except. 
as  to  certain  atrocious  crimes,  which  it  became  necessary  more 
uniformly  to  punish.  At  the  same  time,  some  of  the  more 
enormous  evils  attendant  on  this  general  impunity  were  done 
away.  Murder,  poisoning,  burglary,  highway-robbery,  and 
sacrilege,  were  excepted  from  all  that  privilege  which  was 
confirmed  as  to  inferior  offences.  But  peers  of  the  realm,  for 
the  first  offence  were  to  be  discharged,  in  every  case,  except 
murder  and  poisoning,  even  though  unable  to  read. 

"  But  here  we  must  pause,  before  we  proceed  to  follow  the 
gradual  improvement  of  this  privilege,  to  inquire  what  was 
originally  done  with  an  offender  to  whom  it  was  allowed  by 
those    ecclesiastical    authorities    who    claimed    the    right    of 

4K 


626  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  CUSTOMS. 

judging  him,  and  in  what  manner  the  power  of  the  church  in 
this  respect  was  ultimately  destroyed.  It  appears,  that  aft^r 
a  layman  was  burnt  in  the  hand,  a  clerk  discharged  on 
reading,  or  a  peer  without  either  burning  or  penalty,  he  was 
delivered  to  the  ordinary,  to  be  dealt  Avith  according  to  the 
ecclesiastical  canons.  Upon  this,  the  clerical  authorities  in- 
stituted a  kind  of  purgation,  the  real  object  of  which  was  to 
make  iiim  appear  innocent,  who  had  already  been  shewn  to 
be  guilty,  and  to  restore  him  to  all  those  capacities  of  which 
his  conviction  had  deprived  him.  To  effect  this,  the  party  him- 
self was  required  to  make  oath  of  his  innocence,  though  before 
he  might  have  confessed  himself  guilty.  Then  twelve  com- 
purgators were  called  to  testify  their  belief  in  the  falsehood  of 
tiie  charges.  Afterwards  he  brouaht  foiward  witnesses  com- 
pletely  1o  establish  that  innocence,  of  which  he  had  induced  so 
weighty  a  presumption.  Finally,  it  was  the  ofhce  of  the  jury  to 
acquit  him  ;  and  they  seldom  failed  in  their  duty.  If,  however, 
from  any  singular  circumstance,  they  agreed  in  the  justice  of 
the  conviction,  the  culprit  was  degraded,  and  compelled  to  do 
penance.  As  this  seldom  occurred,  and  the  most  daring  per- 
juries were  thus  perpetually  committed,  the  courts  of  common 
law  were  soon  aroused  to  abridge  the  power  of  these  clerical 
tribunals.  They,  therefore,  sometimes  delivered  over  the 
privileged  of  felony,  when  his  guilt  was  very  atrocious,  with- 
out allowing  him  to  make  purgation  ;  the  effect  of  which 
proceedings  was,  his  perpetual  imprisonment,  and  incajiacity 
to  acquire  personal  or  to  enjoy  real  estate,  unless  released  by 
his  majesty's  pardon.  But  the  severity  of  this  proceeding 
almost  rendered  it  useless  ;  and  it  became  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  tlie  legislature  to  interfere,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
contemptible  perjuries  which  this  absurd  ceremony  produced 
under  the  sanction  and  pretence  of  religion.  This  desirable 
object  was  effected  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  ;  and  the  party, 
after  being  allowed  his  clergy,  and  burnt  in  the  hand,  was  to 
be  discharged  without  any  interference  of  the  church  to  annul 
his  conviction. 

"  The  clerical  process  being  thus  abolished,  it  was  thought 
proper,  at  the  same  time,  to  empower  the  temporal  judges  to 
inflict  a  further  punishment  where  they  should  regard  it  as 
proper.  The  eighteenth  Elizabeth,  c.  vii.  empowered  them, 
therefore,  to  direct  the  convict  to  be  imprisoned  for  a  year  or 
any  shorter  period.  But  the  law  on  this  subject  was  still  in 
many  respects  imperfect.  Females  were  still  liable  to  the 
punishment  of  death,  without  any  exem})tion,  in  all  cases  of 
simple  felony;  because,  being  never  eligible  to  the  clerical 
ofHce,  they  were  not  included  in  any  of  the  extensions  of  the 
Heticjit  of  Clergy,  No  other  proof  need  be  adduced  to  shew 
the  absurdity  of  the  very  foundations  of  the  system.     At  length 


BENEFIT  OF  CLERGY.  627 

:*t  was  enacted  that  women  convicted  of  simple  larcenies 
under  the  value  10s.  should  be  punished  with  burning  in  the 
hand  and  whipping,  exposure  in  the  stocks,  or  imprisonment 
for  any  period  less  than  a  year.  And  in  the  reign  of  William 
and  Mary  they  were  admitted  to  all  the  privileges  of  men,  in 
clergiable  felonies,  on  praying  the  benefit  of  the  statute ; 
though  they  can  only  once  be  allowed  this  means  of  escaping. 
In  the  same  reign,  the  punishment  of  burning  in  the  hand  was 
changed  for  a  more  visible  stigma  on  the  cheek,  but  was  soon 
afterwards  brought  back  to  the  original  practice. 

"  Hitherto  all  laymen  except  peers,  who,  on  their  convic- 
tion, were  found  unable  to  read,  were  liable  to  suffer  death 
for  every  clergiable  felony.  But  it  was  at  length  discovered, 
that  ignorance,  instead  of  an  ac-oravation,  was  an  excuse  for 
guilt,  and  that  the  ability  to  read  was  no  extenuation  of  crime; 
and,  therefore,,  by  fifth  Ann,  c.  vi.  tlie  idle  ceremony  of  read- 
ing was  abolished,  and  all  those  who  were  before  entitled  to 
clergy  on  reading,  were  now  to  be  admitted  without  any  such 
form  to  its  benefits.  At  the  same  time  it  was  sensibly  felt 
that  the  branding,  which  had  dwindled  into  a  mere  form,  and 
the  year's  imprisonment  which  the  judges  were  empowered  to 
inflict,  were  verv  inadequate  punishments  for  many  clergiable 
otiences  ;  and,  therefore,  the  court  were  authorized  to  commit 
the  offenders  to  the  house  of  correction  for  any  time  not  less 
th;in  six  months  nor  exceeding  two  years,  and  to  double  it  in 
case  of  escaping. 

"  Further  alterations  have  since  been  made  i  the  penalties 
consequent  upon  clergy.  The  fourth  Geo.  I.  c.  xi.  and  sixth 
Geo.  I.  c.  xxiii.  provide,  that  the  court,  on  the  allowance  of 
this  benefit  for  any  larceny  whether  grand  or  petty,  or  other 
felonious  theft  not  excluded  from  the  statutable  indulgence, 
may,  instead  of  judgment  of  burning  in  case  of  men,  and 
whipping  in  that  of  females,  direct  the  offender  to  be  trans- 
ported for  seven  years  to  America,  which  has  been  since 
altered  to  an.y  part  of  his  majesty's  colonies.  To  return  within 
the  period,  was,  at  the  same  time,  made  felony  without  Benefit 
of  Clergif.  And  by  several  subsequent  provisions,  many  wise 
aiterittions  have  been  made  respecting  transportation,  and  the 
mode  of  treatincr  offenders  while  under  its  sentence. 

•  •  •  1 

'*  At  length  the  burning  in  the  hand  was  entirely  done  away, 
and  the  judges  were  empowered  to'  sentence  the  criminal,  in  its 
room,  and  in  addition  to  the  former  penalties,  to  a  jjecuniary 
fine,  or,  except  in  the  case  of  manslaughter,  to  private  whip- 
ping, not  more  than  thrice  to  be  inflicted,  in  the  presence  of 
(Itree  witnesses.  Provisions  were  at  the  same  time  made  for 
t! M^'  t-mployment  of  this  description  of  convicts  in  petiitentiary 
•  uses,  where  a  system  of  reformation  might  be  adopted. 
:.;.  !   an  e\j>erin"ient  made  how  far  [lunishment  might  become 


628  CURlOSlllES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

conducive  to  its  noblest  and  most  legitimate  use — the  reform- 
ation and  benefit  of  the  offender.  But  this  regulation,  though 
applauded  by  Blackstone  and  other  humane  writers,  after 
having  been  continued  by  several  subsequent  acts,  was  re- 
cently suffered  to  expire.  It  appears  from  these  several 
modern  regulations,  that,  as  observed  by  Mr.  Justice  Foster, 
we  now  consider  Benefit  of'  Clergy ,  or  rather  the  benefit  of  the 
statutes,  as  a  relaxation  of  the  rigour  of  the  law,  a  condescen- 
sion to  the  infirmities  of  the  human  frame,  exempting  offend- 
ing individuals  in  some  cases  from  the  punishment  of  death, 
and  subjecting  them  to  milder  punishment;  and  therefore,  in 
the  case  of  clergiable  felonies,  we  now  profess  to  measure  the 
degree  of  punishment  by  the  real  enormity  of  the  offence,  and 
not,  as  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  former  times  sug- 
gested, by  a  blind  respect  for  sacied  persons  or  sacred  func- 
tions, nor  by  an  absurd  distinction  between  subject  and 
subject,  originally  owing  to  impudent  pretension  on  one  hand, 
and  to  mere  fanaticism  on  the  other." 

C(j  Rious  Tenures. — A  farm  at  Broadhouse,  in  Langsett, 
in  the  parish  of  Peniston,  and  county  of  York,  pays  yearly  to 
Godfrey  Bosville,  Esq.  'a  snow-ba-ll  at  Midsummer,  and  a  red 
rose  at  Christmas.' 

William  de  Albermarle  holds  the  manor  of  Loston.  '  by  the 
service  of  finding,  for  our  lord  the  king,  two  arrows,  and  one 
loaf  of  oat  bread,  when  he  should  hunt  in  the  forest  of  Eart- 
moor.' 

Solomon  Atlefield  held  land  at  Repland  and  Atterton,  in 
the  county  of  Kent,  upon  condition  '  that  as  often  as  our  lord 
the  king  would  cross  the  sea,  the  said  Solomon  and  his  heirs 
ought  to  go  along  with  him,  to  hold  his  head  on  the  sea,  if  it 
was  needful.' 

John  Compes  had  the  manor  of  Finchfield  given  him  by 
Edward  III.  for  the  service  of'  turning  the  spit  at  his  corona- 
tion.' 

Geoffrey  Frumbrand  held  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Wingfield, 
in  the  county  of  Suffolk,  by  the  service  of  paying  yearly  to 
our  lord  the  king  two  white  doves.  John  de  Roches  holds 
the  manor  of  Winterslew,  in  Wiltshire,  by  the  service  that 
when  the  king  should  abide  at  Clarendon,  he  should  go  into 
the  bntlery  of  the  king's  palace  there,  and  draw,  out  of  what- 
ever vessel  be  chose,  as  much  wine  as  should  be  needful  for 
making  a  pitcher  of  claret,  which  he  should  make  at  the 
king's  expense,  and  that  he  should  serve  the  king  with  a  cup, 
and  should  have  the  vessel  whence  he  took  the  wine,  with  all 
the  wine  then  in  it,  together  with  the  cup  whence  the  king 
sh<Mdd  drink  the  claret. 

The  town   of  Yarmouth  is,  by   '..barter,  bound  to  send  the 


ORIGIN   OF  MAY-POLES  AND  GARLANDS.  629 

sheriffs  of  Norwich  a  hundred  herrino;s,  which  are  to  be 
baked  in  twenty-four  pies  or  patties,  and  delivered  to  the 
lord  of  the  manor  of  East  Carlton,  who  is  to  convey  them  to 
the  king. 

At  the  coronation  of  James  II.  the  lord  of  the  manor  of 
Heyden,  in  Essex,  claimed  to  hold  the  basin  and  ewer  to  the 
king  by  virtue  of  one  moiety,  and  the  towel  by  virtue  of  the 
other  moiety  of  the  manor,  whenever  the  king  washed  before 
dinner;   but  the  claim  was  allowed  only  as  to  the  towel 

The  privileges  of  the  great  officers  of  the  ancient  British 
court,  were  particularly  striking.  Each  was  annually  pre- 
sented by  the  king  and  queen  with  a  piece  of  linen  and 
woollen  cloth,  besides  some  old  clothes  from  the  royal  ward- 
robe. The  king's  riding-coat  was  three  times  a  year  given  to 
the  master  of  the  mews;  his  caps,  saddles,  bits,  and  spurs, 
becjme  the  perquit^ite  of  the  master  of  the  horse;  and  the 
chamberlain  appropriated  to  himself  his  old  clothes  and 
bed-quilts. 

The  third  in  rank,  in  the  court  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  kings, 
was,  the  steward,  who  had  a  variety  of  perquisites,  of  which 
the  following  were  the  most  remarkable  : — '  As  much  of  every 
cask  of  plain  ale,  and  as  much  of  every  cask  of  ale  with 
spiceries,  as  he  could  reach  with  the  second  joint  of  the 
middle  finger;  and  as  much  of  every  cask  of  mead,  as  he  could 
reach  with  the  first  joint  of  the  same  finger.' 

Our  next  article  is  on  The  Origin  of  May  Poles  and 
Garlands. — It  was  a  custom  among  the  ancient  Britons, 
before  they  were  converted  to  Christianitv,  to  erect  May- 
poles, adorned  with  flowers,  in  honour  of  the  goddess  Flora; 
and  the  dancing  of  milkmaids  on  the  first  of  May  before 
garlands,  ornamented  with  flowers,  is  only  a  corruption  of 
the  ancient  custom,  in  compliance  with  other  rustic  amuse- 
ments. 

The  leisure  days  after  seed-time  had  been  chosen  by  our 
Saxon  ancestors  for  folk-motes,  or  conventions  of  the  people. 
It  was  not  till  after  the  Norman  conquest  that  the  Pagan  festival 
ofWhitsuntide  fullymelted  into  the  Christian  holiday  of  Pente- 
cost. Its  original  name  is  Whittentide,  the  time  of  choosing 
the  wits  or  wisemen  to  the  wittenagemotte.  It  was  conse- 
crated to  Hertha,  the  goddess  of  peace  and  fertility  ;  and  no 
quarrels  might  be  maintained,  no  blood  shed,  during  this  truce 
of  the  goddess.  Each  village,  in  the  absence  of  the  baron  at 
the  assembly  of  the  nations,  enjoyed  a  kind  of  saturnalia. 
The  vassals  met  upon  the  common  green  around  the  May- 
poles, where  they  erected  a  village  lord,  or  king,  as  he  was 
called,  who  chose  his  queen.  He  wore  an  oaken,  and  she 
a  hawthorn  wreath;  and  together  they  gave  laws  to  the  rustic 


630  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  CLSTOMS. 

sports  during  these  sweet  days  of  freedoto.  The  May-pole, 
then,  was  the  English  tree  of  liberty.  How  are  these  times 
of  village  simplicity  and  merriment  vanished  ! 

Curious  Custom  at  Oakham. — Oakham  is  remarkable 
for  the  following  curious  custom.  Every  peer  of  the  realm, 
the  first  time  he  comes  within  the  precincts,  forfeits  a  shoe 
from  his  horse  to  the  lord  of  the  manor  and  castle,  unless  he 
agreei  to  redeem  it  with  money ;  in  which  case  a  shoe  is 
made  according  to  his  direction,  ornamented  in  proportion  to 
the  sum  given  by  way  of  fine,  and  nailed  on  the  castle  hall 
door.  Some  shoes  are  of  curious  workmanship,  and  stamped 
with  the  names  of  the  donors  :  some  are  made  very  large,  and 
some  gilt.     An  ancient  poet  says  of  this  county, 

"Small  shire  that  can  produce  to  thy  proportion  good. 
One  vale  of  special  name,  one  forest,  and  one  flood." 

A  Curious  Practice  in  North  Holland. — To  every 
house,  of  whatever  quality,  there  is  an  artificial  door,  elevated 
near  three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  and  never 
opened  but  upon  two  occasions.  When  any  part  of  the 
family  marries,  the  bride  and  bridegroom  enter  the  house  by 
this  door  ;  and  when  either  of  the  parties  die,  the  corpse  is 
carried  out  by  the  same  door.  Immediately  after  the  due 
ceremonies  are  performed  in  either  of  these  cases,  this  door 
is  fastened  up,  never  to  turn  on  its  hinges  again,  till  some 
new  event  of  a  similar  nature  demands  its  services. 


CHAP.   LXIII. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     THE    CUSTOMS    OF     MANKIiND. — 

( Continued.) 

Shrovetide — Candlemas  Daj/ — Origin  nj  Valentine's  Dai^— 
Origin  of  Plough  Monday — Sew  Year's  Gifts— Origin  Oj 
Christmas  Boxes — Chiltern  Hundreds — Origin  of  the  Tern 
'"John  Buir' — Origin  of  the  Old  Adage,  "  If  it  rains  on  67. 
Swithin's  Day,  it  will  rain  Forty  Days  afterwards' — Curfew 
Bell. 

Shrovetide, — in  its  original  meaning,  signifies  the  time 
of  confessing  sins  to  a  priest.  Tide  refers  to  time ;  and 
shrove,  shrive,  or  shrift,  are  derived  from  the  Saxon,  and 
signify  confession.  In  the  earlier  constitution  of  the  church, 
it  is  ordered,  "  That  on  the  week  next  before  Lent,  every 


SHROVETIDE.  631 

man  should  go  to  his  shrift,  and  his  shrift  should  slirive 
him  in  such  a  manner  as  the  deeds  which  he  had  done  re- 
quired." 

This  custom  of  confessing  to  the  priest  at  this  season,  was 
laid  aside  at  the  Reformation. 

Fitzstephen  informs  us,  that  anciently,  on  Shrove-Tuesday, 
schoolboys  used  to  bring  "  cocks  of  the  game"  to  their 
masters,  and  entertain  themselves  with  cock-fighting.  The 
n.asters  presided  at  the  battle,  and  claimed  the  runaway 
cocks  as  their  perquisite. 

The  custom  of  tiirowing  at  cocks  on  this  day  is  not  of  very 
ancient  institution  :  it  is  gradually  growing  out  of  use  ;  to 
which  amendment  of  our  manners,  the  ingenious  pencil  of 
Hogarth  probably  contributed. 

Shrove-Tuesday  is,  in  the  north,  called  Pastern's  E'en, 
because  the  following  day  is  the  commencement  of  Lent. 

Shrove-Monday  is  also  termed  Collop-Monday ;  in  the 
north,  collops  and  eggs  being  on  that  day  a  constant  dish,  as 
on  the  next  day  the  Papists  take  leave  of  flesh. 

Our  custom  of  eating  pancakes  on  Shrove-Tuesday,  was 
probably  borrowed  from  the  Greek  church.  The  Russians 
begin  their  Lent  always  eight  weeks  before  Easter;  the  first 
week  they  eat  eggs,  milk,  cheese,  and  butter,  and  make  great 
cheer  with  pancakes,  and  such  other  things. 

In  the  Oxfoid  almanacks,  the  Saturday  preceding  this  day 
is  termed  Festum  Overum,  Egg  feast. 

On  Shrove-Tuesday,  the  people  in  every  parish  throughout 
England  were  obliged,  one  by  one,  to  confess  their  sins  to 
their  own  parish  priests,  in  their  own  parish  churches.  And 
that  this  might  be  done  more  regularly,  the  great  bell  in  every 
parish  was  rung  at  ten  o'clock,  or  perhaps  sooner,  that  it 
might  be  heard  by  all,  and  that  they  might  attend  according 
to  the  custom  then  in  use.  And  though  we  are  now  Protest- 
ants, yet  the  custom  of  ringing  the  great  bell  in  an  ancient 
parish  church  still  continues,  and  has  the  name  of  the  pan- 
cake bell,  probably,  because  after  the  confession  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  dine  on  pancakes  or  fritters ;  and  many  people 
even  now  have  these  articles  as  part  of  their  dinner  on  this 
day. 

This  used  to  be  a  great  holiday  amonst  apprentices  ;  but 
a  contempt  of  old  customs  seems  gaining  ground  in  this 
country,  and  those,  or  many  of  them  above-mentioned,  will 
probably  soon  be  forgotten. 

Another  account  of  the  origin  of  frying  pancakes  on  Shrove- 
Tuesday,  has  been  given.  It  is  said  that  one  Simon  Eyre, 
a  shoemaker,  being  chosen  lord-mayor  of  London,  made  a 
pancake  feast  on  Shrove-Tuesday  for  all  the  apprentices  ia 
London ;  and  from  that  it  became  a  custom. 


632  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

He  ordered,  that  upon  ringing  of  a  bell  in  every  parish,  the 
apprentices  should  leave  work,  and  shut  up  their  shops  for 
that  day  ;  which  being  ever  since  yearly  observed,  is  called 
the  pancake  bell  :  he  made  them  a  large  feast  of  puddings, 
pies,  and  pancakes,  and  what  remained,  when  all  had  dined, 
was  given  to  the  poor  :  afterwards  in  that  year  (1446,)  he  built 
Leadenhall. 

Candlemas  Day. — This  is  the  feast  of  the  purification, 
which  was  formerly  celebrated  with  many  lights  in  churches. 
The  custom  of  going  in  procession  on  Candlemas-day  with 
lighted  candles  in  the  hand,  is  said  to  have  been  derived  from 
the  Romans,  who  went  about  Rome  with  torches,  and  candles 
hremiiiig  (burning)  in  worship  of  Februa,  the  mother  of  Mars. 
This  was  afterwards,  by  Pope  Fergius,  converted  into  the 
worship  of  our  Lady,  and  her  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Wheatley  says,  "  The  practice  of  using  abundance  of  lights, 
both  in  churches  and  processions,  continued  in  En^lvHid  till 
the  second  year  of  Edward  VL  when  Bishop  Cranmer  ftjrhade 
it,  by  order  of  the  Privy  Council." 

Valentine's  Day. — Valentine  was  a  pope,  or  bi>,h(j|)  of 
Rome,  that  lived  in  the  ninth  century;  who,  on  tliis  dav, 
established  an  annual  custom  of  the  poorer 'ciergv  drawing 
patrons  by  lots  for  the  commenced  year;  and  these  patrons, 
or  benefactors,  were  called  Valentines.  After  his  death  he 
was  canonized  for  a  saint,  and  his  feast-day  kept  on  the  four- 
teenth day  of  February,  which  was  thought  to  be  his  birth-day. 
Mr.  John  Gordon,  in  his  memoirs  and  account  of  the  popes, 
says,  "  that  Valentine  was  too  good  a  man  to  be  a  good  pope, 
and  died  forty  days  after  his  consecration,  or  instalment; 
being  choked  with  a  fish-bone." 

This  custom,  in  Britain,  evidently  appears  to  have  been  co- 
pied by  the  laity  from  the  clergy,  in  the  days  of  popery,  and 
is  a  very  ancient  custom,  being  almost  of  a  thousand  years 
standing.  The  birds  too  are  supj^osed  to  choose  their  mates, 
and  pair,  on  this  day  ;  which,  no  doubt,  is  an  additional  reason 
to  our  youth  of  both  sexes  who  are  approaching  to  maturity, 
to  write  their  verses,  and  with  much  ingenuity  plv  scissars,  pen, 
and  pencil,  in  honour  of  their  selected  or  allotted  lovers. 

Plough-Monday. — This  day  is  held  on  the  ninth  of  Janu 
ary,  the  Monday  after  Twelfth-day.  The  plouiihnien,  in  the 
north  country,  draw  a  plough  from  door  to  door,  and  beg 
money  for  drink  ;  from  whence  this  took  its  name.  Plough- 
day  had  its  origin  when  the  feudal  system  prevailed  in  this 
country,  when  the  lords  and  barons  had  their  lands  tilled  l)v 
their  vassals,  or  tenants.     The  Christmas  holidays  terminated 


NEW   year's  gifts. — CHRISTMAS  BOXES.  G'X', 

on  Twelfth-day,  and  the  ploughing  season  for  the  new  y<;ir 
commenced  the  first  Monday  after;  on  which  day,  the  sock  - 
men  (as  this  sort  of  ploughmen  were  then  called)  were  oblige! 
to  appear  with  their  ploughs,  &c.  at  a  place  appointed  the)  r, 
to  have  them  examined,  whether  they  were  in  a  proper  conii- 
tion  to  perform  their  lord's  work  ;  for  ploughs  were  then  sctn  c^, 
and  it  was  a  mark  of  some  consequence  to  possess  one  in 
good  order.  Hence  the  appellation  of  Plough-Monday  has 
ever  since  being  applied  to  the  first  Monday  after  Twelfth  day. 
It  is  conjectured,  that  the  system  of  begging  money  arose  at 
a  time  when  they  could  not  plough  the  land  on  account  of  its 
beino-  frozen,  as  watermen  drao-  about  a  boat  in  severe  frosts, 
uiu\  beg  money,  because  they  are  then  unable  to  ply  on  the 
liver. 

New  Year's  Gifts. — Nonius  Marcellus  refers  the  origin 
of  New  Year's  Gifts  among  the  Romans  to  Titus  Tatius,  king 
nf  the  Sabines,  who  reigned  at  Rome  conjointly  with  Romu- 
lus, and  who,  having  considered  as  a  good  omen  a  present  of 
some  branches  cut  in  a  wood  consecrated  to  Stretiua,  the  god- 
dess of  strength,  \»'hich  he  received  on  the  first  day  of  the 
new  year,  authorized  this  custom  afterwards,  and  gave  to 
these  persons  the  name  of  Strena.  The  Romans  on  that  day 
celebratecl  a  festival  in  honour  of  Janus,  and  paid  their  re- 
spects at  the  same  time  to  Juno  ;  but  they  did  not  pass  it  in 
idleness,  lest  they  should  become  indolent  during  the  rest  of 
»lie  year.  They  sent  presents  to  one  another  of  figs,  dates, 
honey,  &.C.  to  shew  their  friends  that  they  wished  them  a 
hajtpv  and  agreeable  life.  Clients,  or  those  who  were  under 
the  protection  of  the  great,  carried  presents  of  this  kind  to 
their  patrons,  adding  to  them  a  small  piece  of  silver.  Under 
Augustus,  the  senate,  the  knights,  and  the  people,  presented 
such  gifts  to  him,  and  in  his  absence  deposited  them  in  the 
capitol.  Of  the  succeeding  princes,  some  adopted  this  custom, 
and  others  abolished  it;  but  it  always  continued  among  the 
people.  The  early  Christians  condemned  it,  because  it  ap- 
peared to  be  a  relic  of  paganism,  and  a  species  of  supersti- 
tion ;  but  when  it  began  to  have  no  other  object  than  that  of 
being  a  mark  of  esteem,  the  church  ceased  to  disapprove 
of  it, 

Christmas  Boxes. — On  looking  into  history,  we  find  that 
this  custom  derived  its  existence  much  about  the  time  that 
mass  was  first  said  by  a  Catholic  priest.  Rome,  which  originally 
gave  birth  to  superstition,  had  an  incredible  number  of  clergy 
to  support,  and,  among  other  devices,  this  was  invented  as 
one,  and  took  its  name  of  Mass  from  the  Latin  word  mitto,  to 
send.     This  word  mitto  was  a  kind  of  remembrancer,  or  ratheF 

4L 


G34  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

dictator,  which  said,  "  Send  gifts,  ofFerings,  and  oblations  to 
the  priests,  that  they  may  intercede  with  Christ  to  save  your 
soul  by  saying  so  many  ?nai)ses." 

Hence  it  was  called  Christ's  mass,  or,  as  it  is  now  abbre- 
viated, Christmas.  Thus  far  the  etymology  of  the  word  is 
indisputable,  and  every  man  who  has  attended  to  the  minutiae 
of  sacred  history,  must  know  the  fact  to  be  as  here  related. 
The  word  Oox,  is  a  part  of  the  same  priestcraft  trade,  and  took 
its  origin  from  the  iollowing  circumstance  :-- 

Whenever  a  ship  sailed  from  any  of  those  ports  where  the 
religious  profession  was  under  the  authority  of  Rome,  a  certain 
saint  was  always  named,  unto  whose  protection  it's  safety  was 
committed,  and  in  that  ship  there  was  a  box,  and  into  that 
box  every  poor  person  put  something,  in  order  to  induce  the 
priests  to  pray  to  that  saint  for  the  safe  return  of  llie  vessel ; 
which  box  was  locked  up  by  the  priests,  who  said  the  money 
siiould  not  be  taken  out  until  the  vessel  came  back. 

Chiltern  Hundreds.- -Frequent  mention  is  made  of 
members  of  parliament  accepting  the  Chiltern  Hundreds. 
The  following  is  the  explanation  : — 

The  Chiltern  Hundreds  are  hundreds,  or  divisions  of  counties, 
parcelled  out  by  the  wise  Alfred,  and  now  annexed  to  the 
crown  ;  they  still  retain  their  peculiar  courts. 

The  stewards  of  these  courts  are  appointed  by  the  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer;  their  salary  is  20s.  a  year.  As  the 
law  enacts  that  a  member  of  parliament  who  receives  a  place 
under  the  Crown,  may  not  sit,  unless  re-elected, — accepting  the 
stewardship  of  the  Chiltern  Hundreds  is  merely  a  formal 
manner  of  resigning  a  seat,  when  the  member  wishes  to  be 
richosen. 

Origin  of  the  term  "John  Bull." — Dr.  John  Bull  was 
the  first  Gresham  professor  of  music,  and  organist  and  com- 
poser to  Queen  Elizabeth.  John,  like  a  true  Englishman, 
travelled  for  improvement;  and  having  heard  of  a  famous  mu- 
sician at  St.  Omer's,  he  placed  himself  under  him  as  a  novice  ; 
but  a  circumstance  very  soon  convinced  the  master,  that  he 
was  inferior  to  the  scholar.  The  musician  shewed  John  a 
song,  which  he  had  composed  in  fori i/  parts!  telling  him  at 
the  same  time,  that  he  defied  all  the  world  to  produce  a  person 
capable  of  adding  another  part  to  his  composition.  Bull 
desired  to  be  left  alone,  and  to  be  indulged  for  a  short  time 
with  pen  and  ink.  In  less  than  three  hours,  he  added  forty 
parts  more  to  the  song.  Upon  which  the  Frenchman  was  so 
much  sur|)iised,  that  he  swore  in  great  ecstasy,  he  must  be  either 
the  Devil,  or  John  Bull;  which  has  ever  since  been  proverbial 
iu  England. 


ST.  SWITHIN's   day. — CUBFKW   BKLL.  (536 

Origin  of  the  Old  Adage,  "If  it  rains  on  Saint 
Swithin's  Day,  it  will  rain  for  Forty  Days  after- 
wards." 

In  the  year  805,  St.  Swithin,  bishop  of  Winchester,  dying, 
was  canonized  by  the  then  pope.  He  was  singular  in  his 
desire  to  be  buried  in  the  open  church-yarf'  and  not  in  the 
chancel  of  the  minister,  as  was  customary  with  the  bishops; 
which  request  was  complied  with  :  but  the  monks,  on  his 
being  canonized,  taking  it  into  their  heads  that  it  was  dis- 
agreeable for  the  saint  to  lie  in  the  open  church-yard,  resolved 
to  move  his  body  into  the  choir,  which  was  to  have  been  done 
in  solemn  procession  on  the  15th  of  July.  It  rained,  however, 
so  violently  on  that  day,  and  for  forty  days  succeeding,  as 
had  hardly  ever  been  known,  which  made  them  set  aside  their 
design,  as  contrary  to  the  will  of  Heaven;  and  instead  of 
removing  the  body,  they  shewed  their  veneration  by  erecting 
a  chapel  over  his  grave. 

Origin    of    the    Saying,    wlien    people    speak    improperly, 
"That's   a  Bull." — This   became   a   proverb   from    the    re- 
peated   blunders  of  one   Obadiah   Bull,  a  lawyer  of  Londn» 
who  lived  in  the  reig.n  of  king  Henry  VII. 

Curfew  Bell. — The  curfew  bell  (called,  in  the  low  L:itin 
of  the  middle  ages,  igniteginm,  or  periteginm,  and  in  French, 
couvrejhv )  wd.s  a  signal  for  all  persons  to  extinguish  their  iires 
at  a  certain  hour.  In  those  ages,  people  made  fires  in  their 
houses  in  a  hole  or  pit  in  the  centre  of  the  floor,  under  an 
opening  formed  in  the  roof;  and  when  the  fire  was  burnt  out, 
or  the  family  went  to  bed,  the  hole  was  shut  by  a  cover  of 
wood  or  earth.  This  practice  still  prevails  among  the  cot- 
tagers in  some  parts  of  Scotland,  and  perhaps  in  other  parts 
of  the  kingdom.  In  the  dark  ages,  when  all  ranks  of  people 
were  turbulent,  a  law  was  almost  every  where  established, 
that  the  fire  should  be  extinguished  at  a  certain  time  in  the 
evening  ;  that  the  cover  should  be  put  over  the  fire-place,  and 
that  all  the  family  should  retire  to  rest,  or  at  least  keep  within 
doors.  The  time  when  this  oucrht  to  be  done,  was  signified 
by  the  ringing  of  a  bell,  called  therefore  the  curfew  bell,  or 
igniiegiiim.  This  was  the  law  of  William  the  Conqueror,  who 
first  introduced  the  practice  into  England,  and  which  was 
abolished  by  Henry  the  First,  in  1100. 

The  ringing  of  the  curfew  bell  gave  rise  to  the  Prayer  Bell, 
as  it  is  called,  which  is  still  retained  in  some  Protestant 
countries.  Pope  John  the  Twenty-third,  with  a  view  to  avert 
certain  apprehended  misfortunes  which  rendered  his  life 
uncomfortable,  gave  orders,  that  every  person,  on  hearing 
the  ignitegium,    should    repeat  the   Ave  Maria  three   times. 


636  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

When  the  appearance  of  a  comet,  and  the  dread  of  Turks, 
alarmed  all  Christendom,  Pope  Calixtus  the  Third  increased 
these  periodical  times  of  prayer,  by  ordering  the  prayer  bell 
to  be  rung  also  at  noon. 


CHAP.  LXIV. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     THE     CUSTOMS     OF     MANKIND. 

( Concluded.) 

Rei'gious  Customs. 

Romish  Indulgences — Act  of  Faith — Bapiistn  of  Bells — Curious 
Baptism — Kalmuck  Praying  Machines — Curious  Penance  at 
Calcutta. 

Romish  Indulgences. — In  the  Romish  church,  indul- 
oences  are  a  remission  of  the  punishment  due  to  sins,  granted 
by  the  church,  and  supposed  to  save  the  sinner  from  pur- 
gatory. According  to  the  Romish  doctrine,  all  the  good  works 
of  the  saints,  over  and  above  those  which  were  necessary 
towards  their  own  justification,  are  deposited,  together  with 
the  infinite  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  one  inexhaustible 
treasury.  The  keys  of  this  were  committed  to  St.  Peter,  and 
to  his  successors  the  popes,  who  may  open  it  at  pleasure,  and 
by  transferring  a  portion  of  this  superabundant  merit  to  any 
|)articular  person,  for  a  sum  of  money,  may  convey  to  him 
either  the  pardon  of  his  own  sins,  or  a  release  for  any 
one  in  whom  he  is  interested,  from  the  pains  of  purgatory. 
Indulgences  were  first  invented  in  the  eleventh  century,  by 
Urban  II.  as  a  recompense  for  those  who  went  in  person  upon 
the  glorious  enterprise  of  conquering  the  Holy  Land.  They 
were  afterwards  granted  to  those  who  hired  a  soldier  for  that 
purpose;  and  in  process  of  time  were  bestowed  on  such  as 
gave  money  for  accomplishing  any  pious  work  enjoined  by 
the  pope.  This  power  of  granting  indulgences  was  greatly 
abused. 

Pope  Leo  X.  in  order  to  carry  on  the  magnificent  structure 
of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  published  indulgences,  and  plenary 
remission,  to  all  who  should  contribute  money  towards  it. 
lMn<ling  the  project  take,  he  granted  to  Albert,  elector  of 
]\lentz,  and  archbishop  of  Magdeburg,  the  benefit  of  the 
indulgences  of  Saxony  and  the  neighbouring  parts,  and 
farmed  out  those  of  other  countries  to  the  highest  bidders; 
who,  to  make  the  best  of  their  bargain,  procured  the  ablest 
j^rcachers  to  cry  up  the  value  of  the  ware.     The  form  o(  these 


ROMISH    INDDLGENCES.  637 

mdulgences  was  as  follows  :  "  May  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
have  mercy  upon  thee,  and  absolve  thee  by  the  merits  of  his 
most  holy  passion.  And  I,  by  his  authority,  that  of  his 
blessed  apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  the  most  holy  Pope, 
granted  and  committed  to  me  in  these  parts,  do  absolve  thee, 
first  from  all  ecclesiastical  censures,  in  whatever  manner  they 
have  been  incurred,  then  from  all  thy  sins,  transgressions,  and 
excesses,  how  enormous  soever  they  may  be,  even  for  such  as  are 
reserved  for  the  cognizance  of  the  holy  see,  and  as  far  as  the 
keys  of  the  holy  church  extend  :  I  remit  to  you  all  punishment 
which  you  deserve  in  purgatory  on  their  account;  and  I  re- 
store you  to  the  holy  sacraments  of  the  church,  to  the  unity 
of  the  faithful,  and  to  that  innocence  and  purity  which  you 
possessed  at  baptism  ;  so  that  when  you  die,  the  gates  of 
punishment  shall  be  shut,  and  the  gates  of  the  paradise  of 
delight  shall  be  opened;  and  if  you  shall  not  die  at  present, 
this  grace  shall  remain  in  full  force  when  you  are  at  the  point 
of  death.  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  terms  in  which  the  retailers  of  indulgences  described 
their  benefits,  and  the  necessity  of  purchasing  them,  are  so 
extravagant,  that  they  appear  almost  incredible.  They  main- 
tain, that  if  any  man  purchase  letters  of  indulgence,  his  soul 
may  rest  secure  with  respect  to  its  salvation.  That  the  souls 
confined  in  purgatory,  for  whose  redemption  indulgences  are 
purchased,  as  soon  as  the  money  tinkles  in  the  chest,  instantly 
escape  from  that  place  of  torment,  and  ascend  into  heaven  : 
That  the  efficacy  of  indulgences  is  so  great,  that  the  most 
heinous  sins,  even  if  one  should  violate  (which  was  impossible) 
the  Mother  of  God,  would  be  remitted  and  expiated  by  them, 
and  the  person  be  freed  both  from  punishment  and  guilt :  That 
this  was  the  unspeakable  gift  of  God,  in  order  to  reconcile 
men  to  himself:  That  the  cross  erected  by  the  preacht  rs  of 
indulgences  was  equally  efficacious  with  the  cross  of  Christ. 
"  Lo!  (say  they)  the  heavens  are  open;  if  you  enter  not  now, 
when  will  you  enter?  For  twelve-pence  you  niay  redeem  the 
soul  of  your  father  out  of  purgatory  ;  and  are  you  so  ungrate- 
ful, that  you  will  not  rescue  your  parent  from  torment?  If 
you  had  but  one  coat,  you  ought  to  strip  yourself  instantly, 
and  sell  it,  in  order  to  purchase  such  benefits,  &c." — This 
monstrous  abuse  of  indulgences  contributed  greatly  to  the 
Reformation  of  religion  in  Germany,  where  Martin  Luther 
first  began  to  declaim  against  the  preachers  of  indulgences, 
and  afterwards  against  indulgences  themselves.  Since  that 
period,  the  popes  have  been  more  sparing  in  the  exercise  of 
this  power  :  however,  they  still  carry  on  a  great  trade  with 
thera  to  the  Indies,  where  they  are  purchased  at  two  rials 
apiece,  and  sometimes  more.     The  pope  likewise  grants  in- 


638  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

dulgences  to  persons  at  the  point  of  death ;  that  is,  he  grant* 
them,  by  a  brief,  power  to  choose  what  confessor  they  please, 
who  is  authorized  thereby  to  absolve  them  from  all  their  sins 
in  general. 

We  proceed  to  another  custom  of  the  Romish  church,  called 
the  Act  of  Faith. — Auto  da  Fe,  in  the  Romish  church,  is  a 
solemn  day  observed  by  the  Inquisition,  for  the  punishment 
of  heretics,  and  the  absolution  of  the  innocent  persons  who 
have  been  accused.  It  is  usually  contrived  to  fall  on  some 
grand  festival,  that  the  execution  may  take  place  with  the 
greater  pomp  and  solemnity.  At  least,  it  is  always  on  a  Sun- 
day. The  auto  da  fe  may  be  considered  as  the  last  act  of  the 
inquisitorial  tragedy;  it  is  a  kind  of  gaol  delivery,  appointed 
as  often  as  a  sufficient  number  of  prisoners  in  the  Inquisition 
are  convicted  of  heresy,  either  by  their  own  voluntary  or 
extorted  confession,  or  on  the  evidence  of  witnesses.  The 
process  is  as  follows: — In  the  morning  they  are  brought  into 
a  great  hall,  where  they  are  clothed  in  certain  habits,  which 
they  are  to  wear  in  the  procession,  and  bv  which  they  know 
their  doom.  The  procession  is  led  on  by  the  Dominican  friars, 
who  enjoy  this  privilege,  because  St.  Dominic,  their  founder, 
instituted  the  Inquisition.  Before  them  is  carried  the  standard 
of  the  holy  office,  in  which  the  image  of  the  founder  is  wvoiight 
in  rich  embroidery,  holding  a  sword  in  one  hand,  and  an  olive 
branch  in  the  other,  with  the  inscription,  "  Justice  and  Mercy." 
These  friars  are  followed  by  the  penitents,  who  have  narrowly 
escaped  burning,  and  who  over  their  black  coats  have  flames 
painted,  with  their  points  turned  downwards.  Next  come  the 
negative  and  relapsed  who  are  intended  to  be  burnt,  and  who 
have  tlames  on  their  habits  pointing  upwards.  After  these 
follow  such  as  profess  doctrines  contrary  to  the  faith  of  Rome, 
and  who,  besides  flames  pointing  upwards,  have  their  pictures 
painted  on  their  breasts,  and  surrounded  by  dogs,  serpents, 
and  devils,  all  open-mouthed  Each  prisoner  is  attended  by 
a  familiar  of  the  Inquisition  ;  and  those  intended  to  be  burnt, 
have  also  on  each  side  a  Jesuit,  who  is  continually  advising 
ihem  to  abjure.  After  the  prisoners,  follow  a  troop  of  familiars 
on  horseback  ;  after  them,  the  Inquisitors,  and  other  officers, 
upon  mules;  and  lastly,  the  inquisitor-general,  upon  a  white 
horse,  led'by  two  men  with  black  hats  and  green  hatbands. 
A  scaffold  is  erected  sufficiently  large  for  containing  two  or 
three  thousand  people;  at  one  end  of  the  scaffold  are  the  pri- 
soners, at  the  other  end  the  inquisitors.  After  a  sermon, 
consisting  of  encomiums  on  the  Inquisition,  and  of  invectives 
against  heretics,  a  priest  ascends  a  dtsk  near  the  scaffold,  and, 
having  received  the  abjuration  of  the  penitents,  recites  the 
final  sentence  of  those  who  are  to  be  put  to  death,  and  delivers 


ACT  OF  FAITH        BAPTISM  OF  BELLS.  639 

them  to  the  secular  power,  at  the  same  time  earnestly  be- 
seeching that  their  blood  be  not  touched,  nor  their  lives  put  in 
danger!!! 

The  prisoners  being  thus  in  the  hands  of  the  civil  magis 
trate.  are  immediately  loaded  with  chains,  and  c^^rried  first  to 
the  secular  gaol,  and  thence,  in  an  hour  or  two,  brought  before 
the  civil  judge.  After  inquiring  in  what  religion  they  intend 
to  die,  the  civil  judge  pronounces  sentence  on  such  as  declare 
they  die  in  the  con)munion  of  the  church  of  Rome,  that  they 
shall  be  first  strangled,  and  then  burnt  to  ashes;  on  such  as 
die  in  any  other  faith,  that  they  be  burnt  alive.  Both  are 
immediately  carried  to  the  place  of  execution,  where  as  many 
stakes  are  set  up  as  there  are  prisoners  to  be  burnt,  and  about 
each  stake  is  laid  a  quantity  of  dry  furze.  The  stakes  of  the 
professed,  or  of  such  as  persist  in  their  heresy,  are  about  four 
yards  in  height,  and  towards  the  top  have  a  small  board,  on 
which  the  prisoner  is  seated.  The  negative  and  relapsed 
being  first  strangled  and  burnt,  the  professed  mount  their 
stakes  bv  a  ladder;  and  the  Jesuits,  after  repeatedly  exhort- 
ing them  to  be  reconciled  to  the  church,  part  with  them,  and 
say  that  they  leave  them  to  the  devil,  who  is  standing  at  their 
elbow  to  receive  their  souls,  and  to  carry  them  with  him  to 
the  flames  of  hell.  On  hearing  this,  a  great  shout  is  raised  by 
the  people,  who  cry,  '  Let  the  dogs'  beards  be  made  !'  This  is 
performed  by  thrusting  flaming  furze,  fastened  to  long  poles, 
against  their  chins,  till  their  faces  are  burned  to  a  coal.  This 
inhuman  act  is  accompanied  with  the  loudest  acclamations  ot 
joy.  At  last,  fire  is  set  to  the  furze  at  the  bottom  of  the 
stakes,  over  which  the  professed  are  chained  so  high,  that  the 
top  of  the  flame  seldom  reaches  higher  than  the  seat  upon 
which  they  sit,  and  they  seem  rather  roasted  than  burnt. 
There  cannot  be  a  more  lamentable  spectacle  :  the  suflerers 
continually  cry  out,  while  they  are  able,  '  Pity,  for  the  love  of 
God!'  Yet  it  is  beheld  by  all  ages,  and  by  both  sexes,  with 
transports  of  joy  and  admiration! 

Another  curious  custom  in  the  same  church,  is.  The 
Baptism  of  Bells. — ■"  Being  come  to  Veletre,  the  abbot 
took  up  his  lodging  with  one  of  his  friends,  and  I  betook 
myself  to  an  inn,  near  the  Piazza.  My  host  asked  me  if  I  had 
not  a  nxind  to  see  the  ceremony  which  was  to  be  celebrated 
the  next  day  at  the  dome,  (so  they  call  the  cathedral  churches 
in  Italy  ;)  he  told  me  there  was  a  bell  to  be  baptized,  whereof 
a  great  lord  was  to  be  the  godfather,  and  a  lady  of  quality  the 
godmother;  and  that  there  would  be  a  great  appearance  of 
the  nobility,  who  had  been  in\ited  to  the  solemnity  from  all 
parts.  I  had  before  this  seen  bells  baptized  in  France;  but 
because   I   knew  that  the  [talians  surpass  all  other  nations  in 


640  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

the  magnificence  of  their  ceremonies,  and  that  they  commonly 
season  them  with  a  double  portion  of  superstition,  I  resolved 
with  myself  to  see  it  baptized,  and  with  that  design  I  staid  all 
the  next  day  at  Veletre.  I  went  to  the  church  in  the  morn- 
ing, to  take  a  view  of  the  preparatives  that  had  taken  up  a 
whole  week's  time,  which  I  found  to  be  great  and  sumptuous 
indeed.  The  bell  was  placed  at  the  lower  end  of  the  body  of 
the  church,  hanging  upon  two  gudgeons,  covered  with  rich 
hangings  of  velve-t  of  a  violet  colour,  and  the  bell  itself  was 
accoutred  with  a  kind  of  robe  of  tiie  same  stuff.  There  were 
two  theatres  built  on  each  side  of  it  for  the  musicians,  and  an 
amphitheatre  for  the  ladies  who  were  to  be  present  at  the 
ceremony.  The  pillars  and  walls  of  the  church  were  richly 
adorned  with  curious  sheets  of  silk,  and  pictures.  Near  to 
the  bell  was  erected  an  altar  very  neatly  set  forth,  and  on  it 
lay  a  white  satin  robe,  which  was  to  be  put  upon  the  bell  as 
soon  as  it  should  be  baptized,  with  a  great  and  choice  garland 
of  flowers:  there  was  also  upon  the  altar  a  Roman  ritual, 
a  censer,  and  a  vessel  with  holy  water,  and  round  about  the 
altar  rich  elbow  chairs  for  the  priests  who  were  to  perform 
the  ceremony.  Just  over  against  it  a  throne  was  seen,  most 
magnificently  hung,  for  the  godfather  and  godmother  of  the 
bell. 

"  About  ten  o'clock  the  company  came,  and  having  taken 
their  several  places,  the  priests  began  their  function.  He 
who  officiated  was  a  bishop  in  partibus,  v^hom  the  bishop  of 
V«^Ietre,  being  at  that  time  very  sick,  had  deputed  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  his  chair  was  placed  upon  the  steps  of  the  high  altar. 
He  struck  up  the  first  Psalm,  which  was  continued  by  the 
music.  The  psalms,  by  the  way,  which  may  be  seen  in  the 
Roman  ritual,  have  as  much  reference  to  the  baptizing  of 
the  moon,  as  to  the  baptizing  of  a  bell :  for  the  prophet  David 
very  probably  had  not  the  least  notion  of  the  baptism  of  bells. 
After  the  psalms  were  ended,  the  bishop  began  the  blessing 
of  holy  water,  to  sanctify  it  in  the  first  place,  to  the  end  that 
afterwards  it  might  sanctify  the  bell  also.  This  benediction 
is  very  long,  and  no  less  ridiculous  ;  which  being  finished, 
the  bishop  and  priests  di|)ped  spunges  in  it,  with  which  they 
lubbed  ovi'V  the  bell,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  witliin  and 
witiiout,  being  in  this  regard  certainly  much  better  l)aptized 
than  children  are,  upon  whose  heads  only  they  pour  or  sprinkle  it. 
They  repeated,  in  the  mean  time,  abundance  of  prayers,  which 
>;.  .ik  of  nothing  else  but  heavenly  blessings,  that  are  to 
j'Mify,  sanctify,  and  consecrate  the  bell.  Uf.  hoc  finfiniiabiilum 
(>.iy  they)  ca'/cs/e  benedictione  pefj'un(/rf^-e,  ptiiijicnre,  uinctijicare, 
ct  loitsecrare  {ligiieris :  '  That  thou  vvoni  :1  jst  be  pleased  to  rinse, 
purify,  sanctify,  and  consecrate  flin  "Ijell  with  thy  heavenlv 
benediction.' 


BAPTISM  OF  BELLS.  641 

"The  bell  being  thus  washed,  they  dried  it  with  clean  nap- 
kins; and  the  bishop  havino-  taken  the  vial  of  holy  oils,  which 
are  those  they  bless  on  Holy  Th\irsday  for  the  whole  year 
following,  he  therewith  anointed  the  cross  of  metal,  which  is 
on  the  top  of  the  bell,  in  order  to  make  the  devils  flee  at  the 
sound  or  rinsino;  of  it :  Ut  hoc  aiuJientes  tiiiti/niabii/um,  tiemis- 
cant  et  J'iigiaiit  ante  cnicis  in  eo  aepictum  vexillinn:  'That 
hearing  this  bell,  they  may  tremble  and  flee  before  the  banner 
of  thy  cross  designed  upon  it.'  lie  afterwards  made  seven 
other  crosses  with  the  said  oil  upon  the  outside  of  the  bell, 
and  four  on  the  inside.  This  done,  he  made  the  godfather 
and  oodmother  draw  near,  and  demanded  of  them  in  Italian, 
•Whether  they  were  the  persons  that  presented  this  bell  to  be 
consecrated?'  Who  having  answered  that  they  did,  he  then 
asked  them,  '  Wiiether  the  metal  of  the  bell,  and  the  workman- 
ship of  it,  had  been  paid  for  to  the  artificers?'  To  which  they 
answered,  '  Yea.' — They  make  this  demand,  because  it  had 
sometimes  happened,  that  for  want  of  proper  payment,  the 
workmen  have  seized  and  fetched  away  their  bells  the  same 
day,  or  the  day  after  they  had  been  baptized,  and  have  melted 
them  down  to  be  employed  to  profane  uses.  The  third  ques- 
tion he  asked  of  them  was,  'Whether  they  believed  all  that 
the  Catholic  apostolic  churches  believes  concerning  the  holi- 
ness and  virtue  of  bells?'  The  answer  to  which  was  affirmative 
also.  In  the  last  place,  he  demanded  of  them,  '  What  name 
they  desired  should  be  j>ut  upon  the  bell?'  To  which  the 
lady  replied,  *  Mary.'  Tl)en  the  bishop  took  two  great  silk 
ribands,  which  had  been  fastened  to  the  oudo-eons  of  the  bell, 
and  gave  each  of  them  one  in  their  hands,  and  pronounced, 
with  a  loud  intelligible  voice,  the  words  of  consecration, 
which  are  these, — Consecretnr  et  umctijicetur  signum  istiid,  in 
nomine  Palris,  et  Filii,  et  Spiritus  Saneti.  Amen.  '  Let  this 
sign  be  consecrated  and  sanctified  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  Amen.'  Then  turning  himself  to  the 
people,  he  said,  'The  name  of  this  bell  is  Mary.'  He  then 
takes  the  censer,  and  censeth  it  on  the  outside  round  about,, 
and  afterwards  puts  the  censer  under  the  bell,  filling  it  with 
sacred  fumes,  and  repeating  prayers  and  invocations,  that  it 
might  be  filled  with  the  dew  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  at  the 
sound  of  it  the  enemy  of  all  good  may  take  his  flight. 

"  The  office  was  carried  on  with  a  great  number  of  psalms, 
which  they  repeated,  the  music  all  the  while  performing  won- 
ders ;  and  then  the  bishop,  to  sum  up  the  whole  ceremony, 
arrayed  the  bell  with  the  white  robe  of  a  proselyte,  or  convert, 
and  with  a  loud  voice  read  the  gospel  of  '  Mary  and  Martha.' 
I  supposed  at  that  time  that  the  reason  of  their  reading  this 
gospel  was,  because  the  bell  was  called  Mary;  but  I  have 
since  seen,  in  the  Roman  ritual,  that  the  same  gospel  is  read 

4M 


642  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   CUSTOMS. 

«t  the  consecration  of  all  bells,  whatever  their  names  be 
Ibis  is  what  I  am  astonished  at,  because  that  gospel  hath 
00  reference  at  all  to  the  ceremony.  The  whole  solemnity 
being  thus  ended,  the  bishop  gave  his  benediction,  and  the 
priests  received  great  presents  from  the  godfather  and  god- 
mother." 

A  Curious  Baptism,  which  took  place  atDuBi,iN,  in  the 
year  1807. — A  Moor,  a  native  of  Mogadore,  in  Africa,  a  strict 
observer  of  the  religion  of  Mahomet,  wearing  always,  of 
course,  the  costume  of  his  country,  resided  a  few  months  in 
the  above  city.  A  family,  where  he  occasionally  visited,  being 
about  to  baptize  their  infant,  solicited  the  stranger  to  stand 
godfather,  which  was  immediately  consented  to  ;  and  on  the 
appointed  day,  he  appeared  splendidly  arrayed  in  his  turban 
and  robes,  at  the  sacred  font,  where,  with  due  solemnity,  he 
answered  to  the  accustomed  interroaatives, — "All  this  I  sted- 
fastly  believe."  To  add  still  further  to  the  oddity  of  the  cir- 
cumstance, the  father  was  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  the  mother  of  the  Established  one. 

Some  account  of  Kalmuck  Praying  Machines:  from 
Travels  in  the  Caucasus  and  Georgia. — "  Among  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  sacred  utensils  of  the  temples,  is  the  Kurd'd, 
a  cylindrical  vessel  of  wood  or  metal,  either  very  small,  or  of 
immense  size.  In  its  centre  is  fixed  an  iron  axle  ;  but  the  in- 
terior of  the  cylinder,  which  is  quite  hollow,  is  filled  with 
sacred  writings,  the  leaves  of  which  are  all  stuck  one  to 
another  at  the  edge,  throughout  the  whole  length.  This  paper 
is  rolled  tightly  round  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  till  the  whole 
space  is  filled  up.  A  close  cover  is  fixed  on  at  each  end,  and 
the  whole  klirda  is  very  neatly  finished,  painted  on  the  outside 
with  allegorical  representations,  or  Indian  prayers,  and  var- 
nished. This  cylinder  is  fastened  upright  in  a  frame  by  the 
axis;  so  that  the  latter,  by  means  of  a  wheel  attached  to  it 
below,  may  be  set  a-going  with  a  string,  and  with  a  slight 
;ull  kept  in  a  constant  rotatory  motion.  When  this  cylinder 
.s  large,  another,  twice  as  small,  and  filled  with  writing,  is 
fixed  for  ornament  at  the  top  of  it.  The  inscription  on  such 
prayer-wheels  commonlv  consists  of  masses  for  souls,  psalms, 
and  the  six  great  general  litanies,  in  which  the  most  moving 
petitions  are  preferred  for  the  welfiire  of  all  creatures.  The  text 
thev  sometimes  repeat  a  hundred,  or  even  a  thousand  times, 
attributing,  from  superstition,  a  proportionably  augmented 
efi'ect  to  this  repetition,  and  believing  that  by  these  frequent 
copies,  combined  with  their  thousands  of  revolutions,  they 
will  i)r()ve  so  much  the  more  efficacious.  You  frequently  see, 
as  well  on  the  habitations  of  the  priests,  as  on  the  whole  roof 


PRAYING   MACHINES. — PENANCE  AT  CALCUTTA.         643 

of  the  temple,  small  kiird'a  placed  close  to  each  other,  in  rows, 
by  way  of  ornament ;  and  not  only  over  the  gates,  but  like- 
wise in  the  fields,  frames  set  up  expressly  for  these  praying- 
machines,  which,  instead  of  being  moved  by  a  string,  are 
turned  by  tiie  wind,  by  means  of  four  sails,  shaped  and  hol- 
lowed out  like  spoons. 

"  Otiier  similar  kiird'a  are  fastened  to  sticks  of  moderate 
thickness;  a  leaden  weight  is  then  fastened  to  the  cylinder  by 
a  string,  which,  when  it  is  once  set  a-going,  keeps  it,  with  the 
help  of  the  stick,  in  constant  motion.  Such  like  prayer-wheels, 
neatly  wrought,  are  fastened  upon  short  sticks  to  a  small 
wooden  pedestal,  and  stand  upon  the  altars,  for  the  use  of 
pious  persons.  While  the  prayer-wheel  is  thus  turned  round 
with  one  hand,  the  devotee  takes  the  rosary  in  the  other,  and 
at  the  same  time  repeats  penitential  psalms. 

"  A  fourth  kind  of  these  kiirda  is  constructed  on  the  same 
principle  as  those  which  are  turned  by  wind,  only  it  is  some- 
what smaller,  and  the  frame  is  adapted  to  be  hung  up  by  a 
cord,  in  the  chimneys  of  the  habitations  or  huts  of  the  Mon- 
guls.  When  there  is  a  good  fire,  they  are  likewise  set  in 
motion  by  the  smoke  and  the  current  of  air,  and  continue  to 
turn  round  as  long  as  the  fire  is  kept  up. 

"  A  fifth  kind  of  kiird'a  is  erected  on  a  small  stream  of  water, 
upon  a  foundation  like  that  of  a  mill,  over  which  a  small  house 
is  built  to  protect  it  from  the  weather.  By  means  of  the  wheel 
attached  to  it,  and  the  current,  the  cylinder  is  in  like  manner 
kept  in  a  constant  circular  motion.  These  water  k'lird'a  are 
commonly  constructed  on  a  large  scale,  and  maintained  at 
the  joint  expense  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  whole  district.  They 
have  a  reference  to  all  aquatic  animals,  whether  alive  or  dead, 
whose  temporal  and  eternal  happiness  is  the  aim  of  the  writ- 
ings contained  in  them,  in  like  manner  as  the  object  of  the 
fire.  Kiird'a  is  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  all  animals  suffer- 
ing by  fire." 

Curious  Account  of  an  expiatory  Penance  at 
Calcutta. — About  a  mile  from  the  town  is  a  plain,  where 
the  natives  annually  undergo  a  very  strange  kind  of  penance 
on  the  9th  of  April;  some  for  the  sins  they  have  committed, 
others  for  those  they  may  commit,  and  others  in  consequence 
of  a  vow  made  by  their  parents.  This  ceremony  is  per- 
formed in  the  following  manner.  Thirty  bamboos,  each 
about  the  height  of  twenty  feet,  are  erected  in  the  plain  above- 
mentioned.  On  the  top  of  these  they  contrive  to  fix  a  swivel, 
and  another  bamboo  of  thirty  feet  or  more  crosses  it,  at  both 
ends  of  which  Langs  a  rope.  The  people  pull  down  one  end 
of  this  rope,  and  the  devotee,  placing  himself  under  it,  the 
brahmin   pinches   up  a  large   piece   of  skin   u»ider  both   the 


644  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

shoulder  blades,  sometimes  in  the  breasts,  and  thrusts  a  strong 
iron  hook  through  each.  These  hooks  have  lines  of  Indian 
grass  hanging  to  them,  which  the  priest  makes  fast  to  the 
rope  at  the  end  of  the  cross  bamboo,  and  at  the  same  time  puts  a 
sash  round  the  body  of  the  devotee,  laying  it  loosely  in  the 
hollow  of  the  hooks,  lest,  by  the  skin  giving  way,  he  should 
fall  to  the  ground.  The  people  then  haul  down  the  other  end 
of  the  bamboo  :  by  which  the  devotee  is  immediately  lifted 
up  thirty  feet  or  more  from  the  ground,  and  they  run  round 
as  fast  as  their  legs  can  carry  them.  Thus  the  devotee  is 
thrown  out  the  whole  length  of  the  rope,  where,  as  he  swings, 
he  plays  a  thousand  antic  tricks;  being  painted  and  dressed 
in  a  very  particular  manner,  on  purpose  to  make  him  look 
more  ridiculous.  Some  of  them  continue  swinging  half  an 
hour,  others  less.  The  devotees  undergo  a  preparation  of  four 
days  for  this  ceremony.  On  the  first  and  third,  they  abstain 
from  all  kinds  of  food  ;  but  eat  fruit  on  the  other  two.  Dur- 
ing this  time  of  preparation  they  walk  about  the  streets  in 
their  fantastical  dresses,  dancing  to  the  sound  of  drums  and 
horns;  and  some,  to  express  the  greater  ardour  of  devotion, 
run  a  wire  of  iron  quite  through  their  tongues,  and  sometimes 
through  their  cheeks. 

Happy  are  Christians  in  being  delivered  from  the  darkness, 
absurdities,  and  horrors  of  superstition,  by  the  bright  efful- 
gence of  the  Sun  of  righteousness! 


CHAP.  LXV.  .^ 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    VARIOUS  PHENOMENA    OR 
APPEARANCES  IN  NATURE. 

ON    THE     IGNIS    FATUUS. 
A  vvand'rinff  fire 


Compact  of  unctuous  vapour,  wliich  tlie  night 

Condenses,  and  the  cold  environs  round. 

Kindled  tlirou^li  ajritation  to  a  (lame, 

(Which  ofl,  tlie\  say,  some  evil  spirit  attends,) 

Hoverinji,  and  hlazins:  with  delusive  light. 

Misleads  th'  amaz'd  night-wanderer  from  his  way 

Through  bogs  and  mire.  Milton. 

The  Ignis  Fatiius  is  a  luminous  appearance,  which  is  most 
frequently  observed  in  boggy  districts  and  near  rivers,  though 
sometimes  also  in  dry  places.  By  its  appearance,  benighted 
travellers  are  said  to  have  been  sometimes  led  into  imminent 
danger,   taking   it  for  a  candle   at  a  distance;    from   which 


THE   IGNIS   FATUUS-  646 

geeniingly  mischievous  property  it  has  been  thought  by  the 
vulgar  to  be  a  spirit  of  a  nialjonant  nature,  and  been  named 
accordingly,  Will-ivith-a-Wisp,  or  Jack-with-a-Laiitern ;  for 
the  same  reason  that  it  had  its  Latin  name  Ignis  Fatuus.  This 
light  is  frequently  seen  about  buryitig-places  and  dunghills-. 
Some  countries  are  also  remarkable  for  it.  as  about  Bologna 
in  Italy,  and  some  parts  of  Spain  and  Ethiopia.  Its  forms 
are  so  uncertain  and  variable,  that  they  can  scarcely  be  de- 
scribed, especially  as  philosophical  observers  seldom  meet 
with  it.  Dr.  Derham,  however,  one  night  perceived  one  of 
them,  and  got  so  near  that  he  had  a  very  advantageous  view 
of  it.  This  is  very  difficult  to  be  obtained  ;  for,  among  other 
singularities  of  the  ignis  fatuus,  it  avoids  the  approach  of  any 
person,  and  flies  from  place  to  place  as  if  it  were  animated. 
That  which  Dr.  Derham  observed,  was  in  some  boggy  ground 
betwixt  two  rocky  hills  ;  and  the  night  was  dark  and  calm,  by 
which  means  he  was  enabled  to  advance  within  two  or  three 
yards  of  it.  It  appeared  like  a  complete  body  of  light  with- 
out any  division,  so  that  he  was  sure  it  could  not  be  occa- 
sioned by  insects.  It  kept  dancing  about  a  dead  tliistle,  till 
a  very  slight  motion  of  the  air,  occasioned,  as  he  supposed, 
by  his  near  approach  to  it,  made  it  jump  to  another  place  ; 
after  which  it  kept  flying  before  him  as  he  advanced. 

Beccari  obtained  information,  that  two  of  these  lights 
appeared  in  the  plains  about  Bologna,  the  one  north,  the 
other  south  of  that  city,  and  were  to  be  seen  almost  every 
dark  night,  especially  that  to  the  eastward,  giving  a  light 
equal  to  an  ordinary  faggot.  The  latter  appeared  to  a  gen- 
tleman of  his  acquaintance,  as  he  was  travelling;  moved  con- 
stantly before  him  for  about  a  mile,  and  ijave  a  better  light 
than  a  torch  which  was  carried  before  him.  Both  these 
appearances  gave  a  very  strong  light,  and  were  constantly  in 
motion.  Sometimes  they  would  rise,  sometimes  sink  ;  but 
commonly  they  would  hover  about  six  feet  from  the  ground; 
they  would  also  frequently  disappear  on  a  sudden,  and  appear 
again  in  some  other  place.  They  differed  also  in  size  and 
figure,  sometimes  spreading  pretty  wide,  and  then  contracting 
themselves;  sometimes  breaking  into  two,  and  then  joining 
again.  Sometimes  they  would  appear  like  waves,  at  others 
they  would  seem  to  drop  sparks  of  fire  :  they  were  but  little 
affected  by  the  wind  ;  and  in  wet  or  rainy  weather,  were  fre- 
quently observed  to  cast  a  stronger  light  than  in  dry  weather: 
they  were  also  observed  more  frequently  when  snow  lay  upon 
the  ground,  than  in  the  hottest  summer;  but  he  was  assured, 
that  there  was  not  a  dark  night  throughout  the  whole  year,  in 
which  they  were  not  to  be  seen.  The  ground  east  of  Bologna, 
where  the  largest  of  these  was  observed,  is  a  hard  chalky 
soil  mixed  with  clay,  which  retains  moisture  long,  but  breaks 


640  CURIOUS    NATURAL   PHENOMENA. 

and  cracks  in  hot  weather.  On  the  mountains,  where  the 
soil  is  looser,  the  ignes  fatui  were  less.  From  the  best 
information,  M.  Beccari  found  that  these  lights  were  very 
frequent  about  rivers  and  brooks.  He  concludes  his  narrative 
with  the  following  singular  account. — 

*'  An  intelligent  gentleman  travelling  in  the  evening,  be- 
tween eight  and  nine  o'clock,  in  a  hilly  road  about  ten  miles 
south  of  Bologna,  perceived  a  light  which  shone  very  stiongly 
upon  some  stones  which  lay  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Verde. 
It  seemed  to  be  about  two  feet  above  the  stones,  and  near  the 
water.  In  size  and  figure  it  had  the  appearance  of  a  parallelo- 
piped,  above  a  foot  in  length,  and  half  a  foot  high,  the  largest 
side  being  parallel  to  the  horizon.  Its  light  was  so  strong, 
that  he  could  plainly  see  by  it  part  of  a  neighbouring  hed^•e 
and  the  water  of  the  river;  only  in  the  east  corner  of  it  the 
light  was  rather  faint,  and  the  square  figure  less  perfect,  as  if 
it  were  cut  off  or  darkened  by  the  segment  of  a  circle.  On 
examining  it  a  little  nearer,  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  it 
changed  gradually  from  a  bright  red  to  a  yellowish,  and  then 
to  a  pale  colour,  in  proportion  as  he  drew  nearer;  and  when 
he  came  to  the  place  itself  it  quite  vanished.  Upon  this,  he 
stepped  back,  and  not  only  saw  it  again,  but  found  that  the 
farther  he  went  from  it,  the  stronger  and  brighter  it  grew. 
When  he  examined  the  place  of  this  luminous  appearance,  he 
could  perceive  no  smell,  nor  any  other  mark  offline."  Another 
gentleman  informed  M.  Beccari,  that  he  had  seen  the  same 
light  five  or  six  different  times  in  spring  and  autumn  ;  and 
that  it  always  appeared  of  the  same  shape,  and  in  the  very 
same  spot.  One  night  in  particular,  he  observed  it  come  out 
of  a  neighbouriuii^  field  to  settle  in  the  usual  place. 

A  very  remarkable  account  of  an  ignis  fatuus  is  given  by 
Dr.  Shaw,  in  his  Travels  to  the  Holy  Land.  It  appeared  in 
the  valleys  of  mount  Ephraim,  and  attended  him  and  his 
company  for  above  an  hour.  Sometimes  it  appeared  globular, 
or  like  the  flame  of  a  candle,  at  others  it  spread  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  involve  the  whole  country  in  a  pale  inoffensive 
light,  then  contracted  itself,  and  suddenly  disap])eared,  but 
in  less  than  a  minute  it  would  appear  again  ;  sometimes,  run- 
ning swiftly  along,  it  would  expand  itself  at  certain  intervals 
over  more  than  two  or  three  acres  of  the  adjacent  mountains. 
The  atmosphere  from  the  beginning  of  the  evening  had  been 
remarkably  thick  and  hazy;  and  the  dew,  as  they  felt  it  on 
the  bridles  of  their  horses,  was  very  clammy  and  unctuous. 
Lights  resembling  the  ignis  fatuus  are  sometimes  observed  at 
at  sea,  skipping  about  the  masts  and  riggin;;  of  ships  ;  and 
Dr.  Shaw  informs  us,  that  he  has  seen  these  in  such  weather 
as  that  just  mentioned,  when  he  saw  the  ignis  fatuus  in 
Palestine.    Similar  appearances  have  been  observed  in  various 


IGNIS   FATUUS.  647 

ether  situations  ;  and  we  are  told  of  one  which  appeared  about 
the  bed  of  a  woman  in  Milan,  surrounding  it,  as  well  as  her 
body,  entirely.  This  light  fled  from  the  hand  which  ap- 
proached ;  but  was  at  length  entirely  dispersed  by  the  motion 
of  the  air. 

Of  the  same  kind  also,  most  probably,  are  those  small  lu- 
minous appearances  which  sometimes  appear  in  houses,  or 
near  them,  called,  in  Scotland,  Elf-candles,  and  which  are 
supposed  to  portend  the  death  of  some  person  about  the  house. 
In  general  these  lights  are  harmless,  though  not  always  ;  for 
some  of  them  have  encompassed  stacks  of  hay  and  corn,  and 
set  them  on  fire  ;  so  that  they  became  objects  of  great  terror 
to  the  country  people.  Of  these,  it  was  observed,  that  they 
would  avoid  a  drawn  sword,  or  sharp-pointed  iron  instrument; 
and  that  they  would  be  driven  away  by  a  great  noise. 

Several  philosophers  have  endeavoured  to  account  for  these 
appearances,  but  hitherto  with  no  great  success  ;  nor  indeed 
does  there  seem  to  be  sufficient  data  for  solving  all  their  phe- 
nomena. Sir  Isaac  Newton  calls  it  a  vapour  shining  without 
heat;  and  supposes  that  there  is  the  same  difference  between 
a  vapour  of  the  ignis  fatuus  and  flame,  that  there  is  between 
the  shining  of  rotten  wood  and  burning^  coals.  But  thouoh 
this  seems  generally  to  be  the  case,  there  are  exceptions,  as 
has  been  instanced  in  the  vapours  which  set  fire  to  the  stacks 
of  corn.  Dr.  Priestley  supposes  that  the  light  is  of  the  same 
nature  with  that  produced  by  putrescent  substances;  others, 
that  the  electrical  fluid  is  principally  concerned  ;  but  none 
have  attempted  to  give  any  particular  solution  of  the  phe- 
nomena. 

From  the  frequent  appearance  of  the  ignis  fatuus  in  marshes, 
moist  ground,  burying-places,  and  dunghills,  putrefaction 
seems  to  be  concerned  in  the  production  of  it.  This  process 
is  attended  with  the  emission  of  an  aqueous  steam,  together 
with  a  quantity  of  fixed  inflammable  and  alkaline  air,  blended 
together  in  one  common  vapour.  It  is  likewise  attended  with 
some  degree  of  heat,  and  there  are  some  vapours,  that  of 
sulphur  particularly,  which  becomes  luminous  with  a  degree 
of  heat  much  less  than  that  sufficient  to  set  fire  to  combusti- 
bles. The  putrid  vapour,  therefore,  may  be  capable  of  shining 
with  a  still  smaller  degree  of  heat  than  that  of  sulphur,  and 
consequently  may  become  luminous  by  that  which  putrefac- 
tion alone  affords.  This  would  account  for  the  ignis  fatuus, 
were  it  only  a  steady  luminous  vapour  arising  from  places  where 
putrid  matters  are  contained  ;  but  its  extreme  mobility,  and 
flying  from  one  place  to  another  on  the  approach  of  any  person, 
cannot  be  accounted  for  on  this  principle.  If  one  quantity  of 
the  putrid  vapour  becomes  luminous  by  means  of  heat,  all 
the  rest  ought  to  do  so  likewise  ;  so  that  though  we  may  allow 


t)48  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

heat  and  putrefaction  to  be  concerned,  vet  of  necessity  we 
must  have  recourse  to  some  other  ao;ent,  which  can  be  no 
other  than  electricity.  Without  this,  it  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive how  anybody  of  moveable  vapour  should  not  be  carried 
away  by  the  wind  ;  but  so  far  is  this  from  being  the  case,  that 
the  i2,nes  fatui  described  by  M.  Beccari,  were  but  little 
affected  by  the  wind.  It  is,  besides,  proved  by  undoubted 
experiment,  that  electricity  is  always  attended  with  some 
degree  of  heat;  and  this,  however  small,  may  be  sufficient 
to  give  a  luminous  property  to  any  vapour  on  which  it  acts 
strongly  :  not  to  add,  that  the  electric  fluid  itself  is  no  other 
than  light,  and  may  therefore  by  its  action  easily  produce  a 
luminous  appearance  independent  of  any  vapour.  We  have  a 
strong  proof  that  electricity  is  concerned,  or  indeed  the  prin- 
cipal agent,  in  producing  the  ignis  fatuus,  from  an  experiment 
related  by  Dr.  Priestley,  of  a  flame  of  this  kind  being  artifi- 
cially produced. 

A  gentleman,  who  had  been  making  many  electrical  experi- 
ments for  a  whole  afternoon  in  a  small  room,  on  goingout  of  i'. 
observed  aflame  following  him  at  some  little  distance.  ';  .  s 
was  doubtless  a  true  ignis  fatuus,  and  the  circumstances  n*  ctb- 
sary  to  produce  it  were  then  present,  viz.  an  atmosj)here 
impregnated  with  animal  vapour,  and  likewise  strongly  elec- 
trified, for  the  quantity  of  perspiration  emitted  by  a  human 
body  is  by  no  means  inconsiderable  ;  and  it,  as  well  as  the 
electricity,  would  be  collected  by  reason  of  the  smallness  of 
the  room.  In  this  case,  however,  there  seems  to  have  been  a 
considerable  diflference  between  the  artificial  ignis  fatuus,  and 
those  commonly  met  with  ;  for  this  flame  followed  the  gentle- 
man as  he  went  out  of  the  room,  but  the  natural  ones  com- 
monly fly  (rom  those  who  approach  them.  This  mav  be 
accounted  for,  from  a  difference  between  the  electricity  of  the 
atmosphere  in  the  one  room  and  the  other;  in  which  case  the 
flame  would  naturally  be  attracted  towards  that  place  where 
the  electricity  was  either  different  in  quality  or  in  quantity; 
but  in  the  natural  way,  where  all  bodies  may  be  supposed 
equally  electrified  for  a  great  way  round,  a  repulsion  will  as 
naturally  take  place.  Still,  however,  this  does  not  seem  to 
be  always  the  case.  In  those  instances  where  travellers  have 
been  attended  by  an  ignis  fatuus,  we  cannot  suppose  it  to 
have  been  influenced  by  any  other  power  than  what  we  call 
attraction,  and  which  electricity  is  very  capable  of  producing. 
Its  keeping  at  some  distance,  is  likewise  easily  accounted  for; 
as  we  know  that  bodies  possessed  of  difl'erent  quantities  of 
electricity  may  be  made  to  attract  one  another  for  a  certain 
space,  and  then  repel  without  having  ever  come  into  contact. 
On  this  principle  we  may  account  for  the  light  which  sur- 
rounded the  woman  at  Milan,  but  fled  from  the  hand   of  any 


IGNIS   FATUUS.  649 

other  person.  On  the  same  jorinciple  may  we  account  for 
those  mischievous  vapours  which  set  fire  to  the  hay  and  corn 
stacks,  but  were  driven  away  by  presenting  to  them  a  pointed 
iron  instrument,  or  by  making  a  noise.  Both  these  are  known 
to  have  a  great  effect  upon  the  electric  matter;  and  by  means 
of  either,  lightning  may  occasionally  be  made  to  fall  upon, 
or  to  avoid,  particular  places,  according  to  tl  e  circumstances 
by  which  the  general  mass  happens  to  be  effected.  On  the 
whole,  therefore,  it  seems  most  probable,  that  the  ignis  fatuiis 
is  a  collection  of  vapours  ot  the  putrescent  kind,  very  much 
affected  by  electricity  ;  accordiiiij,' to  the  degree  of  which,  it 
will  either  give  a  weak  or  strong  light,  or  even  set  fire  to  cer- 
tain substances.  This  opinion  setias  to  be  confirmed  from 
some  luminous  appearances  observed  in  privies,  where  Uie 
putrid  vapours  have  been  collected  into  balls,  and  exploded 
violently  on  the  approach  of  a  candle.  This  last  effect,  how- 
ever, we  cannot  so  well  ascribe  to  the  electricity,  as  to  tlie 
ascension  of  the  inflammable  air  which  abounds  in  such 
places. 

In  the  Appendix  to  Dr.  Priestley's  third  volume  of  Experi- 
ments and  Observations  on  Air,  Mr.  Warltire  gives  an  account 
of  some  very  remarkable  ignes  fatui,  which  he  observed  on  the 
road  to  Bromsgrove,  about  five  miles  from  Birmingham.  The 
time  of  observation  was  the  12th  of  December,  1776,  before 
daylight.  Many  of  these  lights  were  playing  in  an  adjactiit 
field,  in  different  directions;  from  some  of  which  suddenly 
sprang  up  bright  branches  of  light,  somewhat  resembling  the 
explosion  of  a  rocket  that  contained  many  brilliant  stars,  if 
the  discharge  was  upwards,  instead  of  the  usual  direction; 
and  the  hedoe,  and  trees  on  each  side  of  the  hedoe,  were  illu- 
minated.  This  appearance  continued  but  a  few  seconds,  and 
then  the  jack-vvith-a-lantern  played  as  before.  Mr.  Warltire 
was  not  near  enough  to  observe  if  the  apparent  explosion  was 
attended  with  any  report. 

Cronstedt  gives  it  as  his  opinion,  that  ignes  fatui,  as  well 
as  falling  stars,  are  owing  to  collections  of  inflammable  air 
raised  to  a  great  height  in  the  atmosphere.  But,  with  regard 
to  the  latter,  the  vast  height  at  which  they  move,  evidently 
shews  that  they  cannot  be  the  effect  of  any  gravitating  vapour 
whatever;  for  the  lightest  inflanmiable  air  is  one-twelfth  of 
that  of  the  common  atmosphere  :  and  we  have  no  reason  to 
believe,  that  at  the  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  the 
earth,  the  latter  has  near  one-twelfth  of  its  weight  at  the  sur- 
face. From  the  account  given  by  Mr.  Warltire,  we  should  be 
apt  to  conclude,  that  there  is  a  strong  aflSnity  betwixt  the 
ignes  fatui  and  fireballs,  insomuch  that  the  one  might  be 
very  easily  converted  into  the  other.  Electricity  can  assume 
both  these  appearances,  as  is  evider  t  in  the  case   of  points  j 

4N 


650  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

or  even  when  the  atmosphere  is  violently  electrified,  as  around 
the  string  of  an  electrified  kite,  which  always  will  appear  to 
be  suirouiided  with  a  blue  flame  m  the  niolit,  if  the  electri- 
city  be  very  strong.  On  the  whole,  it  appears  that  electricity, 
acting  upon  a  small  quantity  of  atmospherical  air  with  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  vigour,  will  produce  an  appearance  resembling 
an  ignis  fatuus  ;  with  a  superior  force  it  will  produce  a  fire- 
ball ;  and  a  sudden  increase  of  electrical  power  might  produce 
those  sparks  and  apparent  explosions  observed  by  Mr.  Warl- 
tire.  This  appearance  has  produced  many  superstitious  fears 
in  the  ignorant  and  uneducated. 

To  those  who  have,  unfortunately,  been  badly  educated  in 
this  respect,  a  friendly  act  would  be,  to  endeavour  with  sound 
reasoiiing  to  convince  them  of  their  error,  and  dissuade  them 
from  giving  heed,  in  future,  to  idle,  superstitious,  or  inconsist- 
ent stories  of  any  kind;  advising  them  to  furnish  themselves 
with  such  knowledge,  as  may  have  a  tendency  to  produce  true 
pleasure  and  happiness  through  life,  and  which,  when  dying, 
they  can  reflect  upon  without  uneasiness.  "  The  natural  ofl- 
spring  of  prevailing  superstition  is  infidelity.  Of  the  truth  of 
this,  the  present  times  afibrd  us  a  lamentable  example.  Where 
ignorance  and  fear  once  ruled  supreme,  there  has  rash  philo- 
sophy but  too  successfully  planted  presumption  and  atheism. 
'Tis  the  diffusion  of  pure  and  solid  knowledge,  which  alone 
can  preserve  us  from  the  dominion  of  these  opposite  tyrants. 
How  should  this  consideration  increase  our  zeal  and  stimulate 
our  endeavours!  The  immediate  sphere  of  our  action  may  be 
circumscribed,  but  our  exertions  will  not  on  that  account  be 
entirely  lost.  In  that  circumscribed  sphere  let  us  labour  to 
root  out  every  superstitious  lying  vanity,  and  plant  pure  reli- 
gion and  unsophisticated  truth  in  its  stead. 

"How  charming,  how  enlivening  to  the  soul,  to  gaze  upon 
the  dawning  beams  of  opening  light,  to  behold  them  irradiate 
that  dismal  gloom  of  intellectual  darkness,  which  long  over- 
whelmed the  millions  of  mankind  :  how  supremely  pleasing, 
to  view  them  wider  and  wider  spreading  their  invigorating 
influence:  how  rapturously  transporting,  to  ''ontemplate  the 
resplendent  prospect  of  pure  and  perfect  day! 

Power  supreme! 


O  everlaslinjf  Kin^!  to  thee  we  kneel, 
To  thee  we  lift  our  voice  !" — 

"  O  spreao  thy  benign,  thy  vivifying  light  over  the  dwell- 
ings of  the  sons  of  men  ;  dispel  the  yet  impending  mists  of 
ignorance  and  superstition  :  and,  O  preserve  us  from  fhe  dis- 
mal gulf  ot  infidelity  and  atheism ;  let  thy  truth  run  and 
prevail  gloriously;  let  pure  celestial  wisdom  overspread  the 
earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea ! — Then  shall  millions  kneel 


PROPERTIEb   AND    EFFECTS   OF    LIGHTS  IMG.  DO  ) 

before  thte  with  grateful  and  enraptured  liearts  ;  then  shall 
they  rejoice  to  sing  the  praises  of  thee,  their  Benefactor,  their 
Father,  and  their  God:  then  shall  this  vale  of  tears  be  filled 
with  the  mansions  of  joy  and  gladness,  and  become  a  blissful 
foretaste  of  those  regions,  where  thy  saints,  crowned  with 
unfading  glory  and  felicity,  surround  thy  throne  with  never- 
ceasing  hallelujahs!" 

See  Naj/lor  on  Vulgar  Superstitions. 


CHAP.  LXVI. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     VARIOUS     PHENOMENA     OR 

APPEARANCES  IN  NATURE. — (Continued.) 

Extraordinary  Properties  and  Effects  of  Lighting — Thunder 
Rod — Fire  Balis — Terrible  Effects  of  Electrifed  Clouds — 
Surprising  Effects  oj  extreme  Cold — Astonishing  Expansive 
Force  of  Freezing. 

By  conflicting  winds  together  dashed. 

The  thunder  holds  his  black  tremendous  throne  : 

From  cloud  to  cloud  the  rending  lightnings  rage  ; 

Till,  in  the  furious  elemental  war 

Dissolv'd,  the  svliole  precipitated  mass 

Unbroken  floods  and  solid  torrents  pours.  Tlwmson. 

Extraordinary  Properties  and  Effects  of  Light- 
ning.— A  very  surprising  property  of  lightning  of  the  zigzag 
kind,  especially  when  near,  is,  its  seeming  omnipresence.  If 
two  persons  are  standing  in  a  room  looking  different  ways, 
and  a  loud  clap  of  thunder,  accompanied  with  zigzag  lightning, 
happens,  they  will  both  distinctly  see  the  flash,  not  only  by 
that  indistinct  illumination  of  the  atmosphere  which  is 
occasioned  by  fire  of  any  kind,  but  the  very  form  of  the 
liphtning  itself,  and  every  angle  it  makes  in  its  course,  will 
be  as  distinctly  perceptible  as  if  both  had  looked  directly  at 
the  cloud  from  whence  it  proceeded.  If  a  person  happened 
at  that  time  to  be  looking  on  a  book,  or  other  object  which 
he  held  in  his  hand,  he  would  distinctly  see  the  form  of  the 
lightning  between  him  and  the  object  at  which  he  looked. 
This  property  seems  peculiar  to  lightning,  and  to  belong  to  no 
other  kind  of  fire  whatever.  In  August  1763,  a  most  violent 
storm  of  thunder,  rain,  and  hail,  happened  at  London,  which 
did  damage  in  the  adjacent  country  to  the  amount  of  £50,000. 
Hailstones  fell  of  an  immense  size,  from  two  to  ten  inches  in 
circumference,  but  the  most  surprising  circumstance  attending 


6f2  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

the  hurricane  was,  the  sudden  flux  and  reflux  of  the  tide  in 
P'yniouth  pool,  exactly  corresponding  with  the  like  agitation 
in  the  same  place,  at  the  time  of"  the  great  earthquake  at 
Lisbon.  Instances  have  also  occurred  where  lightning,  by  its 
own  proper  force,  without  any  assistance  from  those  less 
common  agitations  of  the  atmosphere  or  electric  fluid,  has 
thrown  stones  of  immense  weight  to  considerable  distances; 
torn  up  trees  by  the  roots,  and  broke  them  in  pieces  ;  shat- 
tered rocks  ;  beat  down  houses,  and  set  them  on  fire,  &c. 
The  following  singular  effect  of  lightning,  upon  a  pied  bul- 
lock, is  recorded  in  the  sixty-sixth  volume  of  the  Philosophical 
Transactions, — 

"  In  the  evening  of  Sunday  the  28th  of  August,  1774,  there 
was  an  appearance  of  a  thunder  storm,  but  we  heard  no  re- 
port. A  gentleman  who  was  riding  near  the  marshes  not  far 
from  this  town,  (Lewes)  saw  two  strong  flashes  of  lightning- 
running  along  the  ground  of  the  marsh,  at  about  nine  o'clock 
p.  M.  On  Monday  morning,  when  the  servants  of  Mr.  Roger, 
a  farmer  at  Svvanborough,  went  into  the  marsh  to  fetch  the 
oxen  to  their  work,  they  found  one  of  them,  a  four-year-old 
steer,  standing  up,  to  appearance  much  burnt,  and  so  weak 
as  to  be  scarcely  able  to  walk.  The  animal  seemed  to  have 
been  struck  by  lightning  in  a  very  extraordinary  manner. 
He  was  of  a  white  and  red  colour;  the  white  in  large  marks, 
beginning  at  the  rump  bone,  and  running  in  various  directions 
along  both  sides;  the  belly  was  all  white,  and  the  whole  head 
and  horns  white  likewise.  The  lightning,  with  which  he  must 
have  been  undoubtedly  struck,  fell  upon  the  rump  bone, 
which  was  white,  and  distributed  itself  along  the  sides  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  take  off  all  the  hair  from  the  white  marks 
as  low  as  the  bottom  of  the  ribs,  but  so  as  to  leave  a  list  of 
white  hair,  about  half  an  inch  broad,  all  round  where  it  joined 
to  the  red,  and  not  a  single  hair  of  the  red  appears  to  have 
been  touched.  The  whole  belly  was  unhurt,  but  the  end  of 
the  sheath  of  the  penis  had  the  hair  taken  off;  it  was  also 
taken  ofl"  from  the  dewlap:  the  horns  and  the  curled  hair  on 
the  forehead  were  uninjured;  but  the  hair  was  taken  off  from 
the  sides  of  the  face,  from  the  flat  part  of  the  jaw-bones,  and 
from  the  front  of  the  face,  in  strijjes.  There  were  a  few  white 
marks  on  the  side  and  neck,  which  were  surrounded  with 
red;  and  the  hair  was  taken  off"  from  them,  leaving  half  an 
inch  of  white  adjoining  to  the  red.  The  farmer  anointed  the 
ox  with  oil  for  a  fortnight ;  the  animal  purged  very  much  at 
first,  and  was  greatly  reduced  in  flesh,  but  afterwards  re- 
covered." In  another  account  of  this  accident,  the  author 
supposes  that  the  bullock  had  been  lying  down  at  the  time  he 
was  struck;  which  shews  the  reason  that  the  under  parts 
were  not  touched.    "  The   lightning,  conducted  by  the  white 


PROPERTIES    AND    EFFECTS   OP    LIGHTNING.  653 

hair,   from  the  top  of  the  back  clown  the  sides,  came  to  the 
ground  at  the  place  where  the  white  hair  was  left  entire." 

The  author  of  this  account  says,  that  he  inquired  of 
Mr.  Tooth,  a  farrier,  whether  he  ever  knew  of  a  similar  ac- 
cident ;  and  that  he  told  him  "  the  circumstance  was  not  new 
to  him;  that  he  had  seen  many  pied  bullocks  struck  by 
lightning  in  the  same  manner;  that  the  texture  of  the  skin 
under  the  white  hair  was  always  destroyed,  though  looking- 
fair  at  first;  but  after  a  while  it  became  sore,  throwino-  out 
a  putrid  matter  in  pustules,  like  the  small-pox  with  us,  which 
in  time  falls  off,  when  the  hair  grows  again,  and  the  bullocks 
receive  no  farther  injury;"  which  was  the  case  with  tbe 
bullock  in  question.  In  a  subsequent  letter,  however,  the 
very  same  author  informs  us,  that  he  had  inquired  of  Mr. 
Tooth,  "  whether  he  ever  saw  a  stroke  of  lightning  actually 
fall  upon  a  pied  bullock,  so  as  to  destroy  the  white  hair,  and 
shew  evident  marks  of  burning,  leaving  the  red  hair  unin- 
jured? He  said  he  never  did;  nor  did  he  recollect  any  one 
that  had.  He  gave  an  account,  however,  of  a  pied  horse, 
belonging  to  himself,  which  had  been  struck  dead  by  light- 
ning in  the  night  time."  The  explosion  was  so  violent,  that 
Mr.  Tooth  imagined  his  house  had  been  struck,  and  therefore 
immediately  got  up.  On  going  into  the  stable,  he  found  the 
horse  almost  dead,  though  it  kept  on  its  legs  near  half  an 
hour  before  it  expired.  The  horse  was  pied  white  on  the 
shoulder,  and  greatest  part  of  the  head,  viz.  the  forehead  and 
nose,  where  the  greatest  force  of  the  stroke  came.  "  The  hair 
was  not  burnt  nor  discoloured,  only  so  loosened  at  the  root, 
that  it  came  off  with  the  least  touch.  And  this  is  the  case, 
according  to  Mr.  Tooth's  observation,  with  all  that  he  has 
seen  or  heard  of,  viz.  the  hair  is  never  burnt,  but  the  skin 
always  affected.  In  the  horse,  all  the  blood  in  the  veins 
under  the  white  parts  of  the  head  was  quite  stagnated,  though 
he  could  perceive  it  to  flow  in  other  parts  as  usual ;  and  khe 
skin,  together  with  one  side  of  the  tongue,  was  parched  and 
dried  up  to  a  greater  degree  than  he  had  ever  seen  before  " 
Another  instance  is  mentioned  of  this  extraordinary  effect  of 
lightning  upon  a  bullock,  in  which  even  the  small  red  spots 
on  the  sides  were  unaffected  ;  and  in  this,  as  well  as  the 
former,  the  white  hair  on  the  under  part  of  the  belly,  and  on 
the  legs,  was  left  untouched. 

One  very  singular  effect  of  lightning  is,  that  it  has  been 
observed  to  kill  alternately,  that  is,  supposing  a  number  of 
people  standing  in  a  line;  if  the  first  person  was  killed,  the 
second  would  be  safe;  the  third  would  be  killed,  and  the 
fourth  safe;  the  fifth  killed,  &c.  Effects  of  this  kind  are 
generally  produced  by  the  most  violent  kind  of  lightning; 
namely,    that   which    appears    in    the    form    of  balls,    which 


654  CURIOUS   NATURAL   PHENOMENA. 

frequently  divide  themselves  into  several  parts  before  they 
strike.  If  one  of  these  parts  of  a  fire-ball  strike  a  man, 
another  will  not  strike  the  person  who  stands  immediately 
close  to  him  ;  because  there  is  always  a  repulsion  between 
bodies  electrified  the  same  way.  Now,  as  these  parts  into 
which  the  balls  break  have  all  the  same  kind  of  electricity,  it 
is  evident  that  they  must  for  that  reason  repel  one  another,  and 
this  repulsion  is  so  strong,  that  a  man  may  be  interposed 
vvitiiin    tile   stroke   of  two   of  them,   without    being   hurt    by 


ei 


ithei. 


Thunder  Rod. — Dr.  Franklin  has  demonstrated  the  iden- 
tity of  thunder  with  the  electric  explosion.  He  availed 
himself  of  manv  curious  discoveries  which  he  had  made  of 
electrical  laws  :  in  particular,  having  observed  that  electricity 
was  drawn  off  at  a  great  distance,  and  without  the  least 
violence  of  action,  by  a  sharp  metallic  jioint,  he  proposed  to 
philosophers  to  erect  a  tall  mast  or  pole  on  the  highest  part 
of  a  building,  and  to  furnish  the  top  of  it  with  a  fine  metallic 
point,  properly  insulated,  with  a  wire  leading  to  an  insulated 
apparatus  for  exhibiting  the  common  electrical  appearances. 
To  the  whole  of  this  contrivance  he  gave  the  name  of  Thunder 
Rod,  which  it  still  retains.  He  had  not  a  proper  opportunity 
of  doing  this  himself,  at  the  time  of  his  writing  his  dissertation 
in  a  letter  from  Philadelpha  to  the  Royal  Society  of  London  ; 
but  the  contents  were  so  scientific,  and  so  interesting,  that  in 
a  few  weeks  they  were  known  over  all  Europe.  His  directions 
were  followed  in  many  places.  In  particidar,  the  French 
academicians,  encouraged  by  the  presence  of  tlieir  monarch, 
and  the  great  satisfaction  which  he  expressed  at  the  re|)etition 
of  Dr.  Franklin's  most  instructive  experiments,  which  dis- 
covered and  made  known  the  theory  of  positive  and  negative 
electricity,  as  it  is  now  received,  were  eager  to  execute  his 
orders,  and  make  his  grand  experiment,  which  promised  so 
fairly  to  bring  this  tremendous  operation  of  nature,  not  only 
within  the  pole  of  science,  but  in  the  management  of  human 
power.  But  in  the  mean  time.  Dr.  Franklin,  impatient  of 
delay,  and  perhaps  incited  by  the  honourable  desire  of  well- 
deserved  fame,  put  his  own  scheme  in  practice.  His  inventive 
mind  suggested  to  him  a  method  of  presenting  a  point  to 
a  thunder  cloud  at  a  considerable  distance.  This  was,  by  fixing 
his  point  on  the  head  of  a  paper  kite,  which  the  wind  should 
raise  to  the  clouds,  while  the  wet  string  that  held  it  should 
serve  for  a  conductor  of  the  electricity.  With  a  palpitating 
heart.  Dr.  Franklin,  unknown  to  his  neighbours,  and  accom- 
panied only  by  his  son,  "went  into  the  fields,  and  sent  up  his 
messenger  that  was  to  bring  him  news  from  the  heavens. 
He  obtained  only  a  few  sparks  from  his  apparatus  that  day; 


THUNDER   ROD. —  FIRE  BATT.S.  655 

but  returned  to  his  house  in  a  state  of  perfect  satisfaction 
with  liis  success.  We  may  justly  consider  this  as  one  of  the 
greatest  of  philosophical  discoveries,  and  as  doing  the  highes' 
Honour  to  the  inventor;  for  it  was  not  a  suggestion  from  ai 
accidental  observation,  but  arose  from  a  scientific  comparison 
of  facts,  and  a  sagacious  application  of  the  doctrine  of  posi- 
tive and  negative  electricity;  a  doctrine  wholly  Dr.  Franklin  s, 
and  the  result  of  the  most  acute  and  discriminating  observa- 
tion. It  was  this  alone,  that  suggested  the  whole  ;  and,  by 
explaining  to  his  satisfaction  the  curious  property  of  sharp 
points,  gave  him  the  courage  to  handle  the  thunderbolt  of  the 
heavens.  It  is  now  a  point  fully  ascertained,  that  thunder 
and  lightning  are  the  electric  snap  and  spark,  as  much  superior 
to  our  puny  imitations  as  we  can  conceive  from  the  immense 
extent  of  the  instruments  in  the  hands  of  Nature. 

If  (says  Dr.  Franklin,)  a  conductor,  one  foot  thick,  and  five 
feet  long,  will  produce  such  sna])S  as  agitate  the  whole  human 
frame,  what  may  we  not  expect  from  a  surface  of  ten  thousand 
acres  of  electrified  clouds?  How  loud  must  be  the  explosion! 
how  terrible  the  effects  ! 

To  this  wonderful  discovery.  Dr.  Darwin  alludes  in  the  fol- 
lowing lines  : — 

Led  by  the  phosphor  lig:ht,  with  daring:  tread 

Immortal  Franklin  soug:ht  the  fiery  bed  ; 

Where,  nurs'd  in  night,  incumbent  tempest  shrouds 

The  seeds  of  thunder  in  circumfluent  clouds, 

Besieg'd  with  iron  points  his  airy  cell. 

And  pierc'd  the  monster  slumb'ring  in  his  shell. 

Fire  Balls, — are  a  kind  of  luminous  bodies,  commonly 
appearing  at  a  great  height  above  the  earth,  with  a  splendour 
surpassing  that  of  the  moon,  and  sometimes  equalling  her 
apparent  size.  'I'hey  generally  proceed  in  this  hemisphere 
from  north  to  south  with  vast  velocity,  fiequently  breaking 
into  several  smaller  ones,  sometimes  vanishing  with  a  report, 
and  sometimes  not.  These  luminous  appearances,  no  doubt, 
constitute  one  branch  of  the  ancient  prodi^zies,  or  blazing  stars. 
They  sometimes  resemble  comets,  in  being  attended  with  a 
train  ;  but  frequently  they  appear  with  a  round  well-defined 
disk.  The  first  of  these,  of  which  we  have  any  accurate  ac- 
count, was  observed  by  Dr.  Halley  and  others,  at  different 
places,  in  1719.  From  the  slight  observations  they  could 
take  of  its  course  among  the  stars,  its  perpendicular  height 
was  computed  at  about  seventy  miles  from  the  surflice  of  the 
earth.  The  height  of  others  has  also  been  computed,  and 
found  to  be  various;  though  in  general  it  is  supposed  to  be 
beyond  the  limits  assigned  to  our  atmosphere,  or  where  it 
loses  its  refractive  power.     The  most  remarkable  of  these  on 


656  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

record  appeared  on  the  18th  of  August,  1783,  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  was  seen  to  the  northward  of  Shet- 
land, and  took  a  southerly  direction  for  an  immense  space, 
being  observed  as  far  as  the  southern  provinces  of  France 
and  Rome.  During  its  course,  it  appears  frequently  to  have 
changed  its  shape  ;  sometimes  appearing  in  the  form  of  one 
ball,  sometimes  two  or  more  ;  sometimes  with  a  train,  some- 
times without  one.  It  passed  over  Edinburgh  nearly  in  the 
zenith,  and  had  then  the  appearance  of  a  well-defined  round 
body,  extremely  luminous,  and  of  a  greenish  colour;  the 
light  which  it  diffused  on  the  ground  giving  likewise  a  green- 
ish cast  to  objects.  After  passing  the  zenith,  it  was  attended 
by  a  train  of  considerable  length,  which,  continually  augment- 
ing, at  last  obliterated  the  head  entirely  ;  so  that  it  looked 
like  a  wedge,  flying  with  the  obtuse  end  foremost.  The  mo- 
tion was  not  apparently  swift,  by  reason  of  its  great  height; 
though  in  reality  it  must  have  moved  with  great  rapidity,  on 
account  of  the  vast  space  it  travelled  over  in  a  short  time. 
In  other  places  its  appearance  was  very  different.  At  Green- 
wich, we  are  told,  that  "  two  bright  balls,  parallel  to  each 
other,  led  the  way,  the  diameter  of  which  appeared  to  be 
about  two  feet;  these  were  followed  by  an  expulsion  of  eight 
others,  not  elliptical,  seeming  gradually  to  fall  to  pieces,  foi 
ihe  last  was  small.  Between  each  two  balls  a  luminous  ser- 
rated body  extended,  and  at  the  last  a  blaze  issued,  which 
terminated  in  a  point.  Minute  particles  dilated  from  the 
whole.  The  balls  were  tinted  first  by  a  pure  bright  light,  then 
followed  a  delicate  yellow,  mixed  with  azure,  red,  green,  Sec. 
which,  with  a  coalition  of  bolder  tints,  and  a  reflection  from 
the  other  balls,  gave  the  most  beautiful  rotundity  and  varia- 
tion of  colours,  that  the  human  eye  could  be  charmed  with. 
The  sudden  illumination  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  form  and 
singular  transition  of  this  bright  luminary,  contributed  much 
to  render  it  awful :  nevertheless,  the  amazingly  vivid  appear- 
ance of  the  different  balls,  and  other  rich  connecting  parts, 
not  very  easy  to  delineate,  gave  an  effect  equal  to  the  rainbow 
in  the  zenith  of  its  glory." 

Terrible  Effects  of  Electrified  Clouds. — The  most 
extraordinary  instance  of  th.is  kind  perhaps  on  record,  hap- 
pened in  the  island  of  Java,  in  the  East  Indies,  in  August, 
1772.  On  the  11th  of  that  month,  at  midnight,  a  bright  cloud 
was  observed  covering  a  mountain  in  the  district  called  C/ie- 
ribon,  and  at  the  same  time  several  reports  were  heard  like 
those  of  a  gun.  The  people  who  dwelt  on  the  upper  parts  of 
the  mountain,  not  being  ai)le  to  fly  fast  enough,  a  great  part 
of  the  cloud,  almost  three  leagues  in  circumference,  detached 
itself  under  them,  an  1  was  seen  at  a  distance,  rising  and  falling 


EFFECTS  OF    ELECTIUFIRD  CLOUDS.  657 

like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  emitting  globes  of  fire  so  hinii- 
nous,  tliat  the  night  became  as  clear  as  clay.  The  eH'ects  of 
it  were  astonishing:  every  thing  was  destroyed  for  seven 
leagues  round  ;  the  houses  were  demolished  ;  plantations  were 
buried  in  the  earth  ;  and  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  forty 
people  lost  their  lives,  besides  fifteen  hundred  head  of  cattle, 
and  a  vast  number  of  horses,  goats.  &c. 

Another  instance  of  a  very  destructive  cloud,  the  electric 
qualities  of  which  at  present  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  is  re- 
lated by  IVIr.  Brydone,  in  his  Tour  through  Malta.  It  appeared 
on  the  29th  of  October,  1757.  "About  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  after  midnight,  there  was  seen,  to  the  south-west  of  the 
city  of  Valetta,  a  great  black  cloud,  which,  as  it  approached; 
changed  its  colour,  till  at  last  it  became  like  a  flame  of  fire 
mixed  with  black  smoke.  A  dreadful  noise  was  heard  on  its 
approach,  which  alarmed  the  whole  city.  It  passed  over  the 
port,  and  came  first  on  an  P^nglish  ship,  which  in  an  instant 
was  torn  in  pieces^  and  nothing  left  but  the  hull ;  part  of  the 
masts,  sails,  and  cordage,  were  carried  to  a  considerable 
distance  with  the  cloud.  The  small  boats  and  selloques,  that 
fell  in  it's  way,  were  all  broken  to  pieces  and  sunk.  The  noise 
increased,  and  became  more  frightful.  A  sentinel,  terrified  at 
its  approach,  ran  into  his  box  ;  but  both  he  and  it  were  lifted 
up  and  carried  into  the  sea,  where  he  perished.  It  then  tra- 
versed a  considerable  part  of  the  city,  and  laid  in  ruins  almost 
every  thing  that  stood  in  its  way.  Several  houses  were  laid 
level  with  the  ground,  and  it  did  not  leave  one  steeple  in  its 
passage.  The  bells  of  some  of  them,  together  with  the  spires, 
were  carried  to  a  considerable  distance;  the  roofs  of  the 
churches  demolished  and  beat  down,  &c.  It  went  oft'  at  the 
north-east  point  of  the  city,  and,  demolishing  the  lighthouse, 
is  said  to  have  mounted  up  into  the  air  with  a  frightful  noise, 
and  passed  over  the  sea  to  Sicily,  where  it  tore  up  some  trees, 
and  did  other  inconsiderable  damage;  but  nothino;  material, 
as  it«  fury  had  been  spent  at  Malta.  The  number  of  killed 
and  wounded  amounted  to  near  two  hundred  ;  and  the  loss  of 
shipping,  &.C.  was  very  considerable." — The  eftects  of  thunder 
storms,  and  the  vast  quantity  of  electric  matter  formed  in  the 
clouds  which  produce  these  storms,  are  so  well  known,  that 
it  is  superfluous  to  mention  them.  It  appears,  however,  that 
even  these  clouds  are  not  so  highly  electrified  as  to  produce 
their  fatal  effects  on  those  who  are  immersed  in  them.  It  is 
only  the  discharge  of  part  of  their  electricity  upon  such  bodies 
as  are  either  not  electrified  at  all,  or  not  so  highly  electrified 
as  the  cloud,  that  does  all  the  mischief.  We  have,  however, 
only  the  following  instance  on  record,  of  any  persons'  being 
immersed  in  the  body  of  a  thunder  cloud.  Professor  Saussure, 
and  young  Mr.  Jalabert,  when  travelling  over  one  of  the  high 

4  O 


658  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

Alps,  were  caught  among  clouds  of  this  kind;  and,  to  their 
astonishment,  found  their  bodies  so  full  of  electrical  fire,  that 
spontaneous  flashes  darted  from  their  fingers  with  a  crackling 
noise,  and  the  same  kind  of  sensation  as  wheu  strongly  elec- 
trified by  art.  

Among  the  awful  phenomena  of  nature,  none  have  excited 
more  terror  than  lightning  and  thunder.  Some  of  the  proHigate 
Roman  emperors,  of  whom  history  records  that  they  procured 
themselves  to  be  deified,  confessed,  by  their  trembling  and  hid- 
ing themselves,  when  they  heard  the  thunder,  that  there  was  a 
divine  power  greater  than  their  own — Cala  toiicuitem  Jovem. 
The  greatest  security  against  the  terrors  of  a  thunder-storm, 
although  no  certain  one  against  its  effects,  is  that  life  of  j)iety 
and  virtue,  which  is  the  best  guardian  of  every  earthly  bless- 
ing. The  good  man,  who  knows  that  every  event  is  under  the 
direction  of  an  overruling  Providence,  and  that  this  life  is 
only  a  part  of  his  existence,  introductory  to  the  blissful  scenes 
of  immortality,  will  behold  the  terrors  of  the  storm  with  un- 
shaken resolution  :  grateful  to  the  Supreme  Being,  if  permitted 
to  escape  from  the  danger;  and  acquiescing  in  the  Divine 
Will,  if  thus  to  be  conveyed,  by  an  easy  and  instantaneous 
passage,  to  that  heaven  where  his  conversation  had  long  been, 
and  to  that  God  with  whom  he  delighted  to  walk. 

These  sentiments  are  beautifully  expressed  in  the  following 
lines,  written  in  a  midnight  thunder-storm,  by  the  celebrated 
Mrs.  Carter,  and  addressed  to  a  lady  : — 

Let  coward  gjuilt  witli  pallid  fear 

To  sliclt'rinfi  caverns  fly, 
And  justly  dread  the  vengeful  fate 

That  thunders  thro'  the  sky: 

Protected  by  that  hand,  whose  law 

The  threat'ning  storms  obey. 
Intrepid  virtue  smiles  secure. 

As  in  the  blaze  of  day. 

In  the  thick  cloud's  tremendous  gloom, 

The  lightning's  lurid  glare. 
It  views  the  same  All-gracious  Pow'r, 

That  breathes  the  vernal  air. 

Thro'  nature's  ever-varying  scene, 

By  dill'rent  ways  pursu'd, 
The  one  eternal  end  of  Heav'n 

Is  universal  good. 

The  same  unchanging  mercy  rules 

When  flaming  ether  glows. 
As  when  it  tunes  the  linnet's  voice. 

Or  blushes  in  the  rose. 


ELECTRIFIED  CLOUDS. —  EXTREME  COLO.  659 

By  reason  taujjht  to  scorn  those  fears 

That  vul<::ar  minds  molest, 
Let  no  fantiistio  tenors  break 

My  dear  Narcissa's  rest. 

Tiiy  life  may  all  tlic  tcnd'rest  care 

Of  Providenee  defend. 
And  delejiated  an<;els  round 

Their  ji^uardian  \vinj;;s  extend. 

Wlicn  thro'  creation's  vast  expanse 

The  last  dread  thunders  roll. 
Untune  tlie  concord  of  the  spheres. 

And  shake  the  rising  soul ; 

Unniov'd  niay'st  thou  the  final  storm 

Of  jarring^  worlds  survey, 
That,  ushers  in  the  glad  serene 

Of  everlasting  day. 

The  following  lines  on  the  same  subject  were  written  by 
Mrs.  Chapone  : — 

In  gloomy  pomp,  whilst  awful  midnight  reigns, 
And  wide  o'er  earth  lier  mournful  mantle  spreads  ; 
Whilst  deep-voiced  thunders  threaten  guilty  heads, 
And  rushing  torrents  drown  the  frighted  plains  ; 
And  quick-glanc'd  lightnings,  to  my  dazzled  sight, 
Betray  tiie  double  horrors  of  the  night : 
A  solemn  stillness  creeps  upon  my  soul. 
And  all  its  powers  in  deep  attention  die; 
My  heart  forgets  to  beat ;  my  stedfast  eye 
Catches  the  Hying  gleam  ;  tlie  distant  roll. 
Advancing  gradual,  swells  upon  my  ear 
With  louder  peals,  more  dreadful  as  more  near. 

Awake,  my  soul,  from  thy  forgetful  trance! 
The  storm  calls  loud,  and  meditation  wakes: 
How  at  the  sound  pale  superstition  shakes, 
Whilst  all  her  train  of  frantic  fears  advance! 
Children  of  darkness,  hence!  fly  far  from  me! 
And  dwell  with  guilt  and  infidelity! 

But  come,  with  look  compos'd  and  sober  pace. 
Calm  Contemplation,  come!  and  hither  lead 
Devotion,  that  on  earth  disdains  to  tread  ; 
Her  inward  flame  illumes  her  glowing  face, 
Her  upcast  eye,  and  spreading  wings,  prepare 
Her  flight  for  heaven,  to  find  her  treasure  there. 

She  sees,  enraptur'd  through  the  thickest  gloom. 
Celestial  beauty  beam,  and  'midst  the  howl 
Of  warring  winds,  sweet  music  charms  her  soul; 
She  sees,  while  rifted  oaks  in  flames  consume, 
A  Fa  riiKR  God,  tliat  o'er  the  storm  presides, 
t'hreatens  to  save, — and  loves  when  most  he  chides. 

Surprising  Effects  of  Extreme  Cold. — By  extreme 
degrees  of  cold,  trees  are  burst,  rocks  rent,  and  rivers  and 
lakes  frozen  several  feet  deep  :  metallic  substances  blister  the 


660  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA»i  i  i 

skin  like  red-hot  iron  :  the  air,  when  drawn  in  by  respiration, 
hurts  the  lungs,  and  excites  a  cough  :  even  the  effects  of  fire 
in  a  great  measure  seem  to  cease  ;  and  metals,  though  kept 
for  a  considerable  time  before  a  strong  fire,  will  still  freeze 
water  when  thrown  upon  them.  When  the  French  mathema- 
ticians wintered  at  Tornea,  in  Lapland,  the  external  air,  when 
suddenly  admitted  into  their  rooms,  converted  the  moisture 
of  the  air  into  whirls  of  snow  ;  their  breasts  seemed  to  be  rent 
when  they  breathed  it;  the  contact  of  it  was  intolerable  to 
their  bodies;  and  the  spirit  of  wine,  which  had  not  been 
highly  rectified,  burst  some  of  their  thermometers  by  the 
congelation  of  the  aqueous  parts. 

Extreme  cold  very  often  proves  fatal  to  animals,  in  coun- 
tries where  the  winters  are  very  severe.  Thus  seven  thousand 
Swedes  perished  at  once,  in  attempting  to  pass  the  mountains 
which  divide  Norway  from  Sweden.  It  is  not  necessary,  in- 
deed, that  the  cold,  in  order  to  prove  fatal  to  human  life, 
should  be  so  very  intense  as  has  been  just  mentioned.  There 
is  only  requisite  a  degree  somewhat  below  32*^  of  Fahrenheit, 
accompanied  with  snow  or  hail,  from  which  shelter  cannot  be 
obtained.  The  snow  which  falls  upon  the  clothes,  or  the  un- 
covered parts  of  the  body,  then  melts,  and,  by  a  continual 
evaporation,  carries  off  the  animal  heat  to  such  a  degree,  that 
a  sufficient  quantity  is  not  left  for  the  support  of  life.  In  such 
cases,  the  person  first  feels  himself  extremely  chill  and  uneasy; 
he  begins  to  grow  listless,  unwilling  to  walk  or  use  exercise 
to  keep  himself  warm  ;  and  at  last  turns  drowsy,  sits  down  to 
refresh  himself  with  sleep,  but  wakes  no  more. 

An  instance  of  this  was  seen  not  many  years  ago  at  Terra 
del  Fuego ;  where  Dr.  Solander,  with  some  others,  having 
taken  an  excursion  up  the  country,  the  cold  was  so  intense, 
that  one  of  their  number  died.  The  Doctor  himself,  though 
he  had  warned  his  companions  of  the  danger  of  sleeping  in 
that  situation,  yet  could  not  be  prevented  from  making  that 
dangerous  experiment  himself;  and  though  he  was  awaked 
with  all  possible  expedition,  his  body  was  so  much  shrunk  in 
bulk,  that  his  shoes  fell  off  his  feet,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost 
difficulty  that  he  was  recovered. 

In  those  parts  of  tlie  world  where  vast  masses  of  ice  are 
produced,  the  accumulation  of  it,  by  absorbing  the  heat  of 
the  atmos|)here,  occasions  an  absolute  sterility  in  the  adjacent 
countries,  as  is  particularly  the  case  with  the  island  of  Ice- 
land ;  where  the  vast  collections  of  ice  floating  out  from  the 
Northern  Ocean,  and  stopped  on  that  coast,  are  sometimes 
several  years  in  thawing.  Indeed,  where  great  quantities  of 
ice  are  collected,  it  would  seem  to  have  a  power  like  fire,  of 
both  augmenting  its  own  intenseness  and  that  of  the  adjacent 
bodies. 


expansive  force  of  freezing  wafer.  661 

Astonishingly  Expansive  Force  of  Freezing  Water. 

— Althoni2;h  cold,  in  general,  contracts  most  bodies,  and  heat 
expands  them,  yet  there  are  some  instances  to  the  contrary, 
especially  in  the  extreme  cases  or  states  of  these  qualities  of 
bodies.  Thus,  though  iron,  in  common  with  other  bodies, 
expands  with  heat;  yet,  when  melted,  it  is  always  found  to 
expand  in  cooling  again.  Thus  also,  though  water  expands 
gradually  as  it  is  heated,  and  contracts  as  it  cools,  yet  in  the 
act  of  freezing  it  suddenly  expands  again,  and  that  with  an 
enormous  force,  capable  of  rending  rocks,  or  bursting  the 
very  tiiick  shells  of  metal,  &,c.  A  computation  of  the  force 
of  freezing  water,  has  been  made  by  the  Florentine  academi- 
cians, from  the  bursting  of  a  very  strong  brass  globe  or  shell 
by  freezing  water  in  it;  when,  from  the  known  thickness  and 
tenacity  of  the  metal,  it  was  found  that  the  expansive  power 
of  a  spherule  of  water  only  one  inch  in  diameter,  was  suffi- 
cient to  overcome  a  resistance  of  more  than  twenty-seven 
thousand  pounds,  or  thirteen  tons  and  a  half.  ' 

Such  a  prodigious  effect  of  expansion,  almost  double  that 
of  the  most  powerful  steam-engines,  and  exerted  in  so  small 
a  mass,  seemingly  by  the  force  of  cold,  was  thought  a  very 
material  argument  in  favour  of  those  who  supposed  that  cold, 
like  heat,  is  a  positive  substance.  Dr.  Black's  discovery  of 
latent  heat,  however,  has  afforded  a  very  easy  and  natural 
explication  of  this  phenomenon.  He  has  shewn,  that,  in  the 
act  of  congelation,  water  is  not  cooled  more  than  it  was 
before,  but  rather  grows  warmer:  that  as  much  heat  is  dis- 
charged and  passes  from  a  latent  and  a  sensible  state,  as,  had 
it  been  applied  to  water  in  its  fluid  state,  would  have  heated 
it  to  ISS*^.  In  this  process,  the  expansion  is  occasioned  by  a 
great  number  of  minute  bubbles  suddenly  produced.  For- 
merly these  were  supposed  to  be  cold  in  the  abstract,  and  to 
be  so  subtile,  that,  insinuating  themselves  into  the  substances 
of  the  fluid,  they  augmented  its  bulk,  at  the  same  time  that, 
by  impeding  the  motion  of  its  particles  upon  each  other,  they 

chancjed  it  from  a  fluid  to  a  solid.     But  Dr.  Black  shews,  that 

^  .  .  .  . 

these   are   only  air  extricated  during  the  congelation  ;  and  to 

the  extrication  of  this  air  he  ascribes  the  prodigious  expan- 
sive force  exerted  by  freezing  water.  The  only  question, 
therefore,  is,  by  what  means  this  air  comes  to  be  extricated, 
and  to  take  up  more  room  than  it  naturally  does  in  the  fluid? 
T  this  it  may  be  answered,  that  perhaps  part  of  the  heat, 
which  is  discharged  from  the  freezing  water,  combines  with  air 
in  its  unelastic  state,  and,  by  restoring  its  elasticity,  gives  it 
that  extraordinary  force;  as  is  seen  in  the  case  of  air  sud- 
denly extricated  in  the  explosion  of  gunpowder.  The  degree 
of  expansion  of  water,  in  the  state  of  ice,  is  by  some  authors 
computed  at  one  tenth  of  its   volume.     Oil  and  quicksilver 


C62  C15RTODS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

shrink  and  contract  after  freezing.  Mr.  Boyle  relates  severa 
experiments  of  vessels  made  of  metals,  very  thick  and  strong; 
in  which,  when  filled  with  water,  closely  stopped,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  cold,  the  water  being  expanded  in  freezing,  and 
not  finding  either  room  or  vent,  burst  the  vessels.  A  strong 
barrel  of  a  gnn,  with  water  in  it,  close  stopped  and  frozen,  was 
rent  the  whole  length.  Huygens,  to  try  the  force  with  which 
it  expands,  filled  a  cannon  with  it,  whose  sides  were  an  inch 
thick,  and  then  closed  up  the  mouth  and  vent,  so  that  none 
could  escape  ;  the  whole  being  exposed  to  a  strong  freezing 
air,  the  water  froze  in  about  twelve  hours,  and  burst  the  piece 
in  two  places.  Hence  mathematicians  have  computed  the 
force  of  the  ice  upon  this  occasion;  and  they  say,  that  such 
a  force  would  equal  twenty-seven  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds. 

Major  Edward  Williams,  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  made  many 
experiments  on  the  force  of  freezing  water,  at  Quebec,  in 
1784-1785.  He  filled  all  sizes  of  bomb  shells  with  water,  then 
plugged  the  fuze-hole  close  up,  and  exposed  them  to  the 
strong  freezing  air  of  the  winter  in  that  climate;  sometimes 
driving  in  the  iron  plugs  as  hard  as  possible  with  a  sledge 
hammer;  and  yet  they  were  all  thrown  out  by  the  sudden 
expansion  of  the  water  in  the  act  of  freezing,  like  a  ball  shot 
by  gunpowder,  sometimes  to  the  distance  of  between  four 
and  five  hundred  feet,  though  they  weighed  near  three 
pounds;  and  when  the  plugs  were  screwed  in,  or  fur- 
nished with  hooks  or  barbs  to  lay  hold  of  the  inside  of  the 
shell  by,  so  that  they  could  not  possibly  be  forced  out,  in  this 
case  the  shell  was  always  split  in  two,  though  the  thickness 
of  the  metal  of  the  shell  was  about  an  inch  and  three-quarters. 
Through  the  circular  crack,  round  about  the  shells,  where  they 
burst,  there  stood  out  a  thin  film  or  sheet  of  ice,  like  a  fin  ; 
and  in  the  cases  where  the  plugs  were  projected  by  freeziuj; 
water,  there  suddenly  issued  out  from  the  fuze-hole  a  bolt  of 
ice  of  the  same  diameter,  and  stood  over  it  to  the  height 
sometimes  of  eiffht  inches  and  a  half. 


THE  Water-spout.  663 


CHAP.  LXVII. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     VARIOUS     PHENOMENA,    OR 

APPEARANCES  IN  NATURE. — (Continued.) 

Water  Spout — Fata    Morgana — Fain/   Rings — Sheet  of  Phos- 
phoric Fire — Phosphorus. 

-Every  object  of  creation 


Can  furnish  hints  to  contemplation.  Gai/. 

Water  Spout. — This  extraordinary  meteor  is  most  fre- 
quently observed  at  sea.  It  generally  begins  by  a  cloud, 
which  appears  very  small,  and  which  is  called,  by  sailors, 
the  Squall.  This  augments  in  a  little  time  into  an  enormous 
cloud  of  a  cylindrical  form,  or  that  of  a  cone  on  its  apex,  and 
produces  a  noise  like  the  roaring  of  an  agitated  sea,  some- 
times accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning,  and  also  large 
quantities  of  rain  or  hail,  sufficient  to  inundate  large  vessels; 
and  to  carry  away  in  their  course,  (when  they  occur  by  land,) 
trees,  houses,  and  every  thing  that  opposes  tlieir  impetuosity. 
Sailors,  dreading  the  fatal  consequences  of  water-spouts, 
endeavour  to  dissipate  them  by  firing  a  cannon  into  them  just 
before  they  approach  the  ship.  We  shall  give  an  account  of 
one,  as  described  by  M.  Tournefort,  in  his  Voyage  to  the 
Levant, 

•'  The  first  of  these  (says  this  traveller)  that  we  saw,  was 
about  a  musket-shot  from  our  ship.  There  we  perceived  the 
water  begin  to  boil,  and  to  rise  about  a  foot  above  its  level. 
The  water  was  agitated,  and  whitish  ;  and  above  its  surface 
there  seemed  to  stand  a  smoke,  such  as  might  be  imagined  to 
come  from  wet  straw  before  it  begins  to  blaze.  It  made 
a  sort  of  a  murmuring  sound,  like  that  of  a  torrent  heard  at 
a  distance,  mixed,  at  the  same  time,  with  a  hissing  noise,  like 
that  of  a  serpent:  shortly  after  we  perceived  a  column  of  this 
smoke  rise  up  to  the  clouds,  at  the  same  time  whirling  about 
with  great  rapidity.  It  appeared  to  be  as  thick  as  one's 
finger;  and  the  former  sound  still  continued.  When  this  disap- 
peared, after  lasting  for  about  eight  minutes,  upon  turning  to 
the  opposite  quarter  of  the  sky,  we  perceived  another,  which 
began  in  the  manner  of  the  former;  presently  after,  a  third 
appeared  in  the  west;  and  instantly  beside  it,  still  another 
arose.  The  most  distant  of  these  three  could  not  be  above 
a  musket-shot  from  the  ship.  They  all  appeared  like  so 
many  heaps  of  wet  straw  set  on  fire,  and  continued  to 
smoke,  and  to  make  the  same  noise  as   before.     We   soon 


664  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA 

after  perceived  each,  with  its  respective  canal,  mounting  up 
in  the  clouds;  and  spreading,  where  it  touched  the  cloud,  like 
the  mouth  of  a  trumpet;  making  a  figure  (to  express  it  in- 
telligibly) as  if  the  tail  of  an  animal  was  pulled  at  one  end  by 
a  weight.  These  canals  were  of  a  whitish  colour,  and  so 
tinged,  as  I  suppose,  by  the  water  which  was  contained  in 
them  ;  for,  previous  to  this,  they  were  apparently  empty,  and 
of  the  colour  of  transparent  glass.  These  canals  were  not 
straight,  but  bent  in  some  parts,  and  far  from  being  perpen- 
dicular, by  rising  in  their  clouds  with  a  very  inclined  ascent. 

"  But  what  is  very  remarkal)le,  the  spouts  crossed  each  other, 
in  the  form  of  a  St.  Andrew's  cross.  In  the  beginning  they 
were  all  about  as  thick  as  one's  finger,  except  at  the  top, 
where  they  were  broader,  and  two  of  them  disappeared  ;  but 
shortly  after,  the  last  of  the  three  increased  considerably,  and 
its  canal,  which  was  at  first  so  small,  soon  became  as  thick 
as  a  man's  arm,  then  as  his  leg,  and  at  last  thicker  than  his 
whole  body.  We  saw  distinctly,  through  this  transparent 
body,  the  water,  which  rose  up  with  a  kind  of  spiral  motion  ; 
and  it  sometimes  diminished  a  little  of  its  thickness,  and 
again  resumed  the  same,  sometimes  widening  at  top,  and 
sometimes  at  the  bottom,  exactly  resembling  a  gut  filled  with 
water,  pressed  with  the  fingers  to  make  the  fluid  rise  or  fall ; 
and  I  am  well  convinced  that  this  alteration  in  the  spout  was 
caused  by  the  wind,  which  pressed  the  cloud,  and  compelled 
it  to  give  up  its  contents.  After  some  time  its  bulk  was  so 
diminished  as  to  be  no  thicker  than  a  man's  arm  again,  and 
thus  swelling  and  diminishing,  it  at  last  became  very  small. 
In  the  end,  I  observed  the  sea  which  was  raised  about  it  to 
resume  its  level  by  degrees,  and  the  end  of  the  canal  that 
touched  it  to  become  as  small  as  if  it  had  been  tied  round 
with  a  cord  ;  and  this  continued  till  the  light,  striking  through 
the  cloud,  took  away  the  view.  1  still,  however,  continued 
to  look,  expecting  that  its  parts  would  join  again,  as  I  had 
before  seen  in  one  of  the  others,  in  which  the  spout  was  more 
than  once  broken,  and  yet  the  parts  again  came  together;  but 
I  was  disappointed,  for  the  spout  appeared  no  more." 

In  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  (volume  xxii.  and  xxiii.) 
we  have  descriptions  of  several  of  these  phenomena  :  their 
effects,  in  some  instances,  are  probably  much  exaggerated. 
One  at  Topsham  is  said  to  have  cut  down  an  apple-tree, 
several  inches  in  diameter:  another,  we  are  told,  seemed  to 
be  produced  by  a  concourse  of  winds,  turning  like  a  screw, 
the  clouds  dropping  into  it :  it  threw  trees  and  branches 
about  with  a  gyratory  motion. — One  in  Deeping  Fen,  Lin- 
colnshire, was  first  seen  moving  across  the  land  and  water  of 
the  fen  :  it  raised  the  dust,  broke  some  gates,  and  destroyed 
a   field   of  turnips  :   it  vanished  with  an  appearance  of  fire. — 


WATER-SPOUT. — FATA    MORGANA.  065 

Dr.  Franklin  supposes  that  a  vacuum  is  made  by  the  rotatory 
motion  of  the  ascending  air,  as  when  water  is  running  through 
a  funnel,  and  that  the  water  of  the  sea  is  thus  raised.  But 
Dr.  Young  says,  no  such  cause  could  do  more  than  produce 
a  slight  rarefaction  of  the  air,  much  less  raise  the  water  to  the 
height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet,  or  more. 

Professor  Wolke  describes  a  water-spout,  which  passed 
immediately  over  the  ship  in  which  he  was  sailing,  in  the  gulf 
of  Finland  :  it  appeared  to  be  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter, 
consisting  of  dro|)s  about  the  size  of  cherries.  The  sea  was 
agitated  round  its  base,  through  a  space  of  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  in  diameter.  One  of  the  latest  accounts  of  the 
phenomenon  of  a  water-spout,  is  that  read  to  the  Royal  Society 
in  the  year  1803,  from  a  letter  written  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
by  Captain  Ricketts,  of  the  royal  navy.  In  the  month  of 
July,  1800,  Captain  Ricketts  was  called  on  deck,  on  account 
of  the  rapid  approach  of  a  water-spout,  among  the  Lipari 
islands.  It  had  the  appearance  of  a  viscid  fluid,  tapering  in 
its  descent,  proceeding  from  the  cloud  to  join  the  sea.  It 
moved  at  the  rate  of  about  two  miles  an  hour,  with  a  loud 
sound  of  rain.  It  passed  the  stern  of  the  ship,  and  wetted 
the  afterpart  of  the  main-sail :  hence  it  was  inferred,  that 
water-spouts  are  not  continuous  columns  of  water;  and  sub- 
sequent observations  confirmed  the  opinion.  In  November, 
1801,  about  twenty  miles  from  Trieste,  a  water-spout  was 
seen  eight  miles  to  the  south  ;  round  its  lower  extremity  was  a 
mist,  about  twelve  feet  high,  somewhat  in  the  form  of  an  Ionian 
capital,  with  very  large  volutes,  the  spout  resting  obliquely 
on  its  crown.  At  some  distance  from  this  spout  the  sea  began 
to  be  agitated,  and  a  mist  rose  to  the  height  of  about  four 
feet;  then  a  projection  descended  from  the  black  cloud  that 
was  imijending,  and  met  the  ascending  mist  about  twenty  feet 
above  the  sea  ;  the  last  ten  yards  of  the  distance  were  desciibed 
with  very  great  rapidity.  A  cloud  of  a  light  colour  appeared 
to  ascend  in  this  spout,  something  like  quicksilver  in  a  tube. 
The  first  spout  then  snapped  at  about  one-third  of  its  height, 
the  inferior  part  subsiding  gradually,  and  the  superior  curling 
upwards.  Several  other  projections  from  the  cloud  appeared,, 
with  corresponding  agitations  of  the  water  below,  but  not 
always  in  spots  vertically  under  them  :  seven  spouts  in  all 
were  formed  ;  two  other  projections  being  re-absorbed.  Some 
of  the  spouts  were  not  only  oblique,  but  curved  :  the  ascending 
cloud  moved  most  rapidly  in  those  which  were  vertical :  they 
lasted  from  three  to  five  minutes,  and  their  dissipation  was 
attended  by  no  fall  of  rain. 

Fata  Morgana. — This  is  a  very  remarkable  aidrial  pheno- 
TOenon,    which  is  sometimes  observed  from  the   harbour  of 

4P 


(JG6"  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

Messina,  and  adjacent  places,  at  a  certain  height  in  the 
atmosphere.  The  name,  which  signifies  the  Fairy  Morgana 
is  derived  from  an  opinion  of  the  superstitious  Sicilians,  that 
the  whole  spectacle  is  produced  by  fairies,  or  such  like  vision- 
ary invisible  beings.  The  populace  are  delighted  whenever 
it  appears;  and  run  about  the  streets  shouting  for  joy,  calling 
everv  body  out  to  partake  of  the  glorious  sight.  This  singular 
ineleor  has  been  described  by  various  authors;  but  the  first 
who  mentioned  it  with  any  degree  of  precision  was  Father 
Angelucci,  whose  account  is  thus  quoted  by  Mr.  Swinburne 
in  his  Tour  through  Sicily:  "On  the  15th  of  August,  1643, 
as  I  stood  at  my  window,  I  was  surprised  with  a  most  wonder- 
ful delectable  vision.  The  sea  that  washes  the  Sicilian  shore 
swelled  up,  and  became,  for  ten  miles  in  length,  like  a  chain 
of  dark  mountains;  while  the  waters  near  ourCalabrian  coast 
grew  quite  smooth,  and  in  an  instant  appeared  as  one  clear 
polished  mirror,  reclining  against  the  aforesaid  ridue.  On 
this  glass  was  depicted,  in  chairo  sciiro,  a  string  of  several 
thousands  of  pilasters,  all  equal  in  altitude,  distance,  and 
degree  of  light  and  shade.  In  a  moment  they  lost  half  their 
height,  and  bent  into  arcades,  like  Roman  aqueducts.  A 
long  cornice  was  next  formed  on  the  top,  and  above  it  arose 
castles  innumerable,  all  perfectly  alike.  These  soon  split 
into  towers,  v\'hich  were  shortly  after  lost  in  colonnades,  then 
windows,  and  at  last  ended  in  pines,  cypresses,  and  other  trees, 
even  and  similar.  This  is  the  Fata  Morgana,  which  for  twenty- 
six  years  I  had  thought  a  mere  fable."  To  produce  this 
pleasing  deception,  many  circumstances  must  concur,  which 
are  not  known  to  exist  in  any  other  situation.  The  spectator 
must  stand  with  his  back  to  the  east,  in  some  elevated  place 
behind  the  city,  that  he  may  command  a  view  of  the  whole 
bay  ;  beyond  which  the  mountains  of  Messina  rise  like  a  wall, 
and  darken  the  back  ground  of  the  picture.  The  winds  must 
be  hushed,  the  surface  quite  smoothed,  the  tide  at  its  height, 
and  the  waters  pressed  up  by  currents  to  a  great  elevation  in 
the  middle  of  the  channel.  All  these  events  coinciding,  as 
soon  as  the  sun  surmounts  the  eastern  hills  behind  Keggio, 
and  rises  high  enough  to  form  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees 
on  the  water  before  the  city,  every  object  existing  or  moving 
at  Reggio,  will  be  repeated  one  thousand-fold  upon  this  ma- 
rine looking-glass,  which,  by  its  tremulous  motion,  is  as  it 
were  cut  into  facets.  Each  image  will  pass  rapidly  off  in 
succession,  as  the  day  advances,  and  the  stream  carries  down 
the  wave  on  which  it  appeared.  Thus  the  parts  of  this  mov- 
ing picture  will  vanish  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Sometimes 
the  air  is  at  that  moment  so  impregnated  with  vapours,  and 
undisturbed  by  winds,  as  to  reflect  objects  in  a  kind  of  aerial 
screen,  rising  about  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     In 


FATA    MORGANA. — tAIRY   RINGS.  667 

cloudy  heavy  weather,  they  are  drawn  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  bordered  with  fine  prismatical  colours. 

To  the  above  account  we  shall  add  the  following,  given  by 
M.  Houel,  whose  judgment  and  veracity  render  his  authority 
highly  respectable. 

"  In  fine  summer  days,  when  the  weather  is  calm,  there 
rises  above  the  great  current  a  vapour,  which  acquires  a  cer- 
tain density,  so  as  to  form  in  the  atmosphere  horizontal  prisms, 
whose  sides  are  disposed  in  such  a  manner,  that  vviien  they 
come  to  their  proper  degree  of  perfection,  they  reflect  and 
represent  successively,  for  some  time,  (like  a  moveable  mirror,) 
the  objects  on  the  coast,  or  in  the  adjacent  coimtry.  They 
exhibit  by  turns,  the  city  and  suburbs  of  Messina,  trees,  animals, 
men,  and  mountains.  They  are  certainly  beautiful  aerial  mov- 
ing pictures.  There  are  sometimes  two  or  three  prisms,  equally 
perfect;  and  they  continue  in  this  state  eight  or  ten  minutes. 
After  this,  some  shining  inequalities  are  observed  upon  the 
surface  of  the  prism,  which  render  confused  to  the  eye, 
the  objects  which  had  been  before  so  accurately  delineated, 
and  the  picture  vanishes.  The  vapour  forms  other  combina- 
tions, and  is  dispersed  in  the  air.  Different  accounts  have 
been  given  of  this  singular  appearance  ;  which  for  my  part  I 
attribute  to  a  bitumen  that  issues  from  certain  rocks  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea,  and  which  is  often  seen  to  cover  a  part  of 
its  surface  in  the  canal  of  Messina.  The  subtile  parts  of  this 
bitumen  being  attenuated,  combined,  and  exhaled  with  the 
aqueous  globules  that  are  raised  by  the  air,  and  formed  into 
bodies  of  vapour,  give  to  this  condensed  vapour  more  consist- 
ence; and  contribute,  by  their  smooth  and  polished  particles, 
to  the  formation  of  a  kind  of  aerial  crystal,  which  receives  the 
light,  reflects  it  to  the  eye,  and  transmits  to  it  all  the  luminous 
points  which  colour  the  objects  exhibited  in  this  phenomenon, 
and  render  them  visible." 

Fairy  Rings, — are  circles  of  dark  green  grass  frequently 
observed  in  old  pastures;  they  have  long  been  known  under 
the  name  of  fairy  rings,  and  have  generally  been  supposed  to 
be  occasioned,  in  some  way  or  other,  by  electricity.  Dr.  Wol- 
laston  has,  in  a  late  volume  of  the  Transactions  of  l*he  Royal 
Society,  given  a  new  and  very  ingenious  theory,  of  which 
we  shall  present  our  readers  with  a  brief  account,  premising, 
that  Mr.  Davy,  in  the  course  of  his  lectures  at  the  Royal  In- 
stitution, had  occasion  to  refer  to  the  subject,  and  seemed  to 
coincide  in  opinion  with  Dr.  Wollaston.  That  which  first 
attracted  his  notice  was  the  position  of  certain  fungi,  which 
are  always  found  growing  upon  these  circles,  if  examined  in 
a  proper  season.  The  position  of  these  fungi  led  him  to  ima- 
gine that  the   progressive  increase  from  a  central  point  was 


668  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

the  probable  mode  of  formation  of  the  ring:  hence  he  con- 
jectured that  the  soil,  which  had  once  contributed  to  the 
support  of  the  fungi,  might  be  so  exhausted  of  some  peculiar 
pabulum  necessary  for  their  production,  as  to  be  rendered 
incapable  of  producing  a  second  crop.  The  second  year's 
crop  would,  if  this  theory  be  just,  appear  in  a  small  rino;  sur- 
rounding the  original  centre  of  vegetation;  and  at  every 
succeeding  year  the  defect  of  nutriment  on  one  side,  would 
necessarily  cause  the  new  roots  to  extend  themselves  solely 
in  the  opposite  direction,  and  would  occasion  the  circle  of 
fungi  continually  to  proceed,  by  an  annual  enlargement,  from 
the  centre  outwards.  An  appe-arance  of  luxuriance  of  the 
grass  would  follow  as  a  natural  consequence,  as  the  soil  of  an 
interior  circle  would  always  be  enriched,  by  the  decayed  roots 
of  fungi  of  the  year's  growth.  This  theory  is  supported  by 
some  observations  of  Dr.  Withering  ;  and  Dr.  Wollaston  says, 
by  way  of  confirmation,  that  whenever  two  adjacent  circles 
are  found  to  interfere,  they  not  only  do  not  cross  each  other, 
but  both  circles  are  invariably  obliterated  between  the  points 
of  contact:  the  exhaustion  occasioned  by  each  obstructs  the 
progress  of  the  other,  and  both  are  starved. — Philosophical 
Transactions,  1807,  Part  H. 

Though  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  most  fairy  rings,  if  not 
all  of  them,  have  considerable  relation  to  the  running  of  a 
fu!)gus;  there,  nevertheless,  seems  reason  to  conclude  that 
electricity  may  likewise  be  concerned  in  their  production. 
The  electrical  effect  may  relate  to  fairy  rings  of  a  different 
kind  from  those  occasioned  by  the  fungus,  or  it  may  have 
been  antecedent  to  the  production  of  the  vegetable.  It  is 
a  familiar  effect  in  our  experiments,  that  the  spark  proceeding 
from  a  positive  conductor,  breaks  or  radiates  at  about  one- 
third  of  its  course,  and  strikes  the  receiving  conductor  by 
a  central  spark  surrounded  by  other  smaller  ones.  The  con- 
centric rings  produced  upon  polished  metallic  surfaces  by  the 
strong  explosion  of  a  battery,  as  first  observed  by  Dr.  Priest- 
ley, appears  to  be  a  fact  of  the  same  kind  ;  and  the  forked 
radiations  of  lightning  are  well  known.  There  is  related,  in 
the  l^hilosophical  Journal,  volume  I.  4to,  some  events  which 
happened  in  Kensington  Gardens  in  June,  1781,  when  a 
powerful  thunder-storm  passed  over  the  western  extremity  of 
London.  The  explosions  were  very  marked  and  distinct, 
and  in  many  instances  forked  at  the  lower  end,  but  never  at 
the  top;  from  which  it  seems  proper  to  conclude,  that  the 
general  mass  of  clouds,  or,  at  least,  that  extremity  which 
passed  over  London,  was  in  the  state  called  positive. 

Five  days  afterwards,  upon  visiting  Kensington  Gardens,  it 
was  observed,  that  every  part  of  that  extensive  piece  of  grouna 
.fthewed  marks  of  the  agency  of  the  lightning,   chiefly  by  dis 


PHOSPHORIC   FIRE.  669 

coloration  of  the  grass  in  zigzag  streaks,  some  of  which  were 
fifty  or  sixty  yards  in  len>:;th.  Instances  of  this  superficial 
course  of  the  lightning  along  the  ground,  before  it  enters  the 
earth,  are  sufficiently  frequent.  But  the  circumstance  aj)pli- 
cable  to  our  present  subject  is,  that  several  trees  had  been  struck 
by  the  lightning.  Two  of  them,  which  stood  on  the  outside  to 
the  westward,  had  holes  torn  in  the  ground,  close  to  the  trunk; 
and  round  one  of  these  trees  was  a  space  of  six  feet  in 
diameter,  in  which  the  grass  was  very  much  scorched. 
Another  tree  on  the  west  was  surrounded  by  a  faint  ring  of 
burnt  or  faded  grass,  which  seemed  to  he  occasioned  by  some 
earlier  stroke,  as  the  vegetation  had  begun  to  shoot  up  again. 
Another  tree,  standing  on  the  out  side  to  the  south,  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  ring  of  twelve  feet  diameter,  and  eighteen 
inches  broad.  Within  the  ring  the  grass  was  fresh;  but  on 
the  surface  of  the  rrng,  the  grass  and  the  ground  were  much 
burned.  To  the  eastward  of  the  tree,  upon  the  ring  itself, 
were  two  holes,  in  which  the  ground  had  the  appearance  of 
ashes.  Another  tree,  on  the  east  side  of  the  grove,  had  the 
half  of  a  faint  ring  to  the  westward.  And,  lastly,  a  tree  which 
stood  in  the  middle  was  surrounded  by  a  faint  ring  of  twelve 
feet  diameter,  within  which  the  grass  was  unhurt;  and  to  the 
westward,  at  the  distance  of  about  three  feet  from  the  inner 
ring,  was  part  of  another  similar  ring,  of  nearly  the  same 
appearance  ;  the  verdure  being  unhurt  in  the  interval  between 
the  rings. 

A  Sheet  of  Phosphoric  Fire. — A  curious  instance  of 
this  occurred  to  Monsieur  Peron,  in  his  voyage  from  Europe 
to  the  Isle  of  France.  Between  three  and  four  degrees  north 
latitude,  during  the  obscurity  of  a  night  intensely  dark,  the 
wind  blowing  a  hurricane,  and  the  vessel  making  a  rapid 
progress,  he  was  struck  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  vast 
sheet  of  phosphoric  fire,  floating  before  the  ship,  and  cover- 
ing a  considerable  space.  The  vessel  presently  made  its  way 
through  this  inflamed  part  of  the  sea,  which  enabled  the 
observant  navigator  to  discover  that  this  prodigious  light  was 
occasioned  entirely  by  an  iinniense  number  of  small  animal- 
cules, which  swam  at  difl'ertiit  depths,  and  appeared  to  assume 
various  forms.  Those  which  were  most  immersed  in  the 
water,  looked  like  great  red-hot  cannon  balls  :  whilst  those 
on  the  surface  resembled  cviinders  of  red-hot  iron.  Some  of 
them  were  soon  caught,  and  found  to  vary  in  size,  from 
three  to  seven  inches.  All  the  outside  surface  of  the  ani- 
mal was  bristled  with  thick  oblong  tubercles,  shining  like 
so  many  diamonds;  and  these  seemed  to  be  the  principal 
seat  of  its  wonderful  phosphorescence.  The  inside,  also, 
appeared  furnished  with  a  multitude  of  little,  narrow,  oblong 


670  CURIOUS    NATURAL   PHENOMENA. 

glands,    which    possessed   the   phosphoric   virtue    in   a   high 
degree. 

When  in  a  tranquil  state,  the  colour  of  these  brilliant 
inhabitants  of  the  ocean  is  an  opal  yellow,  mixed  with  green; 
but,  on  the  slightest  movement  of  those  voluntary  contrac- 
tions exercised  by  the  creature,  or  those  which  the  observer 
can  at  pleasure  excite  by  the  least  irritation,  the  animal  seems 
to  inflame,  and  it  becomes  instantly  like  a  piece  of  red-hot 
iron  of  the  most  vivid  brilliancy.  When  its  phosphorescency 
declines,  it  assumes  a  succession  of  light  elegant  tints,  that 
are  very  pleasing  to  the  eye,  such  as  red,  aurora,  orange, 
green,  and  azure  blue ;  the  last  is  particularly  lively  and 
pure.  The  organization  of  this  animal,  which  is  called  the 
Pyrosoma  Atlanticum,  ranks  it  amongst  the  most  singular 
of  the  zoophile  tribe  ;  whilst  its  extraordinary  phosphoric 
powers  render  it  the  most  beautiful  that  has  yet  been 
seen. 

It  may  be  not  amiss  to  conclude  this  chapter  with  an 
account  of  that  very  curious  substance.  Phosphorus. — This 
singular  production  was  accidentally  discovered,  in  1677,  by 
an  alchymist  of  Hamburgh,  named  Brandt,  when  he  was  en- 
gaged in  searching  for  the  philosopher's  stone.  Kunkel, 
another  chemist,  who  had  seen  the  new  product,  associated 
himself  with  one  of  his  friends,  named  Krafft,  to  purchase  the 
secret  of  its  preparation;  but  the  latter  deceiving  his  friend, 
made  the  purchase  for  himself,  and  refused  to  communicate 
it.  Kunkel,  who  at  this  time  knew  nothing  further  of  its 
preparation,  than  that  it  was  obtained  by  certain  processes 
from  urine,  undertook  the  task,  and  succeeded.  It  is  on  this 
account  that  the  substance  long  went  under  the  name  of 
Kunkel's  phosphorus.  Mr.  Boyle  is  also  considered  as  one 
of  the  discoverers  of  phosphorus.  He  communicated  the 
secret  of  the  process  for  preparing  it,  to  the  Royal  Society  of 
London,  in  1680.  It  is  asserted,  indeed,  by  Kraftt,  that  he 
discovered  the  secret  to  Mr.  Boyle,  having,  in  the  year  1678, 
carried  a  small  piece  of  it  to  London,  to  shew  it  to  the  royal 
family;  but  there  is  little  probability  that  a  man  of  such 
integrity  as  Mr.  Boyle  would  claim  the  discovery  of  the  pro- 
cess as  his  own,  and  communicate  it  to  the  Royal  Society,  if 
this  had  not  been  the  case.  Mr.  Boyle  communicated  the 
process  to  Godfrey  Hankwitz,  an  apothecary  of  London,  who 
for  many  years  supplied  Europe  with  phosphorus,  and  hence 
it  went  under  the  name  of  English  Phosphorus.  In  the  year 
1774,  the  Swedish  chemists,  Gahn  and  Scheele,  made  the 
important  discovery,  that  phosphorus  is  contained  in  the 
bones  of  animals;  and  they  improved  the  processes  for  pro- 
curinof  it. 


PHOSPHORUS. SPOTS   IN   THE   SUN.  671 

When  phosphorus  is  heated  to  the  temperature  of  148°,  it 
takes  fire,  burns  with  a  bright  flame,  and  gives  out  a  great 
quantity  of  white  smoke.  Phosphorus  enters  into  combi- 
nation with  oxygen,  azote,  hydrogen,  and  carbon.  Phosphorus 
is  soluble  in  oils,  and,  when  thus  dissolved,  forms  what  has 
been  called  liquid  phosphorus,  which  may  be  rubbed  on  the 
face  and  hands  without  injury.  It  dissolves  too  in  ether;  and 
a  very  beautiful  experiment  consists  in  pouring  this  phos- 
phoric ether  in  small  portions,  and  in  a  dark  place,  on  the 
surface  of  hot  water.  The  phosphoric  matches  consist  of 
phosphorus  extremely  dry,  minutely  divided,  and  perhaps 
a  little  oxygenized.  The  simplest  mode  of  making  them,  is  to 
put  a  little  phosphorus,  dried  by  blotting  paper,  into  a  small 
phial ;  heat  the  phial,  and  when  the  phosphorus  is  melted, 
turn  it  round,  so  that  the  phosphorus  may  adhere  to  the  sides. 
Cork  the  phial  closely,  and  it  is  prepared.  On  putting  a 
common  sulphur  match  into  the  bottle,  and  stirring  it  about, 
the  phosphorus  will  adhere  to  the  match,  and  will  take  fire 
when  brought  out  into  the  air. 


CHAP.  LXVIII. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     VARIOUS     PHENOMENA,     OR 

APPEARANCES   IN    NATURE — (Continued.) 

Spots  in  the  Sun — Diminution  of  the  Sun — Parhelia,  or  Mock 
Suns — Eclipses — Halo,  or  Corona  ;  and  similar  Appearances — 
Failins^  or  Shootins,  Star —  Volcanoes  in  the  Moon. 

Hail,  sacred  source  of  inexhansted  light! 

Prodigious  instance  of  creating  nii^fht! 

His  distance  man's  imagination  foils; 

Numbers  will  scarce  avail  to  count  the  miles. 

His  globose  body  how  immensely  great! 

How  fierce  his  burnings!  how  intense  his  heat! 

As  swift  as  tliought,  he  darts  his  radiance  round 

To  distant  worlds,  his  system's  utmost  bound; 

Of  all  the  planets  the  directing  soul, 

That  heightens  and  invigorates  the  whole.  Brown. 

Spots  in  the  Sun. — The  following  account  of  the  spots 
111  the  sun  is  taken  from  a  French  paper. 

"  The  spots  were  seen  for  the  first  time  in  1611  ;  and  nearly 
abotit  the  same  time  by  J.  Fabricius,  at  Wittenberg,  by  the 
Jesuit  Scheiner,  and  by  Galileo.  This  great  man  watched 
their  course  with  so  much  attention,  and  so  well  developed 
their  phenomena,  that  very  little  has  been  since  added  to  the 


672  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

descriptions  which  he  gave,  except  more  precise  measures. 
The  spots  of  the  sun  are  at  present  viewed  with  a«:trononiical 
telescopes,  in  which  the  great  brilliancy  of  that  luminary  is 
mitigated,  and  not  effaced,  by  the  coloured  glass  placed  be- 
tween the  telescope  and  the  eye.  There  are  in  the  interior  of 
the  telescope,  at  the  focus  of  the  object,  some  very  fine  threads 
stretched  crosswise,  and  moveable  parallel  to  each  other,  by 
means  of  which  the  distance  of  the  spot  from  the  nearest  border 
of  the  sun's  disk  may  be  ascertained,  which  determines  its 
position  on  the  disk  at  the  moment  of  observation.  By  fol- 
lowing in  this  manner  the  same  spot  for  several  days,  it  is 
perceived  to  change  its  place.  Its  size  also  varies  much.  The 
spots  sometimes  grow  thinner,  and  disperse  from  one  day  to 
another:  and  hence  it  is,  that,  though  in  one  month  rather  a 
large  number  was  visible,  in  the  following  only  two  are  to  be 
seen.  But  during  the  whole  time  of  their  presence  they  pur- 
sue a  regular  course,  of  which  the  aspects  are  common  to 
all. 

"  When  they  first  come  in  sight,  they  appear  on  the  sun's 
border,  like  a  slender  thread.  In  proportion  as  they  advance 
towards  the  middle  of  the  disk,  they  appear,  from  day  to  day, 
to  enlarge  in  the  direction  of  their  movement.  They  then  de- 
crease periodically;  and  if  they  last  long  enough  to  traverse 
the  whole  disk,  they  go  off  by  the  opposite  side,  narrowing  to 
a  sinj2;le  thread.  These  appearances  are  evidently  such  as  a 
small  body,  adhering  to  a  spherical  surface,  and  revolving 
with  or  upon  that  surface,  must  present.  The  diminution  of 
the  spots,  in  proportion  as  they  approximate  the  borders  of 
the  disk,  results  from  this — that  they  then  project  more 
obliquely,  and  are  only  seen  sidewise  ;  but  when  in  the  middle 
of  the  disk,  they  are  seen  in  their  full  extent.  In  fine,  upon 
comparing  the  direction  and  rapidity  of  their  course,  it  soon 
becomes  evident,  that  the  supposition  of  their  adhering  to  the 
body  of  the  sun  is  the  only  admissible  one.  On  thus  tracing 
the  route  of  all  those  which  appear,  it  is  ascertained  that  they 
move  in  courses  exactly  parallel,  describing  circles  which  all 
have  their  centre  on  a  common  axis,  passing  throuiih  the 
centre  of  the  sun.  The  size  of  these  circles  varies  ©n  different 
points  of  the  disk,  according  to  the  same  laws  as  on  a  sphere; 
and  the  rate  of  movement  is  modified  in  such  a  way,  that  all 
the  circles  are  run  through  in  equal  times.  This  perfect  con- 
cordance of  revolution  in  spots  so  changeable  in  other  respects, 
evidently  shews  that  they  must  be  attached  to  one  and  the 
same  round  body,  which  makes  them  revolve  altogether  with  a 
common  motion.  Hence  it  has  been  concluded,  that  the 
sun  revolves  upon  itself  with  the  general  motion  of  these 
spots,  that  is,  in  twenty-five  days  and  a  half,  in  like  manner 
as  our  earth  revolves  in  twenty-four  hours.     The  same  calcu- 


DIMINUTION   OF  THE  SUN. — PARHELIA.  673 

Intlon,  applied  to  the  spots  which  have  been  discovered  on  the 
other  planets,  has  in  like  manner  made  us  acquainted  v/ith 
their  rotation. 

"  As  to  the  nature  of  these  solar  spots,  it  is  absolutely  un- 
known. Herschel  is  of  opinion,  that  luminous  clouds  float 
in  the  inflamed  atmosphere  of  this  luminary,  as  clouds  of 
vapour  float  in  ours.  He  supposes  that  the  body  of  the  sun 
is  opaque  and  dark  ;  and  that  the  black  spots  observed  there 
at  intervals,  are  merely  the  summits  of  very  elevated  moun- 
tains, which  the  solar  clouds  permit  ns  to  see  between  their 
openinas.  Other  astronomers  think  that  the  globe  of  the  sun 
is  on  fire,  and  that  the  spots  are  merely  immense  scoria, 
launched  on  the  surface  of  that  mass  by  some  terrible  explo- 
sions, of  which  our  terrestrial  volcanoes  aff'ord  but  a  feeble 
picture.  But  whatever  may  be  thought  of  these  conjectures, 
it  seems  sufficient  for  us  to  know,  that  the  solar  spots  are 
trifling  compared  with  the  immense  mass  of  that  body  ;  and 
that  the  eruptions,  of  which  they  are  perhaps  the  effect,  take 
place  at  too  great  a  distance  from  our  earth  to  produce  the 
least  efl'ect  upon  it.  Generally  speaking,  the  physical  state 
of  our  little  world  is  incomparably  more  stable  and  steady 
than  its  moral  state." 

Diminution  of  the  Sun. — Baron  Lindeneau,  who  re- 
cently published  a  work  on  the  diminution  of  the  solar  mass, 
says,  that  the  sun  may  have  been  imperceptibly  subject  to 
successive  diminution  since  the  science  of  astronomy  has  been 
cultivated.  Baron  Lindeneau  supposes  the  sun's  diameter  to 
be  800.000  miles.  4,204,000,000  feet,  or  nearly  2000  seconds. 
We  have  not,  he  observes,  hitherto  possessed  any  instrument 
for  measuring  the  diameter  of  the  heavenly  bodies  to  a 
second.  The  sun  mav  therefore  diminish  12,000  of  its  dia- 
meter, or  2,102,000  feet,  without  the  possibility  of  being  per- 
ceived. Supposing  the  sun  to  diminish  daily  two  feet,  it 
would  require  three  thousand  years  to  render  the  diminution, 
of  a  second  of  its  diameter  visible. 

Account  of  those  singular  Appearances,  called.  Parhelia^. 
OR  Mock  Suns. — 

As  when  two  suns  appear  in  th'  azure  sky, 

Mounted  in  Phoebus'  chariot  (ierie  bright: 

Both  dartino:  fortl)  fair  beams  to  each  man's  eye; 

And  botli  adorn'd  with  lamps  of  flaming  light, 

All  that  behold  such  strange  prodigious  sight. 

Not  knowing  nature's  work,  nor  what  to  weenc. 

Are  wrapt  with  wonder,  and  with  rare  aftVighte.     Spenser* 

A  Parhelion  is  a  meteor  in  form  of  a  bright  light,  appearing 
on  one  side  of  the  sun.  Phenomena  of  this  kind  have  been^ 
mentioned  both    by    the   ancients    and    moderns.      Aristotle 

4Q 


HT-l  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

observes,  that  in  general  they  are  seen  only  when  the  sun  is 
near  the  horizon,  though  he  takes  notice  of  two  that  were 
seen  in  Bosphorus  from  morning  till  evening;  and  Pliny  has 
related  the  times  when  such  phenomena  were  observed  at 
Rome.  Gassendi  says,  that  in  1635-1636  he  often  saw  one 
mock  sun.  Two  were  observed  by  M.  de  la  Hire  in  168P  ; 
and  the  same  number  by  Cassini  in  1693;  by  Mr.  Grey  in  1700, 
and  by  Dr.  Halley  in  1702  ;  but  the  most  celebrated  phenomena 
of  this  kind  were  seen  at  Rome  by  Scheiner;  by  Muschen- 
broek  at  Utrecht;  and  by  Hevelius  at  Ledan.  By  the  two 
former,  four  mock  suns  were  observed  ;  and  by  the  latter, 
seven.  Parhelia  are  apparently  of  the  same  size  with  the 
sun,  though  not  always  of  the  same  brightness,  nor  even  of 
the  same  shape ;  and  when  a  number  appear  at  once,  there  is 
some  difference  in  both  respects  among  them.  Externally 
they  are  tinged  with  colours  like  the  rainbow  ;  and  many 
have  a  long  fiery  tail  opposite  the  sun,  but  paler  towards  the 
extremity.  Parhelia  are  generally  accompanied  with  coronas, 
some  of  which  are  tinged  with  rainbow  colours,  but  others 
are  white.  (See  Halo  )  They  differ  in  number  and  size  ;  but 
all  agree  in  breadth,  which  is  that  of  the  apparent  diameter  of 
the  sun.  A  very  large  white  circle,  parallel  to  the  horizon, 
generally  passes  through  all  the  parhelia;  and,  if  it  were 
entire,  it  would  go  through  the  centre  of  the  sun.  Sometimes 
there  are  arcs  of  lesser  circles  concentric  to  this,  touching 
those  coloured  circles  which  surround  the  sun.  They  are 
also  tinged  with  colours,  and  contain  other  parhelia.  Other 
circles  are  said  to  have  been  obliquely  situated  with  respect 
to  all  these.  The  order  of  the  colours  in  these  circles  is  the 
same  as  in  the  rainbow ;  but  on  the  inside,  with  respect  to 
the  sun,  they  are  red,  as  is  also  observed  in  many  haloes. 
Parhelia  have  been  visible  for  one,  two,  three,  and  four  hours 
together;  and  in  North  America,  they  are  said  to  continue 
some  days,  and  to  be  visible  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  When 
the  parhelia  disappear,  it  sometimes  rains,  or  snow  falls  in 
the  form  of  oblong  spiculai,  as  Maraldi,  Weidler,  Kraflt,  and 
others,  have  observed  ;  and  because  the  air  in  North  America 
abounds  with  such  frozen  spiculae,  which  are  even  visible  to 
the  eye,  according  to  Ellis  and  Middleton,  such  particles 
have  been  thought  to  be  the  cause  of  all  coronas  and  par- 
helia. 

Mr.  Wales  says,  that  at  Churchill,  in  Hudson's  Bay,  the 
rising  of  the  sun  is  always  preceded  by  two  long  streams  of 
red  light,  one  on  each  side,  and  about  twenty  de[;rees  distant 
from  him.  These  rise  as  the  sun  rises;  and  as  they  grow 
longer,  they  begin  to  bend  towards  each  other,  till  they  meet 
directly  over  the  sun,  just  as  he  rises,  forming  there  a  par- 
helion, or  mock  sun.      These  two  streams  of  light,  he  says. 


PARHELIA,  OR  MOCK   SUNS.  676 

seem  to  have  their  source  in  two  other  parhelia,  which  rise 
with  the  true  sun;  and  in  winter,  when  the  sun  never  rises 
above  the  haze  or  fog,  which  he  says  is  constantly  seen  near 
the  horizon,  all  these  accompany  him  the  whole  day,  and  set 
with  him.  Once  or  twice  he  saw  a  fourth  parhelion,  directly 
under  the  sun;  but  this  is  not  common.  These  facts  bein^ 
constant,  are  very  valuable,  and  may  throw  great  light  on  the 
theory  of  tiiese  remarkable  phenomena.  Sometimes  parhelia 
appear  in  a  ditl'erent  manner;  as  when  three  suns  have  been 
seen  in  the  same  vertical  circle,  well  defined,  and  touching 
one  another.  The  true  sun  was  in  the  middle,  and  the  lowest 
touched  the  horizon,  and  they  set  one  after  the  other.  This 
appearance  was  seen  by  Maleziew,  in  1722.  Other  appear- 
ances similar  to  this  are  recited  by  Mr.  Muschenbroek. 
Sometimes  the  sun  has  risen  or  set  with  a  luminous  tail  pro- 
jecting from  him,  of  the  same  breadth  with  his  diameter,  and 
perpendicular  to  the  horizon.  Such  an  appearance  was  seen 
by  Cassini  in  1672  and  1692;  by  De  la  Hire  in  1702;  and  by  Mr. 
Ellis  in  Hudson's  Bay.  As  M.  Feuilee  was  walking  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  La  Plata,  he  saw  the  sun  rising  over  the 
river,  with  a  luminous  tail  projecting  downwards,  which  con- 
tinued till  he  was  six  degrees  high.  Paraselffi,  or  mock 
moons,  have  also  been  seen,  accompanied  with  tails  and 
coloured  circles,  like  those  which  accompany  the  parhelia. 
An  account  of  several,  and  a  particular  description  of  a  fine 
appearance  of  this  kind,  may  be  seen  in  Muschenbroek. 

The  following  account  of  this  phenomenon  is  extracted 
from  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  '  Somewhat  written  by  occasion  of 
Three  Sunnes'  seene,  at  Tregorie,  in  Cornwall,  the  22nd  of 
December  last;  with  other  memorable  occurrents  in  other 
places.     Imprinted  1622:  20  pages  small  4to.' 

"  Since  this  strange  apparition,  namely,  upon  the  10th  of 
January  last,  there  happened  in  Devonshire,  yet  not  farre  from 
the  other  place,  being  on  the  edge  of  Cornwalle,  another 
wonder,  which,  did  as  much  afliighte  the  eares  of  men,  as  this 
did  their  eyes  :  for  in  the  afternoone  of  that  day,  being  the 
Thursday  after  Twelfth-day,  there  were  heard  in  the  aire  un- 
usuall  cracks  or  claps  of  thunder,  resembling  in  all  points  the 
sound  of  many  drums  togrether,  sometimes  beatino-  charees, 
sometimes  retreats,  sometmies  marches,  and  all  other  points 
of  warre :  which,  after  it  had  continued  a  good  time,  it  seemed 
that  the  same  thunder  did  most  lively  expresse  many  volleyes 
of  small-shot,  and  afterwards  the  like  volleyes  of  ordnance, 
with  so  great  and  yet  so  distinct  novse,  that  many  of  them 
who  dwelt  neare  the  sea,  went  toward  the  shore  to  see  what 
it  might  meane,  as  verily  supposing  there  had  beene  some 
sea  fight  neere  upon  that  coast.  These  severall  fearfull  noyses 
were   againe  and  againe  renewed  in    the  same  ordec,  till  at 


'•76'  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

.ength  with  an  horrible  and  extraordinary  cracke  of  thunder, 
there  fell  in  a  ground  of  one  Robert  Pierce,  where  there  were 
divers  workemen  planting  apple-trees,  (which  ground  lay  neere 
the  house  of  one  Master  George  Chidley,)  a  thunder-bolt,  if 
I  may  so  call  it,  being  a  stone  of  three  foot  and  an  halfe  in 
length,  of  two  foot  and  an  halfe  in  breadth,  and  one  foot  and  an 
halfe  in  thicknesse,  the  substance  whereof  was  in  hardnesse  and 
colour  not  much  unlike  a  flint,  as  appeares  by  many  pieces 
thereof,  which  are  shewed  up  and  downe  by  many  credible  and 
honest  gentlemen,  who,  with  their  own  hands,  brake  them  off 
from  the  maine  stone.  After  the  fall  of  this  stone,  which  with 
the  weight  thereof  was  cleane  buried  in  the  ground  above  a  yard 
deepe,  the  thunder  ceased,  and  people  began  as  much  to  won- 
at  that  which  they  now  saw,  as  they  had  lately  done  at  that, 
which  with  so  much  feare  and  amazement  they  had  heard." 

Observations  on  Eclipses  of  the  Sun  and  Moon. — 

Give  me  the  ways  of  wand'rin^  stars  to  know, 

The  depths  of  heav'n  above  and  earth  below; 

Teach  me  tlie  various  labours  of  the  Moon, 

And  whence  proceed  th'  Eclipses  of  the  Sun.      Vir(f.  Georg.  ii 

The  deprivation  of  the  light  of  the  sun,  or  some  heavenly 
body,  by  the  interposition  of  another  heavenly  body  between 
our  sight  and  it  is,  called  an  Eclipse.  Thus,  eclipses  of  the 
sun  happen  by  the  moon's  intervening  between  it  and  the 
earth  ;  by  which  means  the  shadow  of  the  moon  falls  upon 
the  earth,  when  the  latitude  of  the  moon  does  not  prevent  it, 
by  elevating  her  orb  above,  or  depressing  it  below  the  earth. 
On  the  other  hand,  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  can  only  happen 
when  the  earth  is  interposed  between  the  sun  and  it;  for  then, 
if  the  latitude  of  the  moon  does  not  prevent  it,  the  shadow  of 
the  earth  may  fall  on  the  moon,  and  thereby  cause  either  a 
partial,  or  total  eclipse.  A  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  or  moon, 
is  when  their  whole  bodies  are  obscured  ;  and  a  partial  one,  is 
when  part  only  of  their  bodies  is  darkened  :  again,  a  central 
eclipse  is  when  it  is  not  only  total,  but  the  eclipsed  body 
passes  through  the  centre  of  the  shadow. 

As  total  solar  eclipses  are  by  no  means  common,  we  shall 
give  an  interesting  description  of  one,  by  Dr.  Stukeley,  sent 
to  his  friend,  the  celebrated  Dr.  Edmund  Halley. 

**  According  to  my  promise,  I  send  you  what  I  observed  of 
the  solar  eclipse,  though  I  fear  it  will  not  be  of  any  great  use 
to  you.  I  was  not  prepared  with  any  instruments  for  measur- 
ing time  or  the  like,  and  proposed  to  myself  only  to  watch  all 
the  appearances  that  nature  would  present  to  the  naked  eye 
upon  so  remarkable  an  occasion,  and  which  generally  are 
overlooked,  or  but  grossly  regarded.  I  chose  for  my  station 
a  place  called  Haradon  Hill,  two  miles  eastward   from  Anas- 


ECLIPSES.  677 

bury,  and  full  east  from  the  opening  of  Stonehencre  avenue, 
to  which  it  is  as  the  point  of  view.  Before  me  lay  the  vast 
plain  where  that  celebrated  work  stands,  and  I  knew  that  the 
eclipse  would  appear  directly  over  it;  besides,  I  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  very  extensive  prospect  every  way,  this  being  the 
highest  hill  hereabouts,  and  nearest  the  middle  of  the  shadow. 
Full  west  of  me,  and  beyond  Stonehenge,  is  a  pretty  copped 
hill,  like  the  top  of  a  cone,  lifting  itself  above  the  horizon  ; 
this  is  Clay  hill,  near  Warminster,  twenty  miles  distant,  and 
near  the  central  line  of  darkness,  which  must  come  from  thence, 
so  that  I  could  have  notice  enough  beforehand  of  its  approach. 
Abraham  Sturgis  and  Stephen  Ewens,  both  of  this  place,  and 
sensible  men,  were  with  me.  Thouoh  it  was  very  cloudy, 
yet  now  and  then  we  had  gleams  of  sunshine,  rather  more 
than  I  could  perceive  at  any  other  place  around  us.  These 
two  persons,  looking  through  smoked  glasses,  while  I  was 
taking  some  bearings  of  the  country  with  a  circumferentor, 
both  confidently  affirmed  the  eclipse  was  begun,  when,  by  my 
watch,  I  found  it  just  half  an  hour  after  five;  and  accordingly 
from  thence  the  progress  of  it  was  visible,  and  very  often  to 
the  naked  eye  ;  the  thin  clouds  doing  the  office  of  glasses. 
From  the  time  of  the  sun's  body  being  half  covered,  there 
was  a  very  conspicuous  circular  ins  round  the  sun,  with  per- 
fect colours.  On  all  sides  we  beheld  the  shepherds  hurrying 
their  flocks  into  fold,  the  darkness  coming  on  ;  for  they  ex- 
pected nothing  less  than  a  total  eclipse  for  an  hour  and  a 
quarter. 

"When  the  sun  looked  very  sharp  like  anew  moon,  the 
sky  was  pretty  clear  in  that  spot;  but  soon  after  a  thicker 
cloud  covered  it,  at  which  time  the  iris  vanished  ;  the  copped 
hill  before-mentioned  grew  very  dark,  together  with  the  horizon 
on  both  sides,  that  is,  to  the  north  and  south,  and  looked 
blue,  just  as  it  appears  at  the  declension  of  day.  We  had 
scarcely  time  to  tell  them,  when  Salisbury  steeple,  six  miles 
off  southward,  became  very  black;  the  copped  hill  was  quite  lost, 
and  a  most  gloomy  night  with  full  career  came  upon  us  :  at 
this  instant  we  lost  sight  of  the  sun,  whos«^  place  among  the 
clouds  was  hitherto  sufficiently  distinguishable,  but  now  not 
the  least  trace  of  it  was  to  be  found,  any  more  than  if  really 
absent:  then  I  saw  by  my  watch,  though  with  difficulty,  and 
only  by  help  of  some  lii2;ht  from  the  northern  quarter,  that  it 
was  six  hours  thirtv-five  minutes  :  just  before  this,  the  whole 
compass  of  the  heavens  and  earth  looked  of  a  lurid  complex- 
ion, properly  speaking,  for  it  was  black  and  blue,  only  on  the 
earth  upon  the  horizon  the  blue  prevailed  ;  there  was  likewise 
in  the  heavens,  among  the  clouds,  much  green  interspersed,  so 
that  the  whole  appearance  was  really  very  dreadful,  and  as 
(symptoms  of  sickening  nature. 


67b  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

"  Now  I  perceived  we  were  involved  in  total  and  palpable 
darkness,  as  I  may  aptly  call  it;  for  though  it  came  quickly, 
yet  I  was  so  intent,  that  I  could  perceive  its  steps,  and  feel  it 
as  it  were  drop  upon  us,  and  fall  on  the  right  shoulder  (we  look- 
ing westward)  like  a  great  dark  mantle,  or  coverlet  of  a  bed, 
thrown  over  us,  or  like  the  drawing  of  a  curtain  on  that 
side.  The  horses  we  held  in  our  hands  were  very  sensible  of 
it,  and  crowded  close  to  us,  startling  with  great  surprise;  and 
as  much  as  I  could  see  of  the  men's  faces  that  stood  by  me, 
they  had  a  horrible  aspect.  At  this  instant  I  looked  around 
me,  not  without  exclamations  of  admiration,  and  could  dis- 
cern colours  in  the  heavens,  but  the  earth  had  lost  its.  blue, 
and  was  wholly  black.  For  some  time,  among  the  clouds,  there 
were  visible  streaks  of  rays,  tending  to  the  place  of  the  sun  as 
their  centre;  but  immediately  after,  the  whole  appearance  of 
earth  and  sky  was  entirely  black  :  of  all  things  I  ever  saw  in 
my  life,  or  can  by  imagination  fancy,  it  was  a  sight  the  most 
tremendous. 

"  Towards  the  north-west,  whence  the  eclipse  came,  I  could 
not  in  the  least  find  any  distinction  in  the  horizon  between 
heaven  and  earth,  for  a  good  breadth  of  about  sixty  degrees, 
or  more  ;  nor  the  town  of  Amsbury  underneath  us,  nor  scarcely 
the  ground  we  trod  on.  I  turned  myself  round  several  times 
during  this  total  darkness,  and  remarked  at  a  good  distance 
from  the  west  on  both  sides,  that  is,  to  the  north  and  south,  the 
horizon  very  perfectly  ;  the  earth  being  black,  the  lower  parts  ot 
the  heavens  light;  for  the  darkness  above  hung  over  us  like  a 
canopy,  almost  reaching  the  horizon  in  those  parts,  or  as  if  made 
with  skirts  of  a  lighter  colour;  so  that  the  upper  edges  of  all  the 
hills  were  as  a  black  line,  and  I  knew  them  very  distinctly  by 
their  shape  or  profile;  and  northward,  I  saw  perfectly,  that 
the  interval  of  light  and  darkness  in  the  horizon  was  between 
Martinsal-hill  and  St.  Ann's-hill ;  but  southward  it  was  more 
indefinite.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  verge  of  the  shadow  passed 
between  those  hills,  which  were  but  twelve  miles  distant  from 
us  ;  but,  so  far  I  could  distinguish  the  horizon  ;  beyond  it 
not  at  all.  The  reason  of  it  was  this  ;  the  elevation  of  ground 
I  was  upon  gave  me  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  light  of  the 
heavens  beyond  the  shadow  ;  nevertheless,  this  verge  of  light 
looked  of  a  dead  yellowish,  and  greenish  colour;  it  was 
broader  to  the  north  than  south  ;  but  the  southern  was  of  a 
tawny  colour :  at  this  time  behind  us,  or  eastward  toward 
London,  it  was  dark  too,  where  otherwise  I  could  see  the 
hills  beyond  Andover  ;  for  the  foremost  end  of  the  shadow 
was  past  thither;  so  that  the  whole  horizon  was  now  divided 
into  four  parts  of  unequal  bulk,  and  degrees  of  light  and  dark  ; 
the  part  to  the  north-west  broadest  and  blackest,  to  the  south- 
west lightest  and   longest.     All   the   change  I  could  perceive 


A 


ECLIPSES.  679 

during  the  totality,  was,  that  the  horizon  b^  degrees  drew 
into  two  parts,  light  and  dark  :  the  northern  hemisphere 
growing  still  longer,  lighter,  and  broader;  and  the  two  oppo- 
site dark  |)arts  uniting  into  one,  and  swallowing  up  the  southern 
enlightened  part. 

"  As  at  the  beginning  the  shade  came  feelingly  upon  our 
right  shoulders,  so  now  the  light  from  the  north,  where  it 
opened  as  it  were;  though  1  could  discern  no  defined  light  or 
shade  upon  the  earth  that  way,  which  1  earnestly  watched 
for,  yet  it  was  manifestly  by  degrees,  and  with  oscillation, 
going  back  a  little,  and  quickly  advancing  further,  till  at 
length,  upon  the  first  lucid  point  ap|)earing  in  the  heavens, 
where  the  sun  was,  I  co\dd  distinguish  pretty  plainly  a  rim 
of  light  running  alongside  of  us  a  good  while  together,  or 
sweeping  by  at  our  elbows  from  west  to  east.  Just  then, 
havnig  reason  to  suppose  the  totality  ended  with  us,  1  looked 
on  my  watch,  and  found  it  to  be  full  three  minutes  and  a 
half  more.  Now  the  hill-tops  changed  their  black  into  blue 
again,  and  I  could  distinguish  an  horizon  where  the  centre  of 
darkness  was  before  :  the  men  cried  out,  they  saw  the  copped- 
hill  again,  which  ihey  had  eagerly  looked  for;  but  still  it 
continued  dark  to  the  south-east,  yet  I  cannot  say  that  ever 
the  horizon  that  way  was  undistinguishable.  Immediately 
we  heard  the  larks  chirping,  and  singing  very  briskly,  for  joy 
of  the  restored  luminary,  after  all  things  had  been  hushed 
into  a  most  profound  and  universal  silence.  The  heavens  and 
earth  now  appeared  exactly  like  morning  before  sunrise,  of  a 
greyish  cast,  but  rather  more  blue  interspersed  ;  and  the  earth, 
BO  far  as  the  verge  of  the  hill  reached,  was  of  a  dark  green, 
or  russet  colour. 

"  As  soon  as  the  sun  emerged,  the  clouds  grew  thicker,  and 
the  light  was  very  little  amended  for  a  minute  or  more,  like  a 
cloudy  morning  slowly  advancing.  After  about  the  middle  of 
the  totality,  and  so  after  the  emersion  of  the  sun,  we  saw 
Venus  very  plainly,  but  no  other  star.  Salisbury  steeple  now 
appeared  ;  but  the  clouds  never  removing,  we  could  take  no 
account  of  it  afterwards  ;  but  in  the  evening  it  lightened  very 
much.  I  hastened  home  to  write  this  letter,  and  the  impres- 
sion was  so  vivid  upon  my  mind,  that  I  am  sure,  I  could  for 
some  days  after  have  written  the  same  account  of  it,  anil  very 
precisely.  After  supper  I  made  a  drawing  of  it  from  my 
imagination,  upon  the  same  paper  on  which  I  had  taken  a 
prospect  of  the  country  before. 

"  I  must  confess  to  you,  that  1  was  (I  l)ebeve)  the  only 
person  in  England,  that  regretted  not  the  cloudiness  of  the 
day,  which  added  so  much  to  the  solemnity  of  the  sight,  and 
which  incomparably  exceeded,  in  my  apprehension,  that  of 
1715     which   1  saw  very   perfectly   from    tlie   top   of  Boston 


680  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

steeple,  in  Lincolnshire,  where  the  air  was  very  clear ;  but 
the  night  of  this  was  more  complete  and  dreadful  :  there, 
indeed,  I  saw  both  sides  of  the  shadow  come  from  a  great 
distance,  and  pass  beyond  us  to  a  considerable  extent ;  but 
this  eclipse  had  much  more  of  variety  and  majestic  terror;  so 
that  I  cannot  but  felicitate  myself  upon  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  these  two  rare  accidents  of  nature,  in  so  different  a 
manner.  Yet  I  should  willingly  have  lost  this  pleasure,  for 
your  more  valuable  advantage  of  perfecting  the  noble  theory 
of  the  celestial  bodies,  which,  last  time,  you  gave  the  world 
so  nice  a  calculation  of;  and  I  wish  the  sky  had  now  as 
much  favoured  us  for  an  addition  to  your  honour  and 
great  skill,  which  I  doubt  not  to  be  as  exact  in  this  as 
before." 

We  now  proceed  to  describe  The  Halo,  or  Corona  ;  and 
SIMILAR  Appearances. — An  Halo  is  a  luminous  circle  sur- 
rounding the  sun,  moon,  planets,  or  fixed  stars.  Occasionally 
these  circles  are  vvhite,and  sometimes  they  are  coloured  like  the 
rainbow.  Sometimes  one  only  is  visible,  and  at  others  several 
concentric  halos  appearatthesametime.  Mr.  Huygens observed 
red  next  the  sun,  and  a  pale  blue  outwards.  Sometimes  they 
are  red  on  the  inside,  and  white  on  the  outside.  In  France, 
one  was  observed  in  1683,  the  middle  of  which  was  white  ; 
after  which  followed  a  border  of  red,  next  to  it  was  blue,  then 
green,  and  the  outermost  circle  was  a  briirht  red.  In  1728, 
one  was  seen  of  a  pale  red  outwardly,  then  followed  vellow, 
and  then  green,  terminated  by  a  white.  In  Holland,  M.  Mus- 
chenbroek  says,  fifty  may  be  seen  in  the  day-time,  almost 
every  year;  but  they  are  difficult  to  be  observed,  except  the 
eye  be  so  situated,  that  not  the  body  of  the  sun,  but  only  the 
neighbouring  parts  of  the  heavens,  can  be  seen.  Mr.  Mid- 
dleton  says,  that  this  phenomenon  is  very  frequent  in  North 
America;  for  that  there  is  generally  one  or  two  about  the  sun 
every  week,  and  as  many  about  the  moon  every  month. 
Halos  round  the  sun  are  very  frequent  in  Russia.  M.  TEpinus 
says,  that  from  the  23d  of  April,  1758,  to  the  20th  of  September, 
he  himself  had  observed  no  less  than  twenty-six,  and  that 
he  has  sometimes  seen  twice  as  many  in  the  same  space  of 
time. 

Similar,  in  some  respects,  to  the  halo,  was  the  remarkable 
appearance  which  M.  Bouguer  describes,  as  observed  on  the 
top  of  Mount  Pichinca,  in  the  Cordilleras.  When  the  sun 
was  just  rising  behind  them,  so  as  to  appear  white,  each  of 
them  saw  his  own  shadow  projected  upon  it,  and  no  other. 
The  distance  was  such,  that  all  the  parts  of  the  shadow  were 
easily  distinguishable,  as  the  arms,  the  legs,  and  the  head  ;  but 
what  surprised  them  moat  was,  that  the  head  was  adorned  ^ith 


HALO. —  FALLING    OR    SHOOTING   STAU.  681 

a  kind  of  glory,  consisting  of  three  or  four  small  concentric 
crowns,  of  ii  very  lively  colour,  each  exhibiting  all  the  varieties 
of  the  primary  rainbow,  and  having  the  circle  of  red  on  the 
outside.  The  intervals  between  these  circles  continued  equal, 
though  the  dianieters  of  them  all  were  constantly  changing. 
The  last  of  them  was  very  faint;  and  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance was  aiiotlier  great  white  circle,  which  surounded  the 
whole.  This  phenomenon  never  appeared  but  in  a  cloud  con- 
sisting of  frozen  pai  tides,  and  never  in  drops  of  rain  like  the 
rainbow.  When  the  sun  was  not  in  the  horizon,  only  })art  of 
the  white  circle  was  visible,  as  M.  Bouquer  frequently  ob- 
served afterwards.  Similar  to  this  curious  appearance,  was 
one  seen  by  Dr.  M'Fait  in  Scotland  ;  who  observed  a  rainbow 
round  his  shadow  in  the  mist,  when  he  was  upon  an  eminence 
above  it.  In  this  situation  the  whole  country  round  seemed 
buried  under  a  vast  deluge,  and  nothing  but  the  tops  of  dis- 
tant hills  appeared  here  and  there  above  the  flood.  In  those 
upper  regions,  the  air,  he  says,  is  at  that  time  very  pure  and 
agreeable.  At  another  time  he  observed  a  double  range  of 
colours  round  his  shadow.  The  colours  of  the  outermost 
range  were  broad  and  very  distinct,  and  every  where  about 
two  feet  distant  from  the  shadow.  Then  there  was  a  darkish 
interval,  and  after  that  another  narrower  range  of  colours, 
closely  surrounding  the  shadow,  which  was  very  much  con- 
tracted. He  thinks  that  these  ranges  of  colours  are  caused  by 
the  inflection  of  the  rays  of  light,  the  same  that  occasions 
the  ring  of  light  which  surrounds  the  shadow  of  all  bodies, 
observed  by  M.  Maraldi,  and  others. 

We  next  proceed  to  the  phenomenon  generally  called 
Falling  or  Shooting  Star. — This  is  a  luminous  meteor, 
darting  rapidly  through  the  air,  and  resembling  a  star  falling 
from  the  heavens.  The  explication  of  this  phenomenon  had 
puzzled  all  philosophers,  till  the  modern  discoveries  in  elec- 
tricity led  to  the  most  probable  account  of  it.  Signior 
Beccari  makes  it  pretty  evident,  that  it  is  an  electrical 
appearance,  and  recites  the  following  fact  in  proof  of  his 
opinion.  About  an  hour  after  sunset,  he,  and  some  friends 
that  were  with  him,  observed  a  falling  star  directing  its  course 
towards  them,  and  apparently  growing  larger  and  larger,  but 
it  disappeared  not  far  from  them.  When  it  vanished,  it  left  their 
faces,  hands,  and  clothes,  with  the  earth,  and  all  the  neigh- 
bouring objects,  suddenly  illuminated  with  a  diff'used  and 
lambent  light,  but  not  attended  with  any  noise.  During  their 
surprise  at  this  appearance,  a  servant  informed  them,  that  he 
had  seen  a  light  shine  suddenly  in  the  garden,  and  especially 
upon  the  streams  which  he  was  throwing  to  water  it.  All 
these  appearances  were  evidently  electrical;  and  Beccari  was 

4R 


(382  CURIOUS   NATURAL   PHENOMENA. 

confirmed  in  his  conjecture,  that  electricity  was  the  cause  of 
them,  by  the  quantity  of  electric  matter  which  he  had  seen 
gradually  advancing  towards  a  kite  he  had  elevated,  which 
had  very  much  the  appearance  of  a  falling  star.  Sometimes, 
also,  he  saw  a  kind  of  glory  round  the  kite,  which  followed 
it  when  it  changed  its  place,  but  left  some  light,  for  a  small 
space  of  lime,  in  the  place  it  had  quitted. 

Captain  Bagnold  says,  whilst  passing  through  the  straits  of 
Bahania,  in  the  autumn  of  1799,  he  witnessed  the  following 
singular  atmospheric  phenomenon. 

"  It  was  a  fine  star-litrht  mornino;,  about  two  o'clock,  the 
atmosphere  remarkably  clear,  with  a  light  air  from  the  north- 
east;  the  sky  to  windward,  from  north-north-east  to  south- 
south-east,  was  illuminated  by  a  profusion  of  those  meteors, 
vulgarly  denominated  falling  stars,  but  of  a  description  far 
more  vivid  than  those  usually  seen  in  the  higher  latitudes  ; 
the  head  of  each  was  an  oblong  ignited  mass,  followed  by  a 
long  luminous  tail,  which,  after  three  or  four  seconds,  gradu- 
ally vanished.  They  were  formed,  to  all  appearance,  in  the 
air,  at  an  elevation  of  from  thirty-five  to  sixty-four  degrees, 
none  being  observed  in  the  zenith,  and  few  to  commence 
nearer  the  horizon  than  the  first-mentioned  angles.  At  the 
mean  of  these  elevations,  the  greatest  numbers  were  seen 
darting  in  different  directions,  forming  portions  of  a  large 
curve,  all  slightly  inclined  to  the  horizon.  Multitudes  were 
constantly  visible  at  the  same  moment,  and  they  succeeded 
each  other  so  rapidly,  that  the  eye  of  the  spectator  was  kept 
in  motion  between  the  above  points  of  the  compass.  In 
about  ten  minutes  they  became  less  frequent,  and  at  length 
ceased  altogether. 

"  The  apparent  distance  of  this  phenomenon  would,  by  a 
seaman,  be  estimated  at  fifteen  or  twenty  miles;  and  if  it 
really  was  what  1  have  always  considered  it,  namely,  a 
nocturnal  shower  of  meteoric  stones,  it  was  perhaps  fortunate 
*  for  all  on  board,  that  we  were  not  within  the  sphere  of  its 
action:  whatever  it  was,  never  shall  I  forget  the  splendour 
of  the  spectacle." — See  Humboldt's  Personal  Narrative,  volume 
III.  page  331,  335. 

We  close  this  chapter  with  An  Account  of  Three  Vol- 
canoes IN  THE  Moon  ;  by  Dr.  Herschel. 

"  It  will  be  necessary  to  say  a  few  words  by  way  of  intro- 
duction to  the  account  I  have  to  give  of  some  appearances 
upon  the  moon.  The  phenomena  of  nature,  especially  those 
that  fall  under  the  inspection  of  the  astronomer,  are  to  be 
viewed,  not  only  with  the  usual  attention  to  facts  as  they 
occur,  but  with  the  eye  of  reason  and  experience.  In  this  we 
are,  however,  not  allowed  to  depart  from  plain  appearances. 


THREE   VOLCANOES   IN   THE   MOON.  683 

though  ta«ir  origin  and  signification  should  be  indicated  by 
the  most  characterizing  features.  Thus,  when  we  see  on  the 
Burface  of  the  moon  a  great  number  of  elevations,  from  half 
a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  in  height,  we  are  strictly  entitled 
to  call  them  mountains  ;  but  when  we  attend  to  their  parti- 
cular shape,  in  which  many  of  them  resemble  the  craters  of 
our  volcanoes,  and  thence  argue  that  they  owe  their  origin 
to  the  same  cause  which  has  modelled  many  of  these,  we  may 
be  said  to  see  by  analogy,  or  with  the  eye  of  reason.  Now, 
in  this  latter  case,  though  it  may  be  convenient,  in  speaking 
of  phenomena,  to  use  expressions  that  can  only  be  justified 
by  reasoning  upon  the  facts  themselves,  it  will  certainly  be  the 
safest  way  not  to  neglect  a  full  description  of  them,  that  it 
may  appear  to  others  how  far  we  have  been  authorized  to  use 
the  mental  eye.  This  being  premised,  I  may  safely  proceed 
to  give  my  observations. 

"  April  i9th,  1787,  lOh.  36',  sidereal  time.  I  perceive  three 
volcanoes  in  different  places  of  the  dark  part  of  the  new 
moon.  Two  of  them  are  either  already  nearly  extinct,  or 
otherwise  in  a  state  of  going  to  break  out;  which,  perhaps, 
may  be  decided  next  lunation.  The  third  shews  an  actual 
eruption  of  fire,  or  luminous  matter.  I  measured  the  dis- 
tance of  the  crater  from  the  northern  limb  of  the  moon,  and 
found  it  3'  57". 3.  Its  lioht  is  much  brighter  than  the  nucleus 
of  the  comet  which  M.  Mechain  discovered  at  Paris  the  10th 
of  this  month.— April  20th,  1787,  lOh.  2',  sidereal  time:  The 
volcano  burns  with  greater  violence  than  last  night.  I  be- 
lieve its  diameter  cannot  be  less  than  3",  by  comparing  it  with 
that  of  the  Georgian  planet:  as  Jupiter  was  near  at  hand, 
I  turned  the  telescope  to  his  third  satellite,  and  estimated 
the  diameter  of  the  burning  part  of  the  volcano  to  be  equal 
to  at  least  twice  that  of  the  satellite.  Hence  we  may  com- 
pute that  the  shining  or  burning  matter  must  be  above 
three  miles  in  diameter.  It  is  of  an  irregular  round  figure, 
and  very  sharply  defined  on  the  edges.  The  other  two  vol- 
canoes are  much  farther  towards  the  centre  of  the  moon,  and 
resemble  lais^e  pretty  faint  nebulae,  that  are  gradually  much 
brighter  in  the  middle;  but  no  well-defined  luminous  spot  can 
be  discerned  in  them.  These  three  spots  are  plainly  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the  marks  upon  the  moon  ;  for 
the  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  the  earth  is,  in  its  pre- 
sent situation,  sufficiently  bright,  with  a  ten-feet  reflector,  to 
shew  the  moon's  spots,  even  the  darkest  of  them;  nor  did 
I  perceive  any  similar  phenomena  last  lunation,  though  I 
then  viewed  the  same  places  with  the  same  instrument. 

"  '["he  appearance  of  what  I  have  called  the  actual  fire,  or 
eruption  of  a  volcano,  exactly  resembled  a  small  piece  of 
burning  charcoal,   when  it  is  covered  by  a  very  thiu  coat  of 


fi84  CURIOUS  NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

white  as.ies,  which  frequently  adhere  to  it  after  it  has  been 
some  time  ignited;  and  it  had  a  degree  of  brightness  about 
as  strong  as  that  with  which  such  a  coal  would  be  seen  to 
glow  in  faint  daylight.  All  the  adjacent  parts  of  the  vol- 
canic mountain  seemed  to  be  faintly  illuminated  by  the 
eruption,  and  were  gradually  more  obscure  as  they  lay  at 
a  greater  distance  from  the  crater. 

"  This  eruption  resembled  much  that  which  I  saw  on  the 
fourth  of  May,  in  the  year  1783;  an  account  of  which,  with 
many  reraarkable  particulars  relating  to  volcanic  mountains 
in  the  moon,  I  shall  take  an  early  opportunity  of  communi- 
cating to  the  Royal  Society.  It  differed,  however,  consider- 
ably in  magnitude  and  brightness;  for  the  volcano  of  the 
year  1783,  though  much  brighter  than  that  which  is  now 
burning,  was  not  near  so  large  in  the  dimensions  of  its 
eruption  ;  the  former  seen  in  the  telescope  resembled  a  star 
of  the  fourth  magnitude,  as  it  appears  to  the  natural  eye: 
this,  on  the  contrary,  shews  a  visible  disk  of  luminous 
matter,  very  different   from  the  sparkling  brightness  of  star- 

litrht." 

CHAP.  LXIX. 

CURIOSITIES     RESPECTING     VARIOUS     PHENOMENA,    OB 

APPEARANCES  IN  NATURE. — (Concluded.) 

The  Aurora  Borealis. 
Silent  from  the  north 


A  blaze  of  meteors  shoots:  ensweeping  first 

The  lower  skies,  they  ail  at  once  converge 

High  to  the  crown  of  heav'n,  and  all  at  once 

Relapsing  quick,  as  quickly  reasccnd, 

And  mix  and  thwart,  extinguish  and  renew, 

All  ether  coursing  in  a  maze  of  light  Thomson, 

The  Aurora  Borealis,  sometimes  called  Streamers,  is  an 
extraordinary  meteor,  or  luminous  appearance,  shewing  itself 
in  the  night  time  in  the  northern  part  of  the  heavens;  and 
most  usually  in  frosty  weather.  It  is  generally  of  a  reddish 
colour,  inclining  to  yellow,  and  sends  out  frequent  corrus- 
cations  of  pale  light,  which  seem  to  rise  from  the  horizon  in 
a  pyramidical  undulating  form,  and  shoot  with  great  velocity  up 
to  the  zenith.  The  Aurora  Borealis  appears  frequently  in  form 
of  an  arch,  chiefly  in  the  spring  and  autumn,  after  a  dry  year. 
The  arch  is  partly  bright,  partly  dark,  but  generally  trans- 
parent: and  the  matter  of  which  it  consists,  is  also  found  to 
have   no    effect   on    rays    of    light    which   pass    through   it. 


AURORA   BOREALIS.  685 

Dr.  Hamilton  observes,  that  he  could  plainly  discern  the 
smallest  speck  in  the  Pleiades  through  the  density  of  those 
clouds  which  formed  the  Aurora  Borealis  in  1763,  without  the 
least  diminution  of  its  splendour,  or  increase  of  twinkling 

This  kind  of  meteor,  which  is  more  uncommon  as  we  ap- 
proach towards  the  equator,  is  almost  constant  during  the 
long  winter,  and  appears  with  the  greatest  lustre  in  the  polar 
regions.  In  the  Shetland  isles,  the  "Merry  Dancers,"  as  the 
northern  lights  are  there  called,  are  the  constant  attendants 
of  clear  evenings,  and  afford  great  relief  amidst  the  gloom  of 
the  long  winter  nights.  They  commonly  appear  at  twilight, 
near  tlie  horizon,  of  a  dun  colour,  approaching  to  yellow;  they 
sometimes  continue  in  that  state  for  several  hours,  without 
any  perceptible  motion  ;  and  sometimes  they  break  out  into 
streams  of  stronger  light,  spreading  into  columns,  and  altering 
slowly  into  ten  thousand  ditl'erent  shapes,  and  varying  their 
colours  from  all  the  tints  of  yellow,  to  the  most  obscure  russet. 
They  often  cover  the  whole  hemisphere,  and  then  exhibit  the 
most  brilliant  appearance.  Their  motions  at  this  time  are 
most  amazingly  quick  ;  and  they  astonish  the  spectator  with 
the  rapid  changes  of  their  form.  They  break  out  in  places 
where  none  were  seen  before,  skimming  briskly  among  the 
heavens,  are  suddenly  extinguished,  and  are  succeeded  by  a 
uniform  dusky  tract.  This  again  is  brilliantly  illuminated  in 
the  same  manner,  and  as  suddenly  left  a  dark  space.  In  some 
nights,  they  assume  the  appearance  of  large  columns,  on  one 
side  of  the  deepest  yellow,  and  on  the  other,  gradually  chang- 
ing, till  it  becomes  undistinguished  from  the  sky.  They  have 
generally  a  strong  tremulous  motion  from  one  end  to  the  other, 
and  this  continues  till  the  whole  vanishes. 

As  for  us,  who  see  only  the  extremities  of  these  northern 
phenomena,  we  can  have  but  a  faint  idea  of  their  splendour 
and  motions.  According  to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere,  they 
differ  in  hue;  and  sometimes  assuming  the  colour  of  blood, 
they  make  a  dreadful  appearance.  The  rustic  sages  who  ob 
serve  them,  become  prophetic,  and  terrify  the  spectators  with 
alarms  of  war,  pestilence,  and  famine.  Nor,  indeed,  were 
these  superstitious  presages  peculiar  to  the  northern  islands  : 
appearances  of  a  similar  nature  are  of  ancient  date;  and  they 
were  distinguished  by  the  appellations  of"  phasmata,""trabes," 
and  "  balides,"  according  to  their  forms  and  colours.  In  old 
times  they  were  either  more  rare,  or  less  frequently  noticed  : 
they  were  supposed  to  portend  great  events,  and  the  timid 
imagination  formed  of  them  aerial  conflicts. 

In  the  northern  latitudes  of  Sweden  and  Lapland,  the 
Aurorse  Boreales  are  not  only  singularly  beautiful  in  their 
appearance,  but  they  afford  travellers,  by  their  almost  constant 
effulgence,  a  very  beautiful  light  during  the  whole  night.     In 


686  CURIOUS   NATURAL  PHENOMENA, 

Hudson's  Bay  the  Aurora  Borealis  diffuses  a  variegated  splen 
dour,  which  is  said  to  equal  that  of  the  full  moon.  In  the  north- 
eastern parts  of  Siberia,  according  to  the  description  of  Guielin, 
these  northern  lights  are  observed  to  "  begin  with  single 
bright  pillars,  rising  in  the  north,  and  almost  at  the  same  time 
in  the  north-east,  which,  gradually  increasing,  comprehend  a 
large  space  of  the  heavens,  rush  about  from  place  to  place 
with  incredible  velocity,  and,  finally,  almost  cover  the  whole 
sky  up  to  the  zenith,  and  produce  an  appearance  as  if  a  vast 
tent  were  expanded  in  the  heavens,  glittering  with  gold,  rubies, 
and  sapphire.  A  more  beautiful  spectacle  cannot  be  painted  ; 
but  whoever  should  see  such  a  northern  light  for  the  first 
time,  could  not  behold  it  without  terror.  For,  however  fine 
the  illumination  may  be,  it  is  attended,  as  I  have  learned  from 
the  relation  of  many  persons,  with  such  a  hissing,  crackling, 
and  rushins:  noise  through  tlie  air,  as  if  the  largest  fire-works 
were  played  off.  To  describe  what  they  then  hear,  they  make 
use  of  the  expression,  '  The  raging  host  is  passing.'  The  hunt- 
ers, who  pursue  the  white  and  blue  foxes  in  the  confines  of 
the  Icy  Sea,  are  often  alarmed  in  their  course  by  these 
northern  lights.  Their  dogs  are  then  so  much  frii^htened, 
that  they  will  not  move,  but  lie  obstinately  on  the  ground,  till 
the  noise  has  passed.  Commonly,  clear  and  calm  weather 
follows  this  kind  of  northern  lii^hts.  This  account  has  been 
confirmed  by  the  uniform  testimony  of  many,  who  have  spent 
part  of  several  years  in  these  northern  regions,  and  inhabited 
different  countries  from  the  Yenisei  to  the  Lena;  so  that  no 
doubt  of  its  truth  can  remain.  This  seenis,  indeed,  to  be  the 
real  birth-place  of  the  Aurora  Borealis." 

A  person  who  resided  seven  years  at  Hudson's  Bay,' con- 
firms M.  Gmelin's  relation  of  the  fine  appearance  and  brilliant 
colours  of  the  northern  lights,  and  particularly  of  their  rush- 
ing noise,  which  he  affirms  he  has  frequently  heard,  and  he 
compares  it  to  the  sound  produced  by  whirling  round  a  stick 
swiftly  at  the  end  of  a  string.  A  similar  noise  has  likewise 
been  noticed  in  Sweden.  Mr.  Nairne  also,  being  in  North- 
ampton at  the  time  when  the  northern  lights  were  remarkably 
brioht,  is  confident  he  heard  a  hissins:  or  whizzing  sound. 
Mr.  Belknap,  of  Dover,  in  New  Hampshire,  North  America, 
testifies  to  this  fact.  M.  Cavallo  says,  that  the  cracking  noise 
is  distinctly  audible,  and  that  he  has  heard  it  more  than  once. 
Similar  lights,  called  Auroree  Australes,  have  been  long  since 
observed  towards  the  south  pole,  and  their  existence  has  been 
lately  ascertained  by  Mr.  Forster,  who  assures  us,  that  in  his 
voyage  round  the  world  with  Captain  Cook,  he  observed 
them  in  high  southern  latitudes,  though  attended  with 
phenomena  somewhat  different  from  those  which  are  seen 
here. 


AURORA   BOREALIS  687 

On  February  17,  1773,  in  south  latitude  58°,  "  a  beautiful 
phenomenon  (he  says)  was  observed  during  the  preceding 
night,  which  appeared  again  this  and  several  foUowin 
nights.  It  consisted  ot  long  columns  of  a  clear  white  light, 
shooting  up  from  the  horizon  to  the  eastward,  almost  tc 
the  zenith,  and  gradually  spreading  on  the  whole  southern 
part  of  the  sky.  The  columns  were  sometimes  bent  sideways 
at  their  upper  extremities;  and  though  in  most  respects  simi- 
lar to  the  northern  lights  (Aurora  Borealis)  of  our  hemisphere, 
yet  they  differed  from  them  in  being  always  of  a  whitish  colour, 
whereas  ours  assume  various  tints,  especially  those  of  a  fiery 
and  purple  hue.  The  sky  was  generally  clear  when  they  ap- 
peared, and  the  air  sharp  and  cold,  the  thermometer  standing 
at  the  freezing  point." 

The  periods  of  the  appearance  of  these  northern  lights  are 
very  inconstant.  In  some  years  they  occur  very  frequently, 
and  in  others  they  are  more  rare  ;  and  it  has  been  observed, 
that  they  are  more  common  about  the  time  of  the  equinoxes 
than  at  other  seasons  of  the  year.  Dr.  Halley  (see  Philos. 
Trans.  No.  347,  p.  406,)  has  collected  together  several  obser- 
vations, which  form  a  kind  of  history  of  this  phenomenon. 
After  having  particularly  described  the  various  circumstances 
which  attended  that  observed  by  himself,  and  many  others,  in 
March,  1716,  and  which  was  singularly  brilliant,  he  proceeds 
with  informing  us,  that  the  first  account  of  similar  phenomena 
recorded  in  the  English  annals,  is  that  of  the  appearance 
noticed  January  30,  1660,  and  called.  Burning  Spears,  by 
the  author  of  a  book  entitled,  "  A  Description  of  Meteors," 
by  W.  F.  D.D.;  reprinted  at  London,  in  1654.  The  next 
appearance  of  a  like  kind,  recorded  by  Stow,  occurred  on 
October  7,  1564.  In  1574,  as  Camden  and  Stow  inform  us,  an 
Aurora  Borealis  was  seen  for  two  successive  nights,  viz.  on  the 
14th  and  15th  of  November,  with  appearances  similar  to  those 
observed  in  1716,  and  which  are  now  commonly  noticed. 
The  same  phenomenon  was  twice  seen  in  Brabant,  in  1575, 
viz.  on  the  13th  of  February,  and  the  28th  of  September;  and 
the  circumstances  attending  it  were  described  by  Cornelius 
Gemma,  who  compares  them  to  "spears,  fortified  cities,  and 
armies  fighting  in  the  air."  In  the  year  1580,  M.  Masline 
observed  these  phasmata,  as  he  calls  them,  at  Baknang,  in 
the  county  of  Wirtemberg,  in  Germany,  no  less  than  seven 
times  in  the  space  of  twelve  months ;  and  again  at  several 
different  times,  in  1581.  On  September  2d,  1621,  the  same 
phenomenon  was  seen  over  all  France  ;  and  it  was  particularly 
described  by  Gassendus,  in  his  "  Physics,"  who  gave  it  the 
name  of  Aurora  Borealis.  Another  was  seen  all  over  Ger- 
many, in  November,  1623,  and  was  described  by  Kepler. 
Since  that  time,  for  more  than  eighty  years,  we  have  no  account 


688  curiosities: — aurora  borealis. 

of  an)'  such  phenomenon,  either  at  home  or  abroad.  In  1707, 
Mr.  Neve  observed  one  of  small  continuance  in  Ireland  ;  and 
in  the  same  year,  a  similar  appearance  was  seen  by  Romer,  at 
Copenhagen  ;  and  during  an  interval  of  eighteen  months,  in 
the  years  1707  and  1708,  this  sort  of  light  had  been  seen  no 
less  than  five  times. 

Hence  it  should  seem,  (says  Dr.  Halley,)  that  the  air  or 
earth,  or  both,  are  not  at  all  times  disposed  to  produce  this 
phenomenon,  though  it  is  possible  it  may  happen  in  the  day- 
time, in  bright  moonshine,  or  in  cloudy  weather,  and  so  pass 
unobserved.  Dr.  Halley  further  observes,  that  the  Aurora 
Borealis  of  1716,  which  he  described,  was  visible  from  the 
west  of  Ireland  to  the  confines  of  Russia,  and  to  the  east  of 
Poland  ;  extending  at  least  near  thirty  degrees  of  longitude,  and 
from  about  the  fiftieth  degree  of  north  latitude,  over  almost 
all  the  north  of  Europe  ;  and  in  all  places  at  the  same  time,  it 
exhibited  appearances  similar  to  those  which  he  observed  in 
London.  He  regrets,  however,  that  he  was  unable  to  deter- 
mine its  height,  for  want  of  contemporary  observations  at 
difl'erent  places. 

Father  Boscovich  has  determined  the  height  of  an  Aurora 
Borealis,  observed  on  the  16th  of  December,  1737,  by  the 
Marquis  of  Poleni,  to  have  been  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  miles;  and  Mr.  Bergman,  from  a  mean  of  thirty  compu- 
tations, makes  the  average  height  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  to  be 
seventy-two  Swedish,  or  (supposing  a  Swedish  mile  to  be 
about  six  and  a  half  English  miles)  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  English  miles.  Euler  supposes  the  height  to  be  several 
thousands  of  miles  ;  and  Mairan  also  assigns  to  these  pheno- 
mena a  very  elevated  region,  the  far  greater  number  of  them 
being,  according  to  him,  about  two  hundred  leagues  above 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  Dr,  Blagden,  speaking  of  the  height 
of  some  fiery  meteors,  (Phil.  Trans,  vol.  Ixxiv.  p.  227,)  says, 
"  that  the  Aurora  Borealis  appears  to  occupy  as  high,  if  not  a 
higher  region,  above  the  surface  of  the  earth,  as  may  be 
judged  from  the  very  distant  countries  to  which  it  has  been 
visible  at  the  same  time  :"  he  adds,  that  "  the  great  accumula- 
tion of  electric  matter  seems  to  lie  beyond  the  verge  of  our 
atmosphere,  as  estimated  by  the  cessation  of  twilight."  But 
as  it  is  difficult  to  make  such  observations  on  this  phenome- 
non as  are  sufficient  to  afford  a  just  estimate  of  its  altitude, 
they  must  be  subject  to  considerable  variation,  and  to  mate- 
rial error. 

Dr.  Blagden  informs  us,  that  instances  are  recorded,  in 
which  the  northern  lights  have  been  seen  to  join,  and  form 
luminous  balls,  darting  about  with  great  velocity,  and  even 
leaving  a  train  behind  them  like  the  common  fire-balls.  This 
ingenious  author,  however,  conjecturing  that  distinct  regions 


GALVANISM.  G89 

are  allotted  to  the  electrical  phenomena  of  our  atmosphere, 
assigns  the  appearance  of  fire-balls  to  that  region  which  lies 
beyond  the  limits  of  our  crepuscular  atmosphere  ;  and  a  greater 
elevation  above  the  earth,  to  that  accumulation  of  electricity 
in  a  lighter  and  less  condensed  form,  which  produces  the 
wonderfully  diversified  streams  and  coruscations  of  the  Aurora 
Borealis. 


CHAP.  LXX. 
CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING    GALVANISM. 

"  Nature,  cxhaustles  still,  has  power  to  warm, 
And  every  change  presents  a  novel  charm." 

Galvani,  a  piofessor  of  anatomy  in  the  university  of  Bo- 
logna, was  one  day  making  experiments  on  electricity.  In 
his  laboratory,  near  the  machine,  were  some  frogs  that  had 
been  flayed  ;  the  limbs  of  which  became  convulsed  every  time 
a  spark  , was  drawn  from  the  apparatus.  Galvani,  surprised  at 
this  phenomenon,  made  it  a. subject  of  investigation,  and  dis- 
covered that  metals,  applied  to  the  nerves  and  muscles  of 
these  animals,  occasioned  powerful  and  sudden  contractions, 
wiien  disposed  in  a  certain  manner.  He  gave  the  name  of 
Animal  Electricity  to  this  order  of  new  phenomena,  from  the 
analogy  that  he  considered  existing  between  these  effects  and 
those  produced  by  electricity. 

The  name.  Animal  Electricity,  has  been  superseded,  not- 
withstanding the  great  analogy  that  exists  between  the  effects 
of  electricity  and  of  Galvanism,  in  favour  of  the  latter  term; 
which  is  not  only  applicable  to  the  generality  of  the  pheno- 
mena, but  likewise  serves  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the 
discoverer. 

In  order  to  give  rise  to  galvanic  effects,  it  is  necessary  to 
establish  a  communication  between  two  points  of  one  series 
of  nervous  and  muscular  organs.  In  this  manner  a  circle  is 
formed,  one  arch  of  which  consists  of  the  animal  parts,  ren- 
dered the  subject  of  experiment,  while  the  other  arch  is  com- 
posed of  exciting  instruments,  which  generally  consists  of 
those  animal  parts  called  supporters ;  others,  destined  to 
establish  a  communication  between  the  latter,  are  called  con- 
ductors. To  form  a  complete  galvanic  circle,  take  the  thigh 
of  a  frog,  deprived  of  its  skin  ;  detach  the  crural  nerve,  as  far 
as  the  knee ;  ])ut  it  on  a  piece  of  zinc  ;  lay  the  muscles  of  the 
leg  on  a  piece  of  silver;  then  finish  the  exciting  arch,  and 
complete  the  galvanic  circle  by  establishing  a  communication 

4S 


O90  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING 

by  means  of  the  two  supporters,  by  iron  or  copper  wire, 
pewter,  or  lead.  The  instant  that  the  communicators  touch 
the  two  supporters,  a  part  of  the  animal  arch  formed  by  tlie 
two  supporters  will  be  convulsed.  Although  this  disposition 
of  the  animal  parts,  and  of  galvanic  instruments,  be  most 
favourable  to  the  development  of  the  phenomena,  yet  the 
composition  of  the  animal  and  excitatory  arch  may  be  much 
varied.  Thus  contractions  are  obtained,  by  placing  the  two 
supporters  under  the  nerve,  and  leaving  the  muscle  out  of  the 
circle  ;  which  proves  that  nerves  essentially  constitute  the 
animal  arch. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  nerves  to  be  entire,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce contractions.  They  take  place  whether  the  organs  be 
tied  or  cut  through,  provided  there  exists  a  simple  contiguity 
between  the  divided  ends.  This  proves  that  we  cannot  strictly 
conclude  what  happens  in  muscular  action,  from  that  which 
takes  place  in  galvanic  phenomena;  since,  if  a  nerve  be  tied 
or  divided,  the  muscles  on  which  the  energy  is  distributed  lose 
the  power  of  action. 

The  cuticle  is  an  obstacle  to  galvanic  effects  ;  they  are  al- 
ways feebly  manifested  in  parts  covered  by  it.  When  it  is 
moist,  fine,  and  delicate,  the  effect  is  not  entirely  interrupted. 
Humboldt,  after  having  detached  the  cuticle  from  the  poste- 
rior part  of  the  neck  and  back,  by  means  of  two  blisters, 
applied  plates  of  metal  to  the  bare  cutis,  and,  at  the  moment 
of  establishing  a  communication,  he  experienced  sharp  prick- 
ings, accompanied  with  a  serosanguinous  discharge. 

If  a  plate  of  zinc  be  placed  under  the  tongue,  and  a  fJat 
piece  of  silver  on  its  superior  surface,  on  making  them  touch 
each  other,  an  acerb  taste  will  be  perceived,  accomuanied 
with  a  slight  trembling. 

The  exciting  arch  may  be  constructed  with  two  or  three 
metals,  or  even  one  metal  only;  with  alloys,  amalgams,  or 
other  metallic  or  mineral  combinations,  carbonated  substances, 
&.C.  It  is  observed,  that  metals,  which  are  in  general  the 
most  powerful  exciters,  induce  contractions  so  much  the  more 
as  they  have  an  extent  of  surface.  Metals  are  all  more  or  less 
excitants;  and  it  has  been  noticed  that  zinc,  gold,  silver,  and 
pewter,  are  of  the  highest  rank  ;  then  copper,  lead,  nickel, 
antimony,  &.c. 

Galvanic  susceptibility  is  exnausted  by  too  long-continued 
exercise,  and  is  recruited  by  repose.  Immersion  of  nerves  in 
alkohol  and  opiate  solutions  diminishes,  and  even  destroys, 
this  susceptibility;  in  the  same  manner,  doubtless,  as  the 
immoderate  use  of  these  substances  in  the  living  man,  blunts, 
and  induces  paralysis  in  muscular  action.  Immersion  in  oxy- 
genated muriatic  acid,  revests  tlic  fatigued  parts,  in  being 
acted   on  by   the  stimulus.     Animals  killed   by  the  repeated 


GALVANISM.  091 

discbarge  of  an  electric  battery,  acquire  an  increase  of  gal- 
vanic susceptibility;  and  tiiis  property  subsists  unclianged  in 
animals  destroyed  by  submersions  in  mercury,  pure  hydrogen 
gas,  azote,  and  ammoniac  ;  and  finally,  it  is  totally  annihilated 
in  animals  suffocated  by  the  vapour  of  charcoal. 

Galvanic  susceptibility  is  extinct  in  the  muscles  of  animals 
of  warm  blood,  in  proportion  as  vital  heat  is  dissipated; 
sometimes  even  when  life  is  terminated  in  convulsions,  con- 
tractibility  cannot  be  put  into  action,  although  warmth  be  net 
completely  gone,  as  though  the  vital  property  v/ere  consumed 
by  the  convulsions  amidst  which  the  animals  had  expired. 
In  those  of  cold  blood,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  more  durable. 
Tiie  thighs  of  frogs,  long  after  being  separated  from  every 
thing,  and  even  to  the  instant  of  incipient  putrefaction,  are 
influenced  by  galvanic  stimuli ;  doubtless,  because  irritability, 
in  these  animals,  is  less  intimately  connected  with  respiration, 
and  life  more  divided  among  the  different  organs,  which  have 
less  occasion  to  act  on  each  other  for  the  execution  of  its 
phenomena.  The  galvanic  chain  does  not  produce  sensible 
actions  (that  is,  contractions)  until  the  moment  it  is  completed, 
by  establishing  a  communication  with  the  parts  constituting 
it.  During  the  time  it  is  complete,  that  is,  throughout  the 
whole  space  of  time  that  the  communication  remains  estab- 
lished, every  thing  remains  tranquil ;  nevertheless,  galvanic 
influence  is  not  suspended  ;  in  fact,  excitability  is  evidently 
increased  or  diminished,  in  muscles  that  have  been  long  con- 
tinued in  the  galvanic  chain,  according  to  the  difference  of 
the  reciprocal  situation  of  the  connecting  metals. 

If  silver  has  been  applied  to  the  nerves,  and  zinc  to  the 
muscles,  the  irritability  of  the  latter  increases  in  proportion 
to  the  time  they  have  remained  in  the  chain.  By  this  method, 
the  thighs  of  frogs  have  been  revivified  in  some  degree,  and 
afterwards  became  sensible  to  stimuli  that  before  had  ceased 
to  act  on  them.  By  distributing  the  metals  in  an  inverse 
manner,  applying  zinc  to  the  nerves,  and  silver  to  the  muscles, 
an  effect  absolutely  contrary  is  observed  ;  and  the  muscles 
that  possessed  the  most  lively  irritability  when  placed  in  the 
chain,  seem  to  be  rendered  entirely  paralytic  if  they  remain 
long  in  this  situation. 

This  diflerence  evidently  depends  on  the  direction  of  the 
galvanic  fluid,  determined  towards  the  muscles  or  nerves, 
according  to  the  manner  in  which  these  metals  are  disposed  ; 
and  this  is  of  some  importance  to  be  known  for  the  application 
of  galvanic  means  to  the  cure  of  diseases 

jNI.  Volta's  api)aratus  is  as  follows  : — Raise  a  pile,  by  pla- 
cing a  plate  of  zinc,  a  flat  piece  of  wet  card,  and  a  plate  of 
silver,  successively  ;  then  a  second  piece  of  zinc,  &c.  until 
the  elevation  is  several  feet  high;  for  the  effects  are  greater 


692  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  GALVANISM. 

in  proportion  to  its  height ;  then  touch  both  extremities  of  the 
pile,  at  the  same  instant,  with  one  piece  of  iron  wire  :  at  the 
moment  of  contact,  a  spark  is  excited  from  the  extremities  of 
the  pile,  and  luminous  points  are  often  perceived  at  different 
heights,  where  the  zinc  and  silver  come  into  mutual  contact. 
The  zinc  end  of  this  pile  appears  to  be  negatively  electrified  ; 
that  formed  by  the  silver,  on  the  contrary,  indicates  marks  of 
positive  electricity. 

If  we  touch  both  extremities  of  the  pile,  after  having  dipped 
our  hands  into  water,  or,  what  is  better,  a  saline  solution,  a 
commotion,  followed  by  a  disagreeable  pricking  in  the  fingers 
and  elbow,  is  felt. 

If  we  place,  in  a  tube  filled  with  water,  and  hermetically 
closed  by  two  corks,  the  extremities  of  two  wires  of  the  same 
metal,  which  are  in  contact  at  the  other  extremity,  one  with  the 
summit,  the  other  with  the  base  of  the  pile  ;  these  ends,  even 
when  separated  only  by  the  space  of  a  few  lines,  experience 
evident  changes  at  the  instant  the  extremities  of  the  pile  are 
touched  :  the  wire  in  contact  with  that  part  of  the  pile  com- 
posed of  zinc,  becomes  covered  with  bulla  of  hydrogen  gas  ; 
that  which  touches  the  extremity  formfid  by  silver,  becomes 
oxyduted.  Fourcroy  attributes  this  phenomenon  to  the  decom- 
position of  water  by  the  galvanic  fluid,  which  abandons  the 
oxygen  to  the  iron  that  touches  the  positive  extremity  of  the 
pile;  then  conducts  the  other  gas  invisibly  to  the  end  of  the 
other  wire,  there  to  be  disengaged. 

From  the  numerous  experiments  of  Mr.  Davy,  many  new 
and  important  facts  have  been  established,  and  Galvanism  has 
been  found  to  be  one  of  the  most  powerful  agents  in  chemis- 
try. By  its  influence,  platina  wire  has  been  melted  ;  gold, 
silver,  copper,  and  most  of  the  metals,  have  easily  been  burnt! 
the  fixed  alkalis,  and  many  of  the  earths,  have  been  made  to 
appear  as  consisting  of  a  metallic  base  and  oxygen;  com- 
pound substances,  which  were  before  extremely  difficult  to 
decompose,  are  now,  by  the  aid  of  Galvanism,  easily  resolved 
into  their  constituent 


MAGNETISM.  693 

CHAP.  LXXI. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  MAGNETISM. 

Almighty  Cause  !  'tis  iliy  preserving:  care 

That  keeps  thy  works  for  ever  fresh  and  fair: 

Hence  life  acknowIedg;es  its  p:lorious  Cause, 

And  matter  owns  its  great  Disposer's  laws; 

Hence  flow  the  forms  and  properties  of  things; 

Hence  rises  harmony,  and  order  springs. 

Thy  watchful  providence  o'er  all  intends; 

Thy  works  ohey  their  great  Creator's  ends. 

Thee,  Infinite!  what  finite  can  explore? 

Imagination  sinks  beneath  thy  power. 

Yet  present  to  all  sense  that  power  remains, 

Revcal'd  in  nature,  Nature's  Author  reigns.  Boyte. 

The  obedient  steel  with  living  instinct  moves, 

And  veers  for  ever  to  the  pole  it  loves, 

So  turns  the  faithful  needle  to  the  pole. 

The'  mountains  rise  between,  and  oceans  roll.       Darunn. 

Magnetism  is  supposed  to  have  been  first  rendered  useful 
about  the  end  of  the  twelfth,  or  at  least  very  early  in  the 
thirteenth,  century,  by  John  de  Gioja,  a  handicraft  of  Naples, 
who  noticed  the  peculiar  attraction  of  metals,  and  iron  in 
particular,  towards  certain  masses  of  rude  ore;  the  touch  of 
which  communicated  to  other  substances  of  a  ferruginous 
nature,  especially  iron  or  steel  bars,  the  property  of  attrac- 
tion :  these  touched  bars  he  observed  to  have  a  peculiar  and 
similar  tendency  towards  one  particular  point;  that  when 
suspended  in  ecjuilibrio,  by  means  of  threads  around  their 
centres,  they  invariably  turned  towards  the  same  point ;  and 
that,  when  placed  in  a  row,  however  adversely  directed,  they 
soon  disposed  themselves  in  perfectly  parallel  order.  In  this 
instance  he  improved  upon  the  property  long  known  to,  but 
not  comprehended  or  applied  to  use  by,  the  ancients,  who 
considered  the  loadstone  simply  as  a  rude  species  of  iron  ore, 
and  curious  only  so  far  as  it  might  serve  to  amuse. 

Gioja  being  possessed  of  a  quick  understanding,  and  of 
a  strong  mind,  was  not  long  in  further  ascertaining  the  more 
sensible  purposes  to  which  the  magnet  might  be  appropriated. 
He  accordingly  fixed  various  magnets  upon  pivots,  support- 
ing their  centres  in  such  a  manner  as  allowed  the  bars  to 
traverse  freely.  Finding  that,  however  situated  within  the 
reach  of  observation  and  comparison,  they  all  had  the  same 
tendency,  he  naturally  concluded  them  to  be  governed  by 
some  attraction,  which  might  be  ultimately  ascertained  and 
acted  upon.  He  therefore  removed  into  various  parts  of 
Italy,    to  satisfy  himself  whether  or  not  the  extraordinary 


694  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING 

impulse  which  agitated  these  bars,  that  had  been  magnetized 
by  friction,  existed  only  in  the  vicinity  of  Naples,  or  was 
general.  The  result  of  his  researches  appears  to  be,  that  the 
influence  was  general,  but  that  the  magnets  were  rendered 
extremely  variable,  and  fluctuated  much,  when  near  large 
masses  of  iron.  The  experiments  of  Gioja  gave  birth  to  many 
others,  and  at  length  to  a  trial  of  tlie  magnetic  influence  on 
♦he  surface  of  the  water.  To  establish  this,  a  vessel  was 
moored  out  at  sea,  in  a  direction  corresponding  with  that  of 
the  magnet;  and  a  boat,  having  a  magnet  equipoised  on  a 
pivot  at  its  centre,  was  sent  out  at  night  in  the  exact  line 
indicated  thereby;  which,  being  duly  followed,  carried  them 
close  to  the  vessel  that  was  at  anchor.  Thus  the  active 
power  of  attraction  appeared  to  be  established  on  both  ele- 
ments, and  in  the  course  of  time  the  magnet  was  fixed  to  a 
card,  marked  with  thirty-two  points,  whereby  the  mariner's 
compass  was  presented  to  us.  The  points  to  which  the  mag- 
ret  always  turned  itself,  being  generally  in  correspondence 
with  the  meridian  of  the  place  where  it  acted,  occasioned  the 
extremities  of  tlie  bars  to  be  called  poles.  Succeeding  experi- 
ments proved,  that  the  magnetic  bar  never  retained  an  exactly 
horizontal  position;  but  that  one  of  its  poles  invariably 
formed  an  angle  with  any  perfect  level,  over  which  it  was 
placed  :  this  was  not  so  very  measurable  in  a  short  bar,  but 
in  one  of  a  yard  in  length  was  formed  to  give  several  degrees 
of  inclination.  This,  which  is  called  "  the  dip  of  the  needle," 
(or  magnet,)  seems  to  indicate  that  the  attracting  power  is 
placed  within  the  earth.  What  that  attracting  power  is,  we 
cannot  determine;  some  consider  it  to  be  a  fluid,  while  others 
conjecture  it  to  be  an  immense  mass  of  loadstone,  situated 
somewhere  about  the  north  pole.  The  difficulty  is,  however, 
considerably  increased  by  the  known  fact  of  the  needles  of 
compasses  not  always  pointing  due  north  ;  but  in  many 
places  varying  greatly  from  the  meridional  lines  respectively; 
and  from  each  other  at  dilFerent  times  and  places. 

The  facility  with  which  a  meridional  line  may  be  drawn  by 
solar  observation,  and  especially  by  taking  an  azimuth,  for- 
tunately enables  navigators  to  establish  the  variation  between 
the  true  northern  direction,  and  that  indicated  by  the  magnet 
attached  to  the  card  of  the  compass.  Nevertheless,  we  have 
great  reason  to  believe,  that,  for  want  either  of  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  prevalent  variations,  or  from  inattention 
thereto,  many  vessels,  of  which  no  tidings  were  ever  heard, 
have  been  castaway;  it  being  obvious,  that  a  false  indication 
of  the  northern  point,  in  many  places  amounting  to  nearly  the 
extent  of  twenty-five  degrees,  must  produce  so  iniportant  an 
error  in  a  vessel's  course,  as  to  subject  her  to  destruction  on 
those  very  shoals,  rocks,  Sec.  of  which  the  navigator  unhappily 


MAGNETISM.  C9o 

tliinks  he  steers  perfectly  clear.  To  ol)viate  such  danger,  as 
far  as  possible,  all  modern  sea-charts  have  the  variations  of 
the  compass  in  their  several  parts  duly  noted  down;  and  in 
reckoning  upon  the  course  steered  by  tiie  compass,  an  allow- 
ance is  usually  made  for  the  difference  between  the  apparent 
course  by  the  compass,  and  the  real  course,  as  ascertained  by 
celestial  observation.  Under  circumstances  so  completely 
contradictory,  the  principle  of  magnetism  must  remain  un- 
known: we  know  not  of  .any  hypothesis  which  strikes  con- 
viction on  our  minds,  or  which  seems  to, convey  any  adequate 
idea  of  the  origin,  or  modus  operandi,  of  this  wondrous 
influence.  All  we  can  treat  of  is,  the  effect;  also  of  the  appear- 
ances which  guide  our  practice,  and  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  attractive  power  may  be  generated  and  increased.  In 
regard  to  the  latter  point,  namely,  the  generation  and  increase 
of  the  magnetic  attraction,  we  shall  endeavour  to  give  a  brief 
but  distinct  view  ofwhat  relates  theretq :  observing,  that  where 
volcanic  eruptions  are  frequ6nt,  and  in  those  latitudes  where 
the  Aurora  Borealis  is  distinctly  seen,  the  needle  or  magnet  is 
sensibly  aff^ected. 

Pieviously  to  earthquakes,  as  well  as  during  their  action, 
and  while  the  northern  lights  are  in  full  display,  no  reliance 
can  be  placed  on  the  compa,ss.;  the  card  of  which  will  appear 
much  agitated.  This  has  given  rise  to  the  opinion  held  by 
some,  that  the  power  is  a  fluid:  to  this,  however,  there  appear 
so  many  objections,  that  w'e  are  more  disposed  to  reject 
than  to  favour  it,  although  under  the  necessity  of  confessing, 
that  we  are  not  able  to  off'er  one  that  may  account  satis- 
factorily for  the  various  phenomena  attendant  upon  mag- 
netism. 

We  have  already  stated,  that  every  magnet  has  two  poles; 
that  is,  one  end  is  called  the  north,  the  other  the  south  pole  : 
the  former  being  considered  as  capable  of  attraction  ;  the 
other,  as  we  shall  infer  from  the  subjoined  explanations,  being 
far  more  inert,  if  at  all  possessed  of  an  attractive  power. 
When  tv.o  magnets  are  brought  together  with  their  north 
poles  in  contact,  they  will,  instead  of  cohering,  be  obviously 
repelled  to  a  distance  corresponding  with  their  respective 
powers  of  attraction,  when  applied  individually  to  unmag- 
netized  needles.  The  south  poles  will,  in  like  manner,  repel 
each  other;  but  the  north  pole  of  one,  and  the  south  pole  of 
tlie  other,  will,  when  approximated,  be  evidently  attracted, 
and  will  cohere  so  as  to  sustain  considerable  weights.  Iron 
is  the  only  metal,  hitherto  known,  which  is  capable  of  receiv- 
ing and  communicating  the  magnetic  power;  but  quiet,  and 
the  absence  of  contact,  in  some  respects,  are  indispensably 
necessary  towards  its  perfect  retention.  Thus,  when  a  bar 
has  been  impregnated,  however  abundantly,  with  the  magnetic 


696  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING 

principle,  if  it  be  heated  or  hammered,  the  power  of  attraction 
will  be  dissipated;  or  if  a  tube  filled  with  iron  filings  have 
their  surface  magnetized,  by  shaking  the  tube  the  magnetic 
influence  will  likewise  be  lost.  In  some  respects  the  magnetic 
influence  resembles  caloric;  for  it  very  rapidly  communicates 
to  iron,  devoid  of  magnetism,  a  certain  portion  of  its  own 
powers ;  which,  however,  appear  to  be  reproduced  instanta- 
neously. As  various  small  fires  under  one  large  vessel  will 
thereby  heat  it,  and  cause  the  water  it  contains  to  boil,  though 
neither  of  them  individually  would  produce  that  effect;  so,  many 
weak  magnets  may,  by  being  united,  conmiunicate  a  power 
equal  to  its  own,  and  be  made  to  create  an  accumulated 
power,  larger  than  that  contained  by  either  of  them  indivi- 
dually. 

There  is,  however,  a  seeming  contradiction  to  be  found  in 
some  authors,  who  recommend  that  the  weakest  magnets 
should  be  first  applied, — and  those  more  forcible,  in  succession, 
according  to  the  power  they  may  possess;  the  reason  assigned 
being,  that  the  weaker  magnets  would  else,  in  all  probability, 
draw  off  some  of  the  accumulated  power  from  the  new  magnet. 
But  of  this  there  appears  no  danger,  since  experience  proves 
that  magnets  rather  gain  than  lose  efficiency  by  contact,  not 
only  with  each  other,  but  even  with  common  iron.  In  fact, 
the  magnetic  power  may  at  any  time  be  created  bv  various 
means  :  the  friction  of  two  pieces  of  flat  and  polished  bars  of 
iron,  will  cause  them  for  a  short  time  to  attract  and  to  sus- 
pend light  weights.  Soft  iron  is  more  easily  influenced,  but 
steel  will  retain  the  influence  longer.  Lightning,  electricity, 
and  galvanism,  being  all  of  the  same  nature,  equally  render 
iron  magnetic.  It  is  also  peculiar,  that  when  two  or  more 
magnets  are  left  for  any  time  with  their  several  north  poles  in 
contact,  the  whole  will  be  thereby  weakened  ;  whereas,  by  leav- 
ing a  pieice  of  common  iron  attached  to  a  magnet,  the  latter 
will  acquire  strength.  It  is  also  well  known  that  some  pieces  of 
steel  quickly  receive  the  magnetic  influence,  while  others  re- 
quire considerable  labour,  and  after  all  are  scarcely  impreg- 
nated. The  oxide  of  iron  cannot  be  impregnated,  and  those 
bars  that  have  been  so,  when  they  become  partially  oxydized, 
lose  their  power.  Hence  we  see  the  necessity  of  preserving 
the  needles  of  compasses  from  rust. 

Magnets  have  the  power  to  act  notwithstanding  the  inter- 
vention of  substances  in  any  degree  porous  between  them  and 
the  body  to  be  acted  upon  :  thus,  if  a  needle  be  put  on  a  sheet 
of  paper,  and  a  magnet  be  drawn  under  it,  the  needle  will 
follow  the  course  of  the  magnet.  The  peculiar  affinity  of  the 
loadstone  for  iron,  is  employed  with  great  success,  by  those 
who  work  in  precious  metals,  for  the  separation  of  filings,  &.c. 
of  iron  from  the  smaller  particles  of  gold,  &.c      A   magnet 


MAGNETISM.  697 

oeing  dipped  into  the  vessel,  in  which  the  whole  are  blended, 
will  attract  all  ferruginous  particles. 

To  communicate  the  magnetic  power  to  a  needle,  let  it  be 
placed  horizonta-lly ;  and  with  a  magnet  in  each  hand,  let  the 
north  pole  of  one,  and  the  south  pole  of  the  other,  be  brought 
obliquely  in  contact  over  the  centre  of  the  needle  :  draw  them 
asunder,  taking  care  to  press  firmly,  and  preserving  the  same 
angle  or  inclination  to  the  very  ends  of  the  needles,  which 
should  be  supported  by  two  magnets,  whose  ends  ought  to 
correspond  in  polarity  with  those  of  the  needle.  Observe  to 
carry  the  magnets  3'ou  press  with  clear  away  from  the  ends  of 
the  needle,  at  least  a  foot  therefrom  ;  repeat  the  friction  in 
the  same  manner  several  times,  perhaps  six,  eight,  or  ten, 
and  the  needle  will  be  permanently  magnetized  ;  and,  as  we 
have  already  stated,  by  using  other  magnets  in  succession, 
the  powers  of  the  needle  will  be  proportionably  increased. 

But  no  effect  will  result  from  the  friction  if  the  bars  are 
rusty,  or.  indeed,  not  highly  polished  ;  their  angles  must  be 
perfect,  and  their  several  sides  and  ends  completely  flat.  It  is, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  most  curious  of  the  phenomena  attendant 
on  this  occult  property,  that  the  centre  of  every  magnet  is 
devoid  of  attraction  ;  yet,  that  when  a  needle  is  placed  in  a 
line  with  a  magnet,  and  within  the  influence  of  its  pole,  that 
needle  almost  becomes  magnetic,  or  rather,  a  conductor, 
possessing  a  certain  portion  of  attractive  power:  and  it  is  no 
less  extraordinary,  that  the  magnet  retains  its  power  even  in 
the  exhausted  receiver  of  an  air-pump  ;  which  seems  to  be  a 
formidable  objection  to  its  being  influenced  by  any  fluid. 
Perhaps  the  0|)inion  entertained  by  many  of  our  most  popu- 
lar lecturers  on  this  subject,  viz.  that  the  earth  itself  is  the 
great  attractor,  may  be  nearest  the  truth.  We  are  the 
more  inclined  towards  such  an  hypothesis,  knowing  that, 
at  the  true  magnetic  equator,  the  needle  does  not  dip  ;  and 
from  the  well-ascertained  fact,  that  bars  of  iron,  placed  for  a 
length  of  time  exactly  perpendicular,  receive  a  strong  magnetic 
power,  their  lower  ends  repelling  the  south,  but  attracting  the 
north  poles  of  magnets  applied  to  them  respectively.  The 
direction  of  the  dipping  needle  was  ascertained  by  one  Robert 
Norman,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  He  sus- 
pended a  small  magnetic  needle,  by  means  of  a  fine  thread 
round  its  centre,  so  as  to  balance  perfectly,  over  a  large 
magnet :  the  south  pole  of  the  former  was  instantly  attracted 
by  the  north  pole  of  the  latter.  He  found,  that  so  long  as  the 
needle  was  held  exactly  centrical,  at  about  two  inches  above 
the  magnet,  it  remained  horizontal ;  but  so  soon  as  withdrawn 
a  little  more  towards  one  end  than  the  other  of  the  magnet, 
the  equilibrium  was  destroyed,  and  that  pole  of  the  needle 
which  was  nearest  to  either  pole  of  the  magnet  was  instantly 

4T 


698  cLinosiTiEs  respkcting  the  arts. 

attractca,  and  pointed  downwards  thereto.  By  the  magnetic 
equator,  we  mean  a  circle  passing  round  the  earth  at  riglit 
angles  with  the  magnetic  poles,  which  do  not  correspond  with 
the  geographical  poles,  as  may  be  fully  understood  by  the 
indications  of  all  compasses  to  points  dirf'ering  from  the  latter; 
and  as  the  indications  of  compasses  vary  so  much  both  at 
different  times  and  places,  we  may  reasonably  conclude,  that 
the  magnetic  poles  are  not  fixed.  The  variation  of  the  dip- 
ping-needle has  not,  in  our  latitude  at  least,  varied  more  than 
half  a  degree  since  its  depressive  tendency  was  first  discovered 
by  Norman. 

By  means  of  the  mariner's  compass. 

Tall  navies  hence  their  doubtful  way  explore, 

And  ev'ry  product  watt  I'roiu  ev'ry  shore  ; 

Hence  meagre  want  expell'd,  and  sanguine  strife. 

For  tlie  mild  charms  of  cultivated  life.  Blachlock. 


CHAP.  LXXII. 


CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    THE  ARTS,    S,-c. 

Earlj/  Invention  of  several  useful  Arts'— Auibtiiaton — Androides — 
Extraordiuanj  Pieces  of  Cloclacork — Heidelberg  C/ocA*— 
Strasburg  Clock — Clepsydra — Invention  of  Watchjes. 

What  cannot  art  and  industry  perform, 

When  science  plans  the  progress  of  their  toil! 

They  smile  at  penury,  disease,  and  storm  ; 

And  oceans  from  their  mighty  mounds  recoil. 

Wlien  tyrants  scourge,  or  demagogues  embroil 

A  land,  or  wlien  the  rabble's  headlong  rage 

Order  transforms  to  anarchy  and  spoil; 

Deep  vers'd  in  man,  the  pliilosophic  sage 

Prepares  w  ith  lenient  iiand  their  frenzy  t'  assuage  ; 

'Tis  he  alone,  wliose  comprehensive  mind, 

Froni  situation,  temper,  soil,  and  clime 

Bxplor'd,  a  nation's  various  pow'rs  can  bind, 

And  various  orders,  in  one  form  sublime 

Of  polity,  tliat  'midst  the  wrecks  of  time. 

Secure  sliaJl  lift  its  head  on  I:igh,  nor  fear 

Th'  assault  of  foreign  or  domestic  crime, 

While  public  failh,  and  public  Lovt  sincere, 

And  industry  and  law  maintain  their  sway  severe.       Bcattit. 

Early    Invention    of  several   useful    Arts. —  Some 
useful  arts    must   be    nearly   coeval    with    the   human    race; 
for  food,  clothing,  and  habitation,  even  in  their  original  sim 
plicity,  require  some  display  of  ingenuity.     Many  arts  are  of 


EARLY    INVENTIONS.  699 

6ucli  antiquity  as  to  place  the  inventors  beyond  the  reach  of 
tradition;  while  several  have  gradually  crept  into  existence 
>vithout  an  inventor.  The  busy  niind,  however,  accustomed 
to  date  the  progress  of  science  from  some  particular  era,  can- 
not rest  till  it  finds  or  conjectures  a  beginning  to  every  art.  In 
all  countries  where  the  people  are  illiterate,  the  progress  of 
arts  is  extremely  slow.  It  is  vouched  by  an  old  French  poem, 
that  the  virtues  of  the  loadstone  were  known  in  France  before 
the  year  1180.  The  mariner's  compass  was  exhibited  at 
Venice,  A.  D.  1260,  by  Paulus  Venetus,  as  his  own  invention. 
John  Goya,  of  Amalphi,  was  the  first,  who,  many  years  after- 
wards, used  it  in  navigation,  and  also  passed  for  being  the 
inventor.  Though  it  was  used  in  China  for  navigation  long 
before  it  vvas  known  to  the  western  nations,  yet  to  this  day  it 
is  not  so  per;fect  aS'  in  Europe.  Instead  of  suspending  it  in 
order  to  mkke  it  act  freely,  it  is  placed  upon  a  bed  of  sand, 
by  which  every  motion  of  the  ship  disturbs  its  operation. 

Hand-mills,  termed  quents,  were  early  used  for  the  grinding 
of  corn  ;  and  when  corn  came  to  be  raised  in  greater  quantities, 
horse-mills  succeeded.  Water-mills  for  o-rinding  corn  are 
described  by  Vitruvius.  Windmills  were  known  in  Greece 
and  Arabia,  so  early  as  the  seventh  century  ;  and  yet  no  men- 
tion is  made  of  them  in  Italy  till  the  fourteenth.  That  they 
were  not  known  in  England  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  ap- 
pears from  a  household  book  of  an  earl  of  Northumberland, 
contemporary  with  that  king,  stating  an  allowance  for  three 
mill  liorses,  "  two  to  draw  in  the  mill,  and  one  to  carry  stuff 
to  the  mill."  Water-mills  for  corn  must  in  England  have  been 
of  a  late  date. 

The  ancients  had  mirrox"  glasses,  and  employed  glass  to 
•imitate  crystal  vases  and  goblets;  yet  they  never  thought  of 
using  it  in  windows.  In  the  thirteenth  century,  the  Venetians 
were  the  only  people  who  had  the  art  of  making  crystal  glass 
for  mirrors.  A  clock  that  strikes  the  hours  was  unknown  iu 
Europe  till  the  end  of  tiie  twelfth  century.  And  hence  the 
custom  of  employing  men  to  proclaim  the  hours  during  night; 
which  to  this  day  continues  in  Germany,  Flanders,  and  Eng- 
land. Galileo  was  the  first  who  conceived  an  idea  that  a 
pendulum  might  be  useful  for  measuring  time;  and  Huygens 
was  the  first  who  put  the  idea  in  execution,  by  making  a 
pendulum  clock.  Hook,  in  1660,  invented  a  spiral  spring  for 
a  watch,  though  a  watch  was  far  from  being  a  new  invention. 
Paper  was  made  no  earlier  than  the  fourteenth  century  ;  and 
the  invention  of  printing  was  a  century  later.  Silk  manufac- 
tures were  long  established  in  Greece,  before  silk-worms  were 
introduced  there.  The  manufacturers  were  provided  with  raw 
silk  from  Persia;  but  that  con)inerce  being  frequently  inter- 
rujitea  by  war,  two  monks,  in  the  reign  of  Justinian,  brought 

,  '■•  '.^  \  r.   y.  A   ^r"-,^ 
Of    7H  . 

VNIVER8«TY 


_      or 


S«TY  ) 


'''00  CIJRIOSITIES  RESPECTING  1  HE   ARTS. 

eggs  of  the  silk-worm  from  Hindoostan,  and  taught  theif 
countrymen  the  method  of  managing  them. 

The  art  of  reading  made  a  very  slow  progress.  To  encou- 
rage that  art  in  England,  the  capital  punishment  for  murder 
was  remitted,  if  the  criminal  could  but  read,  which  in  law 
language  is  termed  benefit  of  clergy.  One  would  imagine  that 
the  art  must  have  made  a  very  rapid  progress  when  so  greatly 
favoured:  but  there  is  a  signal  proof  of  the  contrary,  for  so 
small  an  edition  of  the  Bible  as  six  hundred  copies,  translated 
into  English  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII,  was  not  wholly  sold 
off  in  three  years.  The  people  of  England  must  have  been 
profoundly  ignorant  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  when  a  forged 
clause,  added  to  the  twentieth  article  of  the  English  creed, 
passed  unnoticed  till  about  sixty  years  ago. 

The  discoveries  of  the  Portuguese  on  the  west  coast  of 
Africa,  afford  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  slow  progress  of 
the  arts.  In  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century,  they 
were  totally  ignorant  of  that  coast  beyond  Cape  Non,  in 
28  degrees,  north  latitude.  In  1410,  the  celebrated  Prince 
Henry  of  Portugal  fitted  out  a  fleet  for  discoveries,  which 
proceeded  along  the  coast  to  Cape  Bajadore,  in  26  de- 
grees, but  had  not  courage  to  double  it :  and  seventy-six 
years  elapsed  before  this  was  done  by  Bartholomew  Diaz,  in 
1486 ! 

Description  of  An  Automaton. — This  is  a  machine,  so 
constructed  by  means  of  weights,  levers,  springs,  wheels,  &c. 
as  to  move  for  a  considerable  time,  as  if  it  were  endued  with 
animal  life.  According  to  this  definition,  clocks,  watches, 
and  all  machines  of  that  kind,  may  be  ranked  as  a  species  of 
automata.  But  the  word  is  most  commonly  applied  to  such 
machines  as  are  made  in  the  form  of  men  and  other  animals, 
at  the  same  time  that  their  internal  machinery  is  so  contrived, 
that  they  seem  voluntarily  to  act  like  the  animals  they  repre- 
sent. Archytas  of  Tarentum,  who  lived  A.  C.  400,  is  said  to 
have  made  a  wooden  pigeon  that  could  fly.  It  is  also 
recorded,  that  Archimedes  made  similar  automata;  that 
Regiomontanus  made  a  wooden  eagle,  which  flew  forth  from 
the  city  of  Nureni'"')"-.  met  the  emperor,  saluted  him,  and 
returned;  also  that  lit  ...ade  an  iron  fly,  which  flew  out  of  his 
hand  at  a  feast,  and  returned  again  after  flying  about  the 
room.  Dr.  Hook  made  the  model  of  a  flying  chariot,  capable 
of  supporting  itself  in  the  air.  Many  other  surprising  auto- 
n)ata  have  been  exhibited  in  the  present  age.  M.  Vaucanson 
made  a  duck,  which  could  eat,  drink,  and  imitate  exactly  the 
voice  of  a  natural  one;  and  what  is  still  more  surprising,  the 
food  it  swallowed  was  evacuated  in  a  digested  state,  or  at 
least  considerably  altered,  on  the  principles  of  solution.     The 


AUTOMATON. —  AN  OROIDES.  70 

winsjs,  viscera,  and  bones,  were  so  formed,  as  greatly  to 
resemble  those  of  a  living  duck;  and  the  actions  of  eating 
and  drinking  shewed  the  strongest  resemblance,  even  to  mud- 
dling the  water  with  its  bill. 

M.  de  Droz,  of  la  Chaux  de  Fonds,  in  the  province  of 
Neuchatel,  has  also  executed  some  curious  pieces  of  mecha- 
nism. One  was  a  clock,  presented  to  the  king  of  Spain,  which 
had,  among  other  curiosities,  a  sheep  that  imitated  the  bleat- 
ing of  a  natural  one,  and  a  dog  that  watched  a  basket  of  fruit, 
and  which  barked  and  snarled  if  any  one  attempted  to  take 
it  away;  if  it  was  actually  taken,  it  would  bark  till  it  was 
restored.  A  son  of  this  gentleman  has  also  made  some  extra- 
ordinary pieces,  particularly  an  oval  gold  snuff-box,  about 
four  inches  long,  three  broad,  and  one  and  a  half  thick.  It  is 
double,  having  an  horizontal  partition,  with  a  lid  to  each  of 
its  parts.  One  contains  snuff;  but  in  the  other,  as  soon  as 
the  lid  is  opened,  there  rises  up  a  very  small  bird,  (for  it  is 
only  three-quarters  of  an  inch  from  the  beak  to  the  extremity 
of  the  tail,)  of  green-enamelled  gold,  sitting  on  a  gold  stand, 
which  immediately  wagging  its  tail  and  shaking  its  wings, 
and  opening  its  bill  oi^  white-enamelled  gold,  pours  forth 
a  clear  melodious  song,  capable  of  filling  a  room  of  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  square  with  its  melody.  The  same  gentleman 
exhibited  an  automaton  in  England,  of  the  figure  of  a  man,  as 
large  as  life.  It  held  in  its  hand  a  metal  style,  under  which 
was  a  card  of  Dutch  vellum.  A  spring  was  then  touched, 
and  the  internal  machinery  being  thus  set  a-going,  the  figure 
began  to  draw  elegant  portraits,  and  likenesses  of  the  king 
and  queen  facing  each  other;  and  it  was  curious  to  observe, 
with  what  precision  the  figure  lifted  up  its  pencil,  in  the 
transition  of  it  from  one  point  of  the  picture  to  another,  with- 
out making  the  least  blunder  whatever;  for  instance,  in  passing 
from  the  forehead  to  the  eye,  nose,  and  chin,  or  from  the 
waving  curls  of  the  hair  to  the  ear,  &,c.  The  first  card  being 
finished,  the  figure  rested,  until  a  second  was  completed,  and 
so  on  through  five  separate  cards  put  to  it,  on  all  of  which 
it  delineated  different  subjects,  but  five  or  six  was  the  extent 
of  its  surprising  powers. 

Anhroides. — This  is  an  automaton,  in  the  figure  of  a  man, 
which,  by  virtue  of  certain  springs,  8cc.  duly  contrived,  walks, 
and  performs  other  external  functions  of  a  man.  Albertus 
Magnus  is  recorded  as  having  made  a  famous  androides,  which 
is  said  not  only  to  have  moved,  but  to  have  spoken.  Thomas 
Aquinas  is  said  to  have  been  so  frightened  when  he  saw  thia 
head,  that  he  broke  it  to  pieces;  upon  which  Albert  ex- 
claimed, "  Periit  opus  triginta  amiorum !" 

Artificial  puppets,  which,    by   internal   springs,    run    upon 


702  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   THE   ARTS. 

a  table,  and,  as  they  advance,  move  tlieir  heads,  eyes,  orJiands, 
>vere  common  among  the  Greeks,  and  from  thence  they  were 
brought  to  the  Romans.  Figures,  or  puppets,  which  appear 
to  move  of  themselves,  were  formerly  employed  to  work 
miracles  ;  but  this  use  is  now'  superseded,  and  they  serve 
only  to  display  ingenuity,  and  to  answer  the  purposes  of 
amusement.  One  of  the  most  celebrated  figures  of  this  kind, 
was, constructed  and  exhibited  at  Paris,  in  1738;  and  a  parti- 
cular account  of  it  was  published  in  the  memoirs  of  the  academy 
for  that  year.  This  figure  represents  a  flute-player,  which  was 
capable  of  performing  various  pieces  of  music,  by  wind  issu- 
ing from  its  mouth  into  a  German  flute,  the  holes  of  which  it 
opened  and  shut  with  its  fingers :  it  was  about  five  and  a  half 
feet  high,  placed  upon  a  square  pedestal  four  and  a  half  feet 
high,  and  three  and  a  half  broad.  The  air  entered  the  body 
by  three  separate  pipes,  into  which  it  was  conveyed  by  nine 
pairs  of  bellows,  that  expanded  and  contracted,  in  regular 
succession,  by  means  of  an  axis  of  steel  turned  by  clock- 
work. Tliese  bellows  performed  their  functions  without  any 
noise,  which  might  have  discovered  the  manner  by  which  the 
air  was  conveyed  to  the  machine. 

The  three  tubes,  which  received  the  air  from  the  bellows, 
passed  into  three  small  reservoirs  in  the  trunk  of  the  figure. 
Here  they  united,  and,  ascending  towards  the  throat,  formed 
the  cavity  of  the  mouth,  which  terminated  in  two  small  lips, 
adapted  in  some  measure  to  perform  their  proper  functions. 
Within  this  cavity  was  a  small  moveable  tongue,  which  by  its 
motion,  at  proper  intervals,  admitted  the  air,  or  intercepted  it 
in  its  passage  to  the  flute.  The  fingers,  lips,  and  tongue, 
derived  their  proper  movements  from  a  steel  cylinder,  turned 
by  clock-work.  This  was.  divided  into  fifteen  equal  parts, 
which,  by  means  of  pegs,  pressing  upon  the  ends  of  fifteen 
different  levers,  caused  the  other  extremities  to  ascend.  Seven 
of  these  levers  directed  the  fingers,  having  wires  and  chains 
fixed  to  their  ascending  extremities,  which,  being  attached  to 
the  fingers,  made  them  to  ascend  in  proportion  as  the  other 
extremity  was  pressed  down  by  the  motion  of  the  cylinder, 
and  vice  versa;  then  the  ascent  or  descent  of  one  end  of  a 
lever  produced  a  similar  ascent  or  descent  in  the  correspond- 
ing fingers,  by  which  one  of  the  holes  of  the  flute  was  occa- 
sionally opened  or  stopped,  as  it  might  have  been  by  a  living 
performer.  Three  of  the  levers  served  to  regulate  the  ingress 
of  the  air,  being  so  contrived  as  to  open  and  shut,  by  means 
of  valves,  the  three  reservoirs  above-mentioned,  so  that  more 
or  less  strength  might  be  given,  and  a  higher  or  lower  note 
produced,  as  occasion  required.  The  lips  were,  by  a  similar 
mechanism,  directed  by  four  levers,  one  of  which  opened  them, 
to  give  the  air  a  freer  passage,  the  other  contracted  them, 


AN  DUO  IDES.  703 

the  third  drew  them  backward,  and  tlie  fourth  pushed  them 
forward.  The  lips  were  projected  upon  that  part  of  the  flute 
which  receives  the  air,  and,  by  the  different  motions  aheady 
mentioned,  modified  the  tune  in  a  proper  manner.  The  remain- 
ing lever  was  employed  in  the  direction  of  the  tongue,  which 
it  easily  moves  so  as  to  shut  or  open  the  mouth  of  the  flute. 
The  just  succession  of  the  several  motions,  performed  by  the 
various  parts  of  this  machine,  was  regulated  by  the  following 
simple  contrivance. 

The  extremity  of  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  terminated  on  the 
rioht  side  by  an  endless  screw,  consisting  of  twelve  threads, 
each  placed  at  the  distance  of  a  line  and  a  half  from  the 
other.  Above  this  screw  was  fixed  a  piece  of  copper,  and  in 
it  a  steel  pivot,  which,  fulling  in  between  the  threads  of  the 
screw,  obliged  the  cylinder  to  follow  the  threads  ;  and,  in- 
stead of  turning  directly  round,  it  was  continually  pushed  to 
one  side.  Hence,  if  a  lever  was  moved,  by  a  peg  placed  on 
cylinder,  in  any  one  revolution,  it  could  not  be  moved  by  the 
same  peg  in  the  succeeding  revolution,  because  the  peg 
would  .be  moved  a  line  and  a  half  beyond  it  by  the  lateral 
motion  of  the  cylinder. 

Thus,  by  an  artificial  disposition  of  these  pegs  in  different 
parts  of  the  cylinder,  the  statue  was  made,  by  the  successive 
elevation  of  the  proper  levers,  to  exhibit  all  the  different 
motions  of  a  flute-player,  to  the  admiration  of  every  one  who 
saw  it.  Another  figure,  constructed  by  the  same  artist, 
Vaucanson,  played  on  the  shepherd's  pipe,  held  in  its  left 
hand,  and  with  the  right  beat  upon  a  drum. 

The  performances  of  Vaucanson  were  imitated,  and  even 
exceeded,  by  M.  de  Kempelin,  of  Presburg,  in  Hungary. 
The  androides  constructed  by  this  gentleman  in  1769,  was  capa- 
ble of  playing  at  chess.  It  was  first  brought  over  to  England  in 
1783,  and  has  often  been  exhibited  since  that  period.  It  is  thus 
described  :  The  figure  is  as  large  as  life,  in  a  Turkish  dress, 
seated  behind  a  table,  with  doors  three  and  a  half  feet  long, 
two  deep,  and  two  and  a  half  high.  The  chair  on  which  it  sits 
is  fixed  to  the  table,  which  is  made  to  run  on  four  wheels. 
It  leans  its  right  arm  on  the  table,  and  in  its  left  hand  holds 
a  pipe;  with  this  hand  it  plays  after  the  pipe  is  removed. 
A  chess-board  of  eighteen  inches  is  fixed  before  it.  The 
t^le,  or  rather  chest,  contains  wheels,  levers,  cylinders,  and 
oTher  pieces  of  mechanism,  all  of  which  are  publicly  dis- 
played. The  vestments  of  the  figure  were  then  lifted  over  its 
head,  and  the  body  was  seen  full  of  similar  wheels.  There  is 
a  little  door  in  its  thigh,  which  is  likewise  opened:  and  with 
this,  and  the  table  also  open,  and  the  figure  uncovered,  the 
whole  is  wheeled  about  the  room.  The  doors  are  then  shut, 
and  the  automaton  is  ready  to  play  ;    but  it  ahvays  takes  the 


704  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

first  move.  At  every  motion  the  wheels  are  heard;  the  image 
moves  its  head,  and  looks  over  every  part  of  the  chess-board. 
When  it  checks  the  queen,  it  shakes  its  head  twice;  and  thrice 
in  giving  check  to  the  king.  It  likewise  shakes  its  head 
when  a  false  move  is  made,  replaces  the  piece,  and  makes  its 
own  move,  by  which  means  the  adversary  loses  one.  M.  de 
Kempelin  exhibited  his  automaton  at  Petersburg,  Vienna, 
Paris,  and  London,  before  thousands,  many  of  whom  were 
mathematicians,  and  chess  players,  and  yet  the  secret  by 
which  he  governed  the  motion  of  its  arm  was  never  discovered. 
He  valued  himself  upon  the  construction  of  a  mechanism,  by 
which  the  arm  could  perform  ten  or  twelve  moves.  It  then 
needed  to  be  wound  up  like  a  watch,  after  which  it  was 
capable  of  continuing  the  same  number  of  motions.  This 
automaton  could  not  play  unless  M.  de  Kempelin,  or  his 
assistant,  was  near  it  to  direct  its  movements.  A  small 
square  box  was  frequently  consulted  by  the  exhibiter  during  the 
game,  and  in  this  consisted  the  secret,  which  the  inventor 
declared  he  could  communicate  in  a  moment.  Any  person 
who  could  beat  M.  de  Kempelin  at  chess,  was  sure*  of  con- 
quering the  automaton. 

Extraordinary  Pieces  of  Clock-Work. — Amongst 
he  modern  clocks,  those  at  Strasburg  and  Lyons  are  very 
eminent  for  the  richness  and  variety  of  their  furniture,  and  for 
their  motions  and  figures.  In  the  former,  a  cock  claps  his 
wings,  and  proclaims  the  hour,  and  an  angel  opens  a  door, 
and  salutes  the  Virgin  ;  while  the  Holy  Spirit  descends  on 
her.  Sec.  In  the  latter,  two  horsemen  encounter,  and  beat  the 
hour  on  each  other;  a  door  opens,  and  there  appears  on  the 
theatre  theVirgin,  with  Jesus  Christ  in  her  arms;  the  Magi,  with 
their  retinue,  marching  in  order,  and  presenting  their  gifts  ; 
two  trumpeters  sounding  all  the  while  to  proclaim  the  pro- 
cession. 

These,  however,  are  excelled  by  two  which  were  lately 
made  by  English  artists,  and  sent  as  a  present  from  the  East 
India  Company  to  the  Emperor  of  China.  These  clocks  are 
in  the  form  of  chariots,  in  which  are  placed,  in  a  fine  attitude, 
a  lady,  leaning  her  right  hand  upon  a  part  of  the  chariot, 
under  which  is  a  clock  of  curious  workmanship,  little  larger 
than  a  shilling,  that  strikes  and  repeats,  and  goes  eight  days. 
Upon  her  finger  sits  a  bird  finely  modelled,  and  set  with 
diamonds  and  rubies,  with  its  wings  expanded  in  a  flying 
posture,  and  it  actually  flutters  for  a  considerable  time  on 
loucliing  a  diamond  button  below  it;  the  body  of  the  bird 
(which  contains  part  of  the  wheels  that  in  a  manner  give  life 
to  it)  is  not  the  biuness  of  the  IGth  part  of  an  inch.  The 
lady  holds  in  her  left  hand  a  gold  tube  not  much  thicker  than 


HEIDELBERG   CLOCK. —  STKaSBURG   CLOCK.  705 

a  large  jjin,  on  the  top  of  which  is  a  small  round  box,  to  which  a 
circular  ornament,  set  with  diamonds  not  larger  thanasixpence, 
is  fixed,  which  goes  round  nearly  three  hours  in  a  constant 
regular  motion.  Over  the  lady's  head,  supported  by  a  small 
fluted  ])illar  not  bigger  than  a  quill,  are  two  umbrellas,  under 
the  largest  ot"  which  a  bell  is  fixed,  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  clock,  and  seems  to  have  no  connection  with  it;  but 
from  which  a  communication  is  secretly  conveyed  to  a  ham- 
mer that  regularly  strikes  the  iiour,  and  repeats  the  same  to 
the  clock  below.  At  the  feet  of  the  lady  is  a  golden  dog  ;  before 
which,  from  the  point  of  the  chariot,  are  two  birds  fixed  on 
spiral  springs,  the  wings  and  feathers  of  which  are  set  with 
stones  of  various  colours,  and  appear  as  if  flying  away  with 
the  chariot,  which,  from  another  secret  motion,  is  continued 
to  run  in  a  straight,  circular,  or  any  otlier  direction  ;  while  a 
boy  that  lays  hold  of  the  chariot  behind,  seems  also  to  push  it 
forward.  Above  the  umbrella  are  flowers  and  ornaments  of 
precious  stones;  and  it  terminates  with  a  flying  dragon  set  in 
the  same  manner.  The  whole  is  of  gold,  most  curiously  exe 
cuted,  and  embellished  with  rubies  and  pearls. 

Heidelberg  Clock. — At  Heidelberg,  in  Germany,  upon 
the  town-house,  was  a  clock  with  divers  motions  ;  and  when 
the  clock  struck,  the  figure  of  an  old  man  pulled  ofl"  his  hat, 
acock  crowed,  and  clapped  his  wings,  soldiers  fought  with 
one  another,  &c.:  but  this  curious  piece  of  workmanship,  with 
the  castle  and  town,  were  burnt  by  the  French,  who  committed 
at  the  same  time  the  most  inhuman  barbarities  upon  the  peo- 
ple, when  they  took  those  garrisons,  in  the  year  1693. 

Strasburg  Clock. — At  Strasburg,  there  is  a  clock,  of  all 
others  the  most  famous,  invented  by  Conradus  Dasipodius, 
in  the  year  1573.  Before  the  clock  stands  a  globe  on  the 
ground,  shewing  the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  The 
heavens  are  carried  about  by  the  first  mover,  in  twenty-four 
hours  ;  Saturn,  by  his  proper  motion,  is  carried  about  in  thirty 
years;  Jupiter  in  twelve,  Mars  in  two,  the  Sun,  Mercury,  and 
Venus,  in  one  year;  and  the  Moon  in  one  month.  In  the 
clock  itself  there  are  two  tables  on  the  right  and  left  hand, 
shewing  the  eclipses  of  the  Sun  and  Moon  from  the  year  1573, 
to  the  year  1624.  The  third  table  in  the  middle  is  divided 
into  three  parts.  In  the  first  part,  the  statue  of  Apollo  and 
Diana  shews  the  course  of  the  year,  and  the  day  thereof, 
being  carried  about  in  one  year;  the  second  part  shews  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  and  the  equinoctial  days,  the  hours  of  each 
day,  the  minutes  of  each  hour,  Easter-day,  and  all  other  feasts, 
and  the  Dominical  Letter.  The  third  part  has  the  geographi- 
cal description  of  all  Germany,  and  particularly  of  Strasburg^, 

4U 


70()  Cl'HIOSITlKS    RESPECTING   THE   ARTS. 

with  the  names  of  the  inventor,  and  of  all  the  workmen.  In 
the  middle  frame  of  the  clock  is  an  astrolabe,  shewing  the 
sign  in  which  each  planet  is  every  day,  and  there  are  the  sta- 
tues of  the  seven  planets,  upon  a  round  piece  of  iron,  lying 
flat;  so  that  every  day  the  statue  of  the  planet  that  rules  the 
day  comes  forth,  the  rest  being  hid  within  the  frames,  till 
they  come  out  by  course  at  their  day,  as  the  sun  upon  Sunday, 
and  so  for  all  the  week.  And  there  is  also  a  terrestrial  globe, 
which  shews  the  quarter,  the  half  hour,  and  the  minutes. 
There  is  also  the  skull  of  a  dead  man,  and  statues  of  two  boys, 
one  of  whom  turns  the  hour-glass  when  the  clock  has  struck, 
the  other  puts  forth  the  rod  in  his  hand  at  each  stroke  of  the 
clock.  Moreover,  there  are  the  statues  of  the  Spring, 
Summer,  Autumn,  and  Winter,  and  many  observations  of  the 
moon. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  clock  are  four  old  men's  statues, 
which  strike  the  quarters  of  the  hour;  the  statue  of  Death 
comes  out  at  each  quarter  to  strike,  but  is  driven  back  by  the 
statue  of  Christ,  with  a  spear  in  his  hand,  for  three-quarters; 
but  in  the  fourth  quarter,  that  of  Christ  goes  back,  and  that  of 
Death  strikes  the  hour,  with  a  bone  in  his  hand,  and  then  the 
chimes  sound.  On  the  top  of  the  clock  is  an  image  of  a  cock, 
which  twice  in  the  day  cries  aloud,  and  claps  his  wings. 
Besides,  this  clock  is  decked  with  many  rare  pictures  :  and 
being  on  the  inside  of  the  church,  carries  another  frame  to 
the  outside  of  the  wall,  wherein  the  hours  of  the  sun,  the 
courses  of  the  moon,  the  length  of  the  day,  and  such  other 
things,  are  set  out  with  great  art. 

Clepsydra — is  a  water-clock,  or  instrument  to  measure 
time  by  the  fall  of  a  certain  quantity  of  water,  and  is  con- 
structed on  the  following  principles. — Suppose  a  cylindrical 
vessel,  whose  charge  of  water  flows  out  in  twelve  hours,  were 
required  to  be  divided  into  parts,  to  be  discharged  each  hour. 
1.  As  the  part  of  time  is  to  the  wliole  time,  Twelve,  so  is  the 
same  time  Twelve  to  a  fourth  proportional  Hundred-and-forty- 
four.  Divide  the  altitude  of  the  vessel  into  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  equal  parts :  here  the  last  will  fall  to  the  last  hour ; 
the  three  next  above,  to  the  last  part  but  one ;  the  five  next, 
to  the  tenth  hour;  lastly,  the  twenty-three  last  to  the  first 
hour.  For  since  the  times  increase  in  the  series  of  the  natural 
numbers  I,  2,  3,  4,  5,  &c.  and  the  altitudes,  if  the  numeration 
be  in  a  retrograde  order  from  the  twelfth  hour,  increase  in  the 
series  of  the  unequal  numbers  1,  3,  5,  7,  9,  &,c.  the  altitudes 
computed  from  the  twelfth  hour  will  be  as  the  squares  of  the 
times  1,  4,  9,  16,  25,  &c.  Therefore  the  squares  of  the  whole 
time,  one  hundred  and  forty-four,  comprehend  all  the  parts  o( 
the  altitude  of  the  vessel  to  be  emptied.     But  a  third  propor- 


INVENTION   OF   WATCHES.  707 

tional  to  1  and  12,  is  the  square  of  twelve,  and  consequently 
it  is  the  number  of  equal  parts  in  which  the  altitude  is  to  be 
distributed,  according  to  the  series  of  the  unequal  numbers, 
through  the  equal  interval  of  hours. 

Theie  were  many  kinds  of  clepsydrae  among  the  ancients; 
but  they  all  had  this  in  common,  that  the  water  ran  generally 
through  a  narrow  passage,  from  one  vessel  to  another,  and  in 
the  lower  was  a  ])iece  of  cork,  or  light  wood,  which,  as  the 
vessel  filled,  rose  up  by  degrees,  and  shewed  the  hour. 

We  shall  in  the  next  place  make  a  few  remarks  on  the 
Invention  of  Watches. — The  invention  of  spring  or  pocket 
watches  belongs  to  the  17th  century.  It  is  true,  we  find  men- 
tion made  of  a  watch  presented  to  Charles  V.  in  the  history  of 
that  prince  :  but  this,  in  all  probability,  was  no  more  than  a 
kind  of  clock  to  be  set  on  a  table,  some  resemblance  whereof 
we  have  still  remaining  in  the  ancient  pieces  made  before  the 
year  1670.  There  was  also  a  story  of  a  watch  having  been 
discovered  in  Scotland,  belonging  to  King  Robert  Bruce  ;  but 
this  we  believe  has  turned  out  altogether  erroneous.  The 
glory  of  this  very  useful  invention  lies  between  Dr.  Hooke 
and  M.  Huygens  ;  but  to  which  of  them  it  properly  belongs, 
has  been  greatly  disputed  ;  the  English  ascribing  it  to  the 
former,  and  the  French,  Dutch,  &,c.  to  the  latter.  Mr.  Der- 
ham,  in  his  Artificial  Clockmaker,  says,  roundly,  that  Dr. 
Hooke  was  the  inventor;  and  adds,  that  he  contrived  various 
ways  of  regulation.  One  way  was,  with  a  loadstone  ;  another 
with  a  tender  straight  spring,  one  end  whereof  played  back- 
wards and  forwards  with  the  balance,  so  that  the  balance  was  ' 
to  the  spring  as  the  bob  to  a  pendulum,  and  the  spring  as  the 
rod  thereof-  A  third  method  was,  with  two  balances,  of  which 
there  were  divers  sorts;  some  having  a  spiral  spring  to  the 
balance  for  a  regulator,  and  others  not.  But  the  way  that 
prevailed,  and  which  still  continues  to  prevail,  was,  with  one 
balance,  and  one  spring  running  round  the  upper  part  of  the 
verge;  though  this  has  a  disadvantage,  from  which  those  with 
two  springs,  &.c.  were  free,  since  a  sudden  jerk,  or  confused 
shake,  will  alter  its  vibrations,  and  disturb  its  motion. 

The  time  of  these  inventions  was  about  the  year  1658;  as 
appears,  among  other  evi  'ices,  from  an  inscription  on  one  of 
the  double-balance  watc  presented  to  King  Charles  II.  viz, 
"Rob.  Hooke  i/iven.  lOo. .  T.  Tompion  /eaV,  1675."  The 
invention  presently  got  into  reputation,  both  at  home  and 
abroad  :  and  two  of  them  were  sent  for  by  the  dauphin  of 
France  Soon  after  this,  M.  Huygens'  watch  with  a  spiral 
spring  got  abroad,  and  made  a  great  noise  in  England,  as  if 
the  longitude  could  be  found  by  it.  It  is  certain,  however, 
that  his  invention  was  later  than  the  year  1673,  when  his 


708  LKIOSITIES   RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

book  "  De  Horol.  Oscillat"  was  published  ;  wherein  he  ha« 
not  one  word  of  this,  though  he  has  of  several  other  contri- 
vances  in  the  same  way. 

One  of  these  the  Lord  Brouncker  sent  for  out  of  France, 
where  M.  Huygens  had  got  a  patent  for  them.  This  watch 
agreed  with  Dr.  Hooke's,  in  the  application  of  the  spring  to 
the  balance;  only  M.  Huygens'  had  a  long  spiral  spring, 
and  the  pulses  and  beats  were  nvich  slower.  The  balance, 
instead  of  turning  quite  round,  as  .bi.  liouke's,  turns  several 
rounds  every  vibration. 

Mr.  Derham  suggests,  that  he  has  reason  to  think  M.  Huy- 
gens' fancy  was  first  set  to  work  by  some  intelligence  he 
might  have  of  Dr.  Hooke's  invention  from  Mr.  Oldensworth,  or 
some  other  of  his  correspondents  in  England  ;  and  this,  not- 
withstanding Mr.  Oldensworth's  attempt  to  vindicate  himself 
in  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  appears  to  be  the  truth. 
Huygens  invented  divers  other  kinds  of  watches,  some  ot 
them  without  any  string  or  chain  at  all;  which  he  called 
particularly,  pendulum  watches. 


CHAP.  LXXIII. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. — (Continued,) 

l^elegraph — Spectacle  of  a  Sea  Fight  at  Rome — Wooden  Eagle; 
and  Iron  Fit/ — Whitehead's  Ship — Scaliot's  Lock,  &)C. — Praxi- 
teles' Venus — Weaving  Engine — Hydraulic  Birds — HerschelVs 
Grand  Telescope — BovericVs  Curiosities — Bunzlau  Curiosities 
— A  rtijicial  Fitting. 

Telegraph. — This  is  a  word  derived  from  the  Greek,  and 
which  is  very  properly  given  to  an  instrument,  by  means  of 
which  information  may  be  almost  instantaneously  conveyed 
to  a  considerable  distance.  The  telegraph,  though  it  has 
been  generally  known  and  used  by  the  moderns  only  for  a  few 
years,  is  by  no  means  a  modern  invention.  There  is  reason 
to  believe,  that  amongst  the  Greeks  there  was  some  sort  of 
telegraph  in  use.  The  burning  of  Troy  was  certainly  known 
in  Greece  very  soon  after  it  happened,  and  before  any  person 
had  returned  from  thence.  Now  that  was  altogether  so  tedi- 
ous a  piece  of  business,  that  conjecture  never  could  have 
supplied  the  place  of  information.  A  Greek  play  begins  with 
a  scene,  in  which  a  watchman  descends  from  the  top  of  a  tower 
in  Greece,  and  gives  the  information  that  Troy  was  taken. 
"  I  have  been  looking  cut  these  ten   years  (says  he)  to  s«»e 


TELEGRAPH.  709 

when  that  would  happen,  and  this  night  it  is  done."  Of  the 
antiquity  of  a  mode  of  conveying  intelligence  quickly  to  a 
great  distance,  this  is  certainly  a  proof.  The  Chinese,  when 
they  send  couriers  on  the  great  canal,  or  when  any  great  man 
travels  there,  make  signals  by  fire,  from  one  day's  journey  to 
another,  to  have  every  thing  prepared  ;  and  most  of  the  bar- 
barous nations  used  formerly  to  give  the  alarm  of  war  by  fires 
lighted  on  the  hills,  or  rising  grounds. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  moderns  had  thought  or  such 
a  machine  as  a  telegraph,  till  the  year  1663,  when  the  Marquis 
of  Worcester,  in  his  "Century  of  Inventions,"  affirmed,  that 
he  had  discovered  "  a  method  by  which.,  at  a  window,  as  far  as 
eye  can  discover  black  from  white,  a  man  may  hold  discourse 
with  his  correspondent,  without  noise  made,  or  notice  taken, 
being,  according  to  occasion  given,  or  means  afforded,  ex  re 
nata,  and  no  need  of  provision  beforehand ;  though  much 
better  if  foreseen,  and  course  taken  by  mutual  consent  of 
parties."  This  could  be  done  only  by  means  of  a  telegraph, 
which,  in  the  next  sentence,  is  declared  to  have  been  rendered 
so  perfect,  that  by  means  of  it  the  correspondence  could  be 
carried  on  "  by  night  as  well  as  by  day,  though  as  dark  as 
pitch  is  black." 

About  forty  years  afterwards,  M.  Amontons  proposed  a  new 
telegraph.  His  method  was  this  : — Let  there  be  people  placed 
in  several  stations,  at  such  a  distance  from  one  another,  that, 
by  the  help  of  a  telescope,  a  n)an  in  one  station  may  see  a 
signal  made  in  the  next  before  him  ;  he  must  immediately 
make  the  same  signal,  that  it  may  be  seen  by  persons  in  the 
station  next  after  him,  who  are  to  communicate  it  to  those  in 
the  following  station,  and  so  on.  These  signals  may  be  as 
letters  of  the  alphabet,  or  as  a  cipher,  understood  only  by 
the  two  persons  who  are  in  the  distant  places,  and  not  by 
those  who  make  the  signals.  The  person  in  the  second  station 
making  the  signal  to  the  person  in  the  third,  the  very  moment 
he  sees  it  in  the  first;  the  news  may  be  carried  to  the  greatest 
distance  in  as  little  time  as  is  necessary  to  make  the  signals 
in  the  first  station.  The  distance  of  the  several  stations,  which 
must  be  as  few  as  possible,  is  measured  by  the  reach  of  a 
telescope.  Amontons  tried  this  method  in  a  small  tract  of 
land,  before  several  persons  of  the  highest  rank  at  the  court 
of  France.  It  was  not,  however,  till  the  French  revolution, 
that  the  telegraph  was  applied  to  useful  purposes. 

Whether  M.  Chappe,  who  is  said  to  have  invented  the  tele- 
graph first  used  by  the  French  about  the  end  of  1793,  knew  any 
thing  of  Amonton's  invention  or  not,  it  is  impossible  to  say; 
but  his  telegraph  was  constructed  on  principles  nearly  similar. 
The  manner  of  using  this  telegraph  was  as  follows  : — At  the 
first  station,  which  was  on  the  roof  of  the  palace  of  Louvre,  at 


710  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   THE   ARTS. 

Paris,  M.  Chappe,  ihe  inventor,  received  in  writing  from  the 
Committee  of  Public  Welfare,  the  words  to  be  sent  to  Lisle, 
near  which  the  French  army  at  that  time  was.  An  upright 
post  was  erected  on  the  Louvre,  at  the  top  of  which  were  two 
transverse  arms,  moveable  in  all  directions  by  a  single  piece 
of  mechanism,  and  with  inconceivable  rapidity.  He  invented 
a  number  of  positions  for  these  arms,  which  stood  as  signs 
for  the  letters  of  the  alphabet;  and  these,  for  the  greater 
celerity  and  simplicity,  he  reduced  in  number  as  much  as 
possible.  The  grammarian  will  easily  conceive  that  sixteen 
signs  may  amply  supply  all  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  since 
some  letters  may  be  omitted,  not  only  without  detriment,  but 
with  advantage.  These  signs,  as  they  were  arbitrary,  could 
be  changed  every  week  ;  so  that  the  sign  of  B  for  one  day, 
might  be  the  sign  of  M  the  next;  and  it  was  only  necessary 
that  the  persons  at  the  extremities  should  know  the  key.  The 
intermediate  operators  were  only  instructed  generally  in  these 
sixteen  signals  ;  which  were  so  distinct,  so  marked,  so  different 
the  one  from  the  other,  that  they  were  remembered  with  the 
greatest  ease. 

The  construction  of  the  machine  was  such,  tha*  each  signal 
was  uniformly  given  in  precisely  the  same  manner  at  all  times  : 
it  did  not  depend  on  the  operator's  manual  skill  ;  and  the 
position  of  the  arm  could  never,  for  any  one  signal,  be  a  degree 
higher  or  a  degree  lower,  its  movement  being  regulated  me- 
chanically. M.  Chappe  having  received,  at  the  Louvre,  the 
sentence  to  be  conveyed,  gave  a  known  signal  to  the  second 
station  (which  was  Mont  Martre)  to  prepare.  At  each  station 
there  was  a  watch-tower,  where  telescopes  were  fixed,  and 
the  person  on  watch  gave  the  signal  of  preparation  which  he 
had  received,  and  this  communicated  successively  through  all 
the  line,  which  brought  them  all  into  a  state  of  readiness. 
The  person  at  Mont  Martre  then  received,  letter  by  letter, 
the  sentence  from  the  Louvre,  which  he  repeated  with  his 
own  machine;  and  this  was  again  repeated  from  the  next 
height,  with  inconceivable  rapidity,  to  the  final  station  at 
Lisle. 

Various  experiments  were  in  consequence  tried  upon  tele- 
graphs in  this  country  ;  and  one  was  soon  after  set  up  by 
government,  in  a  chain  of  stations  from  the  admiralty-office 
to  the  sea-coast.  It  consists  of  six  octagon  boards,  each  of 
which  is  poised  upon  an  axis  in  a  frame,  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  can  be  either  placed  vertically,  so  as  to  appear  with  its 
full  size  to  the  observer  at  the  nearest  station,  or  it  becomes 
invisible  to  him  by  being  placed  horizontally,  or  with  only 
the  narrow  edge  exposed.  These  six  boards  make  thirty-six 
changes,  by  the  most  plain  and  simple  mode  of  working;  and 
they  will  make  many  more,  if  more  were  necessary. 


SEA-FIGHT  AT  ROME. — A   WOODEN    EAGLE,  ETC.        7i  I 

We  submit  to  the  reader  the  following  account  of  a  Spec- 
tacle OF  A  Sea  Fight  at  Rome. — Augustus,  to  divert  his 
mind  from  fixing  on  his  domestic  misfoit'ines,  exhibited  the 
most  magnificent  and  expensive  shows  that  had  ever  been 
seen  at  Rome.  Chariot-races  in  the  circus,  representations 
on  the  stage,  combats  by  gladiators,  &c.  were  now  become 
common.  Augustus,  therefore,  the  better  to  divert  both  him- 
self and  the  people,  revived  these  sports,  which  had  been  for 
a  considerable  time  laid  aside,  on  account  of  the  extra- 
ordinary charges  that  attended  them.  He  caused  a  canal  to 
be  dug,  eighteen  hundred  paces  in  length,  and  two  hundred  in 
breadth,  conveying  into  it  the  Flaminian  waters,  and  building 
scafl^blds  quite  round  it,  capable  of  holding  a  prodigious  multi- 
tude of  spectators.  And  indeed  the  concourse  of  people 
was  so  great,  that  the  emperor  was  obliged  to  place  guards  in 
all  quarters  of  the  city,  lest  the  thieves  should  lay  hold  of  that 
opportunity  to  plunder  the  empty  and  abandoned  houses. 
Augustus  had  frequently  entertained  the  people  with  fights 
of  lions,  tigers,  elephants,  rhinoceroses,  &c.  but  now  the  new 
canal  appeared  all  on  a  sudden  covered  with  crocodiles,  of 
which  thirty-six  were  killed  by  Egyptians,  brought  from  the 
banks  of  the  Nile  for  that  purpose.  The  multitude  were 
highly  delighted  by  this  sight,  which  was  quite  new  ;  but  the 
sea-fight  which  ensued,  afibrded  them  still  greater  diversion  : 
for,  at  the  opposite  ends  of  the  lake,  or  canal,  two  fleets 
appeared,  the  galleys  of  one  being  built  after  the  Greek,  and 
those  of  the  other  after  the  Persian  manner.  Both  fleets 
engaged;  and,  as  they  fought  in  good  earnest,  most  of  the 
combatants  being  persons  sentenced  to  death,  the  battle 
proved  very  bloody. 

A  Wooden  Eagle,  and  an  Iron  Fly. — Petrus  Ramus 
tells  us  of  a  Wooden  Eagle  and  an  Iron  Fly,  made  by  Regio- 
montanus,  a  famous  mathematician  at  Nuremberg :  whereof 
the  first  f]evv  forth  out  of  the  city,  aloft  in  the  air,  met  the 
Emperor  Maximilian  a  good  way  off,  coming  towards  it;  and, 
having  saluted  him,  returned  again,  waiting  on  him  at  the 
city  gates.  The  second,  at  a  feast,  whereto  the  Emperor-  had 
invited  his  familiar  friends,  flew  forth  from  his  hand,  and, 
taking  a  round,  returned  thither  again,  to  the  great  astonish- 
ment of  the  beholders:  both  which,  the  excellent  pen  of  the 
noble  Du  Bartas  has  expressed  in  the  following  lines : 

Why  should  I  not  that  Wooden  Eag^Ie  mention, 
A  learned  German's  late  admir'd  invention. 
Which,  mounting  from  his  fist  that  frani'd  her. 
Flew  far  to  meet  the  German  Emperor? 
bifi  0:      And,  havino:  met  him,  with  her  nimble  train 
And  pliant  wings  turning  about  again, 


712  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   THE  ARTS. 

Follow'd  him  close  unto  the  castle  gate 
Of  Nuremberg;  whom  all  their  shows  of  state, 
Streets  hung  with  arras,  arches  curious  built, 
Grey-headed  senate,  and  youth's  gallantries, 
Grac'd  not  so  much  as  only  this  device. 

He  goes  on,  and  thus  describes  the  Fly: 

Once,  as  this  artist,  more  with  mirth  than  meat; 

Feasted  some  friends  whom  he  esteemed  great. 

Forth  from  his  hand  an  Iron  Fly  flew  out ; 

Which  having  flown  a  perfect  round  about. 

With  weary  wings  returned  to  his  master. 

And  as  judicious  on  his  arm  he  plac'd  her. 

Oh!  wit  divine,  that  in  the  narrow  womb 

Of  a  small  Fly  could  find  sufficient  room 

For  all  tliose  springs,  wlieels,  counterpoise,  and  chains, 

Which  stood  instead  of  life,  and  blood,  and  veins. 

Whitehead's  Ship, — Geor2;e  Whitehead,  an  Englishman, 
made  a  ship,  with  all  her  tackling,  to  move  itself  on  a  table, 
with  rowers  plying  the  oars,  a  woman  playing  on  the  lute, 
and  a  little  whelp  crying  on  the  deck, — says  Scottus,  in  his 
Itinerary. 

Scaliot's  Lock,  &,c. — In  the  twentieth  year  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  Mark  Scaliot,  a  blacksmith,  made  a  lock,  con- 
ssisting  of  eleven  pieces  of  iron,  steel,  and  brass,  all  which, 
together  with  a  pipe-key  to  it,  weighed  but  one  grain  of  gold  : 
he  made  also  a  chain  of  gold,  consisting  of  forty-three  links, 
whereunto  having  fastened  the  lock  and  key  before  men- 
tioned, he  put  the  chain  about  a  flea's  neck,  which  drew  them 
all  with  ease.  All  these  together,  lock  and  key,  chain  and 
flea,  being  weighed,  the  weight  of  them  was  but  one  grain 
and  a  half. 

Praxiteles'  Venus. — Praxiteles,  who  was  an  ingenious 
worker  in  imagery,  made  a  statue  of  Venus  for  the  Cnidians,  so 
much  resembling  life,  that  a  certain  young  man  became 
enamoured  of  it  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  excess  of  his  love 
deprived  him  of  his  senses.  This  piece  of  art  was  so  eagerly 
coveted  by  king  Nicomedes,  that,  though  the  Cnidians  owed 
him  an  immense  sum  of  money,  he  offered  to  take  the  statue 
in  full  satisfaction  for  his  debt;  but  was  refused. 

The  next  subject  is  a  curious  Weaving  Engine. — At 
Dantzic  in  Poland,  there  was  set  up  a  rare  invention  for 
weaving  four  or  five  webs  at  a  time,  without  any  human 
help.  It  was  an  engine  that  moved  of  itself,  and  would  work 
night  and  day.  This  invention  was  suppressed,  because  it 
would  have  ruined  the  poor  people  of  the  town;  and  the 
artificer  was  secretly  destroyed,  as  Lancelotti,  the  Italian 
abbot,  relates  from  the  mouth  of  M.  MuUer,  a  Pole,  who  had 
seen  the  device. 


HYDRAULIC    BIRDS, — BOVERICK's   CURIOSITIES.         713 

Hydraulic  Birds. — At  Tibur,  in  Tivoli,  near  Rome,  in 
the  oardens  of  Hippolitus  d'Este,  Cardinal  of  Ferrara,  there 
are  the  representations  of  sundry  birds  sitting  on  the  tops  of 
trees,  which,  by  hydraulic  art,  and  secret  conveyances  of 
water  through  the  trunks  and  branches  of  the  trees,  are  made 
to  sing  and  clap  their  wings;  but  at  the  sudden  appearance 
of  an  owl  out  of  a  bush  of  the  same  artifice,  they  immediately 
become  all  mute  and  silent.  It  was  the  work  of  Claudius 
Gallus,  as  Possivenus  informs  us. 

Herschkll's  Grand  Telescope. — The  tube  of  this  tele- 
scope is  thirty-nine  feet  four  inches  in  length,  and  four  feet 
ten  inches  in  diameter,  every  part  being  made  of  iron.  It 
stands  in  the  open  air,  appears  to  be  considerably  elevated, 
and  is  encircled  with  a  complicated  scaffolding,  by  which  its 
steadiness  is  secured.  The  concave  face  of  its  speculum  is 
forty-eight  inches  of  polished  surface  in  diameter,  and  it 
weighs  nearly  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighteeen  pounds ! 
With  proper  eye-glasses  it  magnifies  above  six  thousand  times: 
it  is  the  largest  instrument,  and  has  the  greatest  magnifying 
power,  of  any  that  has  been  made.  By  its  aid,  Dr.  Herschell 
has  been  able  to  observe  the  lightning  in  the  atmosphere  of 
the  moon,  and  has  found  out  several  celestial  bodies,  unknown 
to  preceding  astronomers.  The  whole  was  finished  on  August 
the  28th,  1789,  on  which  day  the  sixth  satellite  of  Saturn  was 
discovered.  The  observer,  suspended  at  the  end  of  the  in- 
strument, with  his  back  towards  the  object  he  views,  looks 
down  the  tube,  and  sees  the  image  reflected  from  the  mirror; 
whilst  a  man  below  turns  gently  round  the  instrument,  to 
accord  with  the  apparent  rotatory  motion  of  the  heavens, 
thus  preserving  the  image  of  the  object  on  the  mirror  with 
stability. 

Bovekick's  Curiosities. — Mr.  Baker,  in  his  Treatise  on 
the  Microscope,  says,  "  I  myself  have  seen,  near  Durham 
Yard,  in  the  Strand,  and  have  examined  with  my  microscope, 
a  chaise,  (made  by  one  Mr.  Boverick,  a  watch-maker,)  having 
four  wheels,  with  all  the  proper  apparatus  belonging  to  them, 
turning  readily  on  their  axles,  tooether  with  a  man  sitting  in 
the  chaise,  all  formed  of  ivory,  and  drawn  along  by  a  flea, 
without  any  seeming  difficulty.  I  weighed  it  with  the  greatest 
care  I  was  able;  and  found  the  chaise,  man,  and  flea,  were 
barely  equal  to  a  single  grain.  I  weighed  also,  at  the  same 
time  and  place,  a  brass  chain  made  bv  the  same  hand,  about 
two  inches  long,  containing  two  hundred  links,  with  a  hook  at 
at  one  end,  and  a  padlock  and  key  at  the  other;  and  found  it 
less  than  the  third  part  of  a  grain.  I  have  seen  (made  by  the 
same  artist)  a  quadrille  table  with  a  drawer  in  it,   an  eating- 

4X 


?14  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   THE   ARTS. 

table,  a  sideboard  table,  a  looking-glass,  twelve  chairs,  with 
skeleton  backs,  two  dozen  of  plates,  six  dishes,  a  dozen  knives, 
and  as  many  forks,  twelve  spoons,  two  salts,  a  frame  and 
castors,  together  with  a  gentleman,  lady,  and  footman,  all 
contained  in  a  cherry-stone,  and  not  filling  much  more  than 
half  of  it. 

BuNZLAU  Curiosities. — Mr.  Adams,  in  his  Letters  on 
Silesia,  gives  the  following  account  of  two  ingenious  mecha- 
nics he  met  with  at  Bunzlau.  Their  names  were  Jacob,  and 
Huttig  ;  the  one  was  a  carpenter,  the  other  a  weaver,  and  they 
were  next-door  neighbours  to  each  other.  "  The  first  (says 
Mr.  Adams)  has  made  a  machine,  in  which,  by  the  means 
of  certain  clock-work,  a  number  of  puppets,  about  six  inches 
high,  are  made  to  move  upon  a  kind  of  stage,  so  as  to  repre- 
sent in  several  successive  scenes  the  passion  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  first  exhibits  him  in  the  garden  at  prayer,  while  the  three 
apostles  are  sleeping  at  a  distance.  In  the  last,  he  is  shewn 
dead  in  the  sepulchre,  guarded  by  two  Roman  soldiers.  The 
intervening  scenes  represent  the  treachery  of  Judas,  the  ex- 
amination of  Jesus  before  Caiaphas,  the  dialogue  between 
Pilate  and  the  Jews  concerning  him,  the  denial  of  Peter,  the 
scourging,  and  the  crucifixion.  It  is  all  accom|ianied  by  a 
mournful  dirge  of  music;  and  the  maker,  by  way  of  explana- 
tion, repeats  the  passages  of  Scripture  which  relate  the  events 
he  has  undertaken  to  shew.  I  never  saw  a  stronger  proof  of 
tlie  strength  of  the  impression  of  objects,  which  are  brought 
immediately  home  to  the  senses.  I  have  heard  and  read  more 
than  one  eloquent  sermon  upon  the  passion  ;  but  I  confess, 
none  of  their  most  laboured  etiorts  at  the  pathetic  ever  touched 
my.  heart  with  one-half  the  force  of  this  puppet-show.  The 
traitor's  kiss,  the  blow  struck  by  the  high-priest's  servant,  the 
scourging,  the  nailing  to  the  cross,  the  sponge  of  vinegar, 
every  indignity  offered,  and  every  pain  inflicted,  occasioned 
a  sensation,  when  thus  made  perceptible  to  the  eye,  which  I 
had  never  felt  at  mere  description. 

'•■  Ilultig,  the  weaver,  with  an  equal,  or  superior  mechanical 
genius,  has  applied  it  in  a  difierent  manner,  and  devoted  it  to 
geographical,  astronomical,  and  historical  pursuits.  In  the 
intervals  of  his  leisure  from  the  common  weaver's  work,  which 
affords  him  subsistence,  he  has  become  a  very  learned  man. 
The  walls  of  his  rooms  are  covered  with  maps  and  drawings 
of  his  own,  representing,  here  the  course  of  the  Oder,  with 
all  the  towns  and  villages  through  which  it  runs  ;  there,  the 
mountains  of  Switzerland,  and  those  of  Silesia,  over  both  of 
which  he  has  travelled  in  person.  In  one  room  he  has  two 
very  large  tables,  one  raised  above  the  other  :  on  one  of  them 
he  has  ranged  all  the  towns  and  remarkable  placesof  Germany  j 


BUNZLAU   CURIOSITIE/S.  715 

and  on  the  other,  of  all  Europe  :  they  are  placed  according 
to  their  respective  geographical  bearings.  The  names  of  the 
towns  are  written  on  a  sn^all  square  piece  of  paper,  and  fixed 
in  a  slit  on  the  top  of  a  peg,  which  is  stuck  into  the  table. 
The  remarkable  mountains  are  shewn  by  some  pyramidical 
black  stones;  and  little  white  pyramids  are  stationed  at  all  the 
spots  which  have  been  distinguished  by  any  great  battle,  or 
other  remarkable  incident.  The  man  himself,  in  explaining 
his  work,  shews  abundance  of  learning,  relative  to  the  ancient 
names  of  places,  and  the  former  inhabitants  of  the  countries 
to  which  he  points;  and  amused  us  with  anecdotes  of  various 
kinds,  connected  with  the  lands  he  has  marked  out. 

Thus,  in  shewing  us  the  Alps,  he  pointed  to  the  very  spot 
over  which  the  French  army  of  reserve  so  lately  passed,  and 
where  Buonaparte  so  fortunately  escaped  being  taken  by  an 
Austrian  officer;  and  then  he  gave  us  a  short  comment  of  his 
own,  upon  the  character  and  extraordinary  good  fortune  of 
the  First  Consul.  In  a  second  room  he  has  a  large  machine, 
representing  the  Copernican  system  of  the  universe  :  it  is  made 
in  such  a  manner,  that  the  whole  firmament  of  fixed  stars 
moves  round  our  solar  system  once  in  every  twenty-four  hours, 
and  thus  always  exhibits  the  stars,  in  the  exact  position,  rela- 
tive to  our  earth,  in  which  they  really  stand.  Internally,  he 
has  stationed  all  the  planets  which  belong  to  our  system,  with 
their  several  satellites,  and  all  the  comets  that  have  been  ob- 
served during  the  last  three  centuries.  In  a  third  room  he 
has  another  machine,  exhibiting  in  different  parts  the  various 
phases  of  the  moon,  and  those  of  Jupiter's  satellites,  the 
apparent  motion  of  the  sun  round  the  earth,  and  the  real 
motion  of  the  earth  round  the  sun. 

"  In  his  garret  he  has  another  work,  upon  which  he  is  yet 
occupied,  and  which,  being  his  last  labour,  seems  to  be  that 
in  which  he  takes  the  most  delight.  Upon  a  very  large  table, 
siniilar  to  that  in  the  first  room,  he  has  inlaid  a  number  of 
thin  plates  of  wood,  formed  so  as  to  represent  a  projection  of 
the  earth  under  Mercator's  plan.  All  the  intervals  between 
the  plates  of  wood  designate  that  portion  of  the  world  which 
is  covered  with  water.  He  has  used  a  number  of  very  small 
ropes  of  two  colours,  drawn  over  the  surface  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  describe  the  tracks  of  all  the  celebrated  circumnavigators 
of  the  globe.  The  colours  of  the  ropes  distinguish  the  several 
voyages  which  claim  especial  pre-eminence  above  the  rest. 
To  Columbus,  Anson,  and  Cook,  he  has  shewn  a  special 
honour  by  three  little  models  of  ships  bearing  their  names, 
which  are  placed  upon  the  surface  of  his  ocean,  in  some  spot 
of  their  respective  courses.  The  names  of  all  the  other  voy- 
agers, and  the  times  at  which  their  voyages  were  performed,  are 
marked  by  papers  fixed  at  the  points  of  their  departure.     Such 


71()  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

is  the  imperfect  description  I  can  give  you,  from  a  short  view 
of  the  labours  of  this  really  curious  man.  He  must  be  nearly, 
or  quite  seventy  years  old,  and  has  all  his  lifetime  been  of  an 
infirm  constitution.  But  this  taste  for  the  sciences,  he  told 
us,  was  hereditary  in  his  family,  and  had  been  common  to 
them  all,  from  his  Ki'eat-o-randfather  down  to  himself.  His 
dress  and  appearance  were  those  of  a  common  weaver :  but 
his  expressive  countenance,  at  once  full  of  enthusiastic  fire 
and  of  amiable  good-nature,  was  a  model,  upon  which  Lava- 
ter  might  expatiate  with  exultation.  The  honest  and  ingeni- 
ous weaver,  on  our  taking  leave,  made  us  smile  by  exclaiming, 
that  now.  if  he  could  but  have  a  traveller  from  Africa  come 
to  see  his  works,  he  could  boast  of  having  had  visitors  from 
all  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe." 

Artificial  Flying. — The  art  of  flying  has  be^n  attempted 
by  several  persons  in  all  ages.  The  Leucadians,  out  of  super- 
stition, are  reported  to  have  had  a  custom  of  precipitating  a 
man  from  a  high  cliff  into  the  sea,  first  fixing  feathers,  vari- 
ously expanded,  round  his  body,  in  order  to  break  his  fall. 
Friar  Bacon,  who  lived  near  five  hundred  years  ago,  not  only 
affirms  the  art  of  flying  possible,  but  assures  us,  that  he  him- 
self knew  how  to  make  an  encrine,  wherein  a  man,  sittino;,  mitiht 
be  able  to  cenvey  himself  through  the  air,  like  a  bird  ;  and 
further  adds,  that  there  was  one  who  had  then  tried  it  with 
success:  but  this  method,  which  consisted  of  a  couple  of 
large  thin  hollow  copper  globes,  exhausted  of  the  air,  and 
sustaining  a  person  who  sat  thereon,  Dr.  Hooke  shews  to  be 
impracticable.  The  philosophers  of  King  Charles  the  Second's 
reign  were  mightily  busied  about  this  art.  Bishop  Wilkins 
was  so  confident  of  success  in  it,  that  he  says,  he  does  not 
question  but,  in  future  ages,  it  will  be  as  usual  to  hear  a  man 
call  for  his  wings,  when  he  is  going  a  journey,  as  it  is  now  to 
call  for  his  boots. 

The  art  of  flying  has  in  some  measure  been  brought  to  bear 
in  the  construction  and  use  of  balloons. 


BURNING  GLASSES.  717 

CHAP.  LXXIV. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. — (Concluded.) 

Burning  Glasses — Ductility  of  Glass — Remarkable  Ductility 
and  Extensil)iHty  of  Gold — Pin  Making — Needles — Shoes — ■ 
'The  Great  Bell  of  Moscow. 

Burning  Glasses. — We  have  some  extraordinary  instances 
and  surprising  accounts  of  prodigious  effects  of  burning- 
glasses.  Those  made  of  reflecting  mirrors  are  more  powerful 
than  those  made  with  lenses,  because  the  rays  from  a  mirror 
are  reflected  all  to  one  point  nearly;  whereas  by  a  lens,  they 
SLii  refracted  to  different  points,  and  are  therefore  not  so 
dense  or  ardent.  The  whiter  also  the  metal  or  substance 
is,  of  which  the  mirror  is  made,  the  stronger  will  be  the 
effect. 

The  most  remarkable  burning-glasses,  or  rather  mirrors, 
among  the  ancients,  were  those  of  Archimedes  and  Proclus; 
by  the  flrst  of  which  the  Roman  ships,  besieging  Syracuse, 
(according  to  the  testimony  of  several  writers,)  and  by  the 
other,  the  navy  of  Vitalian  besieging  Byzantium,  were  re- 
duced to  ashes.  Among  the  moderns,  the  burning  mirrors 
of  greatest  eminence,  are  those  of  Vilette,  and  Tschirnhausen, 
and  the  .new  complex  one  of  M.  de  Buffbn. 

That  of  M.  de  Vilette  was  three  feet  eleven  inches  in 
diameter,  and  its  focal  distance  was  three  feet  two  inches. 
Its  substance  is  a  composition  of  tin,  copper,  and  tin  glass. 
Some  of  its  eff'ects,  as  found  by  Dr.  Harris  and  Dr.  Desagu- 
liers,  are,  that  a  silver  sixpence  melted  in  seven  seconds  and 
a  half;  a  king  George's  halfpenny  melted  in  sixteen  seconds, 
and  ran  in  thirty-four  seconds;  tin  melted  in  three  seconds; 
and  a  diamond  weighing  four  (trains,  lost  seven-eighths  of  its 
weight.  That  of  M.  de  Buff"on  is  a  polyhedron,  six  feet 
broad,  and  as  many  high,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  small  mirrors,  or  flat  pieces  of  looking-glass,  each  six 
inches  square;  by  means  of  which,  with  the  faint  rays  of  the 
sun  in  the  month  of  March,  he  set  on  fire  boards  of  beech- 
wood  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  distance.  Besides,  his 
machine  has  the  conveniency  of  burning  downwards,  or  hori- 
zontally, at  pleasure ;  each  speculum  being  moveable,  so 
as,  by  the  means  of  three  screws,  to  be  set  to  a  proper  incli- 
nation for  directing  the  rays  towards  any  given  point;  and  it 
turns  either  in  its  greater  focus,  or  in  any  nearer  interval, 
which  our  common  burning-glasses  cannot  do,  their  focus  being 
fixed  and  determined.     M.  de  Buffbn,  at  another  time,  burnt 


fl%  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

wood  at  the  distance  of  two  hundred  feet.  He  also  melted 
tin  and  lead  at  the  distance  of  above  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  and  silver  at  fifty. 

Mr.  Parker,  of  Fleet-street,  London,  was  induced,  at  an 
expense  of  upwards  of  £700,  to  contrive,  and  at  length  to  com- 
plete, a  large  transparent  lens,  that  would  serve  the  purpose 
of  fusing  and  vitrifying  such  substances  as  resist  the  fires 
of  ordinary  furnaces,  and  more  especially  of  applying  heat  in 
vacuo,  and  in  other  circumstances  in  which  it  cannot  be 
applied  by  any  other  means.  After  directing  his  attention 
for  several  years  to  this  object,  and  performing  a  great  variety 
of  experiments  in  the  prosecution  of  it,  he  at  last  succeeded 
in  the  construction  of  a  lens,  of  flint-glass,  three  feet  in 
diameter,  which,  when  fixed  in  its  frame,  exposes  a  surface 
two  feet  eight  inches  and  a  half  in  the  clear,  without  any 
other  material  imperfection,  except  a  disfigurement  of  one  of 
the  edges  by  a  piece  of  the  scoria  of  the  mould,  which  un- 
fortunately found  its  way  into  its  substance.  This  lens  was 
double-convex,  both  sides  of  which  were  a  portion  of  a  sphere 
of  eighteen  feet  radius.  It  is  diflricult  to  form  an  accurate 
estimate  of  the  burning  power  of  this  lens  ;  inasmuch  as  it  is 
next  to  impossible  to  discover  what  should  be  deducted  for 
the  loss  of  power,  in  consequence  of  the  impediments  that 
the  glass  of  which  it  was  made  must  occasion,  as  well  as  the 
four  reflections,  and  two  more  by  way  of  diminution;  but  we 
will  endeavour  to  appreciate  it,  after  a  full  allowance  for  these 
deductions,  which  must  necessarily  result  from  every  means 
of  concentrating  the  solar  rays,  and  must  be  considered  as  the 
friction  of  an  engine,  of  which  nature  they  really  partake. 

The  solar  rays  received  on  a  circular  surface  of  two  feet 
eight  inches  and  a  half,  when  concentrated  within  the  dia- 
meter of  an  inch,  will  be  105,626  times  its  intensity,  or 
this  number  of  times  greater  than  the  heat  of  the  sun  as 
it  is  experienced  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  We  will  sup- 
pose, that  as  the  heat  of  the  air,  in  ordinary  summer 
weather,  is  65  degrees,  and  in  sultry  weather  is  75  degrees, 
the  average  of  which  is  70  degrees,  and  that  we  take  this 
as  the  average  effect,  the  accumulated  power  of  the  lens,  on 
the  supposition  of  an  uniform  heat  over  the  whole  surface  of 
the  focus,  will  be  equal  to  73,938  degrees.  It  must  be  recol- 
lected, by  those  who  have  an  opportunity  of  examining  the 
effects  of  this  lens,  that  the  external  part  of  the  focal  light 
was  less  intense  than  that  part  which  was  near  the  centre  of 
it;  or  rather,  that  the  eff'ect  was  very  much  accumulated  in 
the  centre  ;  but  as  it  is  possible  that  the  refraction  of  the  light 
and  of  the  caloric  fluid  may  not  take  place  in  the  same  angles, 
we  think  it  safest  to  consider  it  as  of  uniform  effect,  and  after 
deducting  one  fourth  part  thereof  as  a  compensation,  there 


BURNING   GLASSES.  /19 

remains  6545  as  the  expression  of  its  power.  As  the  applica- 
tion of  the  second  lens  reduced  the  diameter  of  the  focus  ♦•^ 
half  an  inch,  the  eflect,  without  allowing  for  the  reduction  r.^ 
its  power,  would  be  equal  to  221,816  degrees;  but  deducting'- 
one-fourth  for  the  second  transmission,  there  remains  l(")b',36t 
degrees,  as  the  expression  of  its  power. 

Mr.  Parker  further  informs  us,  that  a  diamond,  weighing 
ten  grains,  exposed  to  this  lens  for  thirty  minutes,  was  reduced 
to  six  grains;  during  which  operation  it  opened  and  foliated 
like  the  leaves  of  a  flower,  which  emitted  whitish  fimies,  and 
when  closed  again,  bore  a  polish,  and  retained  its  form.  Gold 
remained  in  its  metallic  state  without  apparent  diminution, 
notwithstanding  an  exposure  at  intervals  of  many  hours:  but 
what  is  remarkable,  the  rest,  or  cupel,  which  was  composed 
of  bone-ash,  was  tinctured  with  a  beautiful  pink  colour. 

The  experiments  on  platina  evince  that  the  specimens  were 
in  different  states  of  approach  to  a  complete  metallic  form; 
several  of  them  threw  off' their  parts  in  sparks,  which  in  most 
instances  were  metallic.  Copper,  after  three  minutes'  expo- 
sure, was  riot  found  to  have  lost  in  weight. 

What  is  remarkable  with  regard  to  experiments  on  iron,  is, 
that  the  lower  part,  i.  e.  that  part  in  contact  with  the  charcoal, 
was  first  melted,  when  that  part  which  was  exposed  to  the 
focus  remained  unfused  ;  an  evidence  of  the  eff'ect  of  flux  on 
this  metal. 

Several  of  the  semi-crystalline  substances,  exposed  to  the 
focal  heat,  exhibited  symptoms  of  fusion  ;  such  as  the  agate, 
oriental  flint,  cornelian,  and  jasper :  but  as  the  probability  is, 
that  these  substances  were  not  capable  of  complete  vitrifica- 
tion, it  is  enough  that  they  were  rendered  externally  of  a 
glassy  form.  Garnet  completely  fused  on  black  lead  in  120 
seconds,  lost  a  quarter  of  a  grain,  became  darker  in  colour, 
and  was  attracted  by  the  magnet.  Ten  cut  garnets  taken  from 
a  bracelet  began  to  run  the  one  into  the  other  in  a  few  seconds, 
and  at  last  formed  into  one  globular  garnet.  The  clay  used 
by  Mr.  Wedgwood  to  make  his  pyrometric  test,  run  in  a  few 
seconds  into  a  white  enamel.  Seven  other  kinds  of  clay,  sent 
by  Mr.  Wedgwood,  were  all  vitrified.  Several  experiments 
were  made  on  limestone,  some  of  which  were  vitrified,  but  all 
of  which  were  agglutinated  ;  it  is,  however,  suspected  that 
some  extraneous  substance  must  have  been  intermixed.  A 
globule  produced  from  one  of  the  specimens,  on  being  put 
into  the  mouth,  flew  into  a  thousand  pieces,  occasioned,  it  is 
presumed,  by  the  moisture. 

A  subscription  was  proposed  for  raising  the  sum  of  seven 
hundred  guineas,  towards  indemnifying  the  charges  of  the 
inventor,  and  retaining  the  very  curious  and  useful  machine 
above  described  in  our  own  country  ;  but  from  the  failure  or 


720  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

the  subscription,  and  some  other  concurring  circumBtances, 
Mr.  Parker  was  induced  to  dispose  of  it  to  Capt.  Mackintosh, 
who  accompanied  Lord  Macartney  in  the  embassy  to  China: 
and  it  was  left,  much  to  the  regret  of  philosophers  in  Europe, 
at  Pekin  ;  where  it  remains  in  the  hands  of  persons,  who  most 
probably  know  neither  its  value  nor  use. 

Ductility  of  Glass. — We  all  know,  that  when  glass  is  well 
penetrated  with  the  heat  of  the  fire,  the  workmen  can  figure 
and  manage  it  like  soft  wax ;  but,  what  is  most  remarkable,  it 
may  be  drawn,  or  spun  out,  into  threads  exceedingly  long  and 
fine.  Our  ordinary  spinners  do  not  form  their  threads  of  silk, 
flax,  or  the  like,  with  half  the  ease  and  expedition  the  glass- 
spinners  do  threads  of  this  brittle  matter.  We  have  some  of 
them  used  in  plumes  for  children's  heads,  and  divers  other 
works,  much  finer  than  any  hair,  and  which  bend  and  wave, 
like  hair,  with  every  wind.  Nothing  is  more  simple  and  easy 
than  the  method  of  making  them.  There  are  two  workmen 
employed  :  the  first  holds  one  end  of  a  piece  of  glass  over  the 
flame  of  a  lamp;  and  when  the  heat  has  softened  it,  a  second 
operator  applies  a  glass  hook  to  the  metal  thus  in  fusion,  and, 
withdrawing  the  hook  again,  it  brings  with  it  a  thread  of  glass, 
which  still  adheres  to  the  mass;  then,  fitting  his  liook  on  the 
circumference  of  a  wheel  about  two  feet  and  a  half  in  diame- 
ter, he  turns  the  wheel  as  fast  as  he  pleases,  which,  drawing 
out  the  thread,  winds  it  on  its  run,  till,  after  a  certain  number 
of  revolutions,  it  is  covered  with  a  skein  of  glass-thread. 
The  mass  in  fusion  over  the  lamp  diminishes  insensibly,  being 
wound  out  like  a  clue  of  silk  upon  the  wheel;  and  the  parts 
cooling  as  they  recede  from  the  flame,  become  more  coherent 
to  those  next  to  them,  and  this  by  many  degrees  :  the  parts 
nearest  the  fire  are  always  the  least  coherent,  and,  of  conse- 
quence, must  give  way  to  the  effort  the  rest  make  to  draw 
them  towards  the  wheel.  The  circumference  of  these  threads 
is  usually  a  flat  oval,  being  three  or  four  times  as  broad  as 
thick  :  some  of  them  seem  scarcely  bigger  than  the  thread  of 
a  silkworm,  and  are  surprisingly  flexible.  If  the  two  ends  of 
such  threads  are  knotted  together,  they  may  be  drawn  and 
bent,  till  the  aperture,  or  space  in  the  middle  of  the  knot, 
does  not  exceed  one-fourth  of  a  line,  or  one  forty-eighth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter.  Hence  M.  Reaumur  maintains,  that  the 
flexibility  of  glass  increases  in  proportion  to  the  fineness  of 
the  threads ;  and  that,  probably,  had  we  but  the  art  of  draw- 
ing threads  as  fine  as  a  spider's  web,  we  might  weave  stuffs 
and  cloths  of  them  for  \' ear.  Accordingly,  he  made  some 
experiments  this  way;  and  found  that  he  could  make  threads 
fine  enough,  viz.  as  fine,  in  his  judgment,  as  spider's  thread, 
but  not  long  enough  for  the  purposes  of  any  manufacture. 


DUCTILITY  OP  GOLD. — PIN-MAKING.  721 

Remarkable  Ductility  and  Extensibility  of  Gold. 
— Gold  is  the  most  ductile,  as  well  as  the  most  malleable,  of 
all  metals.  According  to  Cronstedt,  one  grain  of  it  may  be 
stretched  out  so  as  to  cover  98  Swedish  ells,  equal  to  63.66 
English  yards  of  silver  wire;  but  Wallerius  asserts,  that  a 
grain  may  be  stretched  out  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  cover  500 
ells  of  wire.  At  any  rate,  the  extension  is  prodigious;  for, 
according  to  the  least  of  the  calculations,  the  millionth  part 
of  a  grain  of  gold  may  be  made  visible  to  the  naked  eye.  Nor 
is  its  malleability  inferior  to  its  ductility.  Boyle,  quoted 
by  Apligny,  in  his  treatise  on  Colours,  says,  that  one  grain 
and  a  half  of  gold  may  be  beaten  into  60  leaves  of  an  inch 
square,  which,  if  intersected  by  parallel  lines  drawn  at  right 
angles  to  each  other,  and  distant  only  the  hundredth  part  of 
an  inch  from  each  other,  will  produce  twenty-five  millions  of 
little  squares,  each  very  easily  discernible  by  the  naked  eye. 
IVIr.  Magellan  tells  us,  that  its  surf;ice  may  be  extended  by 
the  hammer  159,092  times.  "  I  am  informed,  (savs  he)  by  an 
intelligent  goldbeater  in  England,  that  the  finest  gold  leaf  is 
that  made  in  new  skins,  and  must  have  an  alloy  of  three  grains 
of  copper  to  the  ounce  of  pure  gold,  or  else  it  would  be  too 
soft  to  pass  over  the  irregularities  of  the  skins.  He  affirms, 
that  80  books,  or  2000  leaves  of  gold,  each  leaf  containing 
10.89  square  inches,  weigh  less  than  384  grains.  Each  book, 
therefore,  of  25  leaves,  or  272.25  inches,  weighs  less  than  4.8 
grains;  so  that  each  grain  of  the  metal  will  produce  about 
57  square  inches  of  gold  leaf."  From  further  calculation  it 
appears,  that  the  thickness  of  these  leaves  is  less  than  the 
282,000th  part  of  an  inch  ;  and  that  16  ounces  of  gold  would 
be  sufficient  to  gild  a  silver  wire,  equal  in  length  to  the  whole 
circumference  of  the  globe  we  inhabit! 

PiN-MAKiNG. — Though  pins  are  apparently  simple,  their 
manufacture  is  not  a  little  curious  and  complex.  When  the 
brass  wire,  of  which  the  pins  are  formed,  is  first  received  at 
the  manufactory,  it  is  generally  too  thick  for  the  purpose  of 
being  cut  into  pins.  The  first  operation,  therefore,  is  that  of 
winding  it  off  from  one  wheel  to  another  with  great  velocity. 
and  causing  it  to  pass  between  the  two,  through  a  circle  in  a 
piece  of  iron  of  smaller  diameter.  The  wire  being  thus  re- 
duced to  its  proper  dimensions,  is  straightened  by  drawing  it 
between  iron  pins,  fixed  in  a  board  in  a  zigzag  manner,  but 
so  as  to  leave  a  straight  line  between  them  :  afterwards  it  is 
cut  into  lengths  of  three  or  four  yards,  and  then  into  smaller 
ones,  every  length  being  sufficient  to  make  six  pins.  Each 
end  of  these  is  ground  to  a  point,  which  was  performed,  (where 
these  observations  were  made,)  by  boys,  who  sat  each  with  two 
small  grinding-stones  before  him,  turned  by  a  wheel.     Taking 

'*  Y 


722  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING  THE  ARTS. 

up  a  handful,  he  applied  the  ends  to  the  coarsest  of  the  two 
stones,  being  careful  at  the  same  time  to  keep  each  piece 
moving  round  between  his  fingers,  so  that  the  points  may  not 
become  flat :  he  then  gives  them  a  smoother  and  sharper  point 
by  applying  them  to  the  other  stone,  and  by  that  means  a  lad  of 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  is  able  to  point  about  sixteen 
thousand  pins  in  an  hour.  When  the  wire  is  thus  pointed,  a 
pin  is  taken  off" at  each  end,  and  this  is  repeated  till  it  is  cut 
into  six  pieces.  The  next  operation  is,  that  of  forming  the 
heads,  or,  as  they  term  it,  head-spinning,  which  is  done  by 
means  of  a  spinning-wheel,  one  piece  of  wire  being  thus  with 
astonishing  rapidity  wound  round  another,  and  the  interior 
one  being  drawn  out,  leaves  a  hollow  tube  between  the  cir- 
cumvolutions :  it  is  then  cut  with  shears,  every  two  circum- 
volutions, or  turns  of  the  wire,  forming  one  head  ;  these  are 
softenetl  by  throwing  them  into  iron  pans,  and  placing  them 
in  a  furnace  till  they  are  red  hot.  As  soon  as  they  are  cold, 
they  are  distributed  to  children,  who  sit  with  hammers  and 
anvils  before  tliem,  and  catching  one  at  the  extremity,  they 
apply  them  immediately  to  the  anvil  and  hammer,  and  by  a 
motion  or  two  of  the  foot,  the  top  and  the  head  are  fixed  to- 
gether in  much  less  time  than  it  can  be  described,  and  with  a 
dexterity  only  to  be  acquired  by  practice.  The  pin  is  now 
finished  as  to  its  form,  but  still  it  is  merely  brass  ;  it  is  there- 
fore thrown  into  a  copper  containing  a  solution  of  tin  and  the 
lees  of  wine.  Here  it  remains  for  some  time,  and,  when  taken 
out,  assimies  a  white,  though  dull  appearance  :  in  order  there- 
fore to  give  it  a  polish,  it  is  put  into  a  tub  containing  a  quan- 
tity of  bran,  which  is  set  in  motion  by  turning  a  shaft  that 
runs  through  its  centre,  and  thus,  by  means  of  friction,  it 
becomes  perfectly  bright.  The  pin  being  complete,  nothing 
remains  but  to  separate  it  from  the  bran,  which  is  perfectly 
similar  to  the  winnowing  of  corn,  the  bran  flying  off",  and 
leaving  the  pin  behind  it  for  immediate  sale. 

We  must  not  forget  to  present  to  the  reader  some  curious 
particulars  respecting  the  manufacture  of  Needles. — Needles 
make  a  very  considerable  article  in  commerce,  though  there 
is  scarcely  any  commodity  cheaper,  the  consumption  of  them 
being  almost  incredible.  The  sizes  are  from  No.  1 ,  the  largest, 
to  No.  25,  the  smallest.  In  the  manufacture  of  needles,  Ger- 
man and  Hungarian  steel  are  of  most  repute. 

In  the  making  of  them,  the  first  thing  is,  to  pass  the  steel 
through  a  coal  fire,  and  under  a  hammer,  to  bring  it  out  of 
its  square  figure  into  a  cylindrical  one.  This  done,  it  is  drawn 
thpough  a  large  hole  of  a  wire-drawing  iron,  and  returned  into 
the  fire,  iind  drawn  through  a  second  hole  of  the  iron,  smaller 
than  the  first;  and  thus  successively  from  hole  to  hole,  till  it 


NEEDLES.  723 

has  acquired  the  degree  of  fineness  required  for  that  species 
of  needles;  observing,  every  time  it  is  to  be  drawn,  that  it 
be  greased  over  vv'ith  lard,  to  render  it  more  manageable. 
The  steel,  thus  reduced  to  a  fine  wire,  is  cut  in  pieces  of  the 
length  of  the  needles  intended.  These  pieces  are  flatted  at 
one  end  on  the  anvil,  by  force  of  a  punclieon  of  well-tempered 
steel,  and  laid  on  a  leaden  block  to  bring  out,  with  another 
puncheon,  the  little  piece  of  steel  remaining  in  the  eye.  The 
corners  are  then  filed  off"  the  square  of  the  heads,  and  a  little 
cavity  filed  on  each  side  of  the  flat  of  the  head  ;  this  done, 
the  point  is  formed  with  a  file,  and  the  whole  filed  over:  they 
are  then  laid  to  heat  red-hot  on  a  long  narrow  iron,  crooked 
at  one  end,  in  a  charcoal  fire;  and  when  taken  out  thence, 
are  thrown  into  a  bason  of  cold  water  to  harden^  On  this 
operation  a  good  deal  depends  ;  too  much  heat  burns  them, 
and  too  little  leaves  them  soft;  the  medium  is  learned  by  ex- 
perience. When  they  are  thus  hardened,  they  are  laid  in  an 
iron  shovel  on  a  fire  more  or  less  brisk  in  proportion  to  the 
thickness  of  the  needles  ;  taking  care  to  move  them  from  time 
to  time.  This  serves  to  temper  them,  and  take  ofl"  their  brit- 
tleness  ;  great  care  here  too  must  be  taken  of  the  degree  of 
heat.  They  are  then  straightened  one  after  another  with  the 
hammer,  the  coldness  of  the  water  used  in  hardening  them 
having  twisted  the  greatest  part  of  them. 

The  next  process  is  the  polishing  of  them.  To  do  this, 
they  take  12,000  or  15,000  needles,  and  range  them  in  little 
heaps  against  each  other,  on  a  piece  of  new  buckram  sprinkled 
with  emery-dust.  The  needles  being  thur,  disposed,  emery-dust 
is  thrown  over  them,  which  is  again  sprinkled  with  ail  of  olives  ; 
at  last  the  whole  is  made  up  into  a  roll,  well  bound  at  both 
ends.  This  roll  is  then  laid  on  a  polishing  table,  and  over  it 
a  thick  plank  loaded  with  stones,  which  two  men  work  back- 
wards and  forwards  a  day  and  a  half,  or  two  days,  successively; 
by  which  means  the  roll  thus  continually  agitated  by  the 
weight  and  motion  of  the  plank  over  it,  the  needles  withinside 
being  rubbed  against  each  other  with  oil  and  emery,  are  insen- 
sibly polished.  After  polishing,  they  are  taken  out,  and  the 
filth  washed  off  them  with  hot  water  and  soap  :  they  are  then 
wiped  in  hot  bran,  a  little  moistened,  placed  with  the  needles 
in  a  round  box  suspended  in  the  air  by  a  cord,  which  is  kept 
stirring  till  the  bran  and  needles  are  dry.  The  needles  thus 
wiped  in  two  or  three  different  brans,  are  taken  out  and  put 
in  wooden  vessels,  to  have  the  good  separated  from  those 
whose  points  or  eyes  have  been  broken  either  in  polishing  or 
wiping;  the  points  are  then  all  turned  the  same  way,  and 
smoothed  with  an  emery-stone  turned  with  a  wheel.  This 
o[)eration  finishes  them,  and  there  remains  nothing  but  to 
make  them  into  packets. 


724  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING  THE   ARTS. 

Needles  were  first  made  in  England  by  a  native  of  India,  in 
1645,  but  the  art  was  lost  at  his  death  ;  it  was,  however,  re- 
covered by  Christopher  Greening,  in  1560,  who  was  settled, 
with  his  three  children,  Elizabeth,  John,  and  Thomas,  by 
Dr.  Damar,  ancestor  of  the  present  Lord  Milton,  at  Long 
Crendon,  in  Bucks,  where  the  manufactory  has  been  carried 
on  from  that  time  to  the  present  day. 

Curiosities  respecting  Shoes. — Among  the  Jews,  shoes 
were  made  of  leather,  linen,  rush,  or  wood;  those  of  soldiers 
were  sometimes  of  brass  or  iron.  They  were  tied  with  thongs, 
which  passed  under  the  soles  of  the  feet.  To  put  off  their 
shoes,  was  an  act  of  veneration ;  it  was  also  a  sign  of  mourning 
and  humiliation  :  to  bear  one's  shoes,  or  to  untie  the  latchets 
of  them,  was  considered  as  the  meanest  service,  as  appears  in 
the  Baptist's  declaration  of  his  own  inferiority  to  Christ. 

Among  the  Greeks,  shoes  of  various  kinds  were  used. 
Sandals  were  worn  by  women  of  distinction.  The  Lacedemo- 
nians wore  red  shoes.  The  Grecian  shoes  generally  reached 
to  the  middle  of  the  leg.  The  Romans  used  two  kinds  of  shoes: 
the  calceus,  which  covered  the  whole  foot,  somewhat  like  our 
shoes,  and  was  tied  above  with  latchets  or  strings;  and  the  solea, 
or  slipper,  which  covered  only  the  sole  of  the  foot,  and  was 
fastened  with  leathern  thongs.  The  calceus  was  always  worn 
along  with  the  toga,  when  a  person  went  abroad  :  slippers 
were  put  on  during  a  journey,  and  at  feasts,  but  it  was  reckoned 
effeminate  to  appear  in  public  with  them.  Black  shoes  were 
worn  by  the  citizens  of  ordinary  rank,  and  white  ones  by  the 
women.  Red  shoes  were  sometimes  worn  by  the  ladies,  and 
purj)le  ones  by  the  coxcombs  of  the  other  sex.  Red  shoes  were 
put  on  by  the  chief  magistrates  of  Rome,  on  days  of  ceremony 
and  triumphs.  The  shoes  of  senators,  patricians,  and  their 
children,  had  a  crescent  upon  them,  which  served  for  a  buckle; 
these  were  called  calcei  lunati.  Slaves  wore  no  shoes ;  hence 
they  were  called  cietori,  from  their  dusty  feet.  Phocion  also, 
and  Cato  Uticensis,  went  without  shoes.  The  toes  of  the 
Roman  shoes  were  turned  up  in  the  point;  hence  they  were 
called  calcei  rust  rati,  repandi,  &c. 

In  the  ninth  and  tenth  centuries,  the  greatest  princes  of 
Europe  wore  wooden  shoes,  or  the  upper  part  of  leather,  and 
the  sole  of  wood.  In  the  reign  of  William  Rufus,  a  great 
beau,  Robert,  surnamed  The  Horned,  used  shoes  with  long 
sharp  j)oints,  stuffed  with  tow,  and  twisted  like  a  ram's  horn. 
It  is  said,  the  clergy  being  highly  offended,  declaimed  against 
ihe  long-pointed  shoes  with  great  vehemence.  The  points, 
however,  continued  to  increase,  till,  in  the  reign  of  Richard 
II.  they  were  of  so  enormous  a  length,  that  they  were  tied  to 
knees  with  chains,  sometimes  of  gold,  sometimes  of  silver 


VARIETY   OF    FASHIONS  IN    SHCES.  725 

The  upper  parts  of  these  shoes,  in  Chaucer's  time,  were  cut  iu 
imitation  of  a  church  window.  The  long-pointed  shoes  were 
called  crackowes,  and  continued  in  fashion  for  three  centuries, 
in  spite  of  the  hulls  of  popes,  the  decrees  of  councils,  and  the 
declamations  of  the  clergy.  At  length  the  parliament  of 
England  interposed,  by  an  act  A.  D.  1463,  prohibiting  the  use 
of  shoes  or  boots  with  pikes  exceeding  two  inches  in  length, 
and  prohibiting  all  shoemakers  from  making  shoes  or  boots 
with  longer  pikes,  under  severe  penalties.  But  even  this  was 
not  sufficient :  it  was  necessary  to  denounce  the  dreadful 
sentence  of  excommunication  against  all  who  wore  shoes  or 
boots  with  points  longer  than  two  inches.  The  present 
fashion  of  shoes  was  introduced  in  1633,  but  the  buckle  was 
not  used  till  1670. 

In  Norway,  they  use  shoes  of  a  particular  construction,  con- 
sisting of  two  pieces,  and  without  heels  ;  in  which  the  upper- 
leather  sits  close  to  the  foot,  the  sole  being  joined  to  it  by 
many  plates  or  folds. 

The  siioes  or  slippers  of  the  Japanese,  as  we  are  informed 
by  Professor  Thunberg,  are  made  of  rice-straw,  woven  ;  but 
sometimes,  for  people  of  distinction,  of  fine  slips  of  ratan. 
The  shoe  consists  of  a  sole,  without  upper-leather  or  hind- 
piece  :  forwards,  it  is  crossed  by  a  strap,  of  the  thickness  of 
one's  finger,  which  is  lined  with  linen;  from  the  tip  of  the 
shoe  to  the  strap,  a  cylindrical  string  is  carried,  which  passes 
between  the  great  and  second  toe,  and  keeps  the  shoe  fast  on 
the  foot.  As  these  shoes  have  no  hind-piece,  they  make  a 
noise,  when  people  walk  in  them,  like  slippers.  When  the 
Japanese  travel,  their  shoes  are  furnished  with  three  strings 
made  of  twisted  straw,  with  which  they  are  tied  to  the  legs 
and  feet,  to  prevent  them  from  falling.  Some  people  carry 
one  or  more  pairs  of  shoes  with  them  on  their  journeys,  in 
order  to  put  on  new  when  the  old  ones  are  worn  out.  When 
it  rains,  or  the  roads  are  very  dirty,  these  shoes  are  soon 
wetted  through;  and  a  great  number  of  worn-out  shoes  are 
continually  seen  lying  on  the  roads,  especially  near  the  brooks, 
where  travellers  have  changed  their  shoes  after  washing  their 
feet. 

Instead  of  these,  in  rainy  or  dirty  weather,  tiiey  wear  high 
wooden  clogs,  which  underneath  are  hollowed  out  in  the 
middle,  and  at  top  have  a  band  across,  like  a  stirrup,  and 
a  string  for  the  great  toe;  so  that  they  can  walk  without 
soiling  their  feet.  Some  of  them  have  their  straw  shoes 
fastened  to  these  wooden  clogs.  The  Japanese  never  enter 
their  houses  with  their  shoes  on  ;  but  leave  them  in  the  entry, 
or  place  them  on  the  bench  near  the  door,  and  thus  are 
always  barefooted  in  their  houses,  so  as  not  to  dirty  their 
neat  mats. 


726  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   THE  ARTS. 

Great  Bell  of  Moscow.  From  Dr.  Clarke's  Travels. — 
"  The  great  bell  of  Moscow,  known  to  be  the  largest  ever 
founded,  is  in  a  deep  pit  in  the  midst  of  the  Kremlin.  The 
history  of  its  fall  is  a  fable  ;  and  as  writers  are  accustomed  to 
copy  each  other,  the  story  continues  to  be  propagated.  The 
fact  is,  the  bell  remains  in  the  place  where  it  was  originally 
cast.  It  never  was  suspended  ;  the  Russians  might  as  well 
attempt  to  suspend  a  first-rate  line-of-battle  ship,  with  all  her 
guns  and  stores.  A  fire  took  place  in  the  Kremlin ;  the 
flames  caught  the  building  erected  over  the  pit  where  the  bell 
yet  remains;  in  consequence  of  this,  the  bell  became  hot, 
and  water  being  thrown  to  extinguish  the  fire,  fell  upon  the 
bell,  causing  the  fracture  which  has  taken  place.  The  bell 
reaches  from  the  bottom  of  the  cave  to  the  roof.  The  en- 
trance is  by  a  trap-door,  placed  even  with  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  We  found  the  steps  very  dangerous  ;  some  were  want- 
ing, and  others  broken.  In  consequence  of  this,  I  had  a 
severe  fall  down  the  whole  extent  of  the  first  flight,  and  a 
narrow  escape  for  my  life,  in  not  having  my  skull  fractured 
upon  the  bell.  After  this  accident,  a  sentinel  was  placed  at 
the  trap-door,  to  prevent  people  becoming  victims  to  their 
curiosity.  He  might  have  been  as  well  employed  in  mending 
the  ladders,  as  in  waiting  all  day  to  say  they  were  broken. 
The  bell  is  truly  a  mountain  of  metal.  It  is  said  to  contain 
a  very  large  proportion  of  gold  and  silver.  While  it  was  in 
fusion,  the  nobles  and  the  people  cast  in,  as  votive  offerings, 
their  plate  and  money:  I  endeavoured  in  vain  to  assay  a  small 
part:  the  natives  regard  it  with  superstitious  veneration,  and 
they  would  not  allow  even  a  grain  to  be  filed  off".  At  the 
same  time,  it  may  be  said,  the  compound  has  a  white  shining 
appearance,  unlike  bell-metal  in  general;  and,  perhaps,  its 
silvery  aspect  has  strengthened,  if  not  excited,  a  conjecture 
respecting  the  costliness  of  its  constituents. 

"  On  festival  days,  peasants  visit  the  Bell  as  they  would 
resort  to  a  church;  considering  it  an  act  of  devotion,  and 
crossing  themselves  as  they  descend  and  a:-  .  the  steps. 
The  bottom  of  the  pit  is  covered  with  water,  uiau,  and  large 
pieces  of  timber ;  these,  added  to  the  darkness,  render  it 
always  an  unpleasant  and  unwholesome  place  ;  in  addition  to 
the  danger  arising;  from  the  ladders  leadins:  to  the  bottom. 
I  went  frequently  there,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  dimensions 
of  tlie  bell  with  exactness.  To  my  great  surprise,  during  one 
o/  those  visits,  half  a  dozen  Russian  officers,  whom  I  found 
in  the  pit,  agreed  to  assist  me  in  the  admeasurement.  It  so 
nearly  agreed  with  the  account  published  by  Jonas  Hanway, 
that  the  difference  is  not  worth  notice  This  is  somewhat 
remarkable,  considering  the  difficulty  of  exactly  measuring 
what  is   partly  buried  in  the  earth,   and  the  circumference  of 


BELL  OF   MOSCOW,  — MAN   WITH  THE   IRON    MASK.         727 

which  is  not  entire.  No  one,  I  believe,  has  yet  ascertained 
the  size  of  the  base  ;  this  would  afford  still  greater  dimen- 
sions than  those  we  obtained ;  but  it  is  entirely  buried.. 
About  ten  persons  were  present  when  I  measured  the  part 
exposed  to  observation.  We  applied  a  strong  cord  close  to 
the  metal,  in  all  parts  of  its  periphery,  and  round  the  lower 
part,  where  it  touches  the  ground,  taking  care  at  the  same 
time  not  to  stretch  the  cord.  From  the  piece  of  the  bell 
broken  off,  it  was  ascertained  that  we  had  thus  measured 
within  two  feet  of  its  lower  extremity.  The  circumference 
obtained  was  sixty-seven  feet  four  inches;  allowing  a  dia- 
meter of  twenty-two  feet  five  inches,  and  one-third  We  then 
took  the  perpendicular  heioht  from  the  top,  and  found  it  to 
correspond  exactly  with  the  statement  made  by  Hanway; 
namely,  twenty-one  feet  four  inches  and  a  half.  In  the 
stoutest  part,  that  in  which  it  should  have  received  the  blow 
of  the  hammer,  its  thickness  equalled  twenty-three  inches. 
We  were  able  to  ascertain  this,  by  placing  our  hands  under 
water,  where  the  fracture  has  taken  place;  this  is  above  seven 
feet  high  from  the  lip  of  the  bell.  The  weight  of  this 
enormous  mass  of  metal  has  been  computed  to  be  443,772 
cwt.  which,  if  valued  at  three  shillings  a  pound,  amounts  to 
£66,565  16s.  lying  unemployed,  and  of  no  use  to  any  one. 

It  was  founded,  according  to  Augustine,  in  1653,  during 
the  reign  of  Alexis.  (See  Voyage  de  Moscow,  page  117." 
The  Russians  and  people  of  Moscow  maintain,  that  it  was 
cast  during  the  reign  of  their  empress  Anne,  probably  from 
the  female  figure  represented.  Augustine  proves  that  it  is 
larger  than  the  famous  bell  of  Erford,  and  even  than  that  of 
Pekin. 


CHAP.  LXXV. 

CURIOSITIES  IN  HISTORY,  ^c. 

Man  with  the  Iron  Mask. — There  was  a  remarkable 
personage,  so  denominated,  who  existed  as  a  state  prisoner  in 
France  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  circumstances  of  this  person  form  an  historical  enigma, 
which  has  occasioned  much  inquiry,  and  many  conjectures. 
The  authenticated  particulars  concerning  the  Iron  Mask  are 
as  follows  : — A  few  months  after  the  death  of  Cardinal  Maza- 
rin,  there  arrived  at  the  isle  of  Saint  Marguerite,  in  the  sea 
of  Provence,  a  young  prisoner  whose  appearance  was  pecu- 
liarly attracting:  his  person  was  above  the  middle  size,  and 
ftlegantly  formed  •,    his  mien  and  deportment  were  noble,   and 


'28  CURIOSITIES  IN   HISTORY. 

his  manners  graceful;  and  even  the  sound  of  his  voice  Aad 
in  it  something  uncommonly  interesting.  On  the  road  he 
constantly  wore  a  mask  made  with  iron  springs,  to  enable 
him  to  eat  without  taking  it  off.  It  was  at  first  believed  that 
this  mask  was  made  entirely  of  iron,  whence  he  acquired  the 
title  of  The  Man  tvith  the  Iron  Mask.  His  attendants  had  re- 
ceived orders  to  dispatch  him,  if  he  attempted  to  take  off  his 
mask  or  discover  himself.  He  had  been  first  confined  at 
Pignerol,  under  the  care  of  the  governor,  M.  de  St.  Mars  ;  and 
being  sent  thence  to  St.  Marguerite,  he  was  accompanied 
thither  by  the  same  person,  who  continued  to  have  the  charge 
of  him.  He  was  always  treated  with  the  utmost  respect:  he 
was  served  constantly  in  plate ;  and  the  governor  himself 
]daced  his  dishes  on  the  table,  retiring  immediately  after,  and 
locking  the  door  behind  him.  He  tu-to'  yoit  (thee'd  and 
l/ioud)  the  governor ;  who,  on  the  other  hand,  behaved  to 
him  in  the  most  respectful  manner,  and  never  wore  his  hat 
before  him,  nor  ever  sat  down  in  his  presence  without  being 
desired.  The  Marquis  of  Louvoisis,  who  went  to  see  him  at 
St.  Marguerite,  spoke  to  him  standing,  and  with  those  marks 
of  attention  which  denote  high  respect. 

During  his  residence  there,  he  attempted  twice,  in  an  in- 
direct manner,  to  make  himself  known.  One  day  he  wrote 
something  with  his  knife  on  a  plate,  and  threw  it  out  of  his 
window,  to  a  boat  that  was  drawn  on  shore  near  the  foot  of 
the  tower.  A  fishernjan  picked  it  up,  and  carried  it  to  the 
governor.  M.  de  St.  Mars  was  alarmed  at  the  siglit;  and 
asked  the  man  with  great  anxiety,  whether  he  could  read,  and 
N'.liether  any  one  else  had  seen  the  plate?  The  man  answered, 
iliiit  he  could  not  read,  that  he  had  but  just  found  the  plate, 
Hiid  that  no  one  else  had  seen  it.  He  was,  however,  confined 
till  the  governor  was  well  assured  of  the  truth  of  his  as- 
sertions. Another  attempt  to  discover  himself  proved  equally 
unsuccessful.  A  young  man  who  lived  in  the  isle,  one  day 
perceived  something  floating  under  the  prisoner's  window; 
and  on  picking  it  up,  he  discovered  it  to  be  a  very  fine  shirt 
written  all  over.  He  carried  it  inmiediately  to  the  governor; 
who,  having  looked  at  some  parts  of  the  writing,  asked  the 
lad,  with  some  appearance  of  alarm,  if  he  had  not  had  the 
curiosity  to  read  it?  He  protested  repeatedly  that  he  had 
not;  but  two  days  afterwards  he  was  found  dead  in  his  bed. 
The  Masque  de  Fer  remained  in  that  isle  till  1()98,  when 
M.  St.  Mars,  being  promoted  to  the  government  of  the  Bas- 
tile,  conducted  his  prisoner  to  that  fortress.  In  his  way 
thither,  he  stopt  with  him  at  his  estate  near  Palteau.  The 
Mask  arrived  there  in  a  litter,  surrounded  by  a  numerous 
guard  on  horseback.  M.  de  St.  Mars  ate  at  the  same  table 
with  him  all  the  time  they  resided  at  Palteau ;    but  the  latter 


MAN  WITH  THE  IRON    MASK.  729 

was  always  placed  with  his  back  towards  the  windows;  and 
the  peasants,  who  came  to  pay  their  compliments  to  their 
master,  whom  curiosity  kept  constantly  on  the  watch,  observed 
that  M.  de  St.  Mars  always  sat  opposite  to  him,  with  two 
pistols  by  the  side  of  his  plate.  They  were  waited  on  by  one 
servant  only,  who  brought  in  and  carried  out  the  dishes,  al- 
ways carefully  shutting  the  door,  both  in  going  out  and  return- 
ihg.  The  prisoner  was  always  masked,  even  when  he  passed 
through  the  court;  but  the  people  saw  his  teeth  and  lips,  and 
observed  that  his  hair  was  grey.  The  governor  slept  in  the 
same  room  with  him,  in  a  second  bed,  that  was  placed  in  it 
on  that  occasion.  In  the  course  of  his  journey,  the  Mask  was 
one  day  heard  to  ask  his  keeper,  whether  the  king  had  any 
design  on  his  life?  "No,  Prince,"  he  replied;  "  provided  that 
you  quietly  allow  yourself  to  be  conducted,  your  life  is  per- 
fectly secure." 

The  strangei'  was  accommodated  as  well  as  it  was  possible 
to  be  in  the  Bastile.  An  apartment  had  been  prepared  for 
him  by  order  of  the  governor  before  his  arrival,  fitted  up  in 
the  most  convenient  style;  and  every  thing  he  expressed  a 
wish  for,  was  instantly  procured  him.  His  table  was  the  best 
that  could  be  provided,  and  he  was  supplied  with  as  rich  clothes 
as  he  desired  ;  but  his  chief  taste  in  this  last  particular  was 
for  lace,  and  for  linen  remarkably  fine.  He  was  allowed  the  * 
use  of  such  books  as  he  requested,  and  he  spent  much  of  i)is 
time  in  reading.  He  also  amused  himself  with  playing  on  the 
guitar.  He  had  the  liberty  of  going  to  mass  ;  but  was  tiieii 
strictly  forbid  to  speak,  or  uncover  his  face:  orders  were  even 
given  to  the  soldiers  to  fire  upon  him,  if  he  attempted  either; 
and  their  pieces  were  always  pointed  towards  him  as  he  passed 
through  the  court.  When  he  had  occasion  to  see  a  suro-eon 
or  a  physician,  he  was  obliged,  under  pain  of  death,  constantly 
to  wear  his  mask.  An  old  physician  of  the  Bastile,  vviio  had 
often  attended  him  when  he  was  indisposed,  said,  that  he 
never  saw  his  face,  though  he  had  frequently  examined  his 
tongue,  and  different  parts  of  his  body;  and  that  he  never 
complained  of  his  confinement,  nor  let  fall  any  hint,  by  which 
it  might  be  guessed  who  he  was.  He  often  passed  the  night 
in  walking  uj)  and  down  his  room.  This  unfortunate  prince 
died  on  tiie  19th  of  November,  1703,  after  a  short  illness  ;  and 
was  interred  next  day,  in  the  burying-place  of  the  parish  of  St. 
Paul.  The  expense  of  his  funeral  amounted  only  to  forty  livres. 
The  name  given  him  was  Marchiali;  and  even  his  age,  as  well 
as  his  real  name,  it  seemed  of  importance  to  conceal,  for  in 
the  register  made  of  his  funeral,  it  was  mentioned  that  he  was 
about  forty  years  old,  though  he  had  told  his  apothecary,  some 
time  before  his  death,  that  he  thought  he  must  be  sixty. 
Immediately  after  his  death,  Jiis  apparel,  linen    clothes,  mat* 

.-51  4  Z 


''30  CURIOSITIES   IN    HISTORY. 

tresses,  and  in  short,  every  thing  that  had  been  used  by  him, 
were  burnt ;  the  walls  of  his  room  were  scraped,  and  the  floor 
taken  up,  evidently  from  the  apprehension  that  he  might  have 
found  means  of  writing  somethin":  that  would  have  discovered 
who  he  was.  Nay,  such  was  the  fear  of  his  having  left  a 
letter,  or  any  mark  which  might  lead  to  a  discovery,  that  his 
plate  was  melted  down;  the  glass  was  taken  out  of  the  win- 
dow of  his  room,  and  pounded  to  dust;  the  window-frames 
and  doors  burnt;  and  the  ceiling  of  the  room,  and  the  plaster 
of  the  inside  of  the  chimney,  demolished. 

Several  writers  have  affirmed,  that  the  body  of  this  unfor- 
tunate personage  was  buried  without  a  head;  and  M.  de  St. 
Foix  informs  us,  in  his  Essais  Historiques,  that  "  a  gentleman 
having  bribed  the  sexton,  had  the  body  taken  up  in  the  night, 
but  found  a  stone  instead  of  the  head."  The  natural  inference 
from  these  extraordinary  accounts,  is,  that  the  Iron  Mask 
was  not  only  a  person  of  high  birth,  but  that  he  must  have 
been  of  great  consequence;  and  that  his  being  concealed  was 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  king  and  ministry. 

Among  the  various  conjectures  that  have  been  formed,  con- 
cerning the  real  name  and  condition  of  this  remarkable  man, 
none  appears  to  have  any  probability  except  the  following  : — 
That  he  was  a  son  of  Anne  of  Austria,  queen  to  Louis  XIII. 
and  consequently  that  he  was  a  brother  of  Louis  XIV;  but 
whether  a  bastard-brother,  a  brother-german,  or  a  half-brother, 
is  a  question  that  has  given  rise  to  three  several  opinions, 
viz.  1.  That  the  queen  proved  with  child  at  a  time  when  it 
was  evident  it  could  not  have  been  by  her  husband,  who,  for 
some  months  before,  had  never  been  with  her  in  private.  The 
supposed  father  of  this  child  is  said  to  have  been  the  duke  of 
Buckingham,  who  came  to  France,  in  May,  1625,  to  conduct 
the  princess  Henrietta,  wife  of  Charles  I.  to  England.  The 
private  letters  and  memoirs  of  those  times  speak  very  suspi- 
ciously of  the  Queen  and  Buckingham :  his  behaviour  at 
Amiens,  whither  the  queen  and  queen-mother  accompanied 
the  princess  in  her  way  to  Boulogne,  occasioned  much  whis- 
pering ;  and  it  appears,  that  the  king,  on  this  occasion,  was 
extremely  offended  at  her,  and  that  it  required  all  the  influence 
and  address  of  the  queen-mother  to  effect  a  reconciliation.  It 
is  said,  that  this  child  was  privately  brought  up  in  the  country  ; 
that  when  Mazarin  became  a  favourite,  he  was  entrusted  witli 
the  care  of  him;  and  that  Louis  XIV.  having  discovered  the 
secret  on  the  death  of  the  cardinal,  thought  it  necessary  to 
confine  him  in  the  manner  above  related. 

The  second,  and  the  most  probable  opinion,  is,  that  he  was 
the  twin-brother  of  Louis  XIV.  born  some  hours  after  him 
This  opinion  first  appeared  in  a  short  anonymous  work,  pub- 
lished  without  date,  or  name  of  place,  or  printer.     It  is  therein 


MAN   WITH  THE   IRON   MASK.  731 

Laid,  "  Louis  XIV.  was  born  at  St.  Germains-en-Laye,  on  the 
5th  of  September,  1638,  about  noon;  and  the  illustrious  pri- 
soner, known  by  the  appellation  of  the  Iron  Mask,  was 
born  the  same  day,  while  Louis  XIII.  was  at  supper.  The 
kinij  and  the  cardinal,  fearino  that  the  pretensions  of  a  twin- 
brother  mii^ht  one  day  be  employed  to  renew  those  civil  wars 
with  which  France  had  been  so  often  afflicted,  cautiously 
concealed  his  birth,  and  sent  him  away,  to  be  brought  up  pri- 
vately." This  opinion  was  confirmed,  in  a  work,  entitled, 
Memoires  de  Mareclial  Due  de  Richelieu,  written  by  the  Abbe 
Soulavie ;  in  which  it  is  asserted,  that  "The  birth  of  the 
prisoner  happened  in  the  evening  of  the  5th  September,  1638, 
in  presence  of  the  chancellor,  the  bishop  of  Meaux,  the  author 
of  the  MS.  a  midwife,  named  Peronete,  and  a  sieur  Honorat." 
This  circumstance  greatly  disturbed  the  king's  mind  ;  he  ob- 
served, that  the  Salic  law  had  made  no  provision  for  such 
a  case.  By  the  advice  of  cardinal  Richelieu,  it  was  therefore 
resolved  to  conceal  his  birth,  but  to  preserve  his  life,  in  case, 
by  the  death  of  his  brother,  it  should  be  necessary  to  avow 
him.  A  declaration  was  drawn  up,  and  signed  and  sworn  to 
by  all  present ;  in  which  every  circumstance  was  mentioned, 
and  several  marks  on  his  body  described.  This  document 
being  sealed  by  the  chancellor  with  the  royal  seal,  was  deli- 
vered to  the  king ;  and  all  took  an  oath  never  to  speak  on  the 
subject,  not  even  in  private  and  among  themselves.  The 
child  was  delivered  to  the  care  of  Madame  Peronete,  to  be 
under  the  direction  of  cardinal  Richelieu,  at  whose  death  the 
charge  devolved  to  cardinal  Mazarin.  Mazarin  appointed  the 
author  of  the  MS.  his  governor,  and  entrusted  to  him  the 
care  of  his  education.  But  as  the  prisoner  was  extremely 
attached  to  Madame  Peronete,  and  she  equally  so  to  him,  she 
remained  with  him  till  her  death.  His  governor  carried  him 
to  his  house  in  Burgundy,  where  he  paid  the  greatest  attention 
to  his  education. 

As  the  prisoner  grew  up,  he  became  impatient  to  discover 
his  birth,  and  often  importuned  his  governor  on  that  subject. 
His  cur-iosity  had  been  roused,  by  observing  that  messengers 
from  the  court  frequently  arrived  at  the  house  ;  and  a  box, 
containing  letters  from  the  queen  and  the  cardinal,  having 
one  day  been  inadvertently  left  out,  he  opened  it,  and  saw 
enough  to  guess  at  the  secret.  From  that  time  he  became 
thouglitfid  and  melancholy,  which,  (says  the  author.)  I  could 
not  then  account  for.  He  shortly  after  asked  me  to  get  him 
a  portrait  of  the  late  and  present  king;  but  I  put  him  off,  by 
saying,  that  I  could  not  procure  any  that  were  good.  He 
then  desired  me  to  let  him  go  to  Dijon  ;  whicii  I  have  known 
since  was  with  an  intention  of  seeinii:  a  jiortrait  of  the  k/ng 
there,  and  of  going  secretly  to  St.  John  de  Las,  where  the 


'*32  CURIOSITIES   IN    HISTORY. 

court  then  was,  on  occasion  of  the  marriage  with  the  Infanta. 
He  was  beautiful,  and  love  helped  him  to  accomplish  his 
wishes.  He  had  captivated  the  affections  of  a  young  house- 
keeper, who  procured  him  a  portrait  of  the  king.  It  might 
have  served  for  either  of  the  brothers;  and  the  discovery  put 
him  into  so  violent  a  passion,  that  he  immediately  came  to  ra<» 
with  the  portrait  in  his  hand,  saying,  Voi/a  mon  frere,  et  voila 
qui  je  siiis,  shewing  me  at  liie  same  time  a  letter  of  the  cardi- 
nal de  Mazarin  that  he  had  taken  out  of  the  box  !"  Upon  this 
discovery,  his  governor  immediately  sent  an  express  to  court, 
to  communicate  what  had  happened,  and  to  desire  new  in- 
structions; the  consequence  of  which  was,  that  the  governor, 
and  the  young  prince  under  his  care,  were  arrested  and  con- 
fined. The  author  of  this  memoir  concludes,  "  I  have  suffered 
with  him  in  our  common  prison  :  I  am  now  summoned  to 
appear  before  my  Judge  on  high  ;  and  for  the  ])eace  of  my 
soul,  I  cannot  but  make  this  declaration,  which  may  point 
out  to  him  the  means  of  freeing  himself  from  his  present  igno- 
minious situation,  in  case  the  king  his  brother  should  die 
without  children.  Can  an  extorted  oath  compel  me  to  observe 
secrecy  on  a  thing  so  incredible,  but  which  ought  to  be  left 
on  record  to  posterity?" 

The  third  opinion  is,  that  he  was  a  son  of  tlie  queen  by 
cardinal  Mazarin,  born  about  a  year  after  the  death  of  her 
husband,  Louis  XIII.;  that  he  was  brought  up  secretly;  and 
that,  soon  after  the  death  of  the  cardinal,  on  the  9th  of  March, 
1661,  he  was  sent  to  Pignerol.  To  this  account  Father  Grif- 
fet  justly  objects,  "  that  it  was  needless  to  mask  a  face  that 
was  unknown  ;  and  therefore  this  opinion  does  not  merit 
discussion." — {Traite  de  la  Verite  de  I'Histoire,  p.  318.) 
Indeed,  it  seems  totally  unaccountable,  that  so  much  care 
should  have  been  taken  to  conceal  a  child  of  the  queen  by  the 
cardinal,  who,  whether  they  were  privately  married  or  not, 
could  never  have  had  the  most  distant  claim  to  the  crown  of 
France.  The  conjectures  advanced  by  other  authors,  that  he 
was  the  duke  of  Monmouth's,  the  count  of  Vermandois',  or 
the  duke  of  Beaufort's,  &c.  are  still  more  improbable. 


CHAP.   LXXVI. 
CURIOSITIES  IN  HISTORY,  ETC. — (Continued.) 

Gipsies. — Mr.  Lyons,  m  his  entertaining  work  of  the 
Environs  of  London,  has  given  the  following  curious  account 
of  the  Queen  of  the  Gipsies,  and  the  extraordinary  people 
under  her  dominion. 


GIPSIES.  733 

From  tne  register  of  the  parish  of  Bockenham,  in  Kent ; 
extract:  '  Margaret  Finch,  buried  October  24,  1740.'— "This 
remarkable  person  lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  nine 
years.  She  was  one  of  the  people  called  Gipsies;  and  had 
from  them  the  title  of  Queen.  After  travelling  over  various 
parts  of  the  kingdom,  during  the  greater  part  of  a  century, 
she  settled  at  Norwood,  whither  her  age,  and  the  fame  of  her 
fortune-telling,  attracted  numerous  visitors.  From  a  habit  of 
sitting  on  the  ground  with  her  chin  resting  on  her  knees,  the 
sinews  at  length  became  so  contracted,  that  she  could  not 
rise  from  that  posture.  After  her  death,  they  were  obliged  to 
enclose  her  body  in  a  deep  square  box.  Her  funeral  was 
attended  by  two  mourning  coaches,  a  sermon  was  preached  on 
the  occasion,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people  attended  the 
ceremony.  Her  portrait  adorns  the  sign-post  of  a  house  of 
entertainment  in  Norwood,  called  the  Gipsy-House.  In  an 
adjoining  cottage  lives  an  old  woman,  grand- daughter  of 
queen  Margaret,  who  inherits  her  title.  She  is  niece  of  queen 
Bridget,  who  was  buried  at  Dulwich,  in  1768.  Her  rank 
seems  to  be  merely  titular:  I  do  not  find  that  the  gypsies  pay 
her  any  particular  deference  ;  or  that  she  differs  in  any  other 
respect  from  the  rest  of  her  tribe,  than  that  of  being  a  house- 
holder." To  the  above  he  adds  some  leading:  facts  concerning 
this  extraordinary  race  of  people,  who  are  scattered  over  most 
narts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America. 

"  The  gipsies,  (continues  he,)  in  most  places  on  the  Continent 
are  called  Cingari,  or  Zitigari :  the  Spaniards  call  them  Gitanos. 
It  is  not  certain  A'hen  they  fiist  appeared  in  Europe;  but 
mention  is  made  of  them,  in  Hungary  and  Germany,  so  early 
as  the  year  1417.  Within  ten  years  afterwards,  they  made 
their  appearance  in  France,  Switzerland,  and  Italy.  The  date 
of  their  arrival  in  England  is  more  uncertain  :  it  is  most  pro- 
bable, that  it  was  not  till  nearly  a  century  afterwards.  In  the 
year  1530,  they  are  thus  spoken  of  in  the  penal  statutes 
'  Forasmuch  as  before  this  time,  divers  and  many  outlandish 
people,  calling  themselves  Egyptians,  using  no  craft  nor  feat 
of  merchandise,  have  come  into  this  realm,  and  gone  from 
shire  to  shire,  and  from  place  to  place,  in  great  companies,  and 
used  great  subtilty  and  crafty  means  to  deceive  the  people  ; 
bearing  them  in  hand,  that  they,  by  palmistry,  could  tell 
men's  and  women's  fortunes  ;  and  so,  many  times,  by  craft  and 
subtilty,  have  deceived  the  people  of  their  money  ;  and  also 
have  committed  many  heinous  felonies  and  robberies,  to 
the  great  hurt  and  deceit  of  the  people  they  have  come 
among,  &c.' 

"  It  was  afterwards  made  death  to  them  to  continue  in  the 
kingdom;  and  it  remains  on  record,  that  thirteen  were  exe- 
cuted for  a  violation  of  this  law,  a  few  years  before  the  Resto- 


734  CURIOSITIES  IN    HISTORY. 

ration  :  nor  was  this  cruel  act  repealed  till  about  the  year 

"  The  gipsies  were  expelled  from  France  in  1560,  and  from 
Spain  in  1591;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  they  have  been 
entirely  extirpated  in  any  country.  Their  collective  numbers, 
in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  have  been  calculated  at 
seven  or  eight  hundred  thousand.  They  are  most  numerous 
in  Asia,  and  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe.  Various  have 
been  the  opinions  relating  to  their  origin.  That  they  came 
from  Eoypt  has  been  the  most  prevalent.  This  opinion 
(which  has  procured  them  here  the  name  of  Gipsies,  and  in 
Spain  that  of  Gitanos.)  arose,  from  some  of  the  first  who  arrived 
in  Europe,  pretending  that  they  came  from  that  country; 
which  assertion  they  made,  perhaps,  to  heighten  their  reputa- 
tion for  skill  in  palmistry*  and  the  occult  sciences.  It  is 
now,  I  believe,  pretty  generally  agreed,  that  they  came  origi- 
nally from  Hindostan  ;  since  their  language  so  far  coincides 
with  the  Hindostanic,  that  even  now,  after  a  lapse  of  more 
than  three  centuries,  during  which  they  have  been  dispersed 
in  various  foreign  countries,  nearly  one  half  of  their  words 
are  precisely  those  of  Hindostan  ;  and  scarcely  any  variation 
is  to  be  found  in  vocabularies  procured  from  the  gipsies  in 
Turkey,  Hungary,  Germany,  and  those  in  England. 

"  Their  manners,  for  the  most  part,  coincide,  as  well  as 
their  language,  in  every  quarter  of  the  world  where  they  are 
found;  being  the  same  idle,  vvanderino*  race  of  beings,  and 
seldom  professing  any  ostensible  mode  of  livelihood,  except 
that  of  fortune-telling.  Though  they  are  no  great  frequenters 
either  of  mosques  or  churches,  they  generally  conform  to  rites 
and  ceremonies  as  they  find  them  established. 

"  Upon  the  whole,  we  may  certainly  agree  with  Grellman, 
who  has  written  their  history,  by  regarding  them  as  a  singular 
phenomenon  in  Europe.  For  the  space  of  between  three  or 
four  hundred  years,  they  have  gone  wandering  about  like 
pilgrims  and  strangers,  yet  neither  time  nor  example  has  made 
in  them  any  alteration  :  they  remain  ever,  and  every  where, 
what  their  fathers  were.  Africa  makes  them  no  blacker,  nor 
does  Europe  make  them  whiter." 

It  is  not  the  least  singular  feature  in  the  history  of  this 
wandering  and  vagabond  race,  that  they  should  have  so  long 
maintained  their  credit  for  foretelling  events,  when  the  fallacy 
of  their  predictions  must  have  been  so  often  experienced,  and 
their  ignorance  and  want  of  principle  so  well  known.  What 
reliance  can  be  placed  on  the  oracular  decisions  of  a  man,  who 
has  not  sufficient  foresight  of  his  own  affairs,  to  escape  the 
hands  of  justice  for  robbing  a  hen-roost? 

*  Palmistry  is  the  pieteiuled  art  of  telling  the  future  events  of  men's 
lives  by  the  lines  in  their  bands. 


GIPSIES.  736 

The  desire  of  prying  into  futurity  seems  to  be  a  natural  pro- 
pensity in  the  human  mind.  In  the  ancient  world,  the  con- 
sultation of  oracles,  soothsayers,  and  augurs,  divining  by  the 
flight  of  birds,  the  entrails  of  the  victims,  or  the  feeding  of 
chickens,  were  so  many  efforts  of  a  weak  endeavour  to  with- 
draw that  veil,  which  in  mercy  is  appointed  to  conceal  from 
our  view  the  events  that  are  to  befal  us. 

In  modern  times,  the  impudent  pretensions  of  astrologers, 
conjurers,  and  fortune-tellers,  have  deluded  the  credulous, 
even  of  that  rank,  in  which  men  should  set  a  more  rational 
example.  About  sixty  years  ago,  a  celebrated  professor  of 
this  dark  science  lived  in  London,  in  a  place  called  Frying- 
pan  Alley;  and  crowds  of  carriages  were  daily  seen  waiting  in 
the  neighbourhood,  whilst  the  artful  impostor  was  distributing 
different  allotments  to  their  owners,  according  to  his  arbitrary 
caprice,  or  what  he  thought  would  bring  most  money  into 
his  purse. 

The  following  account  is  taken  from  a  Liverpool  weekly 
magazine,  entitled  '  The  Freeman,'  published  some  years 
since  : — 

"  Of  late  years  some  attempts  have  been  made  to  reduce  the 
numbers,  or  at  any  rate  to  civilize  the  habits,  of  that  vagabond 
and  useless  race,  the  gipsies.  In  pursuance  of  such  purpose, 
a  society  of  gentlemen  have  been  making  all  the  preliminary 
inquiries  requisite  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  subject. 
A  series  of  questions  have  been  proposed  to  competent  per- 
sons in  the  different  counties  of  England  and  Scotland  ;  and 
answers  have  been  received.  The  following  are  specimens  of 
these  replies : 

"  1.  All  gipsies  believe  that  Egypt  was  the  residence  of  their 
most  remote  ancestors, 

"2.  They  cannot  form  any  idea  of  their  number  in  Eng- 
land. 

"3.  The  gipsies  of  Bedfordshire,  Hertfordshire,  some  parts  of 
Buckinghamshire,  Cambridgeshire,  and  Huntingdonshire,  are 
continually  making  revolutions  within  the  ranges  of  those 
counties. 

"4.  They  are  either  ignorant  of  the  number  of  gipsies  in  the 
counties  thiough  which  they  travel,  or  unwilling  to  disclose 
their  knowledge. 

"5.  The  most  common  names  are  Smith,  Cooper,  Draper, 
Taylor,  Boswell,  Lee,  Lovel,  Loversedge,  Allen,  Mansfield, 
Glover,  Williams,  Carew,  Martin,  Stanley,  Buckley,  Plunkett, 
and  Corrie. 

"  6.  and  7.  The  gangs  in  different  towns  have  not  any  regular 
connection  or  organization  ;  but  those  who  take  up  their  win- 
ter quarters  in  the  same  city  or  town,  appear  to  have  some 
knowledge   of  the  different  routes  each  horde  will   pursue; 


VWIVER8/T 


736  CURIOSITIES  IN   HISTORY. 

probablv  with  a  desire  to  prevent  interference  with  each 
other. 

"  8.  In  the  county  of  Herts,  it  is  computed  there  may  be 
sixty  families,  having  many  children.  Whether  they  are 
quite  so  numerous  in  Buckinghamshire,  Bedfordshire,  and 
Northamptonshire,  the  answers  are  not  sufficiently  definite  to 
determine.  In  Cambridgeshire,  Oxfordshire,  Warwickshire, 
Wiltshire,  and  Dorsetshire,  greater  numbers  are  calculated 
upon.  In  various  counties,  the  attention  has  not  been  com- 
petent to  the  procuring  data  for  any  estimate  of  families  or 
individuals. 

"  9.  More  than  half  their  number  follow  no  business  :  some 
are  dealers  in  horses  and  asses  :  while  others  profess  them- 
selves to  be  farriers,  smiths,  tinkers,  braziers,  grinders  of 
cutlery,  basket-makers,  chair-bottomers,  and  musicians. 

"  10.  The  children  are  brought  up  in  the  habits  of  their 
parents,  particularly  to  music  and  dancing,  and  are  of  dis- 
solute habits. 

"11.  The  women  mostly  carry  baskets  with  trinkets  and 
small  wares  ;  and  tell  fortunes. 

"  12.  They  are  too  ignorant  to  have  acquired  accounts  of 
genealogy,  and  perhaps  indisposed  by  the  irregularity  of  their 
habits. 

"  13.  In  most  counties  there  are  particular  situations  to 
which  they  are  partial.  There  is  a  marsh,  near  Newbury  in 
Berkshire,  much  frequented  by  them;  and  Dr.  Clark  states, 
that  in  Cambridgeshire,  their  principal  rendezvous  is  near  the 
western  villages. 

"  14.  It  cannot  be  ascertained  whether  this  attachment  to 
particular  places  has  prevailed  from  their  first  coming  into 
the  nation. 

"  15,  16,  and  17.  When  among  strangers,  they  elude  inquiries 
respecting  their  peculiar  language,  calling  it  Gibberish.  They 
know  of  no  person  that  can  write  it,  or  of  any  written  speci- 
men of  it. 

*'  18.  Their  habits  and  customs  in  a.,  places  are  peculiar. 

"  19.  Those  who  profess  any  religion,  represent  it  to  be  that 
of  the  country  in  which  they  reside:  but  their  description  of 
it  seldom  goes  beyond  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer;  and  only 
a  few  of  them  are  capable  of  that.  Instances  of  their  attend- 
ing any  place  for  worship  are  very  rare. 

"  20.  They  marry  for  the  most  part  by  pledging  to  each 
"Uier,  without  any  ceremony.  A  few  exceptions  have  occurred, 
Mlien  money  was  plentiful. 

"21.  They  do  not  teach  their  children  religion. 

"  22,  and  23.  Not  one  in  a  thousand  can  read." 


FREE  MASONS.  737 

CHAP.  LXXVIl. 

CURIOSITIES  IN  HISTORY,  ETC. — (Continued.) 

Free  and  accepted  Masons. — This  very  ancient  society 
is  so  called,  either  from  some  extraordinary  knowledge  of 
masonry,  of  which  they  are  supposed  to  be  masters,  or  because 
the  first  founders  of  the  society  were  persons  of  this  pro- 
fession. They  are  now  very  considerable,  both  on  account 
of  their  numbers,  and  the  rank  they  hold  in  society,  being 
found  in  every  country  in  Europe,  as  well  as  North  America; 
and  they  consist  principally  of  persons  of  merit  and  con- 
sideration. They  make  no  small  pretensions  to  antiquity,  for 
they  claim  a  standing  of  some  thousands  of  years.  What  the 
design  of  their  institution  is,  seems  still  in  some  measure 
a  secret :  the  members  are  said  to  be  admitted  into  the 
fraternity  by  being  put  in  possession  of  a  great  number  of 
secrets, called  the  mason^s  word,  \vh\ch  have  been  religiously  kept 
from  age  to  a^e.  In  a  treatise  on  Masonry,  published  in 
1792,  by  William  Preston,  master  of  the  Lodge  of  Antiquity, 
the  origin  of  masonry  is  traced  from  the  creation.  "  Ever 
since  symmetry  began,  and  harmony  displayed  her  charms, 
(says  he,)  our  order  has  had  a  being."  By  other  accounts  the 
antiquity  of  masonry  has  only  been  traced  as  far  back  as  the 
building  of  Solomon's  temple. 

In  Dr.  Henry's  history  of  Great  Britain,  we  find  the  origin 
of  the  Free  INIason  Society  attributed  to  the  difficulty  found 
in  former  times  to  procure  workmen  to  build  tlie  vast  number 
of  churches,  monasteries,  and  other  religious  edifices,  which 
either  the  pretended  piety  or  the  superstition  of  those  ages 
prompted  the  people  to  raise.  Hence  the  masons  were  greatly 
favoured  by  the  popes,  and  many  indulgences  were  granted, 
to  augment  their  numbers.  In  those  times,  it  may  well  be 
supposed,  that  such  encouragement  from  the  supreme  pastors 
of  the  church  must  have  been  productive  of  the  most  bene- 
ficial results  to  the  fraternity;  and  hence  the  society  rapidly 
increased.  An  ancient  author,  who  was  well  acquainted  with 
their  history  and  constitution,  says,  "The  Italians,  with  some 
Greek  refugees, and  with  them  French,  Germans,  and  Flemings, 
joined  into  a  fraternity  of  architects,  procuring  papal  bulls 
for  their  encouragement;  they  styled  themselves  Free  JMasons, 
and  ranged  from  one  nation  to  another,  as  they  found 
churches  to  be  built:  their  government  was  regular;  and 
where  they  fixed  near  the  building  in  hand,  they  made  a  camp 
of  huts.  A  surveyor  governed  in  chief;  while  every  tenth  man 
was  called  a  warden,  and  superintended  the  other  nine 

5A 


738  CURIOSITIES  IN   HISTORY. 

Masonry  had  a  very  early  introduction  into  Britain,  but 
never  attained  to  any  degree  of  importance,  until  the  year  557  of 
the  Christian  era;  when  St  Austin,  with  forty  monks,  among 
whom  the  sciences  had  been  preserved,  came  into  England. 
By  these  Christianity  was  propagated;  all  the  kings  of  the 
heptarchy  were  converted ;  masonry  was  patronized  by  St. 
Austin;  and  the  Gothic  style  of  building  was  introduced  into 
England,  by  numerous  foreigners,  who  resorted  at  this  time  to 
the  kingdom.  Austin  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  fraternity 
in  founding  the  old  cathedral  of  Canterbury,  in  600;  that  of 
Rochester,  in  602;  St.  Paul's  in  London,  in  604;  St.  Peter's  in 
Westminster,  in  605:  to  which  may  be  added  many  others. 
The  number  of  masons  was  thus  greatly  increased,  as  well 
as  by  other  buildings,  such  as  castles,  &c.  throughout  the 
kingdom. 

Masonry  found  a  zealous  protector  in  Alfred  the  Great,  the 
liberal  patron  of  all  arts  and  manufactures.  He  appropriated 
a  seventh  part  of  his  revenue  for  maintaining  a  number  of 
masons,  whom  he  employed  in  rebuilding  the  cities,  castles, 
&c.  ruined  by  the  Danes.  Under  his  successor,  Edward,  the 
masons  continued  to  hold  their  lodges;  they  were  patronized 
by  Ethred,  husband  to  the  king's  sister,  and  Ethehvald  his 
brother,  to  whom  the  care  of  this  fraternity  was  entrusted. 
The  latter  was  a  great  architect,  and  founded  the  university 
of  Cambridge.  The  complete  re-establishment  of  masonry  in 
England,  however,  is  dated  from  the  reign  of  king  Athelstan: 
and  the  grand  masons  at  York  trace  their  existence  from  this 
period. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  York,  the  most  ancient  in  EnglarKl, 
was  founded  in  926,  under  the  patronage  of  Edwin  the  king's 
brother,  who  obtained  for  them  a  charter  from  Athelstan,  and 
became  grand-master  himself.  By  virtue  of  this  charter  all 
the  masons  in  the  kingdom  were  convened  at  a  general 
assembly  in  that  city,  where  they  established  a  grand  lodge  for 
their  government;  and  for  many  centuries  afterwards,  no 
general  meetings  were  held  in  any  other  place.  Hence  the 
appellation  of  Ancient  York  IMasons  is  well  known  both  in 
Ireland  and  Scotland;  and  the  general  tradition  is,  that  they 
originated  at  Auldby  near  York,  which  was  a  seat  belonging 
to  Edwin. 

It  was  the  glory  and  boast  of  the  brethren,  in  almost  every 
country  where  masonry  was  established,  to  be  accounted 
descendants  of  the  original  York  masons;  and  from  the 
universality  of  the  idea  that  masonry  was  first  established  at 
York  by  charter,  the  masons  of  England  have  received  tribute 
from  tlie  first  states  in  Europe.  At  present,  however,  this 
social  intercourse  is  abolished.  The  duke  of  Buccleugh,  who, 
in  1723,  succeeded  the  duke  of  Wharton  as  grand-master,  first 


FREE   MASONS  739 

proposed  the  scheme  of  raising  a  general  fund  for  distressed 
masons.  The  duke's  motion  was  supported  by  Lord  Paisley, 
Colonel  Houghton,  and  a  few  other  brethren;  and  the  grand 
lodge  appointed  a  committee  to  consider  of  the  most  effectual 
means  of  carrying  the  scheme  into  execution.  The  disposal 
of  the  charity  was  first  vested  in  seven  brethren;  but  thia 
number  being  found  too  small,  nine  more  were  added.  It 
was  afterwards  resolved,  that  twelve  masters  of  contributing 
lodges,  in  rotation  with  the  grand  officers,  should  form  the 
committee;  and  by  another  regulation  since  made,  it  has  been 
determined  that  all  past  and  present  grand  officers,  with  the 
masters  of  all  regular  lodges,  which  shall  have  contributed 
within  twelve  months  to  the  charity,  shall  be  members  of  the 
committee.  This  committee  meets  four  times  in  the  year,  by 
virtue  of  a  summons  from  the  grand-master  or  his  deputy. 
The  petitions  of  the  distressed  brethren  are  considered  at 
these  meetings;  and  if  the  petitioner  be  considered  as  a 
deserving  object,  he  is  immediately  relieved  with  five  pounds. 
If  the  circumstances  of  the  case  are  of  a  peculiar  nature,  his 
petition  is  referred  to  the  next  communication,  where  he  is 
relieved  with  any  sum  the  committee  may  have  specified,  not 
exceeding  twenty  guineas  at  one  time.  Thus  the  distressed 
have  always  found  ready  relief  from  this  general  charity, 
which  is  supported  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  different 
lodges  out  of  their  private  funds,  without  being  burdensome 
to  any  member  in  the  society.  Thus  has  the  committee  of 
charity  for  free  masons  been  established;  and  so  liberal 
have  the  contributions  been,  that  though  the  sums  annually 
expended,  for  the  relief  of  the  distressed  brethren,  have  for 
several  years  past  amounted  to  many  thousand  pounds,  there 
still  remains  a  considerable  fund. 

The  most  remarkable  event  which  of  late  has  taken  place  in 
the  affairs  of  masonry,  is  the  initiation  of  OmituI  Omrah  Baliau- 
der,  eldest  son  of  the  nabob  of  the  Carnatic,  who  was  received 
by  the  lodge  of  Trinchinopoly,  in  the  year  1779.  The  news  being 
officially  transmitted  to  England,  the  grand  lodge  determined  to 
send  a  congratulatory  letter  to  his  highness  on  the  occasion, 
accompanied  with  an  apron  elegantly  decorated,  and  a  copy 
of  the  book  of  Constitutions  superbly  bound.  The  execution 
of  this  commission  was  entrusted  to  Sir  John  Duy,  advocate- 
general  of  J3engal;  and  in  the  beginning  of  1780,  an  answer 
was  received  from  his  highness,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of 
the  present,  and  expressing  the  warmest  attachment  and 
benevolence  to  his  brethren  in  Knsiiand.  The  letter  was 
written  in  the  Persian  language,  and  inclosed  in  an  elegant 
cover  of  cloth  of  gold,  and  addressed  to  the  grand- master 
and  grand  lodge  of  England.  A  proper  reply  was  made  ;  and 
a  translation  of  his  higbness's  letter  was  ordered  to  be  copied 


740  CURIOSITIES   IN    HISTORY. 

on  vellum ;  and,  with  the  o:-iginal,  elegantly  framed  and 
glazed,  and  hung  up  in  the  hall  at  every  public  meeting  of  the 
society. 

It  must  be  natural  to  inquire  into  the  uses  of  the  institu- 
tion, and  for  what  purpose  it  has  been  patronized  by  so  many 
great  and  illustrious  personages.  The  profound  secrecy, 
liowever,  in  which  every  thing  relating  to  masonry  is  involved, 
prevents  us  from  being  very  particular  on  this  head.  The 
masons  themselves  say  in  general,  that  it  promotes  philan- 
thropy, friendship,  and  m(>rality  ;  that  in  proportion  as 
masonry  has  been  cultivated,  countries  have  become  civi- 
lized, 8cc.  How  far  this  can  be  depended  upon,  the  fraternity 
best  know.  Another  advantage,  however,  seems  less  equivo- 
cal, viz.  that  its  signs  serve  as  a  kind  of  universal  language; 
so  that  by  means  of  them,  people  of  the  most  distant  nations 
may  becon)e  acquainted,  and  enter  into  friendship  with  one 
another.  This  certainly  must  be  accounted  a  very  important 
circumstance;  and  considering  the  great  numbers  that  have 
been,  and  daily  are,  admitted  to  the  society,  and  their  invio- 
lable attachment  to  the  art,  we  must  certainly  conclude,  that 
if  it  contains  nothing  of  great  importance  to  mankind  at  large, 
it  must  at  least  be  extremely  agreeable,  and  even  fascinating, 
to  those  who  are  once  initiated. 

CHAP.    LXXVIII. 

CURIOSITIES  IN  HISTORY,  ETC. — (Continued.) 

Peeping  Tom  of  Coventrij — Long  ohs^ent  Hushand  returned — • 
Curious  Historical  Fact — T/ie  most  Extraordinary  Fact  on 
Record. 

Peeping  Tom  of  Coventry. — The  following  are  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  event  which,  it  is  said,  gave  birth  to  the  above 
appellation. 

Thewife  of  Leofric,earl  of  IMercia.with  her  husband,  founded 
a  monastery,  for  an  abbot  and  twenty-four  Benedictine  monks, 
at  Coventry,  in  1043 ;  which  was  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
St.  Peter,  and  St.  Osburg.  Leofric  and  his  Lady,  who  both 
died  about  the  latter  end  of  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Confes- 
sor, were  buried  in  the  church  of  the  abbey  which  they  had 
founded.  The  former  seems  to  have  been  the  first  lord  of 
Coventry,  and  the  latter  its  greatest  benefactress,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  extraordinary  and  indeed  romantic 
tradition,  which  is  not  only  firmly  believed  at  Coventry,  but 
is  recorded  by  many  of  our  own  historians  ; — 


PEEPING  TOM. — THE   ABSIiiNT   HUSBAND.  741 

The  earl  had  granted  the  convent  an.d  city  many  valuable 
privileges;  but  the  inhabitants  having  offended  him,  he  im- 
posed on  them  very  heavy  taxes ;  for  the  great  lords  to  whom 
the  town  belonged,  under  the  Anolo-Saxons,  had  those 
privileges,  which  cannot  be  exercised  at  present  by  any  but 
the  house  of  commons.  The  people  complained  grievously  of 
the  severity  of  the  taxes,  and  applied  to  Godeva,  the  earl's 
lady,  a  woman  of  great  piety  and  virtue,  to  intercede  in  their 
favour.  She  willingly  complied  with  the  request;  but  the  earl 
remained  inexorable!  he  told  his  lady,  that  were  she  to  ride 
naked  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  he  would  remit  the  tax; 
meaning,  that  no  persuasion  whatever  should  prevail  with  him^ 
and  thinking  to  silence  her  by  the  strange  proposal :  but  she, 
sensibly  touched  by  the  distress  of  the  city,  generously  ac- 
cepted the  terms.  She  therefore  sent  notice  to  the  magistrates 
of  the  town,  with  the  strictest  orders  that  all  doors  and  win- 
dows should  be  shut,  and  that  no  person  should  attempt  to 
look,  out  on  pain  of  death.  These  precautions  being  taken, 
the  lady  rode  tlirough  the  city,  covered  only  with  her  fine 
flowino;  locks.  While  riding  in  this  manner  throuoh  the  streets, 
no  one  dared  to  look  at  her,  except  a  poor  tailor,  who,  as  a 
punishment,  it  is  said,  for  his  violating  the  injunctions  of  the 
noble  lady,  which  had  been  published  with  so  pious  and 
benevolent  a  design,  was  struck  blind.  This  tailor  has  been 
ever  since  remembered  by  the  name  of  Peeping  Tom  ;  and  in 
memory  of  the  event,  his  figure  is  still  kept  up  in  the  \Aindow 
of  the  house,  from  whence,  it  is  said,  he  gratified  his  curiosity. 
The  lady  having  thus  discharged  her  engagements,  the  earl 
performed  his  promise,  and  granted  the  city  a  charter,  by 
which  the  inhabitants  were  exempted  from  all  taxes.  As  a 
proof  of  this  circumstance,  in  a  window  of  Trinity  church  are 
the  figures  of  the  Earl  and  his  Lady,  and  beneath  the  following 
inscription  : — 

"  I,  Luriche,  for  the  love  of  thee, 
Doe  set  Coventre  toll  free." 

To  this  day,  the  love  of  Godeva  is  annually  commemorated 
on  Friday  in  Trinity  week,  when  a  valiant  fair  one  rides,  not 
literally  like  the  good  countess,  but  in  silk,  closely  fitted  to 
her  limbs,  and  of  colour  emulating  her  complexion.  The 
figure  of  Peeping  Tom,  in  the  great  street,  is  also  new  dressed 
on  the  occasion.  Mr.  O'Keefe  has  produced  a  musical  enter- 
tainment on  this  subject,  written  with  all  the  delicacy  the 
subject  would  admit. 

The  Long  Absent  Husband  returned:  (From  Dr. 
King's  Anecdotes.) — "About  the  year  1706,  I  knew,"  said  Dr. 
K-ing,  "one  Mr.  Howe,  a  sensible  well-natured  man,  possessed 


742  CURIOUSITIES    IN    HISTORT. 

of  an  estate  of  £700  or  £800  per  annum  ;  he  married  a  young 
lady  of  oood  family,  in  the  west  of  England  ;  her  maiden 
name  was  Mallet;  she  was  a^^reeable  in  her  person  and  manners, 
and  proved  a  very  good  wife.  Seven  or  eight  years  after  they 
had  been  married,  he  arose  one  morning  very  early,  and  told 
his  wife  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  Tower  to  transact  some 
particular  business:  the  same  day,  at  noon,  his  wife  received 
a  note  from  him,  in  which  he  informed  her  that  he  was  under 
the  necessity  of  going  to  Holland,  and  should  probably  be 
absent  three  weeks  or  a  month.  He  was  absent  from  her  se- 
venteen years,  during  which  time  she  never  heard  from  him  or 
of  him.  The  evening  before  he  returned,  while  she  was  at 
supper,  and  with  some  of  her  friends  and  relations,  particularly 
one  Dr.  Rose,  a  physician,  who  had  married  her  sister,  a  bil- 
let, without  any  name  subscribed,  was  delivered  to  her,  in 
which  the  writer  requested  the  favour  of  her  to  give  him  a 
meeting  the  next  evening,  in  the  Birdcage-walk,  in  St.  James's 
Park.  When  she  had  read  the  billet,  she  tossed  it  to  Dr. 
Rose,  and  laughing,  said,  'You  see,  brother,  old  as  I  am,  I 
Imve  got  a  gallant.'  Rose,  who  perused  the  note  with  more 
attention,  declared  it  to  be  Mr.  Howe's  hand-writing:  this 
surprised  ail  the  company,  and  so  much  affected  Mrs.  Howe^ 
that  she  fainted  away;  however,  she  soon  recovered,  when  it 
was  agreed  that  Dr.  Rose  and  his  wife,  with  the  other  gentle- 
men and  ladies  who  were  then  at  supjier,  should  attend  Mrs. 
Howe  the  next  evening  to  the  Rirdcage-walk  :  they  had  not 
been  there  more  than  five  or  six  minutes,  when  Mr.  Howe 
came  to  them,  and  after  saluting  his  friends,  and  embracing 
his  wife,  walked  home  with  her,  and  they  lived  together  in 
great  harmony  from  that  time  to  the  day  of  his  death.''  But 
the  most  curious  part  of  my  tale  remains  to  be  related. 

"  When  Howe  left  his  wife,  they  lived  in  a  house  in  Jermyn- 
street,  near  St.  James's  church  ;  he  went  no  farther  than  a 
little  street  in  Westminster,  where  he  took  a  room,  for  which 
he  paid  five  or  six  shillings  a  week,  and  changing  his  name, 
and  disouisin":  himself  bv  \veaiin<>;  a  black  wio-  (for  he  was  a 
fair  man,)  he  remained  in  this  habitation  during  the  whole 
time  of  his  absence !  He  had  two  children  by  his  v.ife  wlien 
he  departed  from  her,  who  were  both  living  at  that  time;  but 
they  both  died  young,  in  a  few  years  after.  However,  during 
their  lives,  the  second  orthird  year  after  their  father  disappeared, 
Mrs.  Howe  was  obliged  to  anply  for  an  ^ct  of  parliament,  to 
procure  a  proper  settlement  of  her  husband's  estate,  and  a 
])rovision  for  herself  out  of  it,  during  his  absence,  as  it  was 
uncertain  whether  he  was  alive  or  dead  ;  this  act  he  suffered 
to  be  solicited  and  passed,  and  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  reading 
the  progress  of  it  in  the  voie.^.  m  a  liltie  coffee-house  whicS 
he  frequented,  near  his  lodginj; 


THE   ABSENT    HUSBAND  743 

"Upon  quitting:  his  house  and  family  in  the  mai.ner  I  have 
mentioned,  Mrs.  Howe  at  first  imagined,  as  she  could  not 
conceive  any  other  cause  for  such  an  abrupt  elopement,  that 
lie  had  contracted  a  large  debt  unknown  to  her,  and  by  that 
means  involved  himself  in  difliculties  which  he  could  not 
easily  surmount;  and  for  some  days  she  lived  in  continual 
apprehension  of  demands  from  creditors,  or  seizures,  execu- 
tions, &c.  But  nothing  of  this  kind  happened  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, he  did  not  only  leave  his  estate  free  and  unencumbered, 
but  he  paid  the  bills  of  every  tradesman  with  whom  he  had 
any  dealings;  and  upon  examining  his  papers,  in  due  time 
after  he  was  gone,  proper  receipts  and  discharges  were  found 
from  all  persons,  whether  tradesmen  or  others,  with  whom  he 
had  any  manner  of  transactions  or  money  concerns.  Mrs. 
Howe,  after  the  death  of  her  children,  thought  proper  to 
lessen  her  establishment  of  servants,  and  the  expenses  of  her 
housekeeping:  and  therefore  removed  from  her  house  in  Jer- 
mvn-street,  to  a  little  house  in  Brewer-street,  near  Golden- 
square,  Just  over-against  her  lived  one  Salt,  a  corn-chandler. 
About  ten  years  after  Howe's  abdication,  he  contrived  to  form 
an  acquaintance  with  Salt,  and  was  at  length  in  such  a  degree 
of  intimacy  with  him,  that  he  usually  dined  with  Salt  once 
or  twice  a  week.  From  the  room  in  which  they  sat,  it  was 
not  difficult  to  look  into  Mrs.  Howe's  dining-room,  where  she 
generally  ate,  and  received  her  company;  and  Salt,  who 
believed  Howe  to  be  a  bachelor,  frequently  recommended  Mrs. 
Howe  as  a  suitable  match.  During  the  last  seven  years  of 
this  gentleman's  absence,  he  went  every  Sunday  to  St.  James's 
church,  and  used  to  sit  in  Mr.  Salt's  seat,  where  he  had  a 
view  of  his  wife,  but  could  not  be  easily  seen  by  her.  After 
he  returned  home,  he  never  would  confess,  even  to  his  most 
intimate  friends,  what  was  the  real  cause  of  such  a  singular 
conduct :  apparently  there  was  none  ;  but  whatever  there  was, 
he  was  certainly  ashamed  to  own  it. 

'*  Dr.  Rose  has  often  said  to  me,  that  he  believed  his  brother 
Howe  would  never*  have  returned  to  his  wife,  if  the  money 
which  he  took  with  him,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been 
£1000  or  £2000,  had  not  been  all  spent:  indeed,  he  must 
have  been  a  good  economist,  and  frugal  in  his  manner  of  living, 
otherwise  his  money  would  scarcely  have  held  out;  for  I 
imagine  he  had  his  whole  fortune  by  him  ;  I  mean  what  he 
I'-arried  away  with  him  in  money  and  bank-bills  :  and  he  daily 
look  out  of  his  bag,  like  the  Spaniard  in  Gil  Bias,  what  was 
sufficient  for  his  expenses." 

*  And  yet  I  have  seen  him,  after  Jiis  return,  addressing  his  wife  in  the 
Ian<;ua<re  of  a  young:  brideg;room.  And  I  have  been  assured,  by  some  of 
his  nsost  intimate  friends,  that  he  treated  her,  during  the  rest  of  their 
lives,  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  aHection. 


744  CURIOSITIES    IN    HISTORY. 

A  Curious  Historical  Fact. — During  the  troubles  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.  a  country  girl  came  to  London,  in 
search  of  a  place  as  a  servant  maid  ;  but  not  succeeding,  she 
hired  herself  to  carry  out  beer  from  a  brewhouse,  and  was  one 
of  those  called  tub-women.  The  brewer,  observing  a  good 
looking  girl  in  this  low  occupation,  took  her  into  his  family 
as  a  servant,  and,  after  a  short  time,  married  her;  but  he  died 
while  she  was  yet  a  young  woman,  and  left  her  the  bulk  of 
his  fortune.  The  business  of  the  brewery  was  dropped,  and 
the  young  widow  was  recommended  to  Mr.  Hyde,  as  a  skilful 
lawyer  to  arrange  her  husband's  affairs.  Hyde,  (who- was  after 
wards  the  great  Earl  of  Clarendon,)  finding  her  fortune  con 
siderable,  married  her.  Of  this  marriage  there  was  no  other 
issue  than  a  daughter,  who  was  afterwards  the  wife  of  James 
II.,  and  mother  of  Mary  and  Anjie,  queens  of  England. 

The  following  is  said  to  be  The  most  Extraordinary 
Fact  on  record. — In  the  appendix  to  the  Rev.  John  Camp- 
bell's Travels  in  South  Africa,  is  recorded  one  of  the  strangest 
occurrences  in  the  moral  annals  of  mankind.  It  will  be 
recollected,  that  some  years  ago  the  Grosvenor,  East  India- 
man,  was  wrecked  off  the  coast  of  Caffraria,  (a  district  divided 
from  the  country  of  the  Hottentots  by  the  Great  Fish  River,) 
and  that  nearly  the  whole  of  the  passengers  and  crew  perished 
on  the  occasion.  It  was,  however,  discovered,  that  two 
young  ladies  had  survived  the  miseries  of  this  dreadful  event, 
and  were  resident  in  the  interior  of  a  country  uninhabited  by 
Europeans.  Mr.  Campbell  does  not  relate  this  occurrence 
from  personal  evidence,  but  we  cannot  doubt  the  extraordinary 
fact. 

The  Landdrost  of  Graaf  Ragrel  had  been  deputed  by  the 
British  government  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  king  of  Caffraria,  foi 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  there  were  any  survivors 
from  the  Avreck  of  the  Grosvenor.  Finding  there  were  two 
females,  he  succeeded  in  procuring  an  introduction  to  them. 
He  saw  them  habited  like  Caffre  women ;  their  bodies  were 
painted  after  the  fashion  of  the  native  inhabitants;  and  their 
manners  and  appearance  were  altogether  anti-European.  The 
Landdrost,  however,  sought  to  obtain  their  confidence  by 
a  liberal  offer  of  his  best  services  to  restore  them  to  their 
country  and  friends.  But  they  were  unmoved  by  his  solicita- 
tions. They  stated  that  they  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
natives  after  they  had  been  cast  ashore  from  the  wreck;  that 
their  companions  had  been  murdered,  and  that  they  had  been 
compelled  to  give  themselves  in  marriage;  that  having  affec- 
tionate husbands,  children,  and  grand-children,  their  attach- 
ments were  bounded  by  their  actual  enjoyments.  Upon  being 
repeatedly  urged  to  depart  with  the  Landdrost,   they  replied. 


EXTRAORDINARY  FACT.  — U  N  FORTUNATE   ARTIFICER.    745 

that  probably  at  their  return  to  England  they  might  find 
tlieniselves  without  connections  or  friends,  and  tiiat  their 
acquired  habits  ill  fitted  them  to  mingle  with  polished  society; 
in  short,  that  they  would  not  quit  CatiVaria. 

Such,  then,  is  the  powerful  influence  of  habit!  Two  young 
ladies,  highly  educated,  and  in  all  probability  lovely  in  their 
persons,  are  taught  by  habit  to  forget  those  scenes  of  gaiety 
they  were  so  well  calculated  to  ornament,  and  the  anticipated 
enjoyments  of  high  matrimonial  connections;  to  forget  their 
parents,  their  relations,  the  accomplished  companions  of  thei 
youth,  and  all  the  refinements  of  life!  Among  a  savage  peo- 
ple, they  acquire  congenial  feelings,  and  their  vitiated  nature 
ceases  to  repine:  they  love  the  untutored  husbands  given  to 
them  by  fate;  they  rear  their  children  in  the  stupidity  of 
Hottentot  faith  ;  they  designate  their  wretched  hovel  with  the 
sacred  name  of  Home;  they  expel  memory  from  their  occu- 
pations; and  regret  no  longer  mingles  with  their  routine  of 
barbarous  pleasures.  Is  this,  in  reality,  a  picture  of  the 
human  mind,  with  all  its  boasted  attributes,  its  delicacies,  its 
refinements,  its  civilized  superiority?  Yes!  for  custom  is  a 
second  nature. 

This  fact  is  also  related  by  Vaillant,  in  his  Travels  in  the 
interior  parts  of  Africa.  He  says,  volume  i.  page  286,  "  I  was 
told,  almost  six  weeks  prior  to  my  visiting  that  coast,  that  an 
English  vessel  had  been  wrecked  on  these  barbarous  shores; 
that  being  driven  on  the  sands,  a  part  of  the  crew  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  CafFres,  who  had  put  them  all  to  death, 
except  a  Jew  loomen,  whom  they  had  crueUif  reserved." 

Unfortunate  Artificer. — There  was  an  artificer  in 
Rome,  who  made  vessels  of  glass  of  so  tenacious  a  temper, 
that  they  were  as  little  liable  to  be  broken  as  those  that  are 
made  of  gold  and  silver:  when  therefore  he  had  made  a  vial 
of  the  purer  sort,  and  such  as  he  thought  a  present  worthy  of 
Ccesar  alone,  he  was  admitted  into  the  presence  of  their 
then  Emperor  Tiberius.  The  gift  was  praised,  the  skilful  hand 
of  the  artist  applauded,  and  the  donation  of  the  giver  accepted. 
The  artist,  that  he  might  enhance  the  wonder  of  the  spectators, 
and  promote  himself  yet  further  in  the  favour  of  the  Emperor, 
desired  the  vial  out  of  Cffisar's  hand,  and  threw  it  with  such 
force  against  the  floor,  that  the  most  solid  metal  would  have 
received  some  damage  or  bruise  thereby.  Csesar  was  not  only 
amazed,  but  afl'righted  with  the  act;  but  he,  taking  up  the  vial 
from  the  ground,  (which  was  not  broken,  but  only  bruised 
together,  as  if  the  substance  of  the  glass  had  put  on  the  tem- 
perature of  brass,,  he  drew  out  an  instrument  from  his  bosom, 
and  beat  it  out  to  its  former  figure.  This  done,  he  imagined 
that  he  had  conquered  the  world,    as   believing  that  he  had 

5B 


746  CURIOSITIES    IN    HISTORY. 

merited  an  acquaintance  with  Caesar,  and  raised  the  admi- 
ration of  all  the  beholders;  but  it  iell  out  otherwise,  for  the 
Emperor  inquired  if  any  other  person  besides  himself  was 
privy  to  the  like  tempering  of  glass?  When  he  had  told  him, 
"  No,"  he  commanded  his  attendants  to  strike  off  his  head, 
saying,  "  That  should  this  artifice  come  once  to  be  known, 
gold  and  silver  would  be  of  as  little  value  as  the  dirt  of  the 
street."  Long  after  this,  viz.  in  1610,  we  read,  that  amongst 
other  rare  presents,  then  sent  from  the  Sophy  of  Persia  to  the 
king  of  Spain,  were  six  mirrors  of  malleable  glass,  so  ex- 
quisitely tempered  that  they  could,  not  be  broken. 

CHAP.  LXXIX. 

CURIOSITIES  IN  HISTORY,  ETC. —  (Concluded.) 

Great  Events  from  Little  Causes — Dreadful  Instances  of  the 
Plague,  in  Europe — Fire  of  London- — Vicar  of  Bra i/ — Curious 
Account  of  the  Ceremonies  at  Queen  Elizabeth's  Dinner — 
A  Blacksmith's  Wife  become  a  Queen — Swine's  Concert. 

Grf.at  Events  from  Little  Causes. — The  most  im- 
portant events  sometimes  take  place  from  little  and  insignifi- 
cant causes. 

"1.  Sir  Isaac  Newton's  sublime  genius,  set  a-going  by  the 
fall  of  an  apple,  never  stopped  till  it  had  explained  the  laws 
of  nature. 

2.  Hospinian  (who  wrote  so  successfully  against  the  Popish 
ceremonies)  was  first  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  such 
a  work  by  the  talk  of  an  ignorant  country  landlord,  who 
thought  that  religious  fraternities  were  as  old  as  the  creation, 
that  Adam  was  a  monk,  and  that  Eve  was  a  nun. 

3.  Metius  was  led  to  the  discovery  of  optic  glasses,  by 
observing  some  schoolboys  plav  upon  the  ice,  who  made  use 
of  their  copy-books,  rolled  up  in  the  shape  of  tubes,  to  look 
at  each  other,  to  which  they  sometimes  added  pieces  of  ice 
at  the  end,  to  view  distant  objects. 

4.  Luther's  quarrelling  with  Pope  Leo.  X.  and  bringing 
himself  into  difllicult  and  dangerous  circumstances,  perhaps 
led  him  to  search,  think,  and  judge  for  himself,  and  consult 
the  scriptures;  by  which  he  overthrew  errors,  which  had  been 
received  as  truths  for  ages. 

5.  To  this  we  may  add  the  marriage  of  Henry  VIII.  with 
Ann  Boleyn,  which  was  the  occasion  of  England's  renouncing 
the  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  and  of  bringing  about  the  Reform- 
ation. 


THE  PLAGUE  IN  EUROPE. 


747 


6.  "  An  apothecary's  cliariot  (says  one)  very  probably  pro- 
duced No.  45.  of  tlie  North  Briton,  and  its  consequences  the 
American  war,  the  French  revolution,  and  the  dreadful  events 
that  have  since  taken  place  in  Europe." 

Drkadful  Instances  of  the  Plague,  in  Europe. — 
Thucydides,  lib.  ii.  gives  an  account  of  a  dreadful  plague 
which  happened  in  Athens  about  B.  C.  430,  and  with  which  he 
was  himself  infected,  while  the  Peloponnesians  under  the 
coniniand  of  Archidamus  wasted  all  her  territory  abroad;  but 
of  these  two  enemies  the  plague  was  by  far  the  most  severe 
The  most  dreadful  plague  that  ever  raged  at  Rome,  was  in  the 
*eign  of  Titus,  A.  D.  80.  The  emperor  left  no  remedy  un- 
attempted  to  abate  the  malignity  of  the  distemper,  acting 
during  its  continuance  like  a  father  to  his  people.  The  same 
fatal  disease  raged  in  all  the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire 
in  the  reign  of  M.  Aurelius,  A.  D.  167,  and  was  followed  by  a 
dreadful  famine,  earthquakes,  inundations,  and  other  calami- 
ties. About  A.  D.  430,  the  plague  visited  Britain,  just  after 
the  Picts  and  Scots  had  made  a  formidable  invasion  of  the 
southern  part  of  the  island.  It  raged  with  uncommon  fury, 
and  swept  away  most  of  those  whom  the  sword  and  famine 
had  spared,  so  that  the  living  were  scarcely  sufficient  to  bury 
the  dead.  About  A.  D.  1348,  the  plague  became  almost 
general  over  Europe.  Many  authors  give  an  account  of  this 
plague,  which  is  said  to  have  appeared  first  in  the  kingdom 
of  Kathay,  in  1346,  and  to  have  proceeded  gradually  west  to 
Constantinople  and  Egypt.  From  Constantinople  it  passed 
into  Greece,  Italy,  France,  and  Africa,  and  by  degrees  along 
the  coast  of  the  ocean  into  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  after- 
wards into  Germany,  Hungary,  Poland,  Denmark,  and  the 
other  northern  kingdoms.  According  to  Antonius,  arch- 
bishop of  Florence,  the  distemper  carried  off  60,000  people 
in  that  city.  In  1656,  the  plague  was  brought  from  Sardinia 
to  Naples,  being  introduced  into  the  city  by  a  transport  with 
soldiers  on  board.  It  raged  with  excessive  violence,  carrying 
off,  in  less  than  six  months,  400,000  of  the  inhabitants.  In 
1720,  the  city  of  Marseilles  was  visited  with  this  destructive 
disease,  brought  in  a  ship  from  the  Levant;  and  in  seven 
months,  during  which  time  it  continued,  it  carried  off  not  less 
than  60,000  people.  The  ravages  of  this  disease  have  been 
dreadful  wherever  it  has  made  its  appearance.  On  the  first 
arrival  of  the  Europeans  at  the  island  of  Grand  Canaria,  it 
contained  14,000  fighting  men  ;  soon  after  which,  two-thirds 
of  these  inhabitants  fell  a  sacrifice  to  the  plague.  The  destruc- 
tion it  has  made  in  Turkey  in  Europe,  and  particularly  in  Con- 
stantinople, must  be  known  to  every  reader;  and  its  fatal 
effects   have  been  particularly  heightened  there  by  that  firm 


748  cuuiosniEs  in  history. 

belief  which  prevails  among  the  people  of  predestination,  &c. 
It  is  generally  brought  into  European  Turkey  fiom  Egypt, 
where  it  is  very  frequent,  especially  at  Grand  Cairo.  To  give 
even  a  list  of  all  the  plagues  which  have  desolated  many 
flourishing  countries,  would  extend  this  article  beyond  all 
bounds,  and  minutely  to  describe  them  all  is  impossible. 
Respecting  the  plague  which  raged  in  Syria  in  1760,  we  refer  to 
the  Abbe  Mariti's  Travels  through  Cyprus,  Syria,  and  Pales- 
tine, volume  i.  pages  278,  296.  This  plague  was  one  of  the 
most  malignant  and  fatal  that  Syria  ever  experienced;  for  it 
scarcely  had  made  its  appearance  in  any  part  of  the  body, 
before  it  carried  off  the  patient. 

Some  particulars  respecting  The  Great  Fire  of  Lon 
DON. — The  following  is  part  of  the  inscription  on  the 
Monument,  which  records  this  calamitous  event.  "  The 
second  day  of  September,  1666,  at  the  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred and  two  feet,  the  height  of  this  column,  a  terrible  fire 
broke  out  about  midnight.  It  consumed  in  its  progress 
eighty-nine  churches,  the  city  gates,  Guildhall,  many  public 
structures,  hospitals,  schools,  libraries,  a  vast  number  of 
stately  edifices,  thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  dwelling- 
houses,  and  four  hundred  streets.  The  ruins  of  the  city  were 
four  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres,  from  the  Tower  by  the 
Thames  side  to  the  Temple  church,  and  from  the  north-east 
gate  along  the  city  wall,  to  Holborn  bridge.  Three  days 
after,  when  this  fatal  fire  had  baffled  all  human  counsels  and 
endeavours,  it  stopped,  as  it  were  by  a  command  from  Heaven. 
and  was  on  every  side  extinguished." 

Vicar  of  Bray. — Every  one  has  frequently  heard  this 
reverend  son  of  the  church  mentioned;  probably  his  name 
may  have  outlived  the  recollection  of  his  pious  manoeuvres: 
he  was  in  his  principles  a  Sixtus  the  Fifth.  The  vicar  of 
Bray,  in  Berkshire,  was  a  Papist  under  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
Eighth,  and  a  Protestant  under  Edward  the  Sixth;  he  was 
a  Papist  again  under  Mary,  and  once  more  became  a  Pro- 
testant in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  When  this  scandal  to  the 
gown  was  reproached  for  his  versatility  of  religious  creeds, 
and  taxed  for  being  a  turn-coat  and  an  inconstant  changeling, 
as  Fuller  expresses  it,  he  replied,  "  Not  so,  neither!  for  if 
I  changed  my  religion,  I  am  sure  I  kept  true  to  my  principle; 
which  is,  to  live  and  die  the  Vicar  of  Bray!" 

This  vivacious  and  reverend  hero  has  given  birth  to  a 
proverb  peculiar  to  his  county,  "  The  Vicar  of  Bray  will  be 
Vicar  of  Bray  still  "  Fuller  tells  us,  in  his  facetious  chronicle 
of  his  Worthies,  that  this  vicar  had  seen  some  martyrs  burnt 
two  miles  ofl'  at  Windsor,  and   found  this  fire  too  hot  for  his 


QUEEN    F.I.IZA  "F.Th's   DINNER.  749 

tender  temper.  He  was  one  of  those  who,  thougn  they 
cannot  turn  the  wind,  will  turn  their  mills,  and  set  them 
so,  that  wheresoever  it  bloweth,  their  grist  shall  certainly  be 
ground. 

The  following  Account  of  the  Ceremonies  at  Queen 
Elizabeth's  Dinner,  deserves  to  be  recorded. — A  German 
traveller,  (Hentzner)  talking  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  thus  de- 
scribes the  solemnity  of  her  dinner.  "  While  she  was  at 
prayers,  we  saw  her  table  set  out  in  the  following  solemn 
manner:  a  gentleman  entered  the  room,  bearing  a  rod,  and 
along  with  him  another  who  hud  a  table-cloth,  which,  after 
they  had  both  kneeled  three  times  with  the  utmost  veneration, 
he  spread  upon  the  table  ;  and,  after  kneeling  again,  they  both 
retired.  Then  came  two  others,  one  with  the  rod  again,  the 
other  with  a  salt-cellar,  a  plate,  and  bread:  when  they  had 
kneeled,  as  the  others  had  done,  and  placed  what  was  brought 
upon  the  table,  they  too  retired  with  the  same  ceremonies 
performed  by  the  first.  At  last  came  an  unmarried  lady,  (we 
were  told  she  was  a  countess,)  and  along  with  her  a  married 
one,  beavino;  a  lastino;  knife:  the  former,  who  was  dressed  in 
white  silk,  when  she  had  prostrated  herself  three  times  in  the 
most  graceful  manner,  approached  the  table,  and  rubbed  the 
plates  with  bread  and  salt,  with  as  much  care  as  if  the  queen 
had  been  present:  when  they  had  waited  there  a  little  while, 
the  yeomen  of  the  guard  entered,  bareheaded,  clothed  in 
scarlet,  with  a  golden  rose  upon  their  backs,  bringing  in  at 
each  turn  a  course  of  twenty-four  dishes,  served  in  plate, 
most  of  it  gilt;  these  dishes  were  received  by  a  gentleman  in 
the  same  order  they  were  brought,  and  placed  upon  the  table, 
while  the  lady-taster  gave  to  each  of  the  guards  a  mouthful 
to  eat,  of  the  particular  dish  he  had  brought,  for  fear  of  any 
poison.  During  the  time  that  this  guard,  which  consists  of 
the  tallest  and  stoutest  men  that  could  be  found  in  all  Eng- 
land, were  bringing  dinner,  twelve  trumpets  and  two  kettle- 
drums made  the  hall  ring  for  half  an  hour  together.  At  the 
end  of  this  ceremonial,  a  number  of  unmarried  ladies  appeared, 
who,  witli  particular  solemnity,  lifted  the  meat  off  the  table, 
and  conveyed  it  into  the  queen's  inner  and  more  private 
chamber,  where,  after  she  had  chosen  for  herself,  the  rest 
went  to  the  ladies  of  the  court." 

A    Blacksmith's    Wife     become    a    Queen. — It    is    a 

curious  circumstance,  that  the  present  queen  of  the  Sandv/ich 
islands,  was  formerly,  or  rather  is  at  this  time,  the  wife  of  a 
Eussian  blacksmith.  An  English  vessel  lying  ofT  what  we 
jsually  call  the  Fox  Island,  several  years  ago,  one  of  the 
officers  became  enamoured  of  the  fair  spotise  of  a  son  of  Vuloan 


750  CURIOSITIES   IN    HISTORY, 

there;  ar.d,  his  passion  being  returned,  he  contrived  to  smiig 
gle  her  on  board  the  vessel,  and  keep   her  there  concealed 
without  the  knowledge  of  his  captain,  till  they  had  cleared 
the  port. 

In  the  course  of  the  voyage,  however,  the  circumstance 
became  known  to  the  captain,  who  being  highly  enraged  at 
such  a  breach  of  faith  and  discipline,  kept  her  confined  till 
they  arrived  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  she  was  put  on 
shore.  The  forlorn  Ariadne,  however,  found  a  Bacchus  for  her 
Theseus, — a  royal  lover,  to  replace  her  lost  lieutenant.  Th« 
king  of  the  island  became  enamoured  of  the  fair  Russian 
made  her  his  wife,  and  raised  her  to  his  throne.  He  was  nc 
every-day  king.  He  was  a  statesman  and  a  hero,  though  we 
should  call  him  a  savage.  He  progressively  created  a  respect- 
able navy  of  several  well-built  frigates;  taught  his  subjects  tc 
be  excellent  sailors;  raised  armies;  subdued  the  surrounding 
islands ;  and  at  the  close  of  a  prosperous  reign,  left  his  posses- 
sions and  his  sovereignty  to  his  queen,  who  now  reigns  as  his 
successor.  She  is  well  obeyed  by  her  subjects;  possesses 
great  wealth  in  flocks,  herds,  and  rice-ground;  and  sends 
frequent  presents  to  her  former  deserted  husband,  who  still 
continues  to  hammer  horses'  shoes  in  a  Russian  colony,  whilf. 
his  faithless,  but  it  seems  not  quite  ungrateful  spouse, 
stretches  her  sceptre  over  several  prosperous  isles. 

The  Swine's  Concert. — The  abbot  of  Baigne,  a  man  of 
great  wit,  and  who  had  the  art  of  inventing  new  musical 
instruments,  being  in  the  service  of  Louis  XI.  king  of  France, 
was  ordered  by  that  prince  to  get  him  a  concert  of  swine's 
voices,  thinking  it  impossible.  The  abbot  was  not  surprised, 
but  asked  money  for  the  performance,  which  was  immediately 
delivered  him;  and  he  wrought  a  thing  as  singular  as  ever 
was  seen.  For  out  of  a  great  number  of  hogs,  of  several  ages, 
which  he  got  together,  and  placed  under  a  tent  or  pavilion 
covered  with  velvet,  before  which  he  had  a  table  of  wood 
painted,  with  a  certain  number  of  keys,  he  made  an  organical 
instrument;  and  as  he  played  upon  the  said  keys,  he,  by 
means  of  little  spikes,  which  pricked  the  hogs,  made  them 
cry  in  such  order  and  consonance,  as  highly  delighted  the 
king  and  all  his  company. 


ORIGIN    OF   THE    MATERIALS   OF   WRITING.  761 

CHAP.  LXXX. 
CURIOSITIES   OF   LITERATURE. 

Oriain  of  the  Materials  of  Writino; — Minute  Writing — Titlei  of 


of  the  Means  of 
provement  in  London. 

"  Of  all  the  pleasures,  noble  and  refin'd, 
Which  form  the  taste  and  cultivate  the  mind  ; 
In  ev'ry  realm  where  science  darts  its  beam, 
From  Zembla's  ice  to  Afiic's  o:olden  stream  ; 
From  climes  where  Phoebus  pours  his  orient  ray, 
To  the  fair  regions  of  declining?  day  : 
The  'feast  of  reason'  which  from  reading  springs, 
To  reas'ning  man  the  highest  solace  brings. 
*Tis  books  a  lasting  pleasure  can  supply, 
Charm  while  we  live,  and  teach  us  how  to  die." 

Origin  of  the  Materials  of  Writing. — The  most  ^a 
cient  mode  of  writing  was  on  bricks,  and  on  tables  of"  stonR , 
afterwards  on  plates  of  various  materials,  on  ivory,  on  tlie  bark 
of  trees,  and  on  their  leaves. 

Specimens  of  most  of  these  modes  of  writing-  may  be  seen 
in  the  British  Museum.  No.  3478,  in  the  Sloanian  library,  is  a 
Nabob's  letter,  on  a  piece  of  bark  about  two  yards  lontr,  and 
richly  ornamented  with  gold.  No.  3207,  is  a  book  of  Mexi- 
can hieroglyphics,  painted  on  bark.  In  the  same  collection 
are  various  species,  many  from  the  Malabar  coast,  and  other 
parts  of  the  East.  The  latter  writ'ings  are  chiefly  on  leaves. 
The  prophecies  of  the  Sibyls  were  on  leaves.  There  are  seve 
ral  copies  of  Bibles  written  on  palm-leaves,  still  preserved  ii 
various  collections  in  Europe.  The  ancients,  doubtless,  wrote 
on  any  leaves  they  found  adapted  for  the  purpose.  Hence 
the  leaf  of  a  book,  as  well  as  that  of  a  tree,  is  derived. 

In  the  book  of  Job,  mention  is  made  of  writing  on  stone, 
and  on  sheets  of  lead.  The  law  of  Moses  was  written  on  stone. 
Hesiod's  works  were  written  on  leaden  tables;  lead  was  used 
for  writing,  and  rolled  up  like  a  cylinder,  as  Pliny  states. 
The  laws  of  the  Greeks  were  engraven  on  bronze  tables.  In 
the  shepherd  state,  they  wrote  their  songs  with  thorns  and 
awls,  on  leather.  The  Icelanders  wrote  on  walls  ;  and  Olaf, 
according  to  one  of  the  sagas,  built  a  large  house,  on  ths 
balks  and  spars  of  which  he  had  engraven  the  history  of  his 
own  and  more  ancient  times  ;  while  another  northern  hero 
appears  to  have  had  nothing  better  than  his  own  chair  and 


752  CURIOSITIES  OF   LITERATURE. 

bed,  on  which  to  perpetuate  his  own  hero:'c  acts.  The  Aia!)S 
took  the  shoulder-bones  of  sheep,  on  which  they  carved  re- 
markable events  with  a  knife,  and  after  tying  them  with  a 
string,  they  hung  these  chronicles  up  in  their  cabinets. 

These  early  inventions  led  to  the  discovery  of  tablets  of 
.vood  ;  and  as  cedar  is  incorruptible,  from  its  bitterness,  they 
chose  this  wood  for  cases  or  chests  to  preserve  their  most 
important  writings.  From  this  custom  arises  the  celebrated 
expression  of  the  ancients,  when  they  meant  to  give  the 
highest  eulogium  of  an  excellent  work,  et  cedro  digna  locuti; 
that  it  was  worthy  to  be  written  on  cedar.  These  tablets  were 
made  of  the  trunks  of  trees;  the  use  of  them  still  exists,  but 
in  general  they  are  made  of  other  materials  than  wood.  The 
same  reason  which  led  them  to  prefer  the  cedar  to  other  trees, 
induced  them  to  write  on  wax,  which  is  incorruptible  from  its 
nature.  Men  generally  used  it  to  write  their  testaments,  in 
order  the  better  to  preserve  them  :  thus  Juvenal  says,  Ceroi 
imp/ere  capaces.  This  thin  paste  of  wax  was  also  spread  n 
tablets  of  wood,  that  it  might  more  easily  admit  of  erasure. 

They  wrote  with  an  iron  bodkin,  as  they  did  on  thr  otter 
substances  we  have  noticed.  The  stylus  was  made  sharp  at 
one  end  to  write  with,  and  blunt  and  broad  at  the  other,  t'^ 
deface  and  correct  easily  ;  hence  the  phrase  vcrtere  stylum,  t ' 
turn  the  stylus,  was  used  to  express  blotting  out.  But  th% 
Romans  forbade  the  use  of  this  sharp  instrument,  from  tht* 
circumstance  of  many  persons  having  used  then,  as  dagger*. 
A  schoolmaster  was  killed  by  the  pugillares,  or  table-book, 
and  the  styles  of  his  own  scholars.  They  substituted  a  stylus 
made  of  the  bone  of  a  bird,  or  other  animal,  so  that  their 
writings  resembled  engravings.  When  they  wrote  on  softer 
materials,  they  employed  reeds  and  canes,  split  like  our  pens 
at  the  points,  which  the  Orientalists  still  use  to  lay  their  colour 
or  ink  neater  on  the  paper. 

By  the  word  pen  in  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  we  are  to 
understand  an  iron  style.  Table-books  of  ivory  are  still  used 
for  memoranda,  written  by  black-lead  pencils.  The  Romans 
used  ivory  to  write  the  edicts  of  the  senate  on  ;  and  the  ex- 
pression of  libris  elepluaitbns,  which,  some  authors  imagine, 
alludes  to  books  which  for  their  size  were  called  elephantine. 
others  more  rationally  conclude,  were  composed  of  ivoiy,  the 
tusk  of  the  elephant. 

Pumice  was  likewise  a  writing  material  of  the  ancients, 
which  they  used  to  smooth  the  roughness  of  the  parcliment, 
or  to  sharpen  their  reeds. 

In  the  ])rogress  of  time,  the  art  of  writing  consisted  in  paint- 
ing with  different  kinds  of  ink  This  noVel  mode  of  writing 
occasioned  them  to  invent  other  materials  proper  to  receive 
tiieir  writing.     They  now  chose  the  thin  bark  of  certain  trees 


MATERIALS   OF   WRITING. —  MINUTE   WRITING.  753 

and  plants;  they  wrote  on  linen,  and  at  length,  when  this  was 
found  apt  to  become  mouldy,  they  prepared  the  skins  of  ani- 
mals. Those  of  asses  are  still  in  use;  and  on  those  of  serpents, 
&c.  were  once  written  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey.  The  first  place 
where  they  began  to  dress  these  skins  was  Pergamus,  in  Asia; 
wlience  the  Latin  name  is  derived  of  PergamencB,  or  parchment. 
These  skins  are,  however,  better  known  amongst  the  authors 
of  the  purest  Latin,  under  the  name  of  membrana,  so  called 
from  the  membranes  of  animals  of  which  they  were  composed. 
The  ancients  had  parchments  of  three  different  colours,  white, 
yellow,  and  purple.  At  Rome,  white  parchment  was  disliked, 
because  it  was  more  subject  to  be  soiled  than  the  others,  and 
dazzled  the  eye.  They  generally  wrote  letters  of  gold  and 
silver  on  purple  or  violet  parchment.  This  custom  continued 
in  the  earlv  ac^es  of  the  church  ;  and  copies  of  the  Evangelists 
of  this  kind  are  preserved  in  the  British  Museum. 

When  the  Egyptians  employed  for  writing  the  bark  of  a 
plant  or  reed,  called  papyrus*  or  paper-rush,  it  superseded  all 
former  modes,  because  this  was  the  most  convenient.  For- 
merly there  grew  great  quantities  of  it  on  the  sides  of  the 
Nile.  It  is  this  plant  which  has  given  the  name  to  our  paper, 
although  the  latter  is  composed  of  linen  or  rags.  After  the 
eighth  century  the  papyrus  was  superseded  by  parclimenl. 
The  Chinese  make  their  paper  with  silk.  The  use  of  paper  is 
of  sreat  antiquity ;  it  is  what  the  ancient  Latinists  c?l\\  cliarta, 
ox  charta.  Before  the  use  of  parchment  and  paper  passed  to 
the  Romans,  they  contrived  to  use  the  thin  peel  which  was 
found  on  trees,  between  the  wood  of  these  trees  and  their  hark. 
This  second  skin  they  called  liber,  whence  the  Latin  word 
liber,  a  book,  and  library  and  librarian,  in  the  European  lan- 
guages, and  the  French  livre  for  book;  but  we  of  nojthern 
origin  derive  our  book  from  the  Danish  bog,  the  beecli  tree, 
because  that  being  the  most  plentiful  in  Denmark,  was  used 
to  engrave  on.  Anciently,  instead  of  folding  this  bark,  this 
parchment,  or  paper,  as  we  fold  ours,  tliey  rolled  it  according 
as  they  wrote  on  it ;  and  the  Latin  name  which  they  gave  these 
rolls  has  passed  into  our  language  as  well  as  the  others.  We 
say  a  volume  or  volumes,  although  our  books  are  composed 
of  pages  cut  and  bound  together.  The  books  of  the  ancient.; 
on  the  shelves  of  their  libraries,  were  rolled  up  on  a  pin,  and 
placed  erect,  titled  on  the  outside  in  red  letters,  or  rubrics, 
and  appeared  like  a  number  of  small  pillars  on  the  shelves. 

Curious  information  respecting  small,  or  Minutk  Writ- 
ing.— The  Iliad  of  Homer  in  a  nut-shell,  which  Pliny  says 

*  A  specimen  of  the  papyrus  is  to  be  seen  at  the  British  Museum;  it 
is  the  first  known  in  Ens;laiid.  It  was  brought  by  Mr.  Bruce,  and  giveo 
to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  presented  it  to  the  British  Museum. 

5C 


754  CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. 

that  Cicero  once  saw,  it  is  pretended  might  have  been  a  fact, 
however  to   some  it  may  appear  impossible.     iElian  notices  * 
an  artist  who  wrote  a  distich  in  letters  of  gold,  which  he  in- 
closed in  the  rind  of  a  grain  of  corn. 

Antiquity,  and  modern  times,  have  recorded  many  penmen, 
whose  glory  consisted  in  writing  so  small  a  hand,  that  it 
could  not  be  legible  to  the  naked  eye.  One  wrote  a  verse  of 
Homer  on  a  grain  of  n)illet ;  and  another,  more  indefatigably 
industrious  in  this  important  trifling,  is  said  by  Menage  to  have 
written  whole  sentences  which  were  not  perceptible  to  the 
eye  without  the  microscrope :  pictures  and  portraits,  also, 
appeared  at  first  to  be  lines  and  scratches  thrown  down  at 
random  ;  one  of  these  formed  the  face  of  the  Dauphiness,  with 
the  most  pleasing  delicacy  and  correct  resemblance.  He  read 
an  Italian  poem  in  praise  of  this  princess,  containing  some 
thousands  of  verses,  written  by  an  officer,  in  the  space  of  a 
foot  and  a  half.  This  species  of  curious  idleness  has  not  been 
lost  in  our  own  country  :  about  a  century  ago,  this  minute 
writing  was  a  fashionable  curiosity.  A  drawing  of  the  head 
of  Charles  I.  is  in  the  library  of  St.  John's  college,  at  Oxford. 
Tt  is  wholly  composed  of  minute  written  characters,  which  at 
a  small  distance  resemble  the  lines  of  engraving.  The  lines 
of  the  head  and  ruff,  are  said  to  contain  the  book  of  Psalms, 
the  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  In  the  British  Museum 
we  find  a  drawing  representing  the  portrait  of  Queen  Anne, 
not  much  above  the  size  of  the  hand.  On  this  drawing 
appear  a  number  of  lines  and  scratches,  which,  the  librarian 
assures  the  marvelling  spectator,  includes  the  entire  con- 
tents of  a  thin  folio  volume,  that  on  this  occasion  is  carried 
in  the  hand,  as  if  to  vouch  for  the  truth  of  a  statement  so  lia 
ble  to  be  received  with  hesitation. 

On  this  subject  it  may  be  worth  noticing,  that  the  learned 
Huet  asserts  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world,  for  a  long 
time  considered  as  a  fiction  the  story  of  that  industrious  wri- 
ter, who  is  said  to  have  inclosed  the  Hiad  in  a  nut-shell.  But 
having  examined  the  matter  more  closely,  he  thought  it  pos- 
sible. One  day,  in  company  at  the  Dauphin's,  this  learned 
mai.  trifled  half  a  hour  in  proving  it.  A  piece  of  vellum, 
abo  it  ten  inches  in  length  and  eight  in  width,  pliant  and 
firm,  can  be  folded  up  and  enclosed  in  the  shell  of  a  large 
walnut.  It  can  hold  in  its  breadth  one  line,  which  can  con- 
tain 30  verses,  and  in  its  length  250  lines.  With  a  crow-quill 
the  writing  can  be  perfect.  A  page  of  this  vellum  will  then 
contain  7500  verses,  and  the  reverse  as  much  ;  the  whole 
15,000  verses  of  the  Iliad.  And  this  he  proved  in  their  pre 
se.ice,  by  using  a  piece  of  paper,  and  with  a  common  ))en. 
The  thing  is  possible  to  be  effected  ;  and  if  some  occasion 
should   happen,  when   paper  is   excessively  rare,   it  may  be 


TITLES   OF   BOOKS.  765 

useful  to  know,  that  a  volume  of  matter  may  be  contained  in 
a  very  small  space. 

We  submit  the  following  curious  particulars  respecting  the 
Titles  of  Books. — The  Jewish,  and  many  Oriental  authors, 
were  fond  of  allegorical  titles,  which  always  shews  the  most 
puerile  age  of  taste.  The  titles  were  usually  adapted  to  their 
obscure  works.  It  might  exercise  an  able  enigmatist  to  explain 
their  alhisions;  for  we  must  understand  by  "The  Heart  of 
Aaron,"  a  commentary  on  several  of  the  prophets.  "  The 
Bones  of  Joseph"  is  an  introduction  to  the  Talmud.  "The 
Garden  of  Nuts,"  and  "The  Golden  Apples,"  are  theological 
questions,  and  "The  Pomegranate  with  its  Flower,"  is  a 
treatise  of  ceremonies  no  longer  practised.  Jortin  gives  a 
title,  which  he  says,  of  all  the  fantastical  titles  he  can  recol- 
lect, is  one  of  the  prettiest.  A  Rabbin  published  a  catalogue 
of  Rabbinical  writers,  and  called  it  Labia  Donnieiitiant,  from 
Cantic.  vii,  9.  "  Like  the  best  wine  of  my  beloved,  that  goeth 
down  sweetly,  causing  the  lips  of  those  that  are  asleep  to 
speak."  It  has  a  double  meaning,  of  which  he  was  not 
aware,  for  most  of  his  Rabbinical  brethren  talk  very  much 
like  men  in  their  sleep. 

Almostall  their  works  bearsuch  titles  as.  Bread, Gold,  Silver, 
Roses,  Eyes,  &c. ;  in  a  word,  any  thing  that  meant  nothing. 

Affected  title-pages  were  not  peculiar  to  the  Orientalists  ; 
but  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans  have  shewn  a  finer  taste. 
They  had  their  Cornucopias,  or  horns  of  abundance;  Limones, 
or  meadows;  Pinakidions,  or  tablets;  Pancarpes,  or  all  sorts 
of  fruits:  titles  not  unhappily  adapted  for  the  miscellanists 
The  nine  books  of  Herodotus,  and  the  nine  epistles  of  ^Eschi- 
nes,  were  respectively  honoured  by  the  name  of  a  Muse;  and 
three  orations  of  the  latter,  by  those  of  the  Graces. 

The  modem  fanatics  have  had  a  most  barbarous  taste  for 
titles.  We  could  produce  numbers  from  abroad,  and  also  at 
home.  Some  works  have  been  called,  "  Matches  Lighted  at 
the  Divine  Fire,"  and  one  "The  Gun  of  Penitence:"  a  col- 
lection of  passages  from  the  Fathers,  is  called,  "  The  Shop  of 
the  Spiritual  Apothecary:"  we  have  "The  Bank  of  Faith," 
and  "The  Sixpennyworth  of  Divine  Spirit:"  one  of  these 
works  bears  the  following  elaborate  one  ;  "  Some  fine  Baskets 
baked  in  the  Oven  of  Charity,  carefully  conserved  for  the 
Chickens  of  the  Church,  the  Sparrows  of  the  Spirit,  and  the 
sweet  Swallows  of  Salvation."  Sometimes  their  quaintness 
has  some  humour.  One  Sir  Humphrey  Lind,  a  zealous  ))uri- 
tan,  published  a  work,  which  a  Jesuit  answered  by  another, 
entitled,  "  A  Pair  of  Spectacles  for  Sir  Humphrev  Lind."  The 
doughty  knight  retorted,  by  "  A  Case  for  Sir  Hr.mphrey  Lmd's 
Spectacles." 


756  CURIOSITIES  OF   LITERATURE 

Some  of  these  obscure  titles  have  an  entertaining  absurdity; 
as,  "The  Three  Daughters  of  Job,"  which  is  a  treatise  on  the 
three  virtues  of  patience,  fortitude,  and  pain.  "  The  Innocent 
J.ove,  or  the  Holy  Knight,"  is  a  description  of  the  ardours  of 
a  saint  for  the  Virgin.  "  The  Sound  of  the  Trumpet,"  is  a  work 
on  the  day  of  judgment;  and  "  A  Fan  to  drive  away  Flies," 
is  a  theological  treatise  on  purgatory. 

The  title  which  George  Gascoigne.  who  had  great  merit  in 
liis  day,  has  given  to  iiis  collection,  may  be  considered  as  a 
specimen  of  the  titles  of  his  times.  It  was  printed  in  1576. 
He  calls  it  "  A  hundred  sundrie  Floures  bounde  up  in  one 
.small  Poesie  ;  gathered  partly  by  translation  in  the  fyne  and 
outlandish  gardens  of  Euripides,  Ovid,  Petrarche,  Ariosto,  and 
others  ;  and  partly  by  invention  out  of  our  own  fruitefuU  or- 
chardes  in  Englande;  yielding  sundrie  sweet  savours  of  tragi- 
call,  comical!,  and  morall  discourses,  both  pleasaunt  and 
profitable  to  the  well-swelling  noses  of  learned  readers." 

Literary  Labour  and  Perseverance. — The  Rev.  Wil 
liam   Davy,  curate   of  Lustleigh,    Devon,    in   the  year   180T, 
finished  a  work  in  twenty-six  volumes,  of  which  the  following 
is  the  title  : — 

"  A  System  of  Divinity,  in  a  Course  of  Sermons  on  the  first 
Institutions  of  Reliiiion — on  the  Being-  and  Attributes  of  God 
— on  some  of  the  most  important  Articles  of  the  Christian 
Religion,  in  Connection — and  on  the  several  Virtues  and  Vices 
of  iNIankind;  with  Occasional  Discourses.  Being  a  Compihi- 
tion  of  the  best  Sentiments  of  the  Polite  Writers  and  eminent 
sound  Divines,  both  ancient  and  modern,  on  the  same  subjects, 
j)ro|)erly  connected,  with  Improvements;  particularly  adapted 
for  the  L^se  of  Chief  Families,  and  Students  in  Divinity,  for 
Clnncht'S,  and  for  the  Benefit  of  Mankind  in  general." 

The  author  of  the  work  bearing  this  astounding  title,  once 
attempted  to  publish  it  by  subscription  ;  in  which  he  failed  : 
he  t>eing  poor,  and  unable  to  venture  its  publication,  resolved 
to  print  it  himself;  for  which  purpose  he  procured  as  many 
worn-out  types  from  a  country  printing-office  as  enabled  him 
to  print  two  pages  at  once  ;  which,  with  the  addition  of  a 
])ress  of  liis  own  manufacture,  he  set  to  work  in  the  year  1795, 
serving  every  oflice  himself,  from  compositor  to  printer's- devil : 
and  proceeding  regularly  page  by  page,  he  struck  ofi"  forty 
copies  of  the  first  three  hundred  pages,  half  of  which  he  dis- 
tributed among  the  reviews,  the  bishops,  and  the  universi- 
ties, with  a  view  of  attracting  public  attention  ;  but  here  also 
he  failed  :  when  he  became  determined  to  treat  a  misjudging 
world  with  contempt,  and  accordingly  continued  to  print  off 
fourteen  copies  of  each,  and  at  the  end  of  twelve  years  finished 
the  whole  six-and-twenty  volumes. 


SCARCITY   OF  BOOKS.  757 

Curious  account  of  the  Scarcity  of  Books  — Of  the 
scarcity  and  value  of  books  durini^  the  seventh  and  many 
subsequent  centuries,  the  following  curious  account  is  given 
by  Mr.  Warton,  in  his  History  of  English  Poetry,  vol.  i. 
*•  Towards  the  close  of  the  seventh  century,  (says  he,)  even  in 
the  papal  library  at  Rome,  the  number  of  books  was  so  incon- 
siderable, that  pope  St.  Martin  requested  Sanctamand,  bishop 
of  Maestriclit,  if  possible,  to  supply  this  defect  from  the  re- 
motest parts  of  Germany.  In  855,  Lupus,  abbot  of  Ferriers, 
in  France,  sent  two  of  his  monks  to  pope  Benedict  III.  to 
beg  a  copy  of  Cicero  de  Oratore,  and  Quintilian's  Institutes, 
and  some  other  books  :  '  for  (says  the  abbot)  although  we 
have  part  of  these  books,  yet  there  is  no  whole  or  complete 
copy  of  them  in  all  France.'  Albert,  abbot  of  Gembl  )urs, 
who  with  incredible  labour  and  immense  expense  had  col- 
lected one  hundred  volumes  on  theological,  and  fifty  on  profane 
subjects,  imagined  he  had  formed  a  splendid  library.  About 
A.  t).  790,  Charlemagne  granted  an  unlimited  ri^ht  of  hunt- 
ing, to  the  abbot  and  monks  of  Sithin,  for  making  covers  for 
their  books  of  the  skins  of  the  deer  they  killed.  These  reli- 
gious were  probably  more  fond  of  hunting  than  reading;  and, 
under  these  circumstances,  did  not  manufacture  many  volumes. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  tenth  century,  books  were  so  scarce 
in  Spain,  that  one  copy  of  the  Bible,  St.  Jerome's  epistles, 
and  some  volumes  of  ecclesiastical  offices  and  martyrologies, 
often  served  several  different  monasteries.  In  an  inventory  of 
the  goods  of  John  de  Pontissara,  bishop  of  Winchester,  in 
his  palace  of  Wulvesey,  all  the  books  are  only  septemdecim 
speciem  librorum  de  diversis  scieittm.  This  was  in  1294.  The 
same  prelate,  in  1299,  borrows  of  his  cathedral  convent  of 
St.  Swithin,  at  Winchester,  Bibliam  bene  glossatam ;  i.  e.  the 
Bible  with  marginal  annotations,  in  two  large  folio  volumes; 
but  gives  a  bond  for  due  return  of  the  loan,  drawn  up  with 
great  sole-mnity.  This  Bible  had  been  bequeathed  to  the 
convent  by  Pontissara's  predecessor,  bishop  Nicholas  de  Ely  : 
and  in  consideration  of  so  important  a  bequest,  pro  bona  Bihiiu 
dicti  episcopi  bene  glossata,  and  one  hundred  marks  in  money, 
the  monks  founded  a  daily  mass  for  the  soul  of  the  donor. 
When  a  single  book  was  bequeathed  to  a  friend,  it  was  seldom 
without  many  restrictions.  If  any  person  gave  a  book  to  a 
-eligious  house,  he  believed  that  so  valuable  a  donation  merited 
eternal  salvation;  and  he  offered  it  on  the  altar  with  great 
ceremony.  The  most  formidable  anathemas  were  perempto- 
rily denounced  against  those  who  should  dare  to  alienate  a 
book  |)resented  to  the  cloister,  or  library  of  a  religious  house. 
The  j)riorund  convent  of  Rochester  declare,  that  they  will  every 
year  |)ronounce  the  irrevocable  sentence  of  damnation  on  him 
who  shall  purloin  or  conceal  a  Latin  translation  of  Aristotle's 


758  CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. 

Physics,  or  even  obliterate  the  title.  Sometimes  a  book  v^as* 
given  to  a  monastery,  on  condition  that  the  donor  should 
have  the  use  of  it  during  his  life;  and  sometimes  to  a  private 
person,  on  the  terms  that  he  who  received  it  should  pray  for 
the  soul  of  his  benefactor.  When  a  book  was  bought,  the 
affair  was  of  so  much  importance,  that  it  was  customary  to 
assemble  persons  of  consequence  and  character,  and  to  make 
a  formal  record  that  they  were  present. 

Among  the  royal  manuscripts  in  the  book  of  the  Sentences 
of  Peter  Lombard,  an  archdeacon  of  Lincoln  has  left  this 
entry :  "  This  book  of  the  Sentences  belongs  to  master 
Robert,  archdeacon  of  Lincoln,  which  he  bought  of  Geoffrey 
the  chaplain,  brother  of  Henry,  vicar  of  Northelkington,  in  the 
presence  of  master  Robert  de  Lee,  master  John  of  Lirling, 
Richard  of  Luda,  clerk,  Richard  the  almoner,  the  said  Henry 
the  vicar,  and  his  clerk,  and  others:  and  the  said  archdeacon 
gave  the  said  book  to  God  and  St.  Oswald,  and  to  Peter 
abbot  of  Barton,  and  the  convent  of  Barden."  The  disputed 
property  of  a  book  often  occasioned  the  most  violent  alter- 
cations. Many  claims  appear  to  have  been  made  to  a  manu- 
script of  Matthew  Paris,  belonging  to  the  last  mentioned 
library;  in  which  John  Russel,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  condi- 
tionally defends  or  explains  his  right  of  possession ;  and 
(concludes  thus,  A.  D.  1488,  "  Whoever  shall  obliterate  or 
destroy  this  writing,  let  him  be  anathema." 

About  1225,  Roger  de  Insula,  dean  of  York,  gave  several 
Latin  Bibles  to  the  university  of  Oxford,  on  the  condition, 
that  the  students  who  perused  them  should  deposit  a  cau- 
tionary pledge.  The  library  of  that  university,  before  A.  D. 
1300,  consisted  only  of  a  few  tracts,  chained  or  kept  in  chests 
in  the  choir  of  St.  Mary's  ciiurch.  In  1327,  the  scholars  and 
citizens  of  Oxford  pillaged  tlie  opulent  Benedictine  abbey  of 
the  neighbouring  town  of  Abin<:don.  Among  the  books  they 
found  there,  were  one  hundred  psalters,  as  many  grayles, 
forty  missals,  which  undoubtedly  belonged  to  the  choir  of  the 
church,  and  twenty-two  codices,  on  common  subjects.  And 
although  the  invention  of  paper,  at  the  close  of  the  eleventh 
century, contributed  to  multiply  manuscripts, and  consequently 
to  facilitate  knowledge,  yet,  even  so  late  as  the  reign  of 
Henry  VI,  the  following  remarkable  instance  occurred  of  the 
inconveniences  and  impediments  to  study,  which  must  have 
been  produced  by  a  scarcitv  of  books.  It  is  in  the  statutes 
of  St.  Mary's  college  at  Oxford,  founded  as  a  seminary  to 
Oseney  abbey,  in  1446:  "  Let  no  scholar  occupy  a  book  in  the 
library  above  one  hour,  or  two  hours  at  most;  so  that  others 
shall  not  be  hindered  from  the  use  of  the  same!"  The  famous 
library  established  in  the  university  of  Oxford,  by  that  muni- 
ficent  patron   of  literature,    Humphrey    duke  of  Gloucester, 


SCARCITY   OF  BOOKS 


759 


contained  only  six  hundred  volumes.  About  the  commence- 
ment of  the  fourteenth  century,  there  were  only  four  classics 
in  the  royal  library  at  Paris.  There  was  one  copy  of  Cicero, 
Ovid,  Lucan,  and  Boetius.  The  rest  were  chiefly  books  of 
devotion,  which  included  but  few  of  the  Fathers:  many  treatises 
of  astrology,  geomancy,  chiromancy,  and  medicine,  originally 
written  in  Arabic,  and  translated  into  Latin  or  French:  pan- 
dects, chronicles,  and  romances.  This  collection  was  |)rin- 
cipally  made  by  Charles  V.  who  began  his  reign  in  1365. 
This  monarch  was  passionately  fond  of  reading;  and  it  was 
the  fashion  to  send  him  presents  of  books  from  every  part  of 
the  kingdom  of  France.  These  he  ordered  to  be  elegantly 
transcribed,  and  richly  illuminated;  and  he  placed  them  in  a 
tower  of  the  Louvre,  from  thence  called  La  Toure  de  la 
Libraire.  The  whole  consisted  of  nine  hundred  volumes. 
They  were  deposited  in  three  chambers,  wainscoted  v\ith 
Irish  oak,  and  ceiled  with  cypress  curiously  carved.  The 
windows  were  of  painted  glass,  fenced  with  iron  bars  and 
copper  wire.  The  English  became  masters  of  Paris  in  the 
year  1425;  on  which  event  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  regent  of 
"France,  sent  the  whole  library,  then  consisting  of  only  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-three  volumes,  and  valued  at  2223  livres, 
into  England  ;  where  perhaps  they  became  the  groundwork 
of  Duke  Humphrey's  library.  Even  so  late  as  the  year  147i, 
when  Louis  XL  of  France  borrowed  the  works  of  the  Arabian 
physician,  Rhasis,  from  the  faculty  of  medicine  at  Paris,  he 
not  only  deposited  by  way  of  pledge  a  quantity  of  valuable 
plate,  b-ut  was  obliged  to  procure  a  nobleman  to  join  with 
him  as  a  surety  in  a  deed,  by  which  he  bound  himself  to 
return  it,  under  a  considerable  forfeiture.  The  excessive 
prices  of  books  in  the  middle  ages  afford  numerous  and 
curious  proofs  of  the  caution  with  which  literary  property  was 
eec'ired  in  those  times  of  general  ignorance. 

h\  1174,  Walter,  prior  of  St.  Swithin's  at  Winchester,  a 
writer  in  Latin  of  the  lives  of  the  bishops  who  were  his 
patrons,  purchased  of  the  monks  of  Dorchester,  in  Oxford- 
shire, Bede's  Homilies  and  St.  Austin's  Psalter,  for  twelve 
measures  of  barley,  and  a  pall,  on  which  was  richly  eui- 
broidered  in  silver  the  history  of  St.  Birinus  converting  a 
Saxon  king.  Among  the  royal  manuscripts  in  the  British 
Museum,  there  is  Comestor's  Scholastic  History  in  French  ; 
which,  as'St  is  recorded  in  a  blank  page  at  the  beginning,  was 
taken  from  the  king  of  France  at  the  battle  of  Poictiers;  and 
being  purchased  by  William  Montague,  Earl  of  Salisbury,  for 
100  marcs,  was  ordered  to  be  sold  by  the  last  will  of  his 
countess,  Elizabeth,  for  40  livres.  About  A.  D.  1400,  a 
copy  of  John  of  Menu's  Romance  de  la  Rose,  was  sold  before 
the  palace  gate  at  Paris  for  a  sum  equal  to  £33.  6s.  6d. 


760  CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. 

Celebra  fed  Libraries. — The  first  who  erected  a  libraiy 
at  Athens  was  the  tyrant  Pisistratus.  This  was  transported 
by  Xerxes  into  Persia,  and  afterwards  brought  back  by 
Seleucus  Nicanor  to  Athens.  Plutarch  says,  that  under 
Eumenes  theri>  was  a  library  at  Pergamus  which  contained 
two  hundred  thousand  books  That  of  Ptolemy  Philadel- 
phus,  according  to  A.  Gellius,  contained  forty  thousand, 
which  were  all  burnt  by  Caesar's  soldiers,  The  celebrated 
library  of  Alexandria,  begun  by  Ptolemy  Soter,  and  enlarged 
i)y  his  successors,  consisting  of  seven  hundred  thousand 
volumes,  contained  nearly  all  the  literary  treasures  of  the 
world.  This  was  burnt  by  order  of  the  Caliph  Omar,  in  the 
seventh  century,  and  the  loss  must  for  ever  remain  irreparable. 
On  this  calamity,  literature  can  never  reflect  without  a  sigh. 
Constantine  and  his  successor  erected  a  magnificent  one  at 
Constantinople,  which  in  the  eighth  century  contained  three 
hundred  thousand  volumes,  and  among  the  rest,  one  in  which 
the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  were  written  in  letters  of  gold,  on  the 
entrails  of  a  serpent;  but  this  library  was  burnt,  by  order  of 
Leo  Isaurus.  The  most  celebrated  libraries  of  ancient  Rome, 
were  the  Ulpian  and  the  Palatine;  and  in  modern  Rome,  that 
of  the  Vatican,  the  foundation  of  which  was  laid  by  Pope 
Nicholas  in  the  year  1450.  It  was  afterwards  diminished  in 
the  sacking  of  Rome  by  the  constable  of  Bourbon,  and 
restored  by  Pope  Sixtus  V.  and  has  been  considerably  enriched 
with  the  ruins  of  that  of  Heidelberg,  plundered  by  count 
Tilly  in  1682.  One  of  the  most  complete  libraries  in  Europe, 
was  that  erected  by  Cosmo  de  IMedicis;  though  it  was  after- 
wards exceeded  l)y  that  of  the  French  king,  which  was  begun 
by  Francis  I.  augmented  by  cardinal  Richelieu,  and  com- 
pleted by  M.  Colbert.  The  emperor's  library  at  Vienna, 
according  to  Lambecius,  consists  of  eighty  thousand  volumes, 
and  fifteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  forty  curious  medals. 
The  Bodleian  library  at  Oxford  exceeds  that  of  any  university 
in  Europe,  and  even  those  of  any  of  the  sovereigns,  except 
those  of  the  emperors  of  France  and  Germany,  which  are 
each  of  them  older  by  a  hundred  years.  It  was  first  opened 
in  1602,  and  has  since  been  increased  by  a  great  number  of 
benefactors:  indeed  the  Medicean  library,  that  of  Bessarion 
at  Venice,  and  those  just  mentioned,  exceed  it  in  Greek 
manuscripts,  but  it  outdoes  them  all  in  Oriental  manuscripts; 
and  as  to  printed  books,  the  Ambrosian  at  Milan,  and  that  of 
Wolfenbuttle,  are  two  of  the  most  famous  libraries  on  the 
continent,  and  yet  both  are  considerably  inferior  to  the  Bod- 
leian. The  Cottonian  library  consists  wholly  of  manuscripts, 
particularly  of  such  as  relate  to  the  history  and  antiquities 
of  England;  which,  as  they  are  now  bound,  make  about  erne 
thousand  volumes. 


BOOK  OF  BLUNDERS. LONDON   INSTIUTIONS.  761 

Book  of  Blunders. — One  of  the  most  egregious,  shall 
we  add  illustrious,  of  all  literary  blunders,  is  that  of  the  edition 
of  the  Vulgate,  by  Sixtus  V.  His  holiness  carefully  superin- 
tended every  sheet  as  it  passed  through  the  press;  and,  to  the 
amazement  of  the  world,  the  work  remained  without  a  rival — 
it  swarmed  with  errata!  A  multitude  of  scraps  were  printed, 
to  paste  over  the  erroneous  passages,  in  order  to  give  the 
true  text.  The  book  makes  a  whimsical  appearance  with 
these  pasted  corrections;  and  the  heretics  exulted  in  the 
demonstration  of  papal  infallibility!  The  copies  were  called 
in,  and  violent  attempts  made  to  suppress  it;  however,  a  few 
still  remain  for  the  pursuit  of  biblical  collectors  :  at  a  late  sale, 
the  Bible  of  Sixtus  V.  fetched  above  sixty  guineas — ra  tole- 
rable sum  for  a  mere  book  of  blunders!  The  world  was  highly 
amused  at  the  bull  of  the  Pope  and  editor  prefixed  to  the 
first  volume,  which  excommunicates  all  printers,  &,c.  who 
in  reprinting  the  work  should  make  any  alteration  in  the 
text ! 

Curious  account  of  The  Means  of  Intellectual  Im- 
provement IN  London. — The  following  is  an  estimate  made 
of  the  means  of  intellectual  improvement  in  London.  There 
are  four  hundred  and  seven  places  of  public  worship;  four 
thousand  and  fifty  seminaries  for  education,  including  two 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  parish  charity  schools;  eight  socie- 
ties for  the  express  purpose  of  promoting  good  morals;  twelve 
societies  for  promoting  the  learned,  the  useful,  and  the  polite 
arts;  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  asylums  and  alms-houses 
for  the  helpless  and  indigent,  including  the  Philanthropic 
Society  for  reclaiming  criminal  children;  thirty  hospitals  and 
dispensaries  for  sick  and  lame,  and  for  the  delivery  of  poor 
pregnant  v^omen;  seven  hundred  friendly  or  benefit  societies; 
about  thirty  institutions  for  charitable  and  humane  pur|)oses  ; 
about  thirty  institutions  for  teaching  some  thousands  of  poor 
children  the  arts  of  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  on  the 
plans  of  Mr.  Lancaster  and  Dr.  Bell;  and  these  several  estab- 
lishments, including  the  poor's  rate,  are  supported  at  the 
almost  incredible  cost  of  one  million  per  annum. 


762  CURIOSITIES   OF    LITERATURE. 

CHAP.  LXXXl. 
CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. — (Continued.) 

Jri^in  of  the  Word  "  Neivs" — Origin  of  Neivspapers — Instances  oj 
Nexo  Studies  in  Old  Age — Literary  Shoemakers — Imprison- 
ment of  the  Learned — Singular  Customs  annually  observed 
by  the  Company  of  Stationers — Book  of  Sports — Origin  of 
Cards — Explanation  of  all  the  Letters  on  a  Guinea. 

Origin  of  the  Word  "News." — The  four  cardinal  points 
of  the  compass,  marked  with  the  letters  N.  E.  W.  S.  standing 
for  North,  East,  West,  and  South,  form  the  word  News, 
which  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  gave  derivation  to 
the  word. 

Origin  of  Newspapers. — We  are  indebted  to  the  Italians 
for  the  idea  of  Newspapers.  The  title  of  the  Gazettas,  was 
perhaps  derived  from  Gazzera,  a  magpie  or  chatterer;  or  more 
probably  from  a  farthing  coin,  peculiar  to  the  city  of  Venice, 
called  Gazetta,  which  was  the  common  price  of  the  news- 
papers. Another  learned  etymologist  is  for  deriving  it  from 
the  Latin  Gaza,  which  would  colloquially  lengthen  into 
Gazetta,  and  signify  a  little  treasury  of  news.  The  Spanish 
derive  it  indeed  from  the  Latin  Gaza;  and  likewise  their 
Gazatero,  and  our  Gazetteer,  for  a  writer  of  the  Gazette;  and, 
what  is  peculiar  to  themselves,  Gazetista,  for  a  lover  of  the 
Gazette. 

Newspapers  then  took  their  birth  in  that  principal  land 
of  modern  politicians,  Italy,  and  under  the  government  of  that 
aristocratical  republic,  Venice.  The  first  paper  was  a  Vene- 
tian one,  and  only  monthly:  but  it  was  the  newspaper  of  the 
government  only.  Other  governments  afterwards  adopted  the 
Venetian  name  for  it;  and  from  one  solitary  government 
Gazette,  we  see  what  an  inundation  of  newspapers  has  burst 
out  upon  us  in  this  country. 

Mr.  Chalmers  gives,  in  his  life  of  Ruddiman,  a  curious 
particular  of  these  Venetian  Gazettes.  "  A  jealous  govern 
ment  did  not  allow  a  printed  newspaper;  and  the  Venetian 
Gazetta  continued  long  after  the  invention  of  printing  to  the 
close  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  even  to  our  own  days,  to 
be  distributed  in  manuscript."  In  the  Magliabechian  library 
at  Florence  are  thirty  volumes  of  Venetian  Gazettas,  all  in 
manuscript. 

Those  who  first  wrote  newspapers,  were  called  by  the  Italians 
Menanti:  because,  says  Vossius,  they  intended  commonly  by 


ORIGIN   OF   NEWSPAPEKS. — STUDIES   IN   OLD  AGE.       763 

these  loose  papers  to  spread  about  defamatory  reflections,  and 
were  therefore  prohibited  in  Italy  by  Gregory  XIII.  in  a 
particular  bull,  under  the  n?Lme  of  Menatttes,  from  the  Latin 
Minantes,  threatening.  Menage,  however,  derives  it  from  the 
Italian  Meiiare,  which  signifies,  to  lead  at  large,  or  spread 
afar. 

Mr.  Chalmers  discovers  in  England  th  first  newspaper. 
It  may  gratify  national  pride,  says  he,  to  be  told,  that  man- 
kind are  indebted  to  the  wisdom  of  Elizabeth  and  the  pru- 
dence of  Burleigh  for  the  first  newspaper.  The  epoch  of  the 
Spanish  Armada  is  also  the  epoch  of  a  genuine  newspaper. 
In  the  British  Museum  are  several  newspapers  vviiich  had 
been  printed  while  the  Spanish  fleet  was  in  the  English 
Channel,  during  the  year  1588.  It  was  a  wise  policy  to  pre- 
vent, durrng  a  moment  of  general  anxiety,  the  danger  of  false 
reports,  by  publishing  real  information.  The  earliest  news- 
paper is  entitled  "  The  English  Mercurie,"  which  by  authority 
"  was  imprinted  at  London  by  her  highness's  printer,  1588." 
These  were,  however,  but  extraordinary  Gazettes,  not  regularly 
published. 

The  followinor  are  curious  Instances  of  New  Studies  in 
Old  Age. — Socrates  learnt  to  play  on  musical  instruments 
in  his  old  age;  Cato,  at  eighty,  thought  proper  to  learn  Greek; 
and  Plutarch,  almost  as  late  in  life,  Latin. 

Theophrastus  began  his  admirable  work  on  the  characters 
of  men,  at  the  extreme  age  of  ninety.  He  only  terminated 
his  literary  labours  by  his  death. 

Peter  Ronsard,  one  of  the  fathers  of  French  poetry,  applied 
himself  late  to  study.  His  acute  genius,  and  ardent  applica- 
tion, rivalled  those  poetic  models  which  he  admired. 

The  great  Arnauld  retained  the  vigour  of  his  genius,  and 
the  command  of  his  pen,  to  his  last  day;  and  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  was  still  the  great  Arnauld. 

Sir  Henry  Spelman  neglected  the  sciences  in  his  youth, 
but  cultivated  them  at  fifty  years  of  age,  and  produced  good 
fruit.  His  early  years  were  chiefly  passed  in  farming,  which 
greatly  diverted  him  from  his  studies;  but  a  remarkable  dis- 
ap|)oinlment  respecting  a  contested  estate,  disgusted  him 
with  these  rustic  occupations,  and  resolving  to  attach  himself 
.0  regular  studies  and  literary  society,  he  sold  his  farms,  and 
oecame  a  most  learned  antiquary  and  lawyer. 

Colbert,  the  famous  French  minister,  almost  at  sixty  re- 
turned to  his  Latin  and  law  studies. 

Tellier,  the  chancellor  of  France,  learnt  logic,  merely  for 
an  amusement,  to  dispute  with  his  grandchildren. 

Dr.  Johnson  applied  himself  to  the  Dutch  language  but  a  few 
years  before  his  death.    But  on  this  head  the  Marcuis  de  Saint 


764  CURIOSITIES  OF   LITERATURE. 

Anlaire  may  be  regarded  as  a  prodigy  •  at  the  age  of  seventy 
he  began  to  court  the  Muses,  and  they  crowned  him  with 
their  freshest  flowers.  His  verses  are  full  of  fire,  delicacy, 
and  sweetness.  Voltaire  says,  that  Anacreon,  less  old,  pro- 
duced less  charming  compositions. 

Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales  were  the  composition  of  his 
latest  years:  they  were  begun  in  his  fifty-fourth  year,  and 
finished  in  his  sixty-first:  it  is  on  these  works  liis  fame  is 
established,  at  least  they  are  those  which  are  most  adapted  to 
attract  all  classes  of  poetical  readers. 

The  celebrated  Boccacio  was  thirty-five  years  of  age  when 
he  began  his  studies  in  polite  literature.  He  has,  however., 
excelled  many  whose  whole  life  has  been  devoted  to  tliis  branch 
of  letters.     Such  is  the  privilege  of  genius. 

Ludovico  Monaldesco,  at  the  extraordinary  age  of  115, 
wrote  the  memoirs  of  his  time:  a  singular  exertion,  noticed 
by  Voltaire,  who  himself  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in- 
stances of  the  progress  of  age  in  new  studies. 

Koonhert  began  at  forty  to  learn  the  Latin  and  Greek  lan- 
guages, of  which  he  became  a  master;  several  students,  who 
afterwards  distinguished  themselves,  have  commenced  as  late 
!u  life  tlieir  literary  pursuits.  Ogilby,  the  translator  of  Homer 
and  Virgil,  knew  little  of  Latin  or  Greek,  till  he  \>as  past 
fifty;  and  Franklin's  philosophical  pursuits  began  when  he 
had  nearly  reached  his  fiftieth  year 

Accorso,  a  great  lawyer,  beini;  asked  why  he  began  the 
study  of  the  law  so  late,  answered,  that  indeed  he  began  it 
iate,   but  should  therefore  master  it  the  sooner. 

Dryden's  complete  works  form  the  largest  body  of  poetry 
from  the  pen  of  one  writer  in  the  English  language;  yet  he 
gave  no  public  testimony  of  poetical  abilities  till  his  twenty- 
seventh  year.  In  his  sixty-eighth  year  he  proposed  to  trans- 
late the  whole  Hias;  his  most  pleasing  productions  were  written 
in  his  old  age. 

Michael  Angelo  preserved  his  creative  genius  even  in  ex- 
treme old  age  ;  for  he  worked  almost  to  his  last  day,  and  he 
reached  his  ninetieth  year.  He  alludes,  doubtless,  to  himself 
in  an  ingenious  device,  if  it  be  of  his  own  invention  :  A  vene- 
rable old  man  is  represented  in  a  go-cart,  an  hour-glass  upon 
it,  with  the  inscription,  Ancora  Lmparo!  Yet  I  am  learn- 
ing ! 

Literary  Shoemakers. — The  fraternity  of  shoemakers 
have  unquestionably  given  rise  to  some  characters  of  worth 
and  genius.  The  late  Mr.  Holcroft  was  originally  a  shoe- 
maker. His  dramatic  pieces  must  rank  among  the  best  of 
those  on  the  English  stage.  Robert  Bloomfield  wrote  his 
poem  of  "  The  Fanner's  Boy,"  while  employed  at  this  business. 


IMPRISONMENT  OF  THE    LEARNED.  765 

and  Dr.  William  Carey,  profefe!>or  of  Sanscrit  and  Bengalee 
at  the  college  of  Fort  William,  Calcutta,  and  the  able  and 
indefatigable  translator  of  the  Scriptures  into  many  of  the 
Eastern  languages,  was  in  early  life  a  shoemaker  in  North- 
amptonshire. The  present  Mr.  Gifford,  the  translator  of 
Juvenal,  and  the  supposed  editor  of  the  Quarterly  Keview, 
spent  some  of  his  early  days  in  learning  the  "  craft  and  mys- 
tery" of  a  shoemaker;  as  he  tells  us,  in  one  of  the  most  inte- 
resting pieces  of  auto-biography  ever  penned,  and  prefixed  to 
his  nervous  and  elegant  version  of  the  great  Roman  satirist. 

Imprisonment  of  the  Learned. — Imprisonment  seems 
not  much  to  have  disturbed  the  men  of  letters  in  the  progress 
of  their  studies. 

It  was  in  prison  that  Boethius  composed  his  excellent  book 
on  the  Consolations  of  Philosophy. 

Grotius  wrote,  in  his  confinement,  his  Commentary  on  St. 
Matthew. 

Buchanan,  in  his  dungeon  of  a  monastery  in  Portugal, 
composed  his  excellent  Paraphrases  on  the  Psalms  of  David. 

Pelisson,  during  five  years'  confinement  for  some  state  affairs, 
pursued  with  ardour  his  studies  in  the  Greek  language,  in 
])hilosophy,  and  particularly  in  theology,  and  produced  several 
good  compositions. 

Michael  Cervantes  composed  the  best  and  most  agreeable 
book  in  the  Spanish  language,  during  his  captivity  in  Bar- 
bary. 

Fleta,  a  well-known  and  very  excellent  little  law  production, 
was  written  by  a  person  confined  in  the  fleet  prison  for  debt, 
but  whose  name  has  not  been  jireserved. 

Louis  XII.  when  he  was  Duke  of  Orleans,  being  taken  pri- 
soner at  the  battle  of  St.  Aubin,  was  long  confined  in  the 
tower  of  Bourges,  and  applying  himself  to  his  studies,  which 
he  had  hitherto  neglected,  he  became,  in  consequence,  an 
able  and  enlightened  monarch. 

Mar-aret,  Queen  of  Henry  IV.  King  of  France,  confined  in 
the  Louvre,  pursued  very  warmly  the  study  of  elegant  literature, 
and  composed  a  very  skilful  apology  for  the  irregularities  of 
her  conduct. 

Charles  I.  during  his  cruel  confinement  at  Holmsby,  wrote 
that  excellent  book,  entitled  The  Portait  of  a  King,  which  he 
addressed  to  his  son,  and  where  the  political  reflections  will 
be  found  not  unworthy  of  Tacitus.  This  work,  however,  has 
been  attributed,  by  his  enemies,  to  a  Dr.  Gowden,  who  was 
incapable  of  writing  a  single  paragraph  of  it. 

Queen  Elizabeth,  while  confined  by  her  sister  Mary,  wrote 
some  very  charming  poems,  which  we  do  not  find  she  ever 
could  equal  after  her  enlargement :  and  Mary  Queen  of  Scots, 


766  CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. 

during  her  long  imprisonment  by  Elizabeth,  produced  many 
beautiful  poetic  compositions. 

Singular  Custom  annually  observed  by  the  Com- 
pany OF  Stationers. — On  the  annual  aquatic  procession 
of  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  to  Westminster,  the  barge  of 
the  Company  of  Stationers,  which  is  usually  the  first  in  the 
show,  proceeds  to  Lambeth  palace,  where  for  time  immemorial 
they  have  received  a  present  of  sixteen  bottles  of  the  Arch- 
bishop's prime  wine.  This  custom  originated  at  the  beginning 
of  the  last  century.  When  archbishop  Tenison  enjoyed  the 
see,  a  very  near  relation  of  his,  who  happened  to  be  master 
of  the  Stationers' Company,  thought  it  a  compliment  to  call 
there  in  full  state,  and  in  his  barge  :  when  the  archbishop  was 
informed  that  the  number  of  the  company  within  the  barge 
was  thirty-two,  he  thought  that  a  pint  of  wine  for  each  would 
not  be  disagreeable;  and  ordered,  at  the  same  time,  that  a 
sufficient  quantity  ol  new  bread  and  old  cheese,  with  plenty 
of  strong  ale,  should  be  given  to  the  watermen  and  attendants: 
and  from  that  accidental  circumstance  it  has  grown  into  a 
settled  custom.  The  Company,  in  return,  presents  to  the 
Archbishop  a  copy  of  the  several  almanacks  which  they  have 
the  peculiar  privilege  of  publishing. 

Book  of  Sports. — A  book,  or  declaration,  drawn  up  by 
bishop  Morton,  in  the  reign  of  king  James  I.  to  encourage 
recreations  and  sports  on  the  Lord's  day.  It  was  to  this 
effect:  "  That  for  his  good  people's  recreation,  his  majesty's 
pleasure  was,  that,  after  the  end  of  divine  service,  they  should 
not  be  disturbed,  letted,  or  discouraged,  from  any  lawful  recre- 
ations; such  as  dancing,  either  of  men  or  women;  archery 
for  men  ;  leaping,  vaulting,  or  any  such  harmless  recreations; 
nor  having  of  may-games,  vvhitsun-ales,  or  morrice-dances; 
or  setting  up  of  may-poles,  or  other  sports  therewith  used, 
so  as  the  same  may  be  had  in  due  and  convenient  time,  with- 
out impediment  or  let  of  divine  service ;  and  that  women 
should  have  leave  to  carry  rushes  to  the  church  for  the  deco- 
rating of  it,  according  to  their  old  customs  :  withal  prohibiting 
all  unlawfid  games  to  be  used  on  Sundays  only ;  as  l)ear- 
bating,  bull-bating,  interludes,  and  at  all  times  (in  the 
meaner  sort  of  people  prohibited)  bowling."  Two  or  three 
restraints  were  annexed  to  the  declaration,  which  deserve 
notice: — 1.  No  recusant  (i.  e.  papist)  was  to  have  the  benefit 
of  this  declaration.  2.  Nor  such  as  were  not  present  at  the 
whole  of  divine  service.  3.  Nor  such  as  did  not  keep  to  their 
own  parish  churches,  that  is,  puritans. 

This  declaration  was  ordered  to  be  read  in  all  the  parishes 
of  Lancashire,  which  abounded  with  papists;  and  Wilson  adds. 


ORIGIN   OF  CARDS.  767 

that  it  was  to  have  been  read  in  all  the  churches  of  England, 
but  that  archbishop  Abbot,  being  at  Croydon,  flatly  forbade 
its  being  read  there.  In  the  reign  of  king  Charles  I.  arch- 
bishop Laud  put  the  king  upon  republishing  this  declaration, 
which  was  accordingly  done.  The  court  had  their  balls, 
masquerades,  and  plays,  on  the  Sunday  evenings;  while  the 
youth  of  the  country  were  at  theirmorrice-dances,  may-games, 
church  and  clerk  ales,  and  all  such  kind  of  revelling.  The 
se\ere  pressing  of  this  declaration  made  sad  havock  among 
the  puritans,  as  it  was  to  be  read  in  the  churches.  Many 
poor  clergymen  strained  their  consciences  in  submission  to 
their  superiors.  Some,  after  publishing,  immediately  read 
the  fourth  commandment  to  the  people  : — "  Remember  the 
sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy:"  adding,  "This  is  the  law  of 
God;"  the  other,  "The  injunction  of  man."  Some  put  it 
upon  their  curates;  whilst  great  numbers  absolutely  refused 
to  comply  :  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that  several  cler- 
gymen were  actually  suspended  for  not  reading  it. 

Origin  of  Cards. — About  the  year  1390,  cards  were  in- 
vented, to  divert  Charles  VI.  then  king  of  France,  who  was 
fallen  into  a  melancholy  disposition. 

That  they  were  not  in  use  before,  appears  highly  probable, 
ist.  Because  no  cards  are  to  be  seen  in  any  paintings,  sculp- 
ture, tapestry,  &c.  more  ancient  than  the  preceding  period,  but 
are  represented  in  many  works  of  ingenuity  since  that  age. 

2dly.  No  prohibitions  relative  to  cards,  by  the  king's  edicts, 
are  mentioned,  although,  some  few  years  before,  a  most  severe 
one  was  published,  forbidding  by  name,  all  manner  of  sports 
and  pastimes,  in  order  that  the  subjects  might  exercise  them- 
selves in  shooting  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  be  in  a  condi- 
tion to  oppose  the  English.  Now  it  is  not  to  be  presumed, 
that  so  luring  a  game  as  cards  would  have  been  omitted  in  the 
enumeration,  had  they  been  in  use. 

3dly.  In  all  the  ecclesiastical  canons  prior  to  the  said  time, 
there  occurs  no  mention  of  cards  ;  although,  twenty  years  after 
that  date,  card-playing  was  interdicted  by  the  clergy,  by  a 
Galilean  synod.  About  the  same  time  is  found,  in  the  account 
book  of  the  king's  cofferer,  the  following  charge: — "Paid  for 
a  pack  of  painted  leaves  bought  for  the  king's  amusement, 
three  livres."  Printing  and  stamping  being  then  not  disco- 
vered, the  cards  were  painted,  which  made  them  so  dear. 
Thence,  in  the  above  sy nodical  canons,  they  are  called  gilla 
pkta,   painted  little  leaves. 

4thly.  About  thirty  years  after  this,  came  a  severe  edict 
against  cards  in  France  ;  and  another  by  Emanuel,  duke  of 
Savoy  ;  only  permitting  the  ladies  this  pastime,  pro  spinulis, 
for  pins  and  needles. 


768  CURIOSITI  ES   OF   LITERATURE. 

Of  their  design. — The  inventor  proposed,  by  the  figures  of 
the  four  suits,  or  colours,  as  the  French  call  them,  to  repre- 
sent the  four  states,  or  classes,  of  men  in  the  kingdom 

By  the  C^5a;s  (Hearts)  are  meant  the  gens  de  chaur,  choir 
men,  or  ecclesiastics  ;  and  therefore  the  Spaniards,  who  cer- 
tainly received  the  use  of  cards  from  the  French,  have  copas, 
or  chalices,  instead  of  hearts. 

The  nobility,  or  prime  military  part  of  the  kingdom,  are 
represented  by  the  ends  or  points  of  lances  or  pikes  ;  and  our 
ignorance  of  the  meaning  or  resemblance  of  the  figure  induced 
us  to  call  them  Spades.  The  Spaniards  have  espoces  (swords) 
in  lieu  of  pikes,  which  is  of  similar  imj^ort. 

By  Diamonds,  are  designed  the  order  of  citizens,  merchants, 
and  tradesmen,  carreaiix  (square  stone  tiles  or  the  like.)  The 
Spaniards  have  a  coin  d'uieros,  which  answered  to  it ;  and  the 
Dutch  call  the  French  word  carreaiix  stieiieen,  stones  and  dia- 
monds, from  their  form. 

Treste,  the  trefoil  leaf,  or  clover-grass  (corruptly  called 
Clubs)  alludes  to  the  husbandmen  and  peasants.  How  this  suit 
came  to  be  called  clubs  is  not  explained,  unless,  borrowing  the 
game  from  the  Spaniards,  who  have  basios  (staves  or  clubs) 
instead  of  the  trefoil,  we  gave  the  Spanish  signification  to  the 
French  figure. 

The  history  of  the  four  Kings,  which  the  French  in  drollery 
sometimes  call  the  cards,  is  David,  Alexander,  Cdsar,  and 
Charles,  (which  names  were  then,  and  still  are,  on  the  French 
cards.)  These  respectable  names  represent  the  four  cele- 
brated monarchies  of  the  Jews,  Greeks,  Romans,  and  Franks 
under  Charlemagne. 

By  the  Queens  are  intended  Argine,  Esther,  Judith,  and  Pallas, 
(names  retained  in  French  cards,)  typical  of  birth,  piety,  for- 
titude, and  wisdom,  the  qualifications  residing  in  each  persoa 
Argine  is  in  anagram  for  liegina,  queen  by  descent. 

By  the  Knaves  were  designed  the  servants  to  knights  (for 
knave  originally  meant  only  servant;  and  in  an  old  translation 
of  the  Bible,  St.  Paul  is  called  the  knave  of  Christ)  but  French 
pages  and  valets,  now  indiscriminately  used  by  various  orders 
of  persons,  were  formerly  only  allowed  to  persons  of  quality, 
esquires,  (escuiers,)  shield  or  armour-bearers. 

Others  fancy  that  the  knights  themselves  were  designed  by 
tliose  cards,  because  Ilogier  and  Lahire,  two  names  on  the 
I'ifMich  cards,  were  famous  knights  at  the  time  cards  were 
.».M])j)osed  to  be  invented. 

Explanation  of  all  the  Letters  on  a  Guinea. — The 
Inscription  on  a  Guinea  runs  thus: — GEORGIUS  III.  DEI 
GRATIA,  M.  B.  F.  ET  H.  REX,  F.  D  B.  ET  L.  D.  S.  R.  I. 
A.T.  ET  E. 


ADDRESS  TO  THE   LATE  QUEEN   CHARLOTTE.  769 

That  is, — Georgius  Tertius,  Dei  Gratia,  Magnce  Briitannise, 
Frincioe  et  Hiberniee  Rex,  Fidei  Defensor,  Brunswicii  et  Lu- 
nonburgi  Dux,  Sacri  Romani  Imperii  Archi-Thesaurarius  et 
Elector. 

In  English, — George  the  Third,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  King 
of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the  Faith, 
Duke  of  Brunswick  and  Lunenburgh,  Arch-Treasurer  and 
Elector  of  the  Holv  Roman  Empire 

CHAP.  LXXXII. 

CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. — (Concluded) 

Curious  Address  to  the  late  Queen  Charlotte — Quaint  Lines  on 
Queen  Elizabeth — Curious  Names  adopted  in  the  Civil  Wars — ■ 
Curious  Extracts  from  the  Mill  of  an  Earl  of  Pembroke- 
Curious  Letter  from  Pornare,  Ki/ig  of  Otaheite,  to  the  Mis- 
sionary  Society — Curious  Love  Letter  and  Ansiver — Creeds  oj 
the  Jexcs — The  Unbeliever's  Creed — Explanation  of  the  Ternu 
"  Whig"  and  "  Tory." 

CURIOUS   ADDRESS  TO  THE   LATE  QUEEN   CHARLOTTE. 

"The  Address  of  the  Burgomaster,  Magistrates,  and  Citizens 
of  Strelitz,  to  her  Royal  Highness  the  Most  Illustrious 
Princess  Sophia  Charlotte,  Duchess  of  Mecklenburgh, 
Princess  of  Wenden,  Schrouin,  and  Piotzburgh,  and  Coun- 
tess of  Schvverin,  and  the  countries  of  Rostock  and  Slan- 
gard,  on  her  leaving  the  Territories  of  the  said  City  in  her 
Way  to  England,  as  the  Royal  Bride  of  his  Most  Illustrious 
Majesty  George  the  Third,  King  of  Great  Britain,  &.c.  8cc. 
Aug.  27,  1761. 

"  Illustrious  Dutchess,  most  gracious  Princess  and  Lady  ; 
your  Royal  Highness  is  at  present  leaving  that  country  whose 
happiness  it  has  hitherto  been  to  admire  you,  the  model  of  a 
perfect  Princess ;  you  leave  it  to  share  with  the  greatest 
monarch  in  Europe,  a  throne  respected  through  every  part  of 
the  universe.  The  instant  is  at  hand  when  your  Royal  High- 
ness will  for  ever  be  withdrawn  from  our  eyes  :  but  it  affects 
us  the  more  sensibly,  from  the  apprehension  that  the  many 
great  and  brilliant  objects,  with  which  you  will  henceforth  be 
connected,  will  efface  so  small  a  place  as  ours  from  your  ines- 
timable remembrance.  Yet  that  goodness  which  we  have 
hitherto  with  transport  admired  in  your  Royal  Highness, 
revives  our  spirits;  it  assures  us,  that  you  will  ever  from  the 
throne  condescend  graciously  to  look  back  on  our  town  ;  and 

5£ 


770  CURIOSITIES   OF   LITERATURE. 

contimae  the  patroness  of  those  whose  happiness  it  is  to  be 
the  subjects  of  your  illustrious  Family.  We,  therefore,  in  full 
confidence,  give  ourselves  up  to  that  lively  joy  excited  in  us 
all,  on  the  glorious  union  to  which  the  Divine  Provid'ence  has 
called  your  Royal  Highness,  and  beg  leave  to  accompany  you 
with  our  most  cordial  wishes  for  your  safe  journey  and  con- 
tinual welfare  and  prosperity.  May  the  Eternal  Ruler  of  all 
things,  who  has  appointed  this  great  event,  make  your  Royal 
Highness  the  most  perfect  instance  of  felicity,  the  delight  of 
that  Royal  Family  into  which  you  are  now  entering,  the  joy  of 
Britain,  and  the  glory  of  the  illustrious  Mecklenburg!  May 
our  illustrious  Sovereign,  the  beloved  Adolphus  Frederic,  long, 
and  in  all  earthly  happiness,  together  with  his  faithful  and 
happy  subjects,  rejoice  in  these  felicities!  Your  Royal  High- 
ness will  graciously  permit  that  Twelve  of  our  Daughters,  here 
present  in  the  attire  of  innocence,  may,  as  a  memorial  of  this 
fortunate  event,  second  the  ardent  sentiments  of  their  Fathers, 
and  in  artless  words,  most  humbly  wish  you  a  safe  and  plea 
sant journey : — 

Eleonora  Dorothea  Maria  Bentghoven. 

Hail  Princess!  with  each  shining  virtue  bright, 
All  pure  within,  without  all  glorious  light. 
Whose  form  divine,  whose  goodness  we  adore; 
Heaven  bless  thy  parting  from  the  German  shore! 

Christiana  Juliana  Elizabeth  Berendsden. 
As  Consort  of  a  mighty  Monarch  shine, 
Restore  the  honour  of  an  ancient  line; 
For  this  thy  coming,  Britain's  King  invites. 
For  this  he  calls  to  Hymen's  soft  delights. 

Dorothea  Elizabeth  Tetlington. 
Thy  soul  with  each  divinest  virtue  fraught. 
Thy  wisdom  perfect,  both  in  word  and  thought; 
Each  British  bosom  shall  with  rapture  fire, 
And  faction  sleep  whilst  gazing  crowds  admire. 

Sophia  Elizabeth  Gradhandlan. 
When  seated  by  thy  royal  Consort's  side. 
New  lustre  he  shall  gain  from  such  a  Bride; 
Her  worth  shall  grace  the  sacred  nuptial  ties. 
And  Britain's  throne  in  dignity  shall  rise. 

Carolina  Henrietta  Tan  gate. 

O  God!  whose  mercies  through  the  world  abound. 
Whose  power  supports  tlie  King  thy  hand  has  crown'd. 
Waft  o'er  the  main  the  Bride's  transcendent  charms, 
lu  safety  to  the  Bridegroom's  longing  arms. 


ADDRESS   TO   THE    LATE   QUEEN    CHARLOTTE.  771 

Dorothea  G avert. 

May  she,  with  each  endearing  art  possest. 
To  pleasure  ever  soothe  the  Monarch's  breast! 
May  all  the  royal  virtues  of  her  heart. 
To  faithful  subjects  joy  sincere  impart! 

Anna  Maria  Elizabeth  Christen. 

Britons,  rejoice,  receive  with  loud  acclaim 
Sophia  Charlotte,  ever  dear  to  fame  ; 
Delight  of  Mecklenburg!  she  comes  to  shower 
On  Britain's  isle  new  blessings  every  hour. 

Madalen  Elizabeth  Colterjahn. 

Thrice  happy  Bride!  who  soon  shall  cross  the  main. 
Whom  to  behold  again  we  wish  in  vain  ; 
May  happiness  increasing  with  thee  dwell. 
To  every  age  may  fame  thy  glory  tell ! 

Chj'i&tiaiia  Sophia  Sealon. 

From  Ganges  to  .where  Mississippi  flows. 
Diffusing  wealth  and  plenty  as  it  goes; 
From  Senegal,  still  scorch'd  by  Phoebus'  beams. 
To  where  St,  Lawrence  rolls  his  silver  streams. 
Proclaim  Britannia's  bliss  the  world  around. 
From  pole  to  pole,  to  earth's  remotest  bound. 

Christiana  Elizabeth  Phoelen. 

It's  wish  auspicious  Flavel  hastes  to  bring. 
For  fair  Charlotta  and  his  Britain's  King; 
On  Britain's  isle  all  blessing  he  implores, 
And  rolls  his  friendly  wave  to  Albion's  shores. 

Dorothea  Christiana  Elizabeth  Rexsehen. 

Beneath  the  Lord's  anointed  may  she  thrive. 
Still  may  his  influence  keep  the  palm  alive. 
Still  may  it  flourish,  branches  still  extend. 
Afford  us  shelter,  and  from  heat  defend. 

Catharine  Sophia  Bertrowen. 

Nought  can  our  brothers'  ardent  zeal  restrain. 
Fain  would  they  tempt  Vv'itli  thee  the  roaring  main; 
Permit  them.  Queen,  thy  person  to  be  near, 
That  of  thy  safety  tidings  we  may  hear. 

Chorus. 
Yet  for  one  favour  more  we  must  apply, 
But  little  can  these  barren  tracts  supply; 
Permit  us,  since  both  gold  and  pearls  you  scorn. 
Your  royal  brows  with  myrtle  to  adorn!" 


772  CURIOSITIES  OF  LITERATURE. 

Quaint  Lines  on  Queen  Elizabeth. — Queen  Elizabeth, 
Avho  died  at  Greenwich,  was  brought  thence  to  Whitehall  by 
water,  in  a  grand  procession.    On  this  occasion,  as  Camden 
informs  us,  the   following  quaint  lines  were  written: — 
"  The  Queen  was  brought  by  water  to  Whitehall; 
At  every  stroke  the  oars  did  tears  let  fall; 
More  cluncr  about  the  baro-e;  fish  under  water 
Wept  out  their  eyes  of  pearl,  and  swam  blind  after. 
I  think  the  bargemen  might,  with  easier  thighs. 
Have  row'd  her  thither  in  her  people's  eyes; 
For  howsoe'er,  thus  much  my  thoughts  have  scann'd. 
She  had  come  by  water,  had  she  come  by  land." 

CuriousNames  adopted  in  theCivilWars. — Acuiious 
style  of  naming  individuals  was  exceedingly  common  in  the 
time  of  the  civil  wars.  It  was  said  that  the  genealogy  of  our 
Saviour  might  be  learned  from  the  names  in  Cromwell's 
regiments.  The  muster-master  used  no  other  list  than  the 
first  chapter  of  Matthew. 

A  Jury  was  returned  in  the  county  of  Sussex  of  the  fol- 
lowing names: 

Accepted  Trevor,  of  Horsham. 

Redeemed  Compton,  of  Battle. 

Taint-not  Hewet,  of  Heathfield. 

Make-peace  Heaton,  of  Hare. 

God-reward  Smart,  of  Fivehurst. 

Sfand-J'ast-on-Jiigh  Stringer,  of  Crowhurst 

Earth  Adams,  of  Warbleton. 

Called  Lower,  of  Warbleton. 

Kill-sin  Pimple,  of  Witham. 

Return  Spelman,  of  Watling. 

lie-faithful  3 o'\ner,  of  Britling. 

Fltj-dcbaie  Robert,  of  Britling. 

Fight-the-good-fght-of-faith  White,  of  Emer. 

More-fruit  Fowler,  of  East  Hadley. 

Hope-for  Bending,  of  East  Hadley 

Graceful  Harding,  of  Lewes. 

Weep-not  Billings,  of  Lewes. 

Meek  Brewer,  of  Okeham. 
A  noted  character  in  those  days  was  a  divine  of  the  name 
of  Praise-God  Barehoie.  He  is  little  known  as  a  divine,  but 
IS  celebrated  for  having  been  an  active  member  in  Cromwell's 
parliament,  and  indeed  for  giving  a  name  to  it  which  is  yet 
preserved  in  history.  Praise-God  Barebone  had  two  brothers, 
namely,  Christ-came-into-thc-world-to-mve  Barebone,  and  IJ- 
Christ-had-uot-dicd-thou-hadst-heen-damned  Baieboue:  some  are 
said  to  have  omitted  the  former  part  of  the  latter  name,  and 
to  have  called  him  only  "  Damned  Barebone." 


EXTRACTS    FROM    A    WILL,   ETC.  773 

The  reader  will  be  amused  with  the  following  Curious 
Extracts  from  the  Will  of  an  Earl  of  Pembroke. 

"  Imprimis. — For  my  soul ;  I  confess  I  have  heard  very  much 
of  souls,  but  what  they  are,  or  whom  they  are,  or  what  they 
are  for,  God  knows,  I  know  not:  they  tell  me  now  of  another 
world,  where  I  never  was,  nor  do  I  know  one  foot  of  the  way 
thither.  While  the  king  stood,  I  was  of  his  religion,  made 
my  son  wear  a  cassock,  and  thought  to  make  him  a  bishop, 
but  then  came  the  Scots,  and  made  me  a  Presbyterian  ;  and 
since  Cromwell  entered,  I  have  been  an  Independent.  These, 
1  believe,  are  the  kingdom's  three  estates;  and  if  any  of  these 
can  save  a  soul,  I  may  claim  one;  therefore  if  my  executors 
do  find  I  have  a  soul,  I  give  it  to  him  who  gave  it  me. 

"  Item. — I  give  my  body,  for  I  cannot  keep  it,  to  be  buried. 
Do  not  lay  me  in  the  church-porch,  for  1  was  a  Lord,  and 
would  not  be  buried  where  Colonel  Pride  was  born. 

"  Item. — My  will  is,  that  I  have  no  monument,  for  then 
I  must  have  epitaphs  and  verses,  and  all  my  life  long  I  have 
liad  too  much  of  them. 

"  Item. — I  give  all  my  deer  to  the  Earl  of  Salisbury,  who 
I  know  will  preserve  them,  because  he  denied  the  king  a  buck 
out  of  one  of  his  own  parks. 

"  Item. — I  give  nothing  to  the  Lord  Say;  which  legacy 
I  give  him,  because  I  know  he  will  bestow  it  on  the  poor. 

"  Item. — To  Tom  May  I  give  five  shillings:  I  intended  him 
more:  but  whoever  has  seen  his  history  of  the  parliament, 
thinks  five  shilling-s  too  much. 

"  Item. — I  give  Lieutenant  General  Cromwell  one  word  of 
mine,  because  hitherto  he  never  kept  his  own. 

"  Item. — I  give  up  the  ghost,  concordat  cum  originati." 

Curious  Letter  from  Pomare,  King  of  Otaheite,  to 
THE  Missionary  Society. 

(Translation.) 

Friends,  Matavae,  Otaheite,  Jan.  1,  1807. 

I  WISH  you  every  blessing,  friends,  in  your  residence  in 
your  countrv,  with  success  in  teaching  this  bad  land,  this 
foolish  land,  this  wicked  land,  this  land  which  is  ignorant  of 
good,  this  land  that  knoweth  not  the  true  God,  this  regardless 
land. 

Friends,  1  wish  you  health  and  prosperity;  may  I  also  live, 
and  may  Jehovah  save  us  all! 

Friends,  with  respect  to  your  letter  you  wrote  to  me,  I  have 
this  to  say  to  you,  that  your  business  with  me,  and  your 
wishes,  I  fully  consent  to,  and  shall  consequently  banish  Ore 
(his  chief  idol)  and  send  him  to  Racatea. 

Friends,  I  do  therefore  believe  and  shall  obey  your  word. 


774  CURIOSITIES   OF   LITERATURE. 

Friends,  I  hope  you  also  will  consent  to  my  request,  which 
is  this;  I  wish  you  to  send  a  great  number  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  here. 

Friends,  send  also  property  and  cloth  for  us,  and  we  also 
will  adopt  English  customs. 

Friends,  send  also  plenty  of  muskets  and  powder,  for  wars 
are  frequent  in  our  country : — should  I  be  killed,  you  will  have 
nothing  in  Tahete  ;  do  not  come  here  when  I  am  dead.  Ta- 
hete  IS  a  regardless  country;  and  should  I  die  with  sickness, 
do  not  come  here.  This  also  I  wish,  that  you  would  send  me 
all  the  curious  things  that  vou  have  in  Enoland  :  also  send 
me  every  thing  necessary  for  writing;  paper,  ink,  and  pens, 
in  abundance  ;  let  no  writing  utensil  be  wanting. 

Friends,  I  have  done,  and  have  nothing  at  all  more  to  ask 
you  for:  as  for  your  desire  to  instruct  Tahete,  'tis  what  I 
fully  acquiesce  in.  'Tis  a  common  thing  for  people  not  to  un- 
derstand at  first;  but  your  object  is  good,  and  I  fully  consent 
to  it;  and  shall  cast  off  all  evil  customs. 

What  1  say  is  truth,  and  no  lie;  it  is  the  real  truth. 

Tiiis  is  all  I  have  to  write.  I  have  done.  Friends,  write  to 
me,  that  I  may  know  what  you  have  to  say.  I  wish  you  life 
and  every  blessing.  May  I  also  live,  and  Jehovah  save  us 
all ! 

PoMARE,  King  of  Tahete,  &c.  &c. 
For  my  Friends,  the  Missionary/ 
Society,  London. 

Curious  Love  Letter. 

Madam, —  Most  vvorth.y  of  estimation!  After  long  conside- 
ration, and  much  meditation,  on  the  great  reputation  you 
j)0ssess  in  the  nation,  I  have  a  strong  inclination  to  become 
your  relation.  On  your  approbation  of  this  declaration,  I 
shall  make  preparation  to  remove  my  situation,  to  a  more 
convenient  station,  to  profess  my  admiration  ;  and  if  such 
oblation  is  worthy  of  observation,  and  can  obtain  commisera- 
tion, it  will  be  an  aggrandization  beyond  all  calculation  of  the 
joy  and  exultation. 

Of  your's. 

Sans  Dissimulation. 

The  Answer. 
Sir, — I  perused  your  oration  with  much  deliberation,  and 
a  fittle  consternation,  at  the  great  infatuation  of  your  imagi- 
nation, to  shew  such  veneration  on  so  slight  a  foundation. 
But  after  examination  and  much  serious  contemplation,  1  sup- 
posed your  animation  was  the  fruit  of  recreation,  or  had 
sjirung  from  ostentation,  to  display  your  education,  by  an 
odd   enumeration,  or   rather  multiplication,   of  words  of  the 


CREEDS  OF  THE  JEWS.  775 

same  termination,  though  of  great  variation  in  each  respective 
signification. 

Now  without  disputation,  your  laborious  application  in  so 
tedious  an  occupation,  deserves  commemoration,  and  thinking 
imitation  a  sufficient  gratification,  I  am,  without  hesitation, 

Your's, 
Mary  Moderation. 

Creeds  of  the  Jews. — The  following  piece  is  transcribed 
from  the  Common  Prayer  now  in  use  among  the  Jews,  and  is 
entitled  the  Thirteen  Creeds.  It  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
theoretic  branch  of  relioion  now  prevailinj^  amons;  this  sinau- 
lar  people. 

1.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  is  the 
Creator  of  all  things  ;  that  he  doth  guide  and  support  all 
creatures;  that  he  alone  has  made  every  thing;  and  that  he 
still  acts,  and  will  act,  during  the  whole  eternity. 

2.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  is  one; 
there  is  no  unity  like  his:  he  alone  hath  been,  and  shall  be 
eternally,  our  God. 

3.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  is  not 
corporeal ;  he  cannot  have  any  material  properties ;  and  no 
corporeal  essence  can  be  compared  with  him 

4.  1  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  is  the 
beoinnino-  and  end  of  all  things. 

5.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  alone 
ought  to  be  worshipped,  and  none  but  he  ought  to  be 
adored. 

6.  I  believe,  with  a.  firm  and  perfect  faith,  whatever  hath 
been  taught  by  the  Prophets. 

7.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  the  doctrine 
of  Moses  is  true.  He  is  the  father  and  the  head  of  all  the 
doctors  that  lived  before  or  since,  or  shall  live  after  him. 

8.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  the  law  we 
have  is  the  same  as  was  given  by  Moses. 

9.  1  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  this  law 
shrill  never  be  altered,  and  God  will  give  no  other. 

10.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  know 
eth  all  the  thoughts  and  actions  of  men. 

11.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  God  will 
reward  the  works  of  all  those  who  perform  his  commandments, 
and  punish  those  who  transgress  his  laws. 

12.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  that  the  Mes- 
siah is  to  come.  Although  he  tarrieth,  I  will  wait,  and  expect 
daily  his  coming ! 

13.  I  believe,  with  a  firm  and  perfect  faith,  the  Resurrection 
of  the  Dead  shall  happen  when  God  shall  think  fit.  Blessed, 
and  glorified  eternally,  be  the  name  of  the  Creator!     Amen. 


776  cuRiosniEs  of  literature. 

The  Unbeliever's  Creed. 

"I  believe  that  there  is  no  God,  but  that  ma'ter  is  God, 
and  God  is  matter,  and  that  it  is  no  matter  whether  there  is 
any  God  or  not.  I  believe,  also,  that  the  world  was  not  made; 
that  the  world  made  itself;  that  it  had  no  beginning;  that  it 
will  last  for  ever,  world  without  end. 

"  I  believe  that  a  man  is  a  beast,  that  the  soul  is  the  body, 
and  the  body  is  the  soul ;  and  that  after  death  there  is  neither 
body  nor  soul. 

"  I  believe  there  is  no  religion  ;  that  natural  religion  is  the 
only  religion  ;  and  that  all  religion  is  unnatural.  I  believe  not 
in  Moses;  I  believe  in  the  first  philosophy;  1  believe  not  in 
the  Evangeliijts ;  1  believe  in  Chubb,  Collins,  Toland,  Tindal, 
Morgan,  Mandeville,  Woolston,  Hobbes,  and  Shaftsbury ;  I 
believe  in  lord  Bolingbroke  ;  I  believe  not  in  St.  Paul. 

"  I  believe  not  in  revelation  ;  I  believe  in  tradition  ;  I  believe 
in  the  Talmud  ;  I  believe  in  the  Alcoran;  I  believe  not  in  the 
Bible;  I  believe  in  Socrates  ;  I  believe  in  Confucius  ;  I  believe 
in  Sanchoneathon  ;  I  believe  in  Mahomet;  I  believe  not  in 
Christ. 

"  Lastly,  I  believe  in  all  unbelief.'* 

Explanation  of  the  Terms  "Whig"  and  "Tory." — 
Burnet,  who  was  contemporary  with  the  introduction  of  these 
terms,  gives  the  followino-  account  of  the  former  : — 

"  The  south-west  counties  of  Scotland  have  seldom  corn 
enough  to  serve  them  through  the  year;  and  the  northern 
parts  producing  more  than  they  need,  those  in  the  west  come 
in  the  summer  to  buy  at  Leith,  the  stores  that  come  from  the 
north  ;  and  from  a  word  (whiggam)  used  in  driving  their  horses, 
all  that  drove  were  called  Whiggamors,  and,  shorter,  the 
Whigs.  Now  in  that  year,  before  the  news  came  down  of  the 
duke  of  Hamilton's  defeat,  the  ministers  animated  the  people 
to  rise  and  march  to  Edinburgh;  and  they  came  up,  marching 
at  the  head  of  their  parishes  with  an  unheard-of  fury,  praying 
and  preaching  all  the  way  as  they  came.  This  was  called  the 
Whiggamor's  inroad  ;  and  ever  after,  all  that  opposed  the 
court  came  in  contempt  to  be  called  Whigs. 

Dr.  Johnson,  in  his  Dictionary,  quotes  this  passage;  yet  by 
placing  against  the  term  Whig,  the  Saxon  word  Whag,  syno- 
nymous to  whey,  or  sour  milk,  he  seems  not  to  reject  another 
derivation,  which  has  been  assigned  to  it  by  some  writers. 

Echard  says — "  Great  animosities  were  created  by  these 
petitioneis  and  abhorrers,  and  they  occasioned  many  feuds  and 
quarrels  in  private  conversations ;  and  about  the  same  time, 
1680,  and  from  the  same  cause,  arose  the  pernicious  terms 
and  distinctions  of  Whig  and  Tory,  both  exotic  names, 
which  the  parties  invidiously  bestowed  upon  each  other.     All 


0( 


TERMS  OF  WHIG   AND  TORY. —  MONSTER.  777 

hat  adhered  to  the  interest  of  the  crown  and  lineal  succes- 
sion, were  by  the  contrary  branded  with  the  title  given  to  the 
Irish  robbers ;  and  they,  in  return,  gave  the  others  the  appel- 
lation of  Whig,  or  sour  milk,  formerly  appropriated  to  the 
Scotch  presbyterians  and  rigid  covenanters." — p.  988. 

Tindal,  in  his  introduction  to  the  Continuation  of  Rapin's 
History,  notices  the  distinction  between  the  piinciples  of"  the 
parties,  but  does  not  inquire  into  the  etymology  of  the  terms. 
—Vol.  i.  p.  15. 

Toland,  in  his  State  Anatomy,  considers  the  word«  as 
mere  terms  of  reproach,  first  applied  to  each  party  by  its  ene- 
mies, and  then  adopted  by  each  as  a  distinction. 

"  The  words  themselves  are  but  late  nicknames,  given  by 
each  party  to  the  other  in  King  Charles  the  Second's  reign  : 
Tories  in  Ireland,  and  Whigs  in  Scotland,  being  what  we  in 
England  call  highwaymen ;  and  you,  public  robbers." — 
Part  I. 

Hume,  the  historian,  says — 

"  This  year,  1680,  is  remarkable  for  being  the  epoch  of  the 
well-known  epithets  Whig  and  Tory,  by  which,  and  sometimes 
without  any  material  difference,  this  island  has  been  so  long 
divided.  The  court  party  reproached  their  antagonists  with 
their  affinity  to  tlie  fanatical  conventiclers,  who  were  known 
by  the  name  of  Whigs  ;  and  the  country  party  found  a  resem- 
blance between  the  courtiers  and  the  Popish  banditti  in  Ire- 
land, who  were  known  by  the  name  of  Tories." — Vol.  VIH. 
p.  125. 

These  are  the  principal  writers  in  which  the  origin  of  the 
terms  is  noticed. 


CHAP.  Lxxxm 

MISCELLANEOUS    CURIOSITIES. 

Monster — Individuation — Reproduction — Peruke — Centaurs 
and  Lapithce. 

Monster. — A  birth  or  production  of  a  living  being,  dege- 
nerating from  the  proper  and  usual  disposition  of  parts  in  the 
species  to  which  it  belongs  ;  as,  when  there  are  too  many 
members,  or  too  few  ;  or  some  of  them  are  extravagantly  out 
of  proportion,  either  on  the  side  of  defect  or  excess, — is  gene- 
rally denominated  a  monster. 

F.  Malebranche  accounts  for  the  production  of  monsters  in 
the  animal  \\orld  in  the  follovvino-  manner; — "The  Creator hdi 

33.  5  F 


778  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

(established  such  a  conimui)ication  between  the  several  parts 
of  his  creation,  that  we  are  naturally  led  to  imitate  one 
another,  i.  e.  to  have  a  disposition  to  do  the  same  things,  and 
assume  the  same  manners,  with  those  about  which  we  converse  ; 
we  have  also  certain  natural  dispositions,  which  incline  us  to 
compassion  as  well  as  imitation.  Of  these  things  most  men  are 
sensible,  and  therefore  they  need  not  be  proved.  The  animal 
spirits,  then,  are  not  only  naturally  carried  into  the  respective 
parts  of  the  body  to  perform  the  same  actions  and  the  same 
motions  which  we  see  others  do,  but  also  to  receive  in  some 
manner  their  wounds,  and  take  part  in  their  sufferings. 

"  Experience  tells  us,  that  when  we  look  attentively  on  any 
person  severely  beaten,  or  that  has  a  large  wound,  ulcer,  or 
the  like,  the  spirits  immediately  flow  into  those  parts  of  our 
bodies  which  answer  to  those  we  see  suffer  in  the  other;  un- 
less their  course  be  stopped  from  some  other  principle.  This 
flux  of  spirits  is  very  sensible  in  persons  of  delicate  constitu- 
tions, who  frequently  shudder,  and  find  a  kind  of  trembling 
in  the  body  on  these  occasions  ;  and  this  sympathy  in  bodies 
produces  compassion  in  the  mind. 

"  Now  it  must  be  observed,  that  the  view  of  a  wound,  &c. 
affects  the  person  who  views  it  the  more  strongly  and  sensibly, 
as  the  person  is  more  weak  and  delicate  ;  the  spirits  making  a 
stronger  impression  on  the  fibres  of  a  delicate  body,  than  in 
those  of  a  robust  one.  Thus,  strong  and  vigorous  men.  Sec. 
see  an  execution  without  much  concern,  while  women.  Sec.  are 
struck  with  pity  and  horror.  As  to  children  that  are  unborn, 
the  fibres  of  their  flesh  being  incomparably  finer  than  those  in 
women,  the  course  of  the  animal  spirits  must  necessarily  pro- 
duce much  greater  alterations. 

"  These  things  being  laid  down,  monsters  are  easily  ac- 
counted for.  Suppose,  for  instance,  a  child  to  be  born  a  fool, 
and  also  with  its  leo:s  and  arms  broken  in  the  same  manner 
as  those  are  of  criminals  executed  ;  the  phenomena  may  be 
accounted  for  thus :  Every  stroke  given  to  the  poor  man 
struck  forcibly  the  imagination  of  the  mother,  and,  by  a 
kind  of  counter-stroke,  the  tender  and  delicate  brain  of  the 
child.  Now,  though  the  fibres  of  the  woman's  brain  were 
strongly  shaken  by  the  violent  flux  of  animal  spirits  on  this 
occasion,  yet  they  had  strength  and  consistence  enough  to 
prevent  an  entire  disorder;  whereas  the  fibres  of  the  child's 
brain,  being  unable  to  bear  the  shock  of  those  spirits,  were 
quite  ruined,  and  the  ravage  was  great  enough  to  deprive  him 
of  reason  all  his  lifetime. 

"  Again,  the  view  of  an  execution  frightening  the  mother, 
the  violent  course  of  the  animal  spirits  was  directed  forcibly 
from  the  brain  to  all  those  parts  of  the  body  corresponding  to 
the  suflering  parts  of  the  criminal*    and  the  same  thing   must 


MONSTERS.  779 

happen  in  the  child.  But  as  the  bones  were  strong  enouoh 
to  resist  the  'mnnlse  of  those  spirits,  they  were  not  damagea  ; 
and  yet  th  ^iJ  course  of  these  spirits  couhl  easily  over- 
power and  bieal  the  tender  and  delicate  fibres  of  the  bones  of 
the  child  ;  the  bones  being  the  last  parts  of  the  body  that  are 
formed,  and  having  a  very  slender  consistence,  while  the  child 
is  yet  in  the  womb." 

To  this  it  may  here  be  added,  that  had  the  mother  deter- 
mined the  course  of  these  spirits  towards  some  other  part  of 
her  body,  by  tickling  or  scratching  herself  vehemently,  the 
child  would  not  in  all  probability  have  had  its  bones  broken  ; 
but  the  part  answering  that  to  which  the  motion  of  the  spirits 
was  determined,  would  have  been  the  sufferer.  Hence  ap- 
pears the  reason  why  women,  in  the  time  of  gestation,  seeing 
•persons,  &c.  marked  in  such  a  manner  in  the  face,  impress 
the  same  mark  on  the  same  parts  of  the  child  ;  and  why,  upon 
rubbing  some  other  part  of  the  body  when  startled  at  the 
sight  of  any  thing,  or  agitated  with  any  extraordinary  passion, 
the  mark  or  impression  is  fixed  on  that  hidden  part,  rather 
than  on  the  face  of  the  child.  From  the  principles  here  laid 
down,  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  phenomena  of  monsters,  may  be 
easily  accounted  for. 

Various  other  theories  have  been  formed  by  different  philo- 
sophers and  phisiologists.  But,  after  all,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  we  seem  as  yet  to  be  very  little  acquainted  w'^h 
nature  in  her  numerous  variations. 

Monsters  are  more  common  and  more  extraordinary  in  the 
vegetable  than  in  the  animal  kingdom,  because  the  different 
juices  are  more  easily  deranged  and  confounded  together. 
Leaves  are  often  seen,  from  the  internal  part  of  which  other 
leaves  spring  forth  ;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  flowers  of 
the  ranunculus,  from  the  middle  of  which  issues  a  stalk  bear- 
incr  another  flower.  M.  Bonnet  informs  us,  that  in  certain 
warm  and  rainy  years  he  has  frequently  met  with  monsters  of 
this  kind  in  rose-trees.  This  observer  saw  a  rose,  from  the 
centre  of  which  issued  a  square  stalk  of  a  whitish  colour, 
tender,  and  without  prickles,  which  at  its  top  bore  two  flower- 
buds  opposite  to  each  other,  and  totally  destitute  of  a  calix  ; 
a  little  above  the  buds  issued  a  petal  of  a  very  irregular 
shape.  Upon  the  prickly  stalk  which  supported  the  rose, 
a  leaf  was  observed  which  had  the  shape  of  trefoil,  together 
with  a  broad  flat  pedicle.  In  the  Memoirs  of  the  Academy 
of  Sciences,  for  1707,  p.  448,  mention  is  made  of  a  rose,  from 
the  centre  of  the  leaves  of  which  issued  a  rose-branch  two  or 
three  inches  long,  and  furnished  with  leaves.  See  the  same 
Memoirs  for  1724,  p. 20,  and  for  1749,  p.  44.  In  the  Memoirs 
for  1755,  a  very  singular  instance  is  mentioned,  of  a  monstro- 
sity observed  by  M.  Duhame.l,  in  an  apple-tree  ingrafted  with 


780  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

clay.  At  the  place  of  the  insertion  there  appeared  a  bud, 
which  produced  a  stalk  and  some  leaves;  ^h-^  '^*alk  and  the 
pedicle  of  the  leaves  were  of  a  pulpy  substa.x.-  ind  had  the 
most  perfect  resemblance  both  in  taste  and  o.neii  to  the  pulp 
of  a  green  apple. 

An  extraordinary  chamtemelum  is  mentioned  in  the  Acta 
Helvetica.  M.  Bonnet,  in  his  Recherches  sur  r Usage  des  Feu- 
illes,  mentions  likewise  some  monstrous  pioductions  which 
have  been  found  in  fruits  with  kernels,  analoo-ous  in  their 
nature  to  those  which  occur  in  the  flowers  of  the  ranunculus 
and  of  the  rose-tree.  He  has  seen  a  pear,  from  the  eye  of 
which  issued  a  tuft  of  thirteen  or  fourteen  leaves,  very  well 
shaped,  and  many  of  them  of  the  natural  size.  He  has  seen 
another  pear  which  gave  rise  to  a  ligneous  and  knotty  stalk, 
on  which  grew  another  pear  somewhat  larger  than  the  first. 
The  stalk  had  probably  flourished,  and  the  fruit  had  formed. 
The  li/iiim  album  polj/anthos,  observed  some  years  ago  at 
Breslaw,  which  bore  on  its  top  a  bundle  of  flowers,  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  two  lilies,  all  of  the  common  shape,  is 
well-known.  M.  Regnier  has  mentioned  some  individuals 
monstrous  with  respect  to  the  flower,  in  the  Journal  de  Phy- 
sique et  d'Hisloire  Natutelle,  for  November,  1785.  He  has 
likewise  mentioned  a  monstrous  tulip,  which  is  seen  in  the 
gardens  of  some  amateurs;  juniper  berries  with  horns;  a 
balsamine  with  three  spurs,  &c. 

Individuation, — is  the  unity  of  a  thing  with  itself,  or  that 
whereby  a  thing  is  what  it  is. 

To  begin  with  those  species  of  body  that  are  not  properly 
organized,  which  have  neither  life  nor  sense,  as  stones,  metals, 
&c.  In  these,  individuation  seems  to  consist  in  nothing  but 
greater  or  less  :  take  the  less  part  of  a  stone  away,  you  may 
still  call  it  the  same  stone ;  take  an  equal  part  with  the  remains, 
that  individuation  ceases,  and  they  are  two  new  individuals. 
Divide  a  stone,  &c.  as  often  as  you  please,  every  part  of  it 
will  be  a  stone  still,  another  individual  stone,  as  much  as  any 
in  the  mountain  or  quarry  out  of  which  it  was  first  cut,  even 
though  reduced  to  the  minutest  sand,  or,  if  possible,  a  thou- 
sand times  less.  But  when  we  take  one  step  farther,  and 
proceed  a  degree  higher,  to  the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  case 
is  far  otherwise  ;  and  indeed  Nature  seems  to  be  still  more 
distinct,  and,  as  it  were,  careful  in  its  individuation,  the 
higher  it  rises,  till  at  last  it  brings  us  to  that  great  transcen- 
dental individual,  the  only  proper  uncompounded  essence,  the 
One  God,  blessed  for  ever. 

To  return  to  plants:  their  individuation  consists  in  that 
singular  form,  contexture,  and  order  of  their  parts,  whereby 
they  are  disposed  for  those  uses  to  which  Nature  has  designed 


INDIVIDUATION. — REPRODUCTION.  781 

them,  and  by  which  they  receive  and  maintain  their  beings. 
For  example,  in  a  tree,  though  you  take  away  the  branches, 
it  grows,  receives  nourishment  from  the  earth,  maintains 
itself,  and  is  still  a  tree,  which  the  parts  thereof  are  not 
when  separated  from  the  rest;  for  we  cannot  say  that  every 
part  of  a  tree  is  a  tree,  as  we  can  that  every  part  of  a  stone  is 
still  a  stone,  but  if  this  tree  be  cloven  in  two  or  more  pieces, 
or  felled  by  the  roots,  this  contexture,  or  orderly  respect  of 
the  parts  one  to  another,  ceases;  its  essence  as  a  tree  is 
destroyed;  its  individuation  perishes;  and  it  is  no  more 
a  tree,  but  a  stump,  or  piece  of  timber. 

Let  us  proceed  a  degree  higher,  to  merely  sensible  creatures, 
who  are  not  so  immediately  depending  on  the  earth,  the 
common  mother,  as  the  plants,  nor  rooted  to  it  as  they  are, 
but  walk  about,  and  have  a  kind  of  independent  existence, 
and  are  a  sort  of  world  by  themselves.  And  here  the  in- 
dividuation consists  in  such  a  particular  contexture  of  their 
essential  parts,  and  their  relation  one  toward  another,  as 
enables  them  to  exert  the  oj^erations  of  the  sensible  or  animal 
life.  Thus,  cut  off  the  legs  or  any  other  parts  of  an  animal, 
it  is  the  same  animal  still;  but  cut  off  its  head,  or  take  away 
its  life,  and  it  is  no  longer  that  individual  animal,  but  a  mere 
carcase,  and  will,  by  degrees,  resolve  itself  into  common 
matter  again. 

To  ascend  now  to  the  highest  rank  of  visible  beings, — the 
lational.  The  individuation  of  man  appears  to  consist  in  the 
union  of  a  rational  soul  with  any  convenient  portion  of  fitly 
organized  matter.  Any  portion  of  matter  duly  qualified,  and 
united  to  the  soul  by  such  a  union  as  we  experience,  is 
immediately  individuated  by  it,  and,  together  with  that  soul, 
makes  a  man;  so  that,  if  it  were  possible  for  one  soul  to  be 
clothed  over  and  over  at  different  times  with  all  the  matter  in 
the  universe,  it  would  in  all  those  distinct  shapes  be  the  same 
individual  man.  Nor  can  a  man  be  supposed  in  this  case  to 
differ  more  from  himself,  than  he  does  from  what  he  really 
was  when  an  infant,  or  just  passed  an  embryo,  when  compared 
with  what  he  is  when  of  adult  or  decrepit  age;  he  having, 
during  that  intermediate  time,  changed  his  portion  of  matter 
over  and  over;  as,  being  fat  and  lean,  sick  and  well,  having 
been  exhausted  by  bleeding,  effluvia,  perspiration,  &.c. ;  and 
reunited  again  by  aliment;  so  that  perhaps  not  one  particle, 
or  but  very  few  of  the  first  matter  which  he  took  from  his 
parents,  and  brought  with  him  into  the  world,  is  now  re- 
mainino-. 

The  preceding  article  is  naturally  followed  by  Plepro- 
DucTioN. — Reproduction  is  usually  understood  to  mean  the 
restoration  of  a  thing  before  existing,  and  since  destroyed. 


82  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

It  is  very  well  known  that  trees  and  plants  may  be  raised 
from  slips  and  cuttings;  and  some  late  observations  have 
shewn,  that  there  are  some  animals  which  have  nearly  the 
same  property.  The  polype  (See  Hydra)  was  the  first  in- 
stance we  had  of  this  kind;  but  we  had  scarcely  time  to 
wonder  at  the  discovery  M.  Trembley  had  made,  when 
M.  Bonnet  discovered  the  same  property  in  a  species  of  water- 
worm.  Amongst  the  plants  which  may  Ije  raised  from  cuttings, 
there  are  some  which  seem  to  possess  this  quality  in  sq 
eminent  a  degree,  that  the  smallest  portion  of  them  will 
become  a  complete  tree  again.  A  twig  of  willow,  poplar,  or 
many  other  trees,  being  planted  in  the  earth,  takes  root,  and 
becomes  a  tree,  every  piece  of  which  will  in  the  same  manner 
produce  other  trees.  The  case  is  the  same  with  these  worms: 
they  are  cut  to  pieces,  and  these  several  pieces  become  per- 
fect animals;  and  each  of  these  may  be  again  cut  into  a 
number  of  pieces,  each  of  which  will  in  the  same  manner 
produce  an  animal.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some,  that  these 
worms  were  oviparous;  but,  M.  Bonnet,  on  cutting  one  of 
them  to  pieces,  having  observed  a  slender  substance,  resem- 
bling a  small  filament,  to  move  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  piec.es, 
separated  it,  and  on  examining  it  with  glasses,  found  it  to  be 
a  perfect  worm,  of  the  same  form  with  its  parent,  which  lived 
and  grew  larger  in  a  vessel  of  water  into  which  he  put  it. 
These  small  bodies  are  easily  divided,  and  very  readily  com- 
plete themselves  again,  a  day  usually  serving  for  the  production 
of  a  head  to  the  part  that  wants  one;  and,  in  general,  the 
smaller  and  more  slender  the  worms  are,  the  sooner  they 
complete  themselves  after  this  operation.  When  the  bodies 
of  the  large  worms  are  examined  by  the  microscope,  it  is 
very  easy  to  see  the  appearance  of  the  young  worms  alive,  and 
moving  about  within  them  ;  but  it  requires  great  precision 
and  exactness  to  be  certain  of  this,  since  the  ramifications  of 
the  great  artery  have  very  much  the  appearance  of  young 
worms,  and  they  are  kept  in  a  sort  of  continual  motion  by  the 
systoles  and  diastoles  of  the  several  portions  of  the  artery, 
which  serve  as  so  many  hearts.  It  is  very  certain,  that  what 
we  force  in  regard  to  these  animals  by  our  operations,  is  done: 
also  naturally  every  day  in  the  brooks  and  ditches  where  they 
live.  A  curious  observer  will  find  in  these  places  many  of 
them  without  heads  or  tails,  and  some  without  either;  as  also, 
other  fragments  of  various  kinds,  all  of  which  are  in  the  act 
of  completing  themselves;  but  whether  accidents  have  reduced 
them  to  this  state,  or  they  thus  purposely  throw  off  parts  of 
their  own  bodies  for  the  production  of  more  animals,  it  is 
not  easy  to  determine.  They  are  plainly  liable  to  many 
accidents,  by  which  they  lose  the  several  parts  of  their  bodies  ; 
and  they  must  perish  very  early,  if  they  had  not  a  power  of 


REPRODUCTION.  —  PERUKE.  783 

reproducing  what  was  lost.  They  are  often  broken  into  two 
parts,  by  the  resistance  of  some  hard  piece  of  mud  which 
they  enter;  and  they  are  subject  to  a  disease,  a  kind  of 
gangrene,  rotting  off  the  several  parts  of  their  bodies,  by 
which  they  must  inevitably  perish,  were  they  not  possessed  of 
this  surprising  property. 

The  reproduction  of  several  parts  of  lobsters,  crabs,  &c  'is 
one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in  natural  history.  It  seems, 
indeed,  inconsistent  with  the  modern  philosophical  system  of 
generation,  which  supposes  the  animal  to  be  wholly  formed 
in  the  egg;  that,  in  lieu  of  an  organical  part  of  an  animal  cut 
off,  another  should  arise  perfectly  like  it:  the  fact,  however, 
is  too  well  attested  to  be  denied.  The  legs  of  lobsters,  &,c. 
consist  each  of  five  articulations;  now,  when  any  of  the  legs 
happen  to  break  by  any  accident,  as  by  walking,  8cc.  which 
frequently  occurs,  the  fracture  is  always  found  to  be  at  the 
suture  near  the  fourth  articulation;  and  what  they  thus  lose 
is  exactly  reproduced  in  some  time  afterwards  ;  that  is,  a  part 
of  the  leg  shoots  out,  consisting  of  four  articulations,  the  first 
whereof  has  two  claws,  as  before;  so  that  the  loss  is  entirely 
repaired. 

If  the  leg  of  a  lobster  be  broken  off  by  design  at  the  fourth 
or  fifth  articulation,  what  is  thus  broken  off  is  always  repro- 
duced, even  after  a  second  or  third  accident.  But  if  the  frac- 
ture be  made  in  the  first,  second,  or  third  articulation,  the 
reproduction  is  not  so  certain.  And  it  is  very  surprising, 
that  if  the  fracture  be  made  at  these  articulations,  at  the  end 
of  two  or  three  days,  all  the  other  articulations  are  generally 
found  broken  off  to  the  fourth,  which,  it  is  supposed,  is  done 
by  the  creature  itself,  to  make  the  reproduction  certain.  The 
part  reproduced,  is  not  only  perfectly  similar  in  form  to  that 
retrenched,  but  also,  in  a  certain  space  of  time,  it  grows 
equal  to  it.  The  creature  is,  however,  frequently  taken  before 
this  is  accomplished.  Hence  it  is  that  we  frequently  see 
lobsters,  which  have  their  two  large  legs  unequal  in  all  pro- 
portions. 

Peruke. — It  appears  that  this  term  was  originally  applied 
to  describe  a  fine  natural  head  of  long  hair,  and  if  this  appel- 
lation had  been  retained,  we  should  never  have  associated 
wigs  with  monsters.  But  whatever  may  have  been  the  ancient 
use  or  meaning  of  the  word,  it  has  now  almost  become  obsolete, 
though  it  was  for  more  than  a  century  in  constant  application 
to  those  artificial  heads  of  hair,  made  probably  at  first  to  con- 
ceal natural  or  accidental  baldness,  but  which  afterwards 
became  so  ridiculously  fashionable,  as  to  be  worn  in  preference 
to  the  most  beautiful  locks,  absurdly  shaved  off  the  head  to 
make  room  for  them. 


784  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

Ancient  authors  niiglit  be  quoted,  to  prove,  that  the  great 
and  luxurious  of  that  time,  had  recourse  to  this  mode  of  con- 
cealing defects,  and  of  decorating  the  head;  nay,  it  might 
perhaps  be  proved,  that  the  peruke  of  the  Emperor  Commodus 
was  more  absurdly  composed  than  any  modern  peruke  has 
ever  been;  and  indeed  it  must  be  admitted,  that  a  wig  pow- 
dered with  scrapings  of  gold,  in  addition  to  oils  and  glutinous 
perfumes,  must  have  made  a  more  wonderful  appearance  than 
our  immediate  ancestors  ever  witnessed.  It  was  in  the  reign 
of  our  Charles  the  First,  that  perukes  were  introduced  through- 
out Europe,  when  the  moralists  attacked  them  without  mercy, 
as  they  perceived  that  the  folly  of  youth  even  extended  to 
the  cutting  off  nature's  locks,  to  be  replaced  by  the  hair  of 
the  dead,  and  of  horses,  woven  into  a  filthy  piece  of  can- 
vass. Admonition  and  ridicule  were,  howeve:,  of  little  avail, 
and  the  clergy  began  to  be  affected  by  the  general  mania. 
Those  -on  the  Continent  being  almost  universally  Roman 
Catholics,  were  so  completely  subject  to  their  superiors,  that 
the  peruke  was  soon  routed  from  their  body;  but  as  the 
dignified  clergy  of  England  conceive  that  their  consequence 
is  increased  by  the  enormous  bushes  of  hair  upon  their  heads, 
and  the  judges  have  adopted  their  sentiments  in  this  parti- 
cular, it  is  probable  many  years  will  elapse  before  the  shape 
and  absurdity  of  two  particular  species  of  perukes  are  for- 
gotten. 

About  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  peruke  was 
made  to  represent  the  natural  curl  of  the  hair,  but  in  such 
profusion,  that  ten  heads  would  not  have  furnished  an  equal 
quantity,  as  it  flowed  down  the  back,  and  hung  over  the 
shoulders  halfway  down  the  arms.  By  1721,  it  had  become 
fashionable  to  tie  one  half  of  it  on  the  left  side  into  a  club. 
Between  1730  and  1740,  the  bacr-wis:  came  into  fashion,  and 
the  ))eruke  was  docked  considerably,  and  sometimes  plaited 
behind  into  a  queue,  though  even  till  1752  the  long  flowing- 
locks  maintained  their  influence.  After  1770  those  were 
rarely  seen  ;  and  since  that  time  persons  wearing  perukes  have 
generally  had  substantial  reasons  for  so  doing,  from  baldness, 
and  complaints  in  the  head.  At  one  time,  indeed,  when  the 
stern  virtues  of  Brutus  were  much  in  vogue,  the  young  men 
of  Europe  wore  perukes  of  black  or  dark  hair,  dressed  from 
his  statues.  Many  particulars  on  this  subject  have  been 
preserved  by  Mr.  Malcolm,  in  his  "  Anecdotes  of  the  Manners 
and  Customs  of  London,"  from  which  we  learn,  that  a  young 
countrywoman  obtained  £60  for  her  head  of  hair  in  the  year 
1700,  when  human  hair  sold  at  £3  per  ounce;  and  in  1720, 
the  grey  locks  of  an  aged  woman  sold  for  £50  after  her 
decease.  Wigs  of  peculiar  excellence  were  sold  at  £40 
each. 


CENTAURS   AND  LAPITHiE.  /85 

A  peliticn  from  the  master  peruke-makers  of  London  and 
Westminster,  presented  to  the  King,  in  1763,  points  out  the 
great  decline  of  their  use  to  have  taken  place  at  that  time. 
In  this  they  complain  of  the  public  wearing  their  own  hair; 
and  say,  "  That  this  mode,  pernicious  enough  in  itself  to  their 
trade,  is  rendered  excessively  more  so  by  swarms  of  French 
hair-dressers  already  in  those  cities,  and  daily  increasing." 

We  close  this  chapter  with  an  account  of  Centaurs  and 
Lapith^e. — Under  the  reign  of  Ixion,  king  of  Thessaly,  a 
company  of  bulls  which  fed  upon  Pelion  ran  mad,  by  which 
means  the  mountain  was  inaccessible.  They  also  descended 
into  the  inhabited  parts,  ruining  the  trees  and  fruits,  and 
killing  the  larger  cattle.  Upon  which  Ixion  declared  that  he 
would  give  a  great  reward  to  any  person  that  would  destroy 
these  bulls.  Riding  on  horseback  was  never  practised  before 
that  time.  But  some  young  men  that  lived  in  a  village  at  the 
foot  of  Pelion,  had  attempted  successfully  to  train  horses  fit 
to  back,  and  had  accustomed  themselves  to  that  exercise. 
These  youths  undertook  to  clear  the  mountain  of  the  bulls, 
which  they  effected  by  pursuing  them  on  horseback,  and  pier- 
cing them  with  their  arrows  as  they  fled;  but  when  the  bulls 
stopped  or  followed  them,  they  retired  without  receiving  any 
hurt.  And  from  hence  they  were  called  Centaurs,  viz.  Pierce 
bulls.  Having  received  of  Ixion  the  recompense  he  promised 
them,  they  became  so  fierce  and  proud,  that  they  committed 
a  thousand  insolences  in  Thessaly,  not  sparing  even  Ixion 
himself,  who  dwelt  in  the  town  of  Larissa.  The  inhabitants 
of  the  country  were  at  that  time  called  Lapithse,  who  one  day 
invited  the  Centaurs  to  a  feast  which  they  celebrated  :  but  the 
Centaurs  abused  their  civility  ;  for,  having  drunk  too  much, 
they  took  the  Lapithites'  women  from  them,  set  them  on  their 
horses,  and  carried  them  away.  This  violence  kindled  a  long 
war  between  the  Centaurs  and  the  Lapithse  :  the  Centaurs  in 
the  night  came  down  into  the  plain,  and  laid  ambushes  for 
their  enemies,  and,  as  soon  as  day  appeared,  retired  again  into 
the  mountain,  with  whatever  they  had  taken.  Thus,  as  they 
retired,  the  Lapithse  saw  only  the  hinder  parts  of  their  horses, 
afid  the  men's  heads;  so  that  they  seemed  but  as  one  animal, 
whence  they  believed  the  Centaurs  had  become  half  men 
and  half  horses,  and  that  they  were  clouds,  because  the  vil- 
lage where  they  dwelt  was  called  Nophelus,  which  signified  a 
cloud. 


6G 


786  MISCELLANEOLS    CURIOSITIES. 

CHAP.  LXXXIV. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CURIOSITIES. — (Continued.) 

Spontaneous  Injiammation — Diseases  peculiar  to  Particular  Coun- 
tries— Injuries  from  Swal/otvin^  the  Stones  of  Fruits — Extraor- 
dinary Surgical  Operation — Extraordinary  Cures  by  Burning 
— Illumination  by  Electricity — Divisibility  of  Matter. 

Spontaneous  Inflammation. — A  paper  on  this  subject, 
which  appeared  in  the  Repertory  of  Arts,  vol.  ii.  p.  425,  in- 
duced the  Rev.  W.  Tooke  to  publish  some  remarks  in  vol.  iii. 
p.  95,  of  that  work,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract, 
respecting  the  spontaneous  inflammation  of  animal  and  vege- 
table substances.  "  One  Rlide,  (says  he,)  an  apothecary  at 
Bautzen,  had  prepared  a  pyrophorus  from  rye -bran  and  alum. 
Not  long  after  he  had  made  the  discovery,  there  broke  out,  in 
the  next  village  of  Nauslitz,  a  great  fire,  which  did  much  mis- 
chief, and  was  said  to  have  been  occasioned  by  the  treating 
of  a  sick  cow  in  the  cow-house.  Mr.  Rude  knew  that  the 
countrymen  were  accustomed  to  lay  an  application  of  parched 
rye-bran  to  their  cattle,  for  curing  the  thick  neck  ;  he  knew 
also  that  alum  and  rye-bran,  by  a  proper  process,  yielded  a 
pyrophorus ;  and  now,  to  try  whether  parched  rye-bran  alone 
would  have  the  same  efiect,  he  roasted  a  quantity  of  it  by  the 
fire,  till  it  had  acquired  the  colour  of  roasted  coffee.  This 
roasted  bran  he  wrapped  up  in  a  linen  cloth  ;  in  a  few  minutes 
there  arose  a  strong  smoke,  with  a  smell  of  burning.  Soon 
after,  the  rag  grew  as  black  as  tinder,  and  the  bran,  now  become 
hot,  fell  through  it  on  the  ground  in  little  balls.  Mr.  Rlide 
repeated  the  experiment,  and  always  with  the  same  result. 
Who  now  will  doubt,  that  the  frequency  of  fires  in  cow- 
houses, which  in  those  parts  are  mostly  wooden  buildings, 
is  occasioned  by  this  practice,  of  binding  roasted  bran  about 
the  necks  of  the  cattle?" 

Montet  relates,  in  the  Memoires  de  fAcadi-mie  de  Paris,  1748, 
that  animal  substances  kindle  into  flame;  and  that  he  him- 
self has  been  witness  to  the  spontaneous  accension  of  dung- 
hills. The  woollen  stuff  prepared  at  Sevennes,  named 
Emperor's  stuff,  has  kindled  of  itself,  and  burnt  to  a  coal. 
It  is  usual  for  this  to  happen  to  woollen  stuffs,  when  in  hot 
summers  they  are  laid  in  a  heap,  in  a  room  but  little  aired. 
In  June,  1781,  this  happened  at  a  woolcomber's  in  Germany, 
where  a  heap  of  wool-combin2:s,  piled  uj)  in  a  close  ware- 
house seldom  aired,  took  fire  of  itself.  This  wool  burnt  from 
within  outwards,  and   became  quite  a  co;d  ;  though   neither 


SPONTANEOUS   INFLAMMATION.  "87 

fire  nor  liglit  had  been  used  at  the  packing.  In  like  manner 
cloth-workers  have  certified,  that  after  they  have  bought  wool 
ihat  was  become  wet,  and  packed  it  close  in  their  warehouse, 
this  wool  has  burnt  of  itself.  The  spontaneous  accension  of 
various  matters  from  the  vegetable  kingdom,  as  wet  hay,  corn, 
and  madder,  and  at  times  wet  meal  and  malt,  is  well  known. 
Hemp,  flax,  and  hemp-oil,  have  also  often  given  rise  to  dread- 
ful conflagrations. 

In  the  spring  of  1780,  a  fire  was  discovered  on  board  a  frigate 
lying  in  the  roads  off  Cronstadt,  which  endangered  the  whole 
fleet.  After  the  severest  scrutiny,  no  cause  of  the  fire  was  to 
be  found;  and  the  matter  remained  without  explanation,  but 
with  strong  surmises  of  some  wicked  incendiary. — -In  August, 
1780,  a  fire  broke  out  at  the  hemp  magazine  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, by  which  several  hundred  thousand  poods  (about  361b. 
English)  of  hemp  and  flax  were  consumed.  The  walls  of  the 
magazine  are  of  brick,  the  floors  of  stone,  and  the  rafters  and 
covering  of  iron  :  it  stands  alone  on  an  Island  in  the  Neva,  on 
which,  as  well  as  on  board  the  ships  lying  in  the  Neva,  no  fire 
is  permitted. — In  St.  Petersburg,  in  the  same  year,  a  fire 
was  discovered  in  the  vaulted  shop  of  a  furrier.  In  these 
shops,  which  are  all  vaults,  neither  fire  nor  candle  is  allowed, 
and  the  doors  of  them  are  all  of  iron.  At  length  the  probable 
cause  was  found  to  be,  that  the  furrier,  the  evening  before  the 
fire,  had  got  a  roll  of  new  cerecloth,  and  had  left  it  in  his 
vault,  where  it  was  found  almost  consumed. — In  the  night 
between  the  20th  and  21st  of  April,  1781,  a  fire  was  seen  on 
board  the  frigate  Maria,  at  anchor,  with  several  other  ships,  in 
the  roads  off'the  island  ofCronstadt;  the  fire  was,  however,  soon 
extinguished,  but,  by  the  severest  examination,  nothing  could 
be  extorted  concerning  the  manner  in  which  it  had  arisen.  The 
garrison  was  threatened  with  a  scrutiny  that  should  cost  them 
dear;  and  while  they  were  in  this  cruel  suspense,  the  wisdom 
of  the  sovereign  gave  a  turn  to  the  aff'air,  which  quieted  the 
minds  of  all,  by  pointing  out  the  proper  method  to  be  pursued 
by  the  commissioners  of  inquiry,  in  the  following  order  to 
Czernichef :  "  When  we  perceived,  by  the  report  you  have 
delivered  in  of  the  examination  into  the  accident  that  hap- 
pened on  board  the  frigate  Maria,  that,  in  the  cabin  where 
the  fire  broke  out,  there  were  found  parcels  of  matting,  tied 
together  with  packthread,  in  which  the  soot  of  burnt  fir-wood 
had  been  mixed  with  oil,  for  the  purpose  of  painting  the  ship's 
bottom,  it  came  into  our  mind,  that,  for  the  fire  which  hap- 
pened last  year  at  the  hemp-warehouses,  the  following  cause 
was  assigned  ;  that  the  fire  might  have  proceeded  from  the 
hemp  being  bound  up  in  greasy  mats,  or  even  from  such  mats 
having  lain  near  the  hemp:  therefore,  neglect  not  to  guide 
your  I'arther  inquiries  by  this  remark." 


788  MTSCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

As,  upon  juridical  examination  as  well  as  private  inquiry, 
it  was  found  that,  in  the  ship's  cabin,  where  the  smoke  ap- 
peared, there  lay  a  bundle  of  matting,  containing  Russian 
lamp-black,  prepared  from  fir-soot  moistened  with  hemp-oil 
varnish,  which  was  perceived  to  have  sparks  of  fire  in  it  at  the 
time  of  the  extinction,  the  Russian  admiralty  gave  orders  to 
make  various  experiments,  to  see  whether  a  mixture  of  hemp- 
oil  varnish  and  the  forementioned  Russian  black,  folded  up 
in  a  mat  and  bound  together,  would  kindle  of  itself.  They 
shook  401b.  of  fir-wood  soot  into  a  tub,  and  poured  about 
351b.  of  hemp-oil  varnish  upon  it;  this  they  let  stand  for  an 
hour,  after  which  they  poured  off  the  oil.  The  remaining- 
mixture  they  now  wrapped  up  in  a  mat,  and  the  bundle  was 
laid  close  to  the  cabin  where  the  midshipmen  had  their  birth. 
Two  officers  sealed  both  the  mat  and  door  with  their  own 
seals,  and  stationed  a  watch  of  four  officers,  to  take  notice  of 
all  that  passed  during  the  whole  night;  and  as  soon  as  any 
smoke  should  appear,  immediately  to  give  information  to  the 
commandant  of  the  port.  The  experiment  was  made  on  the  26th 
of  April,  about  eleven  o'clock  A.  isi.  in  presence  of  all  the 
officers.  Early  on  the  27th,  about  six  o'clock  a.  m.  a  smoke 
appeared,  of  which  the  chief  commandant  was  immediately 
informed  :  he  came  with  speed,  and,  through  a  small  hole  in 
the  door,  saw  the  mat  smoking.  He  dispatched  a  messenger 
to  the  members  of  the  commission  ;  but  as  the  smoke  became 
stronger,  and  fire  began  to  appear,  he  found  it  necessary  to 
break  the  seals  and  open  the  door.  No  sooner  was  the  air 
thus  admitted,  than  the  mat  began  to  burn  with  greater  force, 
and  presently  it  burst  into  a  flame. 

Tlie  Russian  admiralty,  being  now  fully  convinced  of  the 
self-enkindling  property  of  this  composition,  transmitted  their 
experiment  to  the  Imperial  Academy  of  Sciences  ;  who  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Georgi,  a  very  learned  adjunct  of  the  academy, 
to  make  farther  experiments  on  the  subject.  Three  pounds  of 
Russian  fir-black  were  slowly  impregnated  with  51b.  of  hemp- 
oil  varnish  ;  and  when  the  mixture  had  stood  open  five  hours,  it 
was  bound  u])  in  linen.  By  this  process  it  became  clotted  ; 
but  some  of  the  black  remained  dry.  When  the  bundle  had 
lain  sixteen  hours  in  a  chest,  it  was  observed  to  emit  a  very 
nauseous,  and  rather  putrid  smell,  not  unlike  that  of  boiling 
oil.  Some  parts  of  it  became  warm,  and  steamed  much  ; 
eighteen  hours  after  the  mixture  was  wrapt  up,  one  place 
became  brown,  emitted  smoke,  and  directly  afterwards  glow- 
ing fire  appeared.  The  same  thing  happened  in  a  second  or 
third  place  ;  though  other  places  were  scarcely  warm.  The 
fire  crept  slowly  around,  and  gave  a  thick,  grey,  stinking 
smoke.  Mr.  Georgi  took  the  bundle  out  of  the  chest,  and 
laid  it  on  a  stone  pavement;  when,  on  being  exposed  to  the 


DISEASES   OF   PARTICULAR   COUNTRIES.  789 

free  air,  there  arose  a  slow  burning  flame,  a  span  high,  with 
a  strong  body  of  smoke.  Not  long  afterwards,  there  appeared, 
here  and  there,  several  chaps,  or  clefts,  as  from  a  little  vol- 
cano, the  vapour  issuing  from  which  burst  into  flames.  On 
his  breaking  the  lump,  it  burst  into  a  very  violent  flame,  full 
three  feet  high,  which  soon  grew  less,  and  then  went  out. 
The  smoking  and  glowing  fire  lasted  six  hours;  and  the  re- 
mainder continued  to  glow  without  for  two  hours  longer. 
The  grey  earthy  ashes,  when  cold,  weighed  five  and  a  half 
ounces.  Mr.  Tooke  concludes  with  a  case  of  self-accen- 
sion,  noticed  by  Mr.  Hagemann,  an  apothecary,  at  Bremen. 
He  prepared  a  boiled  oil  of  hyoscyamus,  or  henbane,  in  the 
usual  way,  with  common  oil.  The  humidity  of  the  herb  was 
nearly  evaporated,  when  he  was  called  away  by  other  afl'airs, 
and  was  obliged  to  leave  the  oil  on  the  fire.  The  evaporation 
of  the  humidity  was  hereby  carried  so  far,  that  the  herb  could 
easily  be  rubbed  to  powder.  The  oil  had  lost  its  green  colour, 
and  had  become  brownish.  In  this  state  it  was  laid  on  the 
straining  cloth,  and  placed  in  the  garden,  behind  the  house, 
in  the  open  air.  In  half  an  hour,  on  coming  again  to  this 
place,  he  perceived  a  strong  smoke  there,  though  he  thought 
the  oil  must  have  long  been  cooled  :  on  closer  inspection,  he 
found  that  the  smoke  did  not  proceed  from  the  oil,  but  from 
the  herb  on  the  straining  cloth  ;  at  the  same  time  the  smell 
betrayed  a  concealed  fire.  He  stirred  the  herb  about,  and 
blew  into  it  with  a  bellows,  whereupon  it  broke  out  into  a 
bright  flame. 

Diseases  peculiar  to  Particular  Countries. — The 
inhabitants  of  particular  places  are  peculiarly  subject  to  par- 
ticular diseases,  owing  to  their  manner  of  living,  or  to  the 
air  and  effluvia  of  the  earth  and  waters.  HoflTman  has  made 
some  curious  observations  on  diseases  of  this  kind.  He  re- 
marks, that  swellings  of  the  throat  have  always  been  common 
to  the  inhabitants  of  mountainous  countries :  and  the  old 
Roman  authors  say,  'Who  wonders  at  a  swelled  throat  in  the 
Alps?'  The  people  of  Switzejland,  Carinthia,  Stiria,  the 
Hartz  forest,  Transylvania,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Cronstadt, 
he  observes,  are  all  subject  to  this  disease.  The  French  are 
peculiarly  troubled  with  fevers,  worms,  hydroceles,  and  sarco- 
celes ;  and  all  these  disorders  seem  to  be  owing  originally  to 
their  eating  very  large  quantities  of  chestnuts.  The  people  of 
Britain  are  aff"ected  with  hoarsenesses,  catarrhs,  coughs,  dy- 
senteries, consumptions,  and  the  scurvy;  the  women  with  the 
Jiiior  alius;  and  children  with  a  disease  scarcely  known  else- 
where, which  we  call  the  rickets. 

In  different  parts  of  Italy, different  diseasesreign.  At  Naples, 
the  venereal  disease  is  more  common  than  in  any  other  part 


790  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

of  the  world.  At  Venice,  people  are  peculiarly  subject  to  the 
bleeding  piles.  At  Rome,  tertian  agues  and  lethargic  dis- 
tempers are  most  common  ;  in  Tuscany,  the  epilepsy  ;  and  in 
Apulia,  burning  fevers,  pleurisies,  and  that  sort  of  madness 
^vhich  is  attributed  to  the  bite  of  the  tarantula,  and  fancied  to 
be  cured  by  music.  In  Spain,  apoplexies  are  common,  as  also 
melancholy,  hypochondriacal  complaints,  and  bleeding  piles. 
The  Dutch  are  peculiarly  subject  to  the  scurvy,  and  to  the 
stone  in  the  kidneys.  The  people  of  Denmark,  Norway,  Swe- 
den, Pomerania,  and  Livonia,  are  all  terribly  afflicted  with 
the  scurvy  :  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  in  Denmark,  Sweden, 
and  Norway,  fevers  are  very  common ;  but  in  Iceland,  Lap- 
land, and  Finland,  there  is  scarcely  ever  such  a  disease  met 
with.  The  Russians  and  Tartars  are  afflicted  with  ulcers, 
made  by  the  cold,  of  the  nature  of  what  we  call  chilblains, 
but  greatly  worse;  and  in  Poland  and  Lithuania,  there  reigns 
a  peculiar  disease,  called  the  Plica  Fo/onica,  so  terribly  pain- 
ful and  offensive,  that  scarcely  any  thing  can  be  thought  worse. 
The  people  of  Hungary  are  very  subject  to  the  gout  and  rheum- 
atism :  they  are  also  more  infested  with  lice  and  fleas  than 
any  other  people  in  the  world  ;  and  they  have  a  peculiar  dis- 
ease which  they  call  cremor.  The  Germans,  in  different  parts 
of  the  empire,  are  subject  to  different  reigning  diseases.  In 
Westphalia,  they  are  peculiarly  troubled  with  peri])neumonies 
and  the  itch.  In  Silesia,  Franconia,  Austria,  and  other  places 
thereabout,  they  are  very  liable  to  fevers  of  the  burning  kind, 
to  bleedings  at  the  nose,  and  other  haemorrhages;  and  to  the 
gout,  inflammations,  and  consumptions.  In  Misnia  they  have 
purple  fevers;  and  the  children  are  peculiarly  infested  with 
worms.  In  Greece,  Macedonia,  and  Thrace,  there  are  very 
few  diseases;  but  what  they  have  are  principally  burning 
fevers  and  phrenzies.  Anciently,  the  most  common  diseases 
in  Egypt  were  blindness,  ulcers  in  the  legs,  consumptions, 
and  the  leprosy,  called  elephantiasis,  which  was  peculinr  to 
that  country  ;  as  Pliny  observes,  Egypt i  peculiar e  live  mnliiin 
elephantiasis.  At  Constantinople  tiie  plague  always  rages  ; 
and  in  the  West  Indian  islands,  malignant  fevers,  and  the 
most  terrible  colics.  These  diseases  are  called  etidcniic. 
In  general,  it  is  observed,  that  the  colder  the  country  is,  the 
fewer  and  the  less  violent  are  the  diseases. 

Schoeft'er  tells  us,  that  the  Laplanders  know  no  such  thing 
as  the  plague,  or  fevers  of  the  burning  kind;  nor  are  they 
subject  to  half  the  distempers  we  are.  They  are  robust  and 
strong,  and  live  to  eighty,  ninety,  and  many  of  them  to  more 
than  one  hundred  years;  and  at  this  great  age  they  are  not 
feeble  and  decrepit,  but  a  man  of  ninety  is  able  to  work  or 
travel  as  well  as  a  man  of  sixty  wit'  us.  They  are  subject, 
however,  to  some  diseases,  more  th  '>j  other  nations.     They 


ON   SWALLOWING   THE  STONES   OF   FRUITS.  791 

have  often  distempers  of  the  eyes,  owing  to  their  living  in 
smoke,  or  being  blinded  by  snow.  Pleurisies,  inflamma- 
tions of  the  lungs,  and  violent  pains  of  the  head,  are  also  very 
frequently  found  among  these  hardy  inhabitants  of  the  north; 
and  the  small-pox  rages  with  great  violence.  They  have  one 
general  remedy  against  these  and  all  other  internal  diseases; 
this  is,  the  root  of  that  sort  of  moss  which  they  cq\\  jerth. 
They  make  a  decoction  of  this  root  in  the  whey  of  rein-deer's 
milk,  and  drink  very  large  doses  of  it  warm,  to  keep  up 
a  breathing  sweat;  if  they  cannot  get  this,  they  use  the  stalks 
of  angelica  boiled  in  the  same  manner:  but  the  keeping  in  a 
sweat,  and  drinking  plentifully  of  diluting  liquors,  may  go 
a  great  way  in  the  cure.  They  cure  pleurisies  by  this  method 
in  a  very  few  days,  and  get  so  well  through  the  small-pox 
with  it,  that  very  few  die  of  the  disease. 

Injuries  from  swallowmng  the  Stones  of  Fruits. — • 
The  dangers  arising  from  swallowing  the  stones  of  plums  and 
other  fruits  are  very  great.  The  Philosophical  Transactions 
give  an  acount  of  a  woman  who  suffered  violent  pains  in  her 
bowels  for  thirty  years,  the  malady  returning  once  in  a  month 
or  less.  At  lenoth,  a  stronor  puro-e  beino^  o-iven  her,  the  occa- 
sion  of  all  these  complaints  was  discovered  to  be  a  stone  of 
an  oval  figure,  of  about  ten  drams  in  weight,  and  measur- 
ino;  five  inches  in  circumference.  This  had  caused  all  the 
violent  fits  of  pain,  which  she  had  suffered  for  so  many  years; 
after  this,  she  became  perfectly  well.  The  ball  extracted 
looked  like  a  stone,  and  felt  very  hard,  but  swam  in  water. 
On  cutting  it  through  with  a  knife,  there  was  found  in  the 
centre,  a  plum-stone,  round  which  several  coats  of  this  hard 
and  tough  matter  had  gathered. 

Another  instance  is  given  in  the  same  papers,  of  a  man, 
who,  dying  of  an  incurable  colic,  which  had  tormented  him 
many  years,  and  baffled  the  effects  of  medicines,  was  opened 
after  death;  and  in  his  bowels  was  found  a  ball  similar  to 
that  above-mentioned,  but  somewhat  larger,  being  six  inches 
in  ciroimference,  and  weighing  an  ounce  and  a  half.  In  the 
centre  of  this,  as  of  the  other,  there  was  found  the  stone  of 
a  common  plum,  and  the  coats  were  of  the  same  nature  with 
those  of  the  former.  These  and  similar  instances  mentioned 
in  the  same  work,  sufficiently  shew  the  folly  of  that  connnon 
opinion,  that  the  stones  of  fruits  are  wholesome.  Even 
cherry  stones,  swallowed  in  great  quantities,  have  occasioned 
death. 

Extraordinary  Surgical  Operation. — "The  most  sur- 
prising and  honourable  operation  of  surgery  ever  performed, 
was,  without  an\  contradiction,  that  executed  by  Mllichtrand, 


792  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

by  taking  away  a  part  of  the  ribs  and  of  the  pleura.  The 
patient  was  himself  a  medical  man,  and  not  ignorant  of  the 
danger  he  ran  in  this  operation  being  had  recourse  to;  but  he 
also  knew  that  his  disorder  was  otherwise  incurable.  He  was 
attacked  with  a  cancer  on  the  internal  surface  of  the  ribs  and 
of  the  pleura,  which  continually  produced  enormous  fungo- 
sities,  that  had  been  in  vain  attempted  to  be  repressed  by  the 
actual  cautery.  M.  Richerand  was  obliged  to  lay  the  ribs 
bare,  to  saw  away  two,  to  detach  them  from  the  pleura,  and 
to  cut  away  all  the  cancerous  part  of  that  membrane. 

"As  soon  as  he  had  made  the  opening,  the  air  rushi.ig  into 
the  chest,  occasioned  the  first  day  great  suffering,  and  distress- 
incr  shortness  of  breath:  the  surgeon  could  touch  and  see  the 
heart  through  the  pericardium,  which  was  as  transparent  as 
glass,  and  could  assure  himself  of  the  total  insensibility  of 
both.  Much  serous  fluid  flowed  from  the  wound,  as  long  as 
it  remained  open;  but  it  filled  up  slowly  by  means  of  the 
adhesion  of  the  lung  with  the  pericardium,  and  the  fleshy 
granulations  that  were  formed  in  it.  At  length  the  patient 
got  so  well,  that  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  after  the  opera- 
tion, he  could  not  resist  the  desire  of  going;  to  the  Medicinal 
School,  to  see  the  fragments  of  the  ribs  thai  had  been  taken 
from  him  ;  and  in  three  or  four  days  afterwards  he  returned 
home,  and  went  about  his  ordinary  business.  The  success  of 
M.  Richerand  is  the  more  important,  because  it  will  authorize, 
in  other  cases,  enterprises,  which,  according  to  received 
opinions,  would  appear  impossible  ;  and  we  shall  be  less  afraid 
of  penetrating  into  the  interior  of  the  chest.  M.  Riclierand 
even  hopes,  that  by  opening  the  pericardium  itself,  and  using 
proper  injections,  we  may  cure  a  disease  that  has  hitherto 
always  been  fatal,  the  dropsy  of  that  cavity." — Thomsons 
Annals. 

Extraordinary  Cures  by  Burning. — The  following 
case  is  recorded  in  the  memoirs  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences, 
by  M.  Romberg.  A  woman,  of  about  thirty-five,  became  sub- 
ject to  a  headach,  which  at  times  was  so  violent,  that  it  drove 
her  out  of  her  senses,  making  her  sometimes  stupid  and 
foolish,  at  other  times  raving  and  furious.  The  seat  of  the 
pain  was  in  the  forehead,  and  over  the  eyes,  which  were 
inflamed,  and  looked  exceedingly  red  and  sparkling;  and  the 
most  violent  hts  of  it  were  attended  with  nausea  and  vomiting. 
In  the  time  of  the  fits,  she  could  take  no  food;  but  at  all 
others  she  had  a  very  good  appetite.  M.  Ilomberg  had  in 
vain  attempted  her  cure  for  three  years,  with  all  kinds  of 
medicines:  only  opium  succeeded;  and  that  but  little,  all  its 
effect  being  only  to  take  oif  the  pain  for  a  few  hours.  The 
redness  of  her  eyes  was  always   the  sign  of  an  approaching 


DIVISIBILITY  OF  MATTER.  793 

fit.  One  night,  feeling  a  fil  coming  on,  she  went  to  lie  down 
upon  the  bed  ;  but  first  walked  up  to  the  glass  with  the  candle 
in  her  hand,  to  see  how  her  eyes  looked:  in  observing  this, 
the  candle  set  fire  to  her  cap;  and  as  she  was  alone,  her  head 
was  terribly  burnt  before  the  fire  could  be  extinguished. 
M.  Romberg  was  sent  for,  and  ordered  bleeding  and  proper 
dressings:  but  the  expected  fit  this  night  never  came  on;  the 
pain  of  the  burning  wore  off  by  degrees  ;  and  the  patient 
found  herself  from  that  hour  cured  of  the  headach,  which  had 
never  once  returned  in  four  years  after;  such  being  the  time 
when  the  account  was  communicated. 

Another  case,  not  less  remarkable,  was  communicated  to 
M.  Homberg  by  a  physician  at  Bruges.  A  woman,  who  for 
several  years  had  her  legs  and  thighs  swelled  in  an  extra- 
ordinary manner,  found  some  relief  from  rubbing  them  before 
the  fire  with  brandy  every  morning  and  evening.  One  even- 
ing, the  brandy  she  had  rubbed  herself  with  took  fire,  and 
slightly  burnt  her.  She  applied  some  brandy  to  her  burn; 
and  in  the  night  all  the  water  with  which  the  afflicted  parts 
were  swelled,  was  entirely  discharged,  and  the  swelling  did 
not  again  return. 

Illumination  by  Electricity. — Professor  Meinecke,  of 
Hallchas,  in  Gilbert's  Annals,  1819,  Number  5,  proposed  to 
illuminate  halls,  houses,  and  streets,  by  the  electric  spark; 
and  expresses  his  strong  persuasion  that  one  day  it  will  afford 
a  more  perfect  and  less  expensive  light  than  gas-illumination, 
and  ultimately  replace  it.  His  plan  is,  to  arrange,  what  are 
called,  in  electricity,  luminous  tubes,  glasses,  &c. ;  i.  e.  insulat- 
ing substances,  having  a  series  of  metallic  spangles  at  small 
distances  from  each  other,  along  the  place  to  be  illuminated; 
and  then,  by  a  machine,  send  a  current  of  electricity  through 
them:  sometimes  also  partially  exhausted  glasses,  as  the 
luminous  receiver,  conductor,  &c.,  are  used.  In  this  way 
Professor  Meinecke  obtained  from  a  two-feet  plate  machine, 
a  constant  light  in  his  apartment  equal  to  that  of  the  moon, 
and  even  surpassing  it;  and  by  enclosing  his  system  of  sparks 
in  tubes  filled  with  rarified  hydrogen  gas,  in  which  gas 
it  is  assumed  that  the  electric  spark  is  more  than  doubled  in 
brilliancy,  he  thinks  it  will  be  easy  to  enlarge  the  plan  to  any 
extent. 

Divisibility  of  Matter. — We  may  be  readily  convinced 
of  the  infinite  divisibility  of  bodies,  by  simply  walking  in 
a  garden,  and  inhaling  the  sweet  incense  that  rises  from 
a  thousand  flowers.  How  inconceivably  small  must  be  the 
odoriferous  particles  of  a  carnation,  which  diffuse  themselves 
through  a  whole  garden,  and  every  where  strike  our  sense  oi 

5  H 


794  MISCELLANEOUS   CbRlOSITIES. 

smell  If  this  is  not  sufficient,  let  us  consider  some  other 
objects  of  nature;  as,  for  instance,  one  of  those  silk  threads, 
the  work  of  a  poor  worm.  Suppose  this  thread  is  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  long,  it  will  weigh  but  a  single  grain. 
Again,  consider  into  how  many  perceptible  parts  a  length  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  can  be  divided.  A  single  inch 
may  be  divided  into  six  hundred  parts,  each  as  thick  as 
a  hair,  and  co,nsequently  be  perfectly  visible.  Hence  a  single 
grain  of  silk  can  be  divided  into  at  least  two  millions  five 
hundred  and  ninety-two  thousand  parts,  each  of  which  may 
be  seen  without  the  help  of  a  microscope.  And  as  every  one 
of  these  parts  may  be  again  divided  into  several  more  millions 
of  parts,  till  the  division  is  carried  beyond  the  reach  of 
thought,  it  is  evident. that  this  progression  may  be  infinite. 
The  last  particles,  which  are  no  longer  divisible  by  human 
industry,  must  still  have  extension,  and  be  consequently 
susceptible  of  division,  though  we  are  no  longer  able  to  effect 
it,  If  we  examine  the  animal  kingdom,  we  shall  discover 
still  further  proofs  of  the  infinite  divisibility  of  matter.  Pep- 
per has  been  put  into  a  glass  of  water,  and  on  looking  through 
a  microscope,  a  multitude  of  animalcules  were  seen  in  the 
water,  a  thousand  million  times  less  than  a  grain  of  sand! 
How  incpnceivably  minute  then  must  be  the  feet,  muscles, 
vessels,  nerves,'  and  organs  of  sense,  in  these  animals!  And 
how  small  their  eggs  and  their  young  ones,  and  the  fluids 
which  circulate  in  them!  Here  the  imagination  loses  itself, 
our  ideas  become  confused,  and  we  are  incapable  of  giving 
form  to  such  very  small  particles.  What  still  more  claims  our 
attention  i!>,  that  the  more  we  magnify,  by  means  of  glasses, 
the  productions  of  nature,  the  more  perfect  and  beautiful  do 
they  appear:  whilst  with  works  of  art  it  is  generally  quite  con- 
trary; for  when  these  are  seen  through  a  microscope,  we  find 
them  rough,  coarse,  and  imperfect,  though  executed  by  the 
most  able  artists,  and  with  the  utmost  care.  Thus  the 
Almighty  has  impressed  even  upon  the  smallest  atom  the 
stamp  of  his  infinity.  The  most  subtile  body  is  as  a  world, 
n  which  millions  of  parts  unite  and  are  arranged  in  the  most 
I  perfect  order. 


Jew's  harp. —  uemaukable  aquedlcts.  79i» 

CHAP.  LXXXV. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CUR  10SlTlES.T—('Cowf//me<^.^ 

fhejew^s  Harp — Remarkable  Aqueducts — Crichup  Linn—Eddi/- 

sto/ie  Rocks — Dismal  Sivajnp— Curious  Wiue  Cellar — Mint  oj 
Segovia— Remarkable  Mills — Silk  Mill  at  Derby — Portland 
.,.,  Vase — Murdering  Statue — A  Curious  Pulpit, 

The  Jew's  Harp. — The  Jew's  trump,  or  Jew's  harp,  as  it 
is  often  called,  though  now  a  boy's  instrument,  is  of  ancient 
origin,  for  Mr.  Pennant  informs  us,  (Tour  to  Scotland,  p.  195,) 
that  one  made  of  gilt  brass  was  found  in  Norway,  deposited 
in  an  urn.  There  appears  to  be  an  allusion,  in  the  naine,  to 
the  inhabitants  of  Judea;  and  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  in 
Dodsley's  old  plays,  vol.  iv.  p.  171,  Quick  calls  the  usurer, 
on  account  of  his  Jewish  avarice,  "  a  notable  Jew's  trump." 
In  the  plate,  however,  of  Jewish  musical  instruments,  in  Cal- 
met's  Dictionary,  nothing  of  this  kind  occurs  ;  so  that  perhaps 
there  is  a  corruption  here  of  jeu-tro/iipe,  a  plaything,  or  play- 
tromp,  as  it  is  now  only  used  by  boys  for  that  purpose ;  or  it 
may  be  a  corruption  of  Jew's  harp,  from  the  circumstance  of 
its  being  placed  between  the  teeth  when  played. 

Remarkable  Aqueducts. — Aqueducts  are  conveyances 
for  carrying  water  from  one  place  to  another  ;  made  on  uneven 
ground,  to  preserve  the  level.  Aqueducts  of  every  kind  were 
long  ago  the  wonders  of  Rome  ;  the  vast  quantity  of  them 
which  they  had  ;  the  prodigious  expense  employed  in  con- 
ducting waters  over  arcades  from  one  place  to  another,  at  the 
distance  of  thirty,  forty,  sixty,  and  even  one  hundred  miles, 
which  were  either  continued  or  supplied  by  other  labours,  as 
by  cutting  mountains  and  piercing  rocks  :  all  this  may  well 
surprise  us,  as  nothing  like  it  is  undertaken  in  our  timer.;  we 
dare  not  purchase  conveniency  at  so  dear  a  rate.  Appius 
Claudius,  the  censor,  devised  and  constructed  the  first  aque- 
duct. His  example  gave  the  public  luxury  a  hint  to  cultivate 
these  objects;  and  the  force  of  prodigious  and  indefatigable 
labour  diverted  the  course  of  rivers  and  floods  to  Rome. 
Agrippa,  in  that  year  when  he  was  edile,  put  the  last  hand 
to  the  magnificence  of  these  works. 

The  aqueduct  of  the  Aqua  Martia,  had  an  arch  of  sixteen 
feet  in  diameter.  The  whole  was  composed  of  three  difl'erent 
kinds  of  stone;  one  of  thenj  reddish,  another  brown,  and  a 
third  of  an  earth  colour.  Above,  there  appeared  two  canals, 
of  which  the  highest  was  fed  by  the  new  waters  of  the  Tive 


796  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

rone,  and  the  lower  by  what  they  called  the  Claiidian  river.  The 
entire  edifice  is  seventy  Roman  feet  high.  Near  this  aque- 
duct, we  have,  in  Father  Montfaucon,  the  plan  of  another,  with 
three  canals;  the  highest  supplied  by  the  Aqua  Julia,  that  in 
the  middle  fromTepula,  and  the  lowest  from  the  Aqua  Martia. 
The  arch  of  the  aqueduct  of  the  Aqua  Claudia  is  of  hewn  stone, 
very  beautiful;  that  of  the  aqueduct  of  the  Aqua  Neronia  is 
of  bricks;  they  are  each  of  them  seventy-two  Roman  feet  in 
height.  The  canal  of  the  aqueduct  which  was  called  Aqua 
Appia,  deserves  to  be  mentioned  for  a  singularity  which  is 
observed  in  it ;  for  it  is  not,  like  the  others,  plain,  nor  gradual 
in  its  descent,  but  much  narrower  at  the  lower  than  the  higher 
end.  The  consul  Frontinus,  who  superintended  the  aqueducts 
under  the  emperor  Nerva,  mentions  nine  of  them  which  had 
each  13,594  pipes  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Vigerus  observes, 
that,  in  the  space  of  twenty-four  hours,  Rome  received  500,000 
hogsheads  of  water.  Not  to  mention  the  aqueducts  of  Dru- 
sus  and  Rhiminius,  that  which  gives  the  most  stiiking  idea 
of  Roman  magnificence,  is  the  aqueduct  of  Metz,  of  which  a 
great  number  of  arcades  still  remain.  These  arcades  crossed 
the  Moselle,  a  river  which  is  of  vast  breadth  at  that  place. 
The  copious  sources  of  Gorze  furnished  water  for  the  repre- 
sentation of  a  sea-fight.  This  water  was  collected  in  a  re- 
servoir; whence  it  was  conducted  by  subterraneous  canals 
formed  of  hewn-stone,  and  so  spacious,  that  a  man  could  walk 
erect  in  them:  it  traversed  the  Moselle  upon  its  superb  and 
lofty  arcades,  which  may  still  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  two 
leagues  from  Metz  ;  so  nicely  wrought,  and  so  finely  cenjented, 
that  except  those  parts  in  the  middle  which  have  been  carried 
away  by  the  ice,  they  have  resisted,  and  will  still  resist,  the 
severest  shocks  of  the  most  violent  seasons.  From  these 
arcades,  other  aqueducts  conveyed  the  waters  to  the  baths, 
and  to  the  place  where  the  naval  engagement  was  exhibited. 

If  we  may  trust  Colmenarus,  the  aqueduct  of  Segovia  may 
be  compared  with  the  most  admired  labours  of  antiquity. 
There  still  remain  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  arcades,  wholly 
consisting  of  stones  enormously  large,  and  joined  without 
mortar.  These  arcades,  with  what  remains  of  the  edifice,  are 
one  hundred  and  two  feet  high ;  they  are  formed  in  two  ranges, 
one  above  another.  The  aqueduct  flows  through  the  city, 
and  runs  beneath  the  greatest  number  of  houses,  which  are  at 
the  lower  end.  After  these  enormous  structures,  we  may  be 
believed  when  we  speak  of  the  aqueduct  which  Louis  XIV. 
caused  to  be  built  near  Maintenon,  for  carryins:  water  from 
the  river  Bucq  to  Versailles  :  it  is  perhaps  the  greatest  aque- 
duct now  in  the  world,  being  7000  fathoms  in  length,  above 
2560  in  height,  and  containing  no  fewer  than  two  hundred 
and  forty-two  arcades. 


CRICHUP  LINN. — EDDYSTONE  ROCKS.  797 

Crichup  Linn. — This  is  a  very  beautiful  cascade,  formed 
by  tlie  rivulet  Cricluip,  in  Berwickshire.  It  falls  over  a  preci- 
pice about  eighty-five  or  ninety  feet  high,  and  almost  perpendi- 
cular. About  a  half  a  mile  below  this,  descends  a  hill  of  red 
free-stone,  forming  a  linn,  or  waterfall,  peculiarly  romantic. 
The  linn  from  top  to  bottom  is  upwards  of  a  hundred  feet, 
and  though  twenty  deep,  it  is  yet  so  narrow  at  the  top,  that 
one  might  easily  leap  across  it,  were  it  not  for  the  tremendous 
prospect  below,  and  the  noise  of  the  water  running  its  dark 
course,  and  by  its  deep  murmuring,  affrighting  the  imagina- 
tion. "  In  the  time  of  persecution,  (says  the  Rev.  Mr.  Yor- 
stoun,)  the  religious  flying  from  their  persecutors  found  an 
excellent  hiding-place  in  Crichup  Linn  ;  and  there  is  a  seat, 
cutout  by  nature  in  the  rock,  which,  having  been  the  retreat 
of  a  shoemaker  in  those  times,  has  ever  since  borne  the 
name  of  the  tutor's  Seat.  Nothing  can  be  more  striking 
than  the  appearance  of  this  linn  from  its  bottom.  The  dark- 
ness of  the  place,  upon  which  the  sun  never  shines  ;  the  ragged 
rocks  rising  over  one's  head,  and  seeming  to  meet  at  the  top, 
with  here  and  there  a  blasted  tree  bursting  from  the  crevices; 
the  roaring  of  the  water,  together  with  some  degree  of  danger 
to  the  spectator,  while  he  surveys  the  striking  objects — all 
naturally  tend  to  work  upon  the  imagination.  Hence  many 
fabulous  stories  which  are  told,  were  once  believed  concerning 
this  curious  linn." 

Eddystone  Rocks. — This  is  the  name  of  some  rocks  in 
the  English  Channel,  so  called  from  the  variety  of  contrary 
currents  in  their  vicinity.  They  are  situated  nearly  S.  S.  W. 
from  the  middle  of  Plymouth  Sound,  their  distance  from  the 
port  is  about  fourteen  miles,  and  from  Rame  Head,  the  nearest 
point  of  land,  twelve  and  a  half.  They  are  almost  in  the  line 
■which  joins  the  Start  and  Lizard  points;  and  as  they  lie  nearly 
in  the  direction  of  vessels  coasting  up  and  down  the  channel, 
they  were  very  dangerous,  and  ships  were  sometimes  wrecked 
on  them,  before  the  lighthouse  was  established.  They  are  so 
exposed  to  the  swells  r.f  the  ocean,  from  all  the  south  and 
west  points  of  the  compass,  that  the  heavy  seas  con>e  uncon- 
trolled, and  break  on  them  with  the  utmost  fury.  Sometimes 
after  a  storm,  when  the  sea  in  general  is,  to  all  appearance, 
quite  smooth,  and  its  surface  unruffled  by  the  slightest  breeze, 
the  growing  swell  or  under  current,  meeting  the  slope  of  the 
rocks,  the  sea  beats  dreadfully  upon  them,  and  even  rises 
above  the  lighthouse  in  a  magnificent  manner,  overtopping  it, 
for  the  moment,  as  with  a  canopy  of  frothy  wave.  Notwith- 
standing this  tremendous  swell,  Mr.  Henry  Winstanley,  in 
1696,  undertook  to  build  a  lighthouse  on  the  principal  rock; 
and  he  completed  it  1700.     This  ingenious  mechanic  was  so 


798  MISCELLANEOUS  CURIOSITIES. 

confident  of  the  stability  of  his  structure,  that  he  declared 
his  wish  to  be  in  it  during  the  most  tremendous  storm  that 
could  blow.  Unfortunately  he  obtained  his  wish,  for  he  pe- 
rished in  it,  during  the  dreadful  storm  which  destroyed  it  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1703.  In  1709,  another  lighthouse 
was  erected  of  wood  on  this  rock,  but  on  a  different  construc- 
tion, by  Mr.  John  Rudyard.  It  stood  till  1755,  when  it  was 
burnt.  A  third  one,  of  stone,  was  begun  by  the  late  cele- 
brated Mr.  John  Smeaton,  on  the  2d  of  April,  1757,  and 
finished  24th  of  August,  1759;  and  has  withstood  the  rao;e  of 
allweathers  ever  since.  The  rock  which  slopes  towards  the 
south-west  is  cut  into  horizontal  steps  ;  into  which  are  dove- 
tailed, and  united  by  a  strong  cement,  Portland  stone,  and 
granite  :  for  Mr.  Smeaton  discovered,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  make  use  of  the  former  entirely,  as  there  is  a  marine  ani- 
mal that  can  destroy  it;  and  that  he  could  not  use  the  latter 
solely,  as  the  labour  of  working  it  would  have  been  too  expen- 
sive. He  therefore  used  the  one  for  the  internal,  and  the  other 
for  the  external  part  of  the  structure.  Upon  the  principle  of 
a  broad  base  and  accumulation  of  matter,  the  whole,  to  the 
height  of  thirty-five  feet  from  the  foundation,  is  a  solid  mass 
of  stones  engrafted  into  each  other,  and  united  by  every  kind 
of  additional  strength.  The  lighthouse  has  four  rooms,  one 
over  another,  and  at  the  top  a  gallery  and  lantern.  The  stone 
floors  are  flat  above,  but  concave  below,  and  are  kept  from 
pressing  against  the  sides  of  the  building  by  a  chain  let  into 
the  walls.  The  lighthouse  is  nearly  eighty  feet  high,  and 
withstands  the  most  violent  storms,  without  sustaining  the 
smallest  injury.  It  has  now  stood  above  sixty-three  years, 
during  which  time  it  has  been  often  assaulted  by  all  the  fury 
of  the  elements;  and,  in  all  probability,  as  Mr.  Smeaton  said, 
nothing  but  an  earthquake  can  destroy  it.  The  wooden  part 
of  it,  however,  was  burnt  in  1770,  but  renewed  in  1774. 

Dismal  Swamp, — is  a  morass  in  North  America,  reaching 
from  Albermarle  Sound,  in  North  Carolina,  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Portsmouth,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour  to 
Norfolk.  It  is  supposed  to  contain  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  square  miles,  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres. 

Some  of  the  interior  parts  of  this  vast  swampy  plain  are 
seldom  explored,  being  full  of  danger;  yet  several  adventu- 
rous huntsmen  sometimes  pursue  their  game  within  its  precincts, 
but  they  cannot  advance  far  without  great  risk  of  forfeiting 
their  lives  to  their  temerity. 

Mr.  Janson,  a  late  traveller,  relates,  that  in  one  of  these 
excursions  he  was  often  knee-deep,  though,  in  other  parts, 
the  ground  supported  him  firmly.  In  endeavouring  to  pass 
one  of  these  fenny  spots,  he  attempted  to  avail  himself  of  a 


CURIOUS  WINE  CELLAR,  ETC.  799 

sort  of  bridge,  formed  of  the  body  of  a  very  large  tree  ;  when, 
to  his  surprise,  he  was  suddenly  immersed  in  dust  up  to  his 
waist,  the  tree  having  become  rotten,  or  probably  eaten  oUl 
by  insects,  though  it  retainec"  its  shape,  and  appearance  of 
Solidity.  Wild  beasts  lurk  in  this  impenetrab.e  recess:  cat- 
tle also  stray  there,  and  often  become  wild  :  hogs  are  turned 
into  it  by  their  owners,  to  fatten  upon  the  acorns  that  fall  from 
the  oaks. 

Lake  Drummond  is  situated  near  the  centre  of  the  swamp, 
and  is  formed  by  the  drainings  of  this  immense  bog.  It  is 
crowded  with  fish  of  various  kinds,  which,  living  unmolested, 
attain  a  prodigious  size. 

Curious  Wine  Cellar. — The  monastery  of  Arcadi,  in 
Candia,  surpasses  every  other  part  of  the  island,  though  fer- 
tile in  religious  houses,  both  in  the  number  of  monks,  and 
the  endowment  of  the  convents.  It  is  supposed  to  be  built 
on  t^ie  spot  where  the  ancient  Arcadia  once  stood.  The  house 
itself  contains  nearly  one  hundred  inhabitants,  while  about 
two  hundred  more  are  dispersed  over  the  lands  belonging  to 
the  monastery,  and  are  employed  in  agriculture.  The  cellar 
is  by  far  the  finest  part  of  the  building.  It  contains  two  hun- 
dred casks  of  wine,  of  which  the  choicest  is  marked  with  the 
name  of  the  superior,  and  no  one  may  touch  it  without  his 
permission.  This  cellar  receives  a  solemn  annual  benediction 
immediately  after  the  vintage.  The  prayer  recited  by  the 
superior  on  this  occasion,  is  printed  in  the  Greek  S))iritual; 
it  is  as  follows  : — "  Lord  God  !  who  lovest  mankind,  look  on 
this  wine,  and  on  those  that  shall  drink  it ;  bless  those  vessels 
as  thou  hast  blessed  the  wells  of  Jacob,  the  fishpool  of  Siloa, 
and  the  beverage  of  thy  holy  apostles.  Lord,  who  didst  con- 
descend to  be  present  at  the  marriage  of  Cana,  where  thon 
didst  manifest  thy  glory  to  thy  disciples  by  changing  water 
into  wine,  send  thy  holy  Spirit  on  this  wine,  and  bless  it  in 
thy  name." 

Mint  of  Segovia. — At  the  mint  of  Segovia,  in  Spain, 
there  is  an  engine  moved  by  water,  but  so  artificially  made, 
that  one  part  of  it  distends  an  ingot  of  gold  into  the  breadth 
and  thickness  requisite  to  make  coin.  "  It  delivereth  the 
plate  that  it  hath  wrought  unto  another,  that  printeth  the 
figure  of  the  coin  upon  it;  and  from  thence  it  is  turned  over 
to  another,  that  cutteth  it  according  to  the  print  in  due  shape 
and  weight.  And  lastly,  the  several  pieces  fall  into  a  coffer 
in  another  room,  where  the  officer,  tvhose  charge  it  is,  finds 
treasure  ready  coined." 

Remarkable  Mills. — At  Dantzic,  a  city  of  Prussia,  Mr 


800  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

MorristDii;  an  ingenious  traveller  of  this  nation,  saw  a  mill, 
which,  without  help  of"  hands,  did  saw  boards,  having  an  iron 
wheel,  which  did  not  only  drive  the  saw,  but  also  did  hook  in, 
and  turn  the  boards  unto  the  saw.  Dr.  John  Dee  mentions 
the  like  seen  by  him  at  Prague  ;  but  whether  the  mill  moved 
by  wind  or  water,  is  set  down  by  neither  of  them. 

Silk  Mill  at  Derby. — This  mill,  situated  on  the  river 
Derwent,  was  erected  by  Sir  T.  Loombe,  who,  at  a  vast  expense 
and  great  hazard,  brought  the  model  from  Italy.  It  is  fixed 
in  a  laroe  house,  six  stories  high,  and  consists  of  26,586 
wheels,  with  97,746  movements,  all  driven  by  one  large  water- 
wheel,  fixed  on  the  outside  of  the  house!  It  goes  round  tliree 
times  in  one  minute,  and  each  time  works  78,726  yards  of  silk 
thread,  so  that  in  twenty-four  hours  it  works  318,496,320 
yards  of  silk  thread,  under  the  management  of  only  one  regu- 
lator! It  has  been  of  such  service  to  the  silk  trade,  that  Sir 
Thomas  had  the  benefit  of  it  during  his  life;  but  the  parlia- 
ment having  allowed  him  £14,000,  as  a  further  reward  for  his 
services,  he  suffered  a  model  of  it  to  be  taken.  This  model 
now  lies  in  the  Record-office  at  the  Tower,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  public,  any  person  being  allowed  to  inspect  it,  so  that 
there  are  at  present  several  mills  of  the  kind  erected  in  different 
parts  of  the  kingdom. 

Portland  Vase. — This  is  a  celebrated  funeral  vase,  which 
was  long  in  the  possession  of  the  Baberini  family;  but  which 
was  some  years  since  purchased  for  1000  guineas  by  the  duke 
of  Portland,  from  whom  it  has  derived  its  present  name.  Its 
height  is  about  ten  inches  ;  and  its  diameter,  where  broadest, 
six.  There  are  a  variety  of  figures  upon  it,  of  most  exquisite 
workmanship,  in  bas  relief,  in  white  opaque,  raised  on  a 
ground  of  deep  blue  gi'QSs,  which  appears  black,  except  when 
held  against  the  light.  It  appears  to  have  been  the  work  of 
many  years  ;  and  there  are  antiquarians  who  date  its  produc- 
tion several  centuries  before  the  Christian  era,  since,  as  has 
been  said,  sculpture  was  declining  in  excellence  in  the  time 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  Respecting  the  purpose  of  this  vase, 
and  what  the  figures  on  it  were  meant  to  represent,  there  have 
been  various  conjectures.  We  shall,  therefore,  give  a  short 
account  of  the  several  fioures,  without  noticing  any  of  the 
theories  or  conjectures  that  have  been  made  about  them.  In 
one  compartment,  three  exquisite  figures  are  placed  on  a  ruined 
colunui,  the  capital  of  which  is  fallen,  and  lies  at  their  feet 
among  other  disjointed  stones  :  they  sit  under  a  tree,  on  loose 
piles  of  stone.  The  middle  figure  is  a  female  in  a  reclining 
and  dying  attitude,  with  an  inverted  torch  in  her  left  hand, 
the  elbow  of  which  supports  her  as  she  sinks,  while  the  right 


MUUDERING    STATUE. — CURIOUS   PULPIT.  801 

hand  is  raised,  and  thrown  over  her  drooping  head.  The  figure 
on  her  right  hand  is  a  man,  and  that  on  the  Ijeft  a  woman, 
both  supporting  themselves  on  their  arms,  and  apparently- 
thinking  intensely.  Their  backs  are  to  the  dying  figure,  and 
their  faces  are  turned  towards  her,  but  without  an  attempt  to 
assist  her.  On  another  compartment  of  the  vase  is  a  fipure 
coming  through  a  portal,  and  going  down  with  great  timidity 
into  a  darker  region,  where  he  is  received  by  beautiful  female, 
who  stretches  forth  her  hand  to  help  him:  between  her  knees 
is  a  large  and  playful  serpent.  She  sits  with  her  feet  towards 
an  aged  figure,  having  one  foot  sunk  into  the  earth,  and  the 
other  raised  on  a  column,  with  his  chin  resting  on  his  hand. 
Above  tke  female  figure  is  a  Cupid  preceding  the  first  figure, 
and  beckoning  him  to  advance.  This  first  figure  holds  a  cloak 
or  garment,  w  hich  he  seems  anxious  to  bring  with  him,  but 
which  adheres  to  the  side  of  the  portal  through  which  he  has 
passed.  In  this  compartment  there  are  two  trees,  one  of 
which  bends  over  the  female  figure,  and  the  other  over  the 
aged  one.  On  the  bottom  of  the  vase,  there  is  another  figure 
on  a  larger  scale  than  the  one  we  have  already  mentioned,  but 
not  so  well  finished  nor  so  elevated.  This  figure  points  with, 
its  finger  to  its  mouth.  The  dress  appears  to  be  curious  and 
cumbersome,  and  above  there  is  a  foliage  of  a  tree.  On  the 
head  of  the  figure  there  is  a  Phrygian  cap:  it  is  not  easy  to 
say  whether  this  figure  be  male  or  female.  On  the  handles  of 
the  vase  are  represented  two  aged  heads  with  the  ears  of  a 
quadruped,  and  from  the  middle  of  the  forehead  rises  a  kind, 
of  tree  without  leaves  :  these  figures  are,  in  all  probability, 
mere  ornaments,  and  have  no  connection  with  the  story  repre- 
sented on  the  vase. 

MuRnERiNG  Statue — Kenith,  king  of  Scotland,  had 
slain  Cruthlintus  the  son,  and  Malcolmus  D;;ff\is  the  king, 
and  kinsman  of  Fenella:  she,  to  be  revenged  of  the  murderer, 
caused  a  statue  to  be  framed  with  admirable  art.  In  one  of 
the  hands  of  it  was  an  apple  of  gold  set  full  of  precious 
stones,  which,  whosoever  touched,  was  immediately  slain  with 
many  darts,  which  the  statue  threw  or  shot  at  him.  Kenith, 
suspecting  nothing,  was  invited  to  this  place,  and  being  slain 
in  this  manner,  Fenella  escaped  over  into  Ireland. 

A  Curious  Pulpit. — The  pulpit  of  the  grand  parochial 
church  at  Brussels,  a  curious  production  of  Henry  Verbruggen, 
of  Antwerp,  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  nave.  At  the  base 
are  Adam  and  Eve,  large  as  life,  the  expelling  Angel  and  Death 
in  the  rear!  Our  first  parents,  though  closely  pursued,  bear 
upon  their  shoulders  the  terrestrial  globe,  the  cavity  of  which 
is  filled  by  the  preacher!     From  the  globe  rises  a  tree,  whose 

51 


802  MlSCliLLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

top  extends  into  a  canopy  sustaining  an  Angel,  and  Truth 
exhibited  as  a  female  genius.  Above  are  the  Virgin  and  th» 
infant  Jesus,  crushing  the  serpent's  head  with  a  cross.  The 
steps  on  either  side  appear  as  if  cut  from  trunks  of  trees,  and 
are  accompanied  by  carvings  of  the  ostrich,  eagle,  peacock, 
parrot.  Sic. 


CHAP.  LXXXVI. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CURIOSITIES. — (Continued.) 

Extraordinary  Echoes,  and  Whispering  Places — Natural  Produc 
tions  resembling  Ariijicial  Compositions — Remarkable  Lamps. 
— Perpetual  Fire — Magical  Drum — An  Extraordinary  Can- 
non.— Curious  Account  of  Old  Bread — Substitute  for  Spec- 
tacks — Winter  Sleep  of  Animals  and  Plants. 

Extraordinary  Echoes,  and  Whispering  Places. — 

These  are  places  where  a  whisper,  or  other  low  sound,  may 
be  heard  from  one  part  to  another,  to  a  great  distance.  They 
depend  on  a  principle,  that  the  voice.  Sec.  being  applied 
to  one  end  of  an  arch,  easily  passes  by  repeated  reflections  to 
the' other. 

Hence  sound  is  conveyed  from  one  side  of  a  whispering 
gallery  to  the  opposite  one,  without  being  perceived  by  those 
who  stand  in  the  middle.  The  form  of  a  whispering-gallery 
is  that  of  a  segment  of  a  sphere,  or  the  like  arched  figure. 
All  the  contrivance  in  whispering-places  is,  that  near  the  per- 
son who  whispers  there  may  be  a  smooth  wall,  arched  either 
cylindrically  or  elliptically.  A  circular  arch  will  do,  but  not 
so  well. 

The  most  considerable  whispering-places  in  England  are, 
the  whispering-gallery  in  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  London, 
where  the  ticking  of  a  watch  may  be  heard  from  side  to  side, 
and  a  very  easy  whisper  be  sent  all  round  the  dome.  The 
famous  whispering-place  in  Gloucester  Cathedral,  is  no  other 
than  a  gallery  above  the  east  end  of  the  choir,  leading  from 
one  side  thereof  to  the  other.  It  consists  of  five  angles  and 
six  sides;  the  middlemost  of  which  is  a  naked  window,  yet 
two  whisperers  hear  each  other  at  the  distance  of  twenty-five 
yards. 

In  the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  1746,  there  is  a  letter 
inserted  from  Robert  Southwell,  Esq.  in  which  he  gives  the 
following  account  of  some  extraordinary  whispering-places 
and  echoes.---"  The  best  whisperino-place  in  England,"  he 
observes,  "  I  ever  saw,  was  that  at  Gloucester:    but  in  Italy, 


ECHOES,   AND   WHISPERING-PLACES.  803 

in  the  way  to  Naples,  two  days  from  Rome,  I  saw,  in  a  inn, 
a  room  with  a  square  vault,  where  a  whisper  could  be  easily 
heard  at  the  opposite  corner,  but  not  at  all  in  the  side  corner 
that  was  near  to  you. 

"  I  saw  another,  in  the  way  from  Paris  to  Lyons,  in  the 
porch  of  a  common  inn,  which  had  a  round  vault:  but  neither 
of  these  was  comparable  to  that  of  Gloucester;  only  the  differ- 
ence between  these  last  two  was,  that  to  the  latter,  by  holding 
your  mouth  to  the  side  of  the  wall,  several  could  hear  you  on 
the  other  side  ;  the  voice  being  more  diffused  :  but  to  the 
former,  it  being  a  square  room,  and  you  whispering  in  the 
corner,  it  was  only  audible  in  the  opposite  corner,  and  not 
to  any  distance  from  thence,  as  to  distinction  of  words.  And 
this  property  was  common  to  each  corner  of  the  room. 

*'  As  to  Echoes,  there  is  one  at  Brussels  that  answers  fifteen 
times:  but  when  at  Milan,  I  went  two  miles  from  thence  to  a 
nobleman's  palace,  to  notice  one  still  more  extraordinary. 
The  building  is  of  some  length  in  the  front,  and  has  two 
wings  projecting  forward;  so  that  it  wants  only  one  side  of 
an  oblong  figure.  About  one  hundred  paces  before  the  house, 
there  runs  a  small  brook,  and  that  very  slowly;  over  which 
you  pass  from  the  house  into  the  garden.  We  carried  some 
pistols  with  us,  and,  firing  one  of  them,  I  heard  fifty-six 
reiterations  of  the  noise.  The  first  twenty  were  with  some 
distinction;  but  then,  as  the  noise  seemed  to  fly  away,  and 
the  answers  were  at  a  great  distance,  the  repetition  was  so 
doubled,  that  you  could  hardly  count  them  all,  seeming  as  if 
the  principal  sound  was  saluted  in  its  passage  by  reports  on 
this  and  that  side  at  the  same  time.  Some  of  our  company 
reckoned  above  sixty  reiterations,  when  a  louder  pistol  was 
discharged." 

Some  persons  tell  us,  that  the  sound  of  one  musical  instru- 
ment in  this  place  will  seem  like  a  great  number  of  instruments 
playing  together  in  concert.  This  echo  is  of  the  multiple  or 
tautoloo-ical  kind,  returnincr  one  sound  several  times  succes- 
sively,  so  as  to  make  one  clap  of  the  hands  seem  like  many, — 
one  ha,  like  a  laughter, — or  one  instrument  like  several  of  the 
same  kind,  imitating  each  other;  and  by  placing  certain  echo- 
ing bodies  in  such  a  manner,  that  any  note  played  should  be 
returned  in  thirds,  fifths,  and  eighths,  a  musical  room  may  be 
so  contrived,  that  not  only  one  violin  played  therein  shall 
seem  many  of  the  same  sort  and  size,  but  even  a  concert  o* 
different  instruments.  Those  echoes  which  return  the  voice 
but  once  are  called  single;  whereof  some  are  tonical,  only 
repeating  when  modulated  into  some  particular  musical  tone. 
Others,  that  repeat  many  syllables  or  words,  are  termed 
polysyllabical;  of  which  kind  is  the  fine  echo  in  Woodstock 
Park,  which   Dr.  Plott  assures  us  will  return  seventeen  sylla 


804  MISCELLAKEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

bles  distinctly  in  the  day-time,  and  in  the  night  twenty. 
Barthius  likewise,  in  his  notes  on  Statius's  Thebais,  mentions 
an  echo  near  Bingeni  in  Germany,  which  would  repeat  words 
seventeen  times,  as  he  himself  had  proved;  and  what  is  very 
strange  in  this  echo,  the  person  who  speaks  is  scarcely  heard 
at  all,  but  the  repetition  most  clearly,  and  always  in  surprising 
varieties,  the  echo  seeming  sometimes  to  approach  nearer, 
and  sometimes  to  retire  to  a  greater  distance.  Vitruvius  tells 
us,  that  in  several  parts  of  Greece  and  Italy  there  were  brazen 
vessels  artfully  ranged  under  the  seats  of  the  theatres,  to 
render  the  sound  of  the  actors'  voices  more  clear,  and  make 
a  kind  of  echo;  by  which  means,  of  the  prodigious  number 
of  persons  present,  every  one  might  hear  with  ease  and  plea- 
sure. 

Knout. — This  is  a  punishment  inflicted  in  Russia,  with  a 
kind  of  whip  called  knout,  and  made  of  a  long  strap  of  leather 
prepared  for  this  purpose.  With  this  whip  the  executioners 
dexterously  carry  a  slip  of  skin  from  the  neck  to  the  bottom 
of  the  back,  laid  bare  to  the  waist;  and  repeating  their  blows, 
in  a  little  while  rend  away  all  the  skin  oft"  the  back  in  parallel 
stri])s.  In  the  common  knout,  the  criminal  receives  the  lashes 
suspended  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  executioners;  but  in  the 
great  knout,  which  is  generally  used  on  the  same  occasions 
as  racking  on  the  wheel  was  in  France,  the  criminal  is  raised 
into  the  air  by  means  of  a  pulley  fixed  to  the  gallows,  and 
a  cord  fastened  to  the  two  wrists,  which  are  tied  together; 
a  piece  of  wood  is  placed  between  his  two  legs,  which  are  also 
tied  together;  and  another  of  a  crucial  form  under  his  breast. 
Sometimes  his  hands  are  tied  behind  over  his  back,  and  when 
he  is  pulled  up  in  this  position,  his  shoulders  are  dislocated. 
The  executioners  can  make  this  punishment  more  or  less 
cruel;  and  it  is  said,  they  are  so  dexterous,  that  when  a 
criminal  is  condemned  to  die,  they  can  make  him  expire 
either  by  one  or  several  lashes. 

Natup>al  Productions  resembling  Artificial  Com- 
positions.— Some  stones  are  preserved  by  the  curious,  for 
representing  distinctly  figures  traced  by  Nature  alone,  and 
without  the  aid  of  Art. 

Pliny  mentions  an  agate,  in  which  appeared,  formed  by  the 
hand  of  Nature,  Apollo  amidst  the  Nine  Muses,  holding  a 
harp.  Majolus  assures  us,  that  at  Venice  another  is  seen,  in 
which  is  naturally  formed  the  perfect  figure  of  a  man.  At 
Pisa,  in  the  church  of  St.  John,  there  is  a  similar  natural  pro- 
duction, which  represents  an  old  hermit  in  a  desert,  seated 
by  the  side  of  a  stream,  and  who  holds  in  his  hands  a  small 
bell,  as  St.  Anthony  is  commonly  painted.     In  the  temple  of 


FIGURES  FORMED  BY   NATURE. —  LAMPS.  oUj 

St.  Sopliia,  at  Constantinople,  iner*,  was  formerly,  on  a  white 
marble,  the  image  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  covered  with  the 
skin  of  a  camel,  with  this  only  imperfection,  that  nature  had 
given  but  one  leg. — At  Ravenna,  in  the  church  of  St.  Vital, 
a  Cordelier  is  seen  on  a  dusky  stone.  In  Italy,  a  marble  was 
found,  in  which  a  crucifix  was  so  elaborately  finished,  that 
there  appeared  the  nails,  the  drops  of  blood,  and  the  wounds, 
as  perfectly  as  the  most  excellent  painter  could  have  per- 
formed.— At  Sneilberg,  in  Germany,  they  found  in  a  mine 
a  certain  rough  metal,  on  which  was  seen  the  figure  of  a  man, 
who  carried  a  child  on  his  back. — In  Provence,  was  found,  in 
a  mine,  a  quantity  of  natural  figures  of  birds,  trees,  rats,  and 
serpents;  and  in  some  places  of  the  western  parts  of  Tartarv, 
are  seen  on  divers  rocks,  the  figures  of  camels,  horses,  and 
sheep.  Pancirollus,  in  his  Lost  Antiquities,  attests,  that  in  a 
church  at  Rome,  a  marble  perfectly  represented  a  priest 
celebrating;  mass,  and  raisins:  the  host.  Paul  III.  conceivino- 
that  art  had  been  used,  scraped  the  marble  to  discover  whe- 
ther any  painting  had  been  employed;  but  nothing  of  the 
kind  was  discovered. 

There  is  a  species  of  the  orchis  found  in  the  mountainous 
parts  of  Lincolnshire,  Kent,  &c  Nature  has  formed  a  bee, 
apparently  feeding  in  the  breast  of  the  flower,  with  so  much 
exactness,  that  it  is  impossible  at  a  very  small  distance  to 
distinguish  the  imposition.  Hence  the  plant  derives  its 
name,  and  is  called  the  Bee  Floiver.  This  is  elegantly  ex- 
pressed by  Langhorne,  who  thus  notices  its  appearance: 

See  on  that  flow'ret's  velvet  breast. 

How  close  the  busy  vagrant  lies! 
His  thin-wioiig;ht  plume,  his  downy  breast, 

Th'  ambrosial  gold  that  swells  his  thighs. 

Perhaps  his  fragrant  load  may  bind 

His  limbs;  we'll  set  the  captive  free: — 
I  sought  the  living  Bee  to  find, 

And  found  the  picture  of  a  Bee. 

Remarkable  Lamps. — Cedrenus  makes  mention  of  a 
lamp,  which,  together  with  an  image  of  Christ,  was  found  at 
Edessa,  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Justinian.  It  was  set 
over  a  certain  gate  tliere,  and  privily  enclosed,  as  appeared  by 
the  date  of  it,  soon  after  Christ  was  crucified:  it  was  found 
burning,  as  it  had  done  for  five  hundred  years  before,  by  the 
soldiers  of  Cosroes,  king  of  Persia,  by  whom  also  the  oil  was 
taken  out,  and  cast  into  the  fire  ;  which  occasioned  such 
a  plague,  as  brought  death  upon  almost  all  his  forces. — At 
the  demolition  of  our  monasteries  here  in  England,  there  was 
found,  in  the  supposed  monument  of  Constantius  Chlorus, 
(father  to  the  Great  Constantine,)  a  lamp,  which  was  thought 
to  have  continued  burning  there  ever  since  his  burial,  which 


S06  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

was  about  three  luindred  years  after  Christ.  The  ancient 
Eomans  used  in  that  manner  to  preserve  lights  in  their  sepul- 
chres a  long  time,  by  the  oil  of  gold,  resolved  by  art  into  a 
liquid  substance. 

Perpetual  Fire. — In  the  peninsula  of  Abeheron,  in  the 
province  of  Schirwan,  formerly  belonging  to  Persia,  but  now 
in  Russia,  there  is  found  a  perpetual,  or  as  it  is  there  called, 
an  eternal  fire.  It  rises,  and  has  risen  from  time  immemorial, 
from  an  irregular  orifice  in  the  earth,  of  about  twelve  feet  in 
depth,  with  a  constant  flame.  The  flame  rises  to  the  height 
of  six  or  eight  feet,  unattended  with  smoke,  and  it  yields  no 
smell.  The  aperture,  which  is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  in  width,  consists  of  a  mass  of  rock,  ever  retaining  the 
same  solidity  and  the  same  depth.  The  finest  turf  grows  about 
the  borders,  and  at  the  distance  of  two  toises,  are  two  springs 
of  water.  The  nei^hbourino-  inhabitants  have  a  sort  of  vene- 
ration  for  this  fire,  which  they  accompany  with  religious  cere- 
monies. 

Magical  Drum. — This  is  an  instrument  of  superstition, 
used  in  Lapland,  which  is  thus  described  by  Schceii'er,  in  his 
History  of  that  country  :  It  is  made  of  beech,  pine,  or  fir, 
split  in  the  middle,  and  hollowed  on  the  flat  side  where  the 
drum  is  to  be  made.  The  hollow  is  of  an  oval  figure,  and  is 
covered  vvitii  a  skin  clean  dressed,  and  painted  with  figures 
of  various  kinds,  such  as  stars,  suns  and  moons,  animals  and 
plants,  and  even  countries,  lakes,  and  rivers;  and  of  later 
days,  since  the  preaching  of  Christianity  among  them,  the 
acts  and  sufferings  of  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles  are  often 
added  among  the  rest.  All  these  figures  are  separated  by 
lines  into  three  regions  or  clusters.  There  is.  besides  these 
parts  of  the  drum,  an  index  and  a  hammer.  The  index  is  a 
bundle  of  grass  or  iron  rings,  the  largest  of  which  has  a  hole 
in  its  middle,  and  the  smaller  ones  are  hung  to  it.  The  ham- 
mer, or  drumstick,  is  made  of  the  horn  of  a  reindeer;  and 
with  this  they  beat  the  drum  so  as  to  make  these  rings  move, 
they  being  laid  on  the  top  for  that  purpose.  In  the  motion  of 
these  rings  about  the  pictures  figured  on  the  drum,  they 
fancy  to  themselves  some  prediction  in  regard  to  the  things 
they  inquire  about.  What  they  principally  search  into  by 
this  instrument,  are  three  things:  1.  What  sacrifices  will 
prove  most  acceptable  to  their  gods  :  2.  What  success  they 
shall  have  in  their  occupations,  as  hunting,  fishing,  curing 
diseases,  and  the  like  :  and  3.  What  is  done  in  places  remote 
from  tliem.  On  these  occasions  they  use  several  peculiar 
ceremonies,  and  j)lace  themselves  in  various  odd  postures  as 
thev  beat  the  drum,  which  influences  the  riniis  to  the  one  or 


CANNON. — OLD   BREAD. — SPECTACLES.  807 

the  other  side,  and  to  come  nearer  to  the  one  or  the  other  set 
of  figures.  And  when  they  have  done  this,  they  have  a  me- 
thod of  calculating  a  discovery,  which  they  keep  as  a  great 
secret,  but  which  seems  merely  the  business  of  the  imagination 
in  the  diviner  or  magician. 

An  Extraordinary  Cannon. — At  Kubberpore-na-Jeal, 
in  India,  there  is  a  cannon  two  hundred  and  thirteen  inches 
long,  sixty-six  inches  round  the  muzzle,  and  eighteen  inches 
round  the  calibre.  It  has  five,  and  had  originally  six,  equi- 
distant rings,  by  which  it  was  lifted  up.  This  gun  is  called 
by  the  natives,  Jaun  Kushall,  or  the  destroyer  of  life,  and  its 
casting  and  position  are  attributed  to  the  doctas  or  divinities, 
though  its  almost  obliterated  Persian  inscriptions  declare  its 
formation  by  human  means.  But  what  is  most  extraordinary 
about  it  is,  that  two  peepul  trees  have  grown  both  cannon 
and  carriage  into  themselves.  Fragments  of  the  iron,  a  spring, 
one  of  the  linches,  and  part  of  the  wood-work,  protrude  from 
between  the  roots  and  bodies  of  these  trees;  but  the  trees 
alone  entirely  support  the  gun,  one  of  the  rings  of  which, 
and  half  of  its  whole  length,  are  completely  hidden  between, 
and  inside  their  bark  and  trunks.  A  more  curious  sioht,  or  a 
cannon  more  firmly  fixed,  though  by  the  mere  gradual  growth 
of  two  trees,  cannot  well  be  imagined.  The  Indians  assert 
that  it  was  only  once  fired,  and  then  sent  the  ball  twenty-four 
miles! — Asiatic  Journal. 

Old  Breau. — Bartholinus  assures  us,  that  in  Norway 
the  inhabitants  make  bread  which  keeps  thirty  or  forty 
years  ;  and  that  they  are  there  fonder  of  their  old  hard  bread, 
than  others  are  of  new  or  soft ;  since  the  older  it  is,  the  more 
agreeable  it  grows.  For  their  great  feasts,  particular  care  is 
taken  to  have  the  oldest  bread  ;  so  that  at  the  christening  of 
a  child,  they  have  usually  bread  which  had  been  baked  per- 
haps at  the  christening  of  his  grandfather!  It  is  made  by 
a  mixture  of  barley  and  oatmeal,  baked  between  two  hollow 
stones. 

The  following  is  said  to  be  A  Substitute  for  Specta- 
cles.— A  man,  especially  if  accustomed  to  spend  his  time 
among  books,  would  be  much  to  be  pitied,  when  his  sight 
begins  to  fail,  could  he  not  in  a  great  measure  restore  it  by 
the  aid  of  spectacles  ;  but  there  are  some  men  whose  sight 
cannot  be  aided  by  the  use  either  of  convex  or  concave  glasses. 
The  following  method,  adopted  by  one  of  these  to  aid  his 
sight,  is  certainly  worthy  of  notice.  When  about  sixty  years 
of  age,  this  man  had  almost  entirely  lost  his  sight,  seeing 
nothing  but  a  kind  of  thick   mist,  with  little  black    specks 


808  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

which  appeared  to  float  in  the  air.  He  knew  not  any  of  his 
friends;  he  could  not  even  distinguish  a  man  from  a  woman;  nor 
could  he  walk  in  the  streets  without  being  led.  Glasses  were 
of  no  use  to  him  ;  the  best  print,  seen  through  the  bell  spec- 
tacles, seemed  to  him  like  a  daubed  paper.  Wearied  with 
this  melancholy  state,  he  thought  of  the  following  expedient. 
He  procured  some  spectacles  with  very  large  ring*  ;  and  tak- 
ing out  the  glasses,  substituted  in  each  circle  a  conic  tube  of 
black  Spanish  copper.  Looking  through  the  large  end  of  the 
cone,  he  could  read  the  smallest  print  placed  at  its  other 
extremity.  These  tubes  were  of  different  lengths,  and  the 
openings  at  the  end  were  also  of  different  sizes;  the  smaller 
the  aperture,  the  better  could  he  distinguish  the  smallest  let- 
ters ;  the  larger  the  aperture,  the  more  words  or  lines  it  com- 
manded ;  and  consequently,  the  less  occasion  was  there  for 
moving  the  head  and  the  hand  in  reading;.  Sometimes  he 
used  one  eye,  sometimes  the  other,  alternately  relieving  each; 
for  the  rays  of  the  two  eyes  could  not  unite  upon  the  same 
object  when  thus  separated  by  two  opaque  tubes.  The  thin- 
ner these  tubes,  the  less  troublesome  are  they.  They  must  be 
totally  blackened  within,  so  as  to  prevent  all  shining,  and 
they  should  be  made  to  lengthen  or  contract,  and  enlarge  or 
reduce  the  aperture,  at  pleasure.  When  he  placed  convex 
glasses  in  these  tubes,  the  letters  indeed  appeared  larger,  but 
not  so  clear  and  distinct  as  through  the  empty  tube;  he  also 
found  the  tubes  more  convenient  when  not  ti.xed  in  the  spec- 
tacle rings  ;  for  when  they  hung  loosely,  they  could  be  raised 
or  lowered  with  the  hand,  and  one  or  both  might  be  used,  as 
occasion  required.  It  is  almost  needless  to  add,  that  the 
material  of  the  tubes  is  of  no  importance,  and  that  they  may 
be  made  of  iron  or  tin  as  well  as  of  copper,  provided  the  in- 
sides  of  them  be  sufficiently  blackened. — See  La  Nouve/i, 
Bisrarure  for  February,  1754,  or  Monthlu  Magazine  for  April, 
1799. 

Winter  Sleep  of  Animals  and  Plants. — The  winter 
sleep  is  a  very  singular  property  of  animals  and  plants ;  and, 
though  it  occurs  daily  before  our  eyes,  we  are  not  able  to 
explain  the  phenomena  with  which  it  is  attended.  In  cold 
countries,  many  animals,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  retire  to 
their  subterraneous  abodes,  in  which  they  bury  themselves 
under  the  snow,  where  they  remain  five  or  six  months  without 
nourishment  or  motion  ;  nay,  almost  without  circulation  of 
their  blood,  which  flows  only  sluggishly,  and  in  the  widest 
vessels.  Their  perspiration  is  almost  imperceptiide  ;  but  still 
they  lose  something  by  it,  as  they  enter  their  winter  quarters 
in  very  good  condition,  and  are  exceedingly  thin  when  they 
•^cturn  from  them. 


WINTER   SLEEP   OF    ANIMALS    AND    PLANTS.  809 

Some  animals  <enjoy  their  winter  sleep  under  tlie  earth,  and 
others  are  concealed  beneath  the  snow  ;  some  for  the  same 
purpose  creep  into  the  holes  of  rocks,  and  others  under  stones, 
or  the  bark  of  trees. 

Plants  have  their  winter  sleep  also  ;  for,  during  the  period 
of  winter,  their  sap  flows  towards  the  roots,  and  the  circula- 
tion of  it,  which  is  very  slow,  takes  place  onfy  in  the  widest 
vessels.  Were  the  expansion  of  the  sap  in  winter  as  conside- 
rable as  in  summer,  it  would  burst  all  the  vessels,  on  being 
frozen. 

Some  observers  have  endeavoured  to  prove  that  this  singu- 
larcircumstance  is  merely  accidental,  and,  indeed,  no  difference 
is  found  in  the  internal  organization  of  those  animals  which 
have  winter  sleep,  and  those  which  have  not.  It  is  very 
remarkable,  that  this  property  belongs  in  general  to  animals 
of  prey.  As  these  have  far  stronger  powers  of  digestion,  and 
stronger  digestive  juices,  it  would  appear  that  abstinence 
from  food  for  several  months  would  to  them  be  hardly  pos- 
sible. 

The  common  bear,  the  bat,  and  the  hedgehog,  have  winter 
sleep,  but  the  white  bear  has  not.  As  the  latter  is  secured 
from  the  cold  by  his  long  hair,  he  finds  nourishment  in 
the  dead  whales  and  seals  which  are  cast  on  shore  by  the 
waves. 

The  earthworms  have  winter  sleep ;  but  aquatic  w  orms 
very  seldom.  Insects,  as  well  as  their  larvae,  have  winter 
sleep.  Butterflies  may  be  often  seen  fluttering  about  in  the 
warm  days  of  spring,  after  having  spent  the  whole  winter  in 
that  condition.  Amphibious  animals  have  winter  sleep,  those 
which  live  merely  in  the  ocean  excepted.  Few  birds,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  exposed  to  this  state.  The  greater  part  of 
these,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  retire  to  a  milder  climate, 
where  they  can  find  more  abundant  nourishment.  In  Iceland, 
the  sheep  have  winter  sleep.  In  that  country  they  are  suf- 
fered to  range  in  perfect  freedom.  In  the  winter  season, 
therefore,  they  may  be  found  buried  under  the  snow,  where 
it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  remain,  were  they  not  in 
that  condition. 


5K 


810 


MlSCELLANEOl  S    ::UR10SITIES 


CHAP.  LXXXVII. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CURIOSITIES. — (Concluded.) 

Lama — IVan — Mahometan  Paradise — Opinions  respecting  Hell 
—  /  ondon — Coins  of  the  Kings  of  England — Singular  Calcu- 

:  'laftons  respecting  the  National  Debt — Moral  and  Phj/sical 
'Thermometer. — Conclusion. 

Lama. — This  is  the  sovereign  pontiff,  or  rather  god,  of  the 
Asiatic  Tartars,  inhabiting  the  country  of  Barantola.  The  lama 
is  not  only  adored  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  but  also 
by  the  kings  of  Tartary,  who  send  him  rich  presents,  and  go 
in  pilgrimage  to  pay  him  adoration,  calling  him  lama  congiu, 
i.  e.  "  god,  the  everlasting  father  of  heaven."  He  is  never  to 
be  seen  but  in  a  secret  place  of  his  palace,  amidst  a  great 
number  of  lamps,  sitting  crosslegged  upon  a  cushion,  and 
adorned  all  over  with  gold  and  precious  stones  ;  where  at  a 
distance  they  prostrate  themselves  before  him,  it  not  being- 
lawful  for  any  to  kiss  his  feet.  He  is  called  the  great  lama, 
or  lama  of  lamas  ;  that  is,  "  priest  of  priests."  The  orthodox 
opinion  is,  that  when  the  grand  lama  seems  to  die  either  of 
old  age  or  infirmity,  his  soul  in  fact  only  quits  a  crazy  habi- 
tation to  look  for  another  younger  or  better;  and  it  is  disco- 
vered again  in  the  body  of  some  child,  by  certain  tokens 
known  only  to  the  lamas,  or  priests,  in  which  order  he  always 
appears.  A  ])articular  account  of  the  pompous  ceremonies 
attending  the  inauguration  of  the  infant  lama  in  Thibet,  is 
given  in  the  first  volume  of  the  Asiatic  Researches.  The 
emperor  of  China  appears,  on  such  occasions,  to  act  a  very 
conspicuous  part,  in  giving  testimony  of  his  respect  and  zeal 
for  the  great  religious  father  of  his  faith. 

The  twenty-eighth  day  of  the  seventh  moon,  corresponding 
nearly  (as  their  year  commences  with  the  vernal  equinox)  with 
the  middle  of  October,  is  reckoned  the  most  auspicious  for 
the  ceremony  of  inauguration.  The  procession,  on  these 
occasions,  from  Terpaling  to  the  Teeshoo  Loombo,  is  con- 
ducted with  such  slow  and  majestic  solemnity,  that  though 
the  distance  is  only  twenty  miles,  it  takes  up  three  days. 
The  crowd  of  spectators  is  immense.  The  three  next  days  are 
spent  in  the  inauguration,  in  delivering  the  presents  sent  by 
the  emperor  to  the  lama,  and  in  the  public  festivals  on  the 
occasion  ;  during  which,  all  who  are  at  the  capital  are  enter- 
tained at  the  public  expense,  and  alms  are  distributed  liberally 
to  the  poor.  Universal  rejoicings  prevail  throughout  Thibet; 
banners  are  unfurled  on  all  their  fortretcs,     the  peasantry  fill 


NUNS. MAHOMETAN    PARADISE.  81' 

up  the  day  with  music  and  festivity,  ;nid  the  niglU  is  cheered 
by  general  illuniinalions.  A  lon^-  period  is  afterwards  em- 
ployed in  making  presents  and  public  entertainments  to  the 
newly-inducted  lama,  who,  at  the  time  of  his  accession  to 
the  i/iusnud,  or  pontificate  of  Teeshoo  Loombo,  is  often  not 
three  years  of  age.  The  whole  ceremony,  from  its  commence- 
ment to  its  consunmiation,  lasts  forty  days. 

Some  particulars  respecting  Nuns. — A  nun  is  a  woman 
dedicated  to  the  severer  duties  of  religion,  secluded  in  a  clois- 
ter from  the  world,  and  debarred  by  a  vow  from  the  converse 
of  men.  When  a  woman  is  to  be  made  a  nun,  the  habit,  veil, 
and  ring  of  the  candidate,  are  carried  to  the  altar;  and  she 
herself,  accompanied  by  her  nearest  relations,  is  conducted  to 
the  bishop,  who,  after  ma.ss  and  an  anthem  (the  subject  of 
which  is,  "  that  she  ought  to  have  her  lamp  lighted,  because 
the  bridegroom  is  coming  to  meet  her,")  pronounces  the  bene- 
diction :  then  she  rises  up,  and  the  bishop  consecrates  the 
new  habit,  sprinkling  it  with  holy  water.  When  the  candi- 
date lias  put  on  her  religious  habit,  she  presents  herself  before 
the  bishop,  and  sings  on  her  knees,  Anci/la  Christi  sum,  8)X.: 
then  she  receives  the  veil,  and  afterwards  the  ring,  by  which 
she  is  married  to  Christ;  and  lastly,  the  crown  of  virginity. 
When  she  is  crowned,  an  anathema  is  denounced  against  all 
who  siiall  attempt  to  make  her  break  her  vows.  In  some  few 
instances,  perhaps,  nunneries  and  monasteries  may  have  been 
useful  to  morality  and  religion,  as  well  as  to  literature,  but, 
in  the  gross,  they  have  been  highly  prejudicial;  and  however 
pious  they  may  appear  in  theory,  in  fact  they  are  unnatural 
and  impious. 

Mahometan  Paradise. — The  paradise  of  the  Maho- 
metans is  said  by  them  to  be  situated  above  the  seven  heavens, 
or  in  the  seventh,  and  next  under  the  throne  of  God  ;  and,  to 
express  the  amenity  of  the  place,  they  tell  us  that  the  earth 
of  it  is  of  the  finest  wheat  flour,  or  of  the  purest  musk,  or  of 
saffron  ;  and  that  its  stones  are  pearls  and  jacinths,  the  walls 
of  its  buildings  enriched  with  gold  and  silver,  and  the  trunks 
of  all  its  trees  of  gold,  amongst  which  the  most  remarkable  is 
the  tree  hiba,  or  tree  of  happiness.  They  pretend  that  this 
tree  stands  in  the  palace  of  Mahomet,  though  a  branch  of 
it  will  reach  to  the  house  of  every  true  believer,  loaded  with 
pomegranates,  grapes,  dates,  and  other  fruits,  of  surprising 
size,  and  delicious  tastes,  unknown  to  mortals. 

If  a  man  desires  to  eat  of  any  particular  kind  of  fruit,  it 
will  immediately  bo  presented  to  him;  or  if  he  chooses  flesh, 
birds  ready  dressed  will  be  set  bet^ore  him,  and  such  as  he 
may  wish  for.     They  adc   that  this  tree  will  supply  the  blessed. 


812  MISCELLANEOUS   CL' III  OSITI  ES. 

not  only  with  fruit,  but  with  silk  garments  also,  and  beasta 
to  ride  on,  adorned  with  rich  trappings,  all  which  will  burst 
forth  from  the  fruit;  and  that  the  tree  is  so  large,  that  a  per- 
son mounted  on  the  fleetest  horse  would  not  be  able  to  gallop 
from  one  end  of  its  shade  to  the  other  in  one  hundred  years. 
Plenty  of  water  being  one  of  the  greatest  additions  to  the 
pleasantness  of  any  place,  the  Koran  often  speaks  of  the 
rivers  of  paradise  as  the  principal  ornament.  Some  of  these 
rivers  are  said  to  flow  with  water,  some  with  milk,  some  with 
wine,  and  others  with  honey  :  all  of  them  have  their  sources 
in  the  root  of  this  tree  of  happiness;  and,  as  if  these  rivers 
were  not  sufficient,  we  are  told  that  the  garden  of  this  paradise 
is  also  watered  by  a  great  number  of  lesser  springs  and  foun- 
tains, whose  pebbles  are  rubies  and  emeralds,  their  earth  of 
camphor,  their  beds  of  musk,  and  their  sides  of  saffron. 

But  all  these  glories  will  be  eclipsed  by  the  resplendent 
and  exquisite  beauty  of  the  girls  of  paradise,  the  enjoyment 
of  whose  company  will  constitute  the  principal  felicity  of  the 
faithful.  These  (they  say)  are  not  formed  of  clay,  as  mortal 
women,  but  of  pure  musk,  and  are,  as  their  prophet  often 
affirms  in  his  Koran,  free  from  all  the  natural  defects  and  in- 
conveniences incident  to  the  sex.  Being  also  of  the  strictest 
modesty,  they  keep  themselves  secluded  from  public  view,  in 
pavilions  of  hollow  pearls,  so  large,  that,  as  some  traditions 
have  it;  one  of  them  will  be  no  less  than  sixteen,  or,  as  others 
say,  sixty  miles  long,  and  as  many  broad.  With  these  the 
inhabitants  of  paradise  may  taste  pleasures  in  their  height ; 
and  for  this  purpose  will  be  endowed  with  extraordinary  abili- 
ties, and  enjoy  a  perpetual  youth. 

Opinions  respecting  Hell. — The  hell  of  the  ancient 
heathens  was  divided  into  two  mansions:  the  one  called  Ely- 
sium, on  the  right  hand,  pleasant  and  delightful,  appointed 
for  the  souls  of  good  men  ;  the  other  called  Tartarus,  on  the 
left,  a  region  of  misery  and  torment,  appointed  for  the  wicked. 
The  latter  only  was  hell,  in  the  present  restrained  sense  of  the 
word.  The  philosophers  were  of  opinion,  that  the  infernal 
regions  were  at  an  equal  distance  from  all  the  parts  of  the 
earth;  nevertheless,  it  was  the  opinion  of  some,  that  there 
were  certain  passages  which  led  thither,  as  the  river  Lethe 
near  the  Syrtes,  and  the  Acherusian  cave  in  Epirus.  At 
Ilermione,  it  was  thought,  that  there  was  a  very  short  way  to 
hell;  for  which  reason  the  people  of  that  country  never  put 
the  fare  into  the  mouths  of  the  dead  to  pay  their  passage. 
The  Jews  placed  hell  in  the  centre  of  the  earth,  and  believed 
it  to  be  situated  under  waters  and  mountains.  According  to 
them,  there  are  tiiiee  passages  leading  to  it:  the  first  is  in 
the   wilderness,    and   by   that   Korah,    Dathan,   and   Abiram 


OPINIONS   RESPECTING   HELL. —  LONDON.  813 

descended  into  liell;  the  second  is  in  the  sea,  because  Jonah, 
who  was  thrown  into  the  sea,  ciied  to  God  out  of  the  belly  of 
hell;  the  third  is  in  Jerusalem,  because  it  is  said  "  the  fire  of 
the  Lord  is  in  Zion,  and  his  furnace  is  in  Jerusalem."  They 
likewise  acknowledged  seven  degrees  of  pain  in  hell,  because 
they  find  this  place  called  by  seven  different  names  in  Scrip- 
ture. In  the  Koran  of  Mahomet,  it  is  said  that  hell  has  seven 
gates;  the  first  for  the  Mussulmans,  the  second  for  the  Christ- 
ians, the  third  for  the  Jews,  the  fourth  for  the  Sabeans,  the 
fifth  for  the  Magians,  the  sixth  for  the  Pagans,  and  the  seventh 
for  hypocrites  of  all  religions. 

Among  Christians,  there  are  two  controverted  questions  in 
regard  to  hell;  the  one  concerning  the  locality,  tlie  other  the 
duration  of  its  torments: — The  locality  of  hell,  and  the  reality 
of  its  fire,  began  first  to  be  controverted  by  Origen.  That 
father,  interpreting  the  scripture  account  metaphorically, 
makes  hell  to  consist,  not  in  external  punishments,  but  in  a 
consciousness  or  sense  of  guilt,  and  a  remembrance  of  past 
pleasures.  Among  the  moderns,  Mr.  Whiston  advanced  a 
new  hypothesis.  The  comets,  he  thinks,  are  so  many  hells, 
appointed  in  their  orbits  alternately  to  carry  the  dannied  into 
the  confines  of  the  sun,  there  to  be  scorched  by  its  violent 
heat,  and  then  to  return  with  them  beyond  the  orb  of  Saturn, 
there  to  starve  them  in  those  cold  and  dismal  regions.  An- 
other modern  author,  Mr  Swinden,  supposes  the  sun  to  be  the 
local  hell.  However  difficult  it  may  be  to  ascertain  the  local 
place  of  hell,  we  may  rest  assured  God  will  find  both  place 
and  means  to  punish  the  obstinately  wicked. 

London. — This  metropolis  is  unparalleled,  in  extent  and 
opulence,  in  the  whole  habitable  globe,  except,  perhaps, 
Pekin  in  China,  Jeddo  in  Japan,  and  Houssa  in  Africa; 
which  are  all  said  to  be  larger. 

It  comprehends,  besides  London,  Westminster,  and  South- 
wark,  no  less  than  forty-five  villages,  of  considerable  extent, 
independent  of  a  vast  accession  of  buildings  upon  the  open  fields 
in  the  vicinity.  Its  length  is  nearly  eight  miles,  its  breadth 
three,  and  its  circumference  twenty-six.  It  contains  above 
80'JC  streets,  lanes,  alleys,  and  courts,  and  more  than  65 
different  squares.  Its  houses,  warehouses,  and  other  buildings, 
make  162,000,  besides  246  churches  and  chapels,  207  meetino: 
houses  for  dissenters,  43  chapels  for  foreigners,  and  6  syna- 
gogues for  the  Jews,  which  in  all  make  504  places  of  public 
worship.  The  number  of  inhabitants,  during  the  sitting  of 
parliament,  is  estimated  at  1,250,000.  Amon"-  these  are  found 
about  50,000  common  prostitutes,  and  no  less  than  60,000 
thieves,  coiners,  and  other  bad  persons  of  all  descriptions. 
The  annual  depredations   on    the   public,   by  this   numeious 


S14  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

body  of  pilferers,  are  estimated  at  the  sum  of  £2,100,000 
sterling  In  this  vast  city,  there  are,  moreover,  upwards  of 
4000  seminaries  for  education,  8  institutions  for  promotino 
morality,  10  institutions  for  promoting  the  arts,  122  asylums 
for  the  indigent,  17  for  the  sick  and  lame,  13  dispensaries, 
704  charitable  institutions,  58  courts  of  justice,  and  7040 
professional  men  connected  with  the  various  departments  of 
the  law. — There  are  13,500  vessels  trading  in  the  river  Thames 
in  the  course  of  a  year;  and  40,000  waggons  going  and  return- 
ing to  the  metropolis  in  the  same  period,  including  their 
repeated  voyages  and  journeys. — The  amount  of  exports  and 
imports  to  and  from  the  Thames  is  estimated  at  £66,811,932 
sterling  annually,  and  the  property  floating  in  this  vast  city 
every  year,  is  £170,000,000.  These  circumstances  may  be 
sufficient  to  convince  us  of  the  amazing  extent  and  import- 
ance of  the  capital  of  the  British  empire. 

The  numbers  of  bullocks,  sheep,  lambs,  calves,  hogs,  and 
sucking  pigs,  purchased  at  the  Smithfield  markets,  and 
annually  consumed  in  the  metropolis,  are  in  the  following 
proportion:  bullocks  110,000;  sheep  and  lambs  776,000;  calves 
210,C00;  hogs  210,000;  sucking  pigs  60,000.  Markets  for  hay, 
Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday.  The  markets  for  the  sale 
of  provisions  are  numerous,  and  amply  supplied  with  every 
sort,  generally  of  the  most  excellent  kind:  the  bread  generally 
fine  and  sound.  Besides  animal  food  and  bread,  there  are  no 
less  than  6,980,000  gallons  of  milk  [and  water]  annually  con- 
sumed here:  of  vegetables  and  fruit,  there  are  10,000  acres  of 
ground  near  the  metropolis,  cultivated  wholly  for  vegetables  ; 
and  about  4000  acres  of  fruit.  Of  wheat,  coals,  ale,  and 
porter,  &c.  the  annual  consumption  is  as  follows :  of  wheat, 
700,000  quarters;  of  coals  600,000  chaldrons;  of  ale  and  por- 
ter 1,113,500  barrels;  of  spirits  and  compounds  11,146,782 
gallons;  of  wine  32,500  tons;  of  butter  16,600,000  pounds ; 
and  of  cheese  21,100,000  pounds.  Fish  and  poultry  are 
sometimes  excessively  dear,  and  the  quantities  consumed  are 
comparatively  small. 

Coins  of  the  Kings  of  England. — The  silver  Penny, 
which  was  first  circulated  during  the  Heptarchy,  continued  to 
be  the  general  coin  after  the  kingdom  had  been  united  under 
one  head,  and  extends,  in  a  continued  series,  from  Egbert 
almost  to  the  present  reign.  The  only  kings  wanting  are 
Edmund  Ironside,  Richard  I.,  and  John.  At  first  the  penny 
weighed  twenty-two  and  a  half  grains,  but  towards  the  close 
of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  it  fell  to  eighteen  grains;  in  that 
of  Edward  IV.  to  twelve.  In  the  time  of  Edward  VI.  it  was 
reduced  to  eight  grains;  and  in  queen  Elizabeth's  reign  to 
^H  giains,  at  which  it  still  continues. 


COINS   OF  THE   KINGS    OF    ENGLAND.  815 

Halfpence  and  farthings  were  first  struck  in  silver  by 
Edward  I.  in  1280:  the  former  continued  to  the  time  of  the 
Commonwealth,  but  the  latter  ceased  with  Edward  VI.  The 
groat  and  half  groat  were  introduced  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
III.,  in  1354,  and  continue  to  this  day,  though  not  in  common 
circulation. 

Shillings  were  first  coined  by  Henry  VII.  in  1503;  at 
first  they  were  called  testoon,  from  the  teste,  tete,  or  head  of 
the  king,  upon  them;  the  name  shilling  being  derived  from 
the  German  scheming,  under  which  name  coins  had  been 
struck  at  Hamburgh  in  1407.  The  crown  was  first  coined  in 
its  present  form  by  Henry  VIII.  The  half-crown,  six-pence, 
and  three-pence,  were  coined  by  Edward  VI.  In  1558,  queen 
Elizabeth  coined  three-halfpenny,  and  in  1561,  three-farthing 
pieces;  but  they  were  discontinued  in  1582.  Gold  was  coined 
in  England  by  Henry  III.  in  1257;  the  piece  was  called  a  gold 
penny,  and  was  larger  than  the  silver  one,  and  the  execution 
by  no  means  bad  for  the  time.  The  series  of  gold  coinage, 
however,  commences  properly  from  Edward  III.  In  1344, 
this  monarch  first  struck  florins,  in  imitation  of  those  in 
Italy;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  though  these  coins,  at  the 
time  they  were  first  issued,  bore  only  six  shillings  value,  they 
were  (even  before  the  late  increased  value  of  gold)  intrin- 
sically worth  nineteen  shillings;  so  much  has  the  value  of 
gold  increased  since  that  time.  The  half  and  quarter  florin 
were  struck  at  the  same  time,  but  only  the  last  has  been 
found.  The  florin  being  found  inconvenient,  gave  place  to 
the  noble,  of  six  shillings  and  eight-pence  value,  and  exactly 
half  a  mark.  The  latter  had  its  name  from  being  a  limited 
sum  in  accounts;  and  was  eight  ounces  in  weight,  two-thirds 
of  the  money  pound.  The  noble  had  its  name  from  the 
nobility  of  the  metal;  the  gold  of  which  it  is  coined  being  of 
the  finest  sort.  Sometimes  it  was  called  roae-noble,  from  both 
sides  being  impaled  in  an  undulating  circle.  It  continued, 
with  the  half  and  quarter  noble,  to  be  the  only  gold  coifi  till 
the  angels  of  Edward  IV.  appeared  in  1465.  These  had  their 
mme  liom  the  image  of  Michael  and  the  Dragon  which  they 
bore.  The  angelites,  of  three  shillings  and  four-pence  value, 
were  substituted  in  their  place.  In  1527^  Henry  Vlll.  added 
to  the  gold  coins  the  crown  and  half-crown  at  their  present 
value;  the  same  year  he  gave  sovereigns  of  twenty-two  shillings 
and  six-pence,  and  ryals  of  eleven  shillings  and  three-pence, 
angels  at  seven  shillings  and  six-pence,  and  nobles  at  their 
old  value  of  six  shillings  and  eight-pence.  In  1546  he  caused 
sovereigns  to  be  coined  of  the  value  of  twenty  shillings,  and 
half  sovereigns  in  proportion. 

On  the  union  of  the  two  crowns,  James  gave  the  sovereign 
llie  name  of  unite;    the  value  continuing  twenty  shillings,  as 


81G  MISCELLANEOUS  CURIOSITIES. 

before.  He  coined  also  rose  ryals  of  thirty  shillings,  spur 
ryals  of  fifteen  shillings,  angels  of  ten  shillings,  and  angelites 
of  five  shillings  value.  Under  the  Commonwealth,  the  sove- 
reign received  the  name  of  the  twenty  shilling  piece,  and 
continued  current  till  the  coinage  of  guineas.  These  were  so 
called,  from  their  being  coined  of  gold  brought  from  the  coast 
of  Guinea,  and  were  at  first  to  pass  but  for  twenty  shillings, 
though  by  a  universal  but  tacit  consent,  they  always  passed 
for  twenty-one  shillings.  Half-guineas,  double-guineas,  and 
five  guinea  pieces,  were  also  coined  during  the  same  reign  ; 
which  still  continue,  though  the  two  latter  are  not  in  common 
circulation.  Quarter-guineas  were  coined  by  George  I.  and 
likewise  by  his  late  Majesty;  but  they  were  found  so  trou- 
blesome on  account  of  their  small  size,  that  they  were  stopped 
at  the  Bank  of  England  ;  and  therefore  are  not  to  be  met 
with  in  circulation  at  present.  A  few  pieces  of  seven  shil- 
lings value  were  likewise  coined,  and  are  known  bv  the  lion 
above  the  helmet ;  but  none  were  issued.  In  1668,  the  guinea 
rose  to  twenty-one  shillings  and  sixpence,  and  continued  to 
increase  in  value  till  1696,  when  it  was  as  high  as  thirty  shil- 
lings ;  but  after  the  recoinage  in  1697  and  1698,  it  fell  by 
degrees,  and  in  1717  was  at  its  old  standard  of  twenty-one 
shillings.  During  the  reign  of  George  III.  vast  numbers  of 
seven  shilling  pieces  were  issued,  which  continued  some  years 
in  general  circulation.  Sovereigns  have  also  been  coined  since 
his  present  Majesty's  accession,  and  they  constitute  at  pre- 
sent the  prevailing  gold  currency  of  the  realm. 

Singular  Calculation  respecting  the  National 
Debt. — The  national  debt,  funded  and  unfunded,  on  the  5th 
of  January,  1811,  was  £811,898,811,  which  are  equal  to 
773,2:36,267  guineas,  which,  at  5  dwts.  8  grains  each  guinea, 
weigh  6312  tons,  11  cwt.  3  qrs.  5  lbs.  1  oz.  6drs.  nearly,  avoir- 
dupois. Now  supposing  a  waggon  and  five  horses  to  extend 
in  length  twenty  yards,  and  to  carry  two  and  a  half  tons  of  the 
said  guineas,  the  number  of  teams  necessary  to  carry  the 
whole  would  extend  in  length  twenty-eight  miles  twenty-three 
yards.  To  count  the  debt  in  shillings,  at  the  rate  of  thirty 
shillings  in  a  minute,  for  ten  hours  a  day,  and  six  days  in  a 
week,  would  take  2,469  years,  306  days,  17  hours,  and  30  mi- 
nutes, nearly.  Its  height  in  guineas,  supposing  twenty  guineas 
in  thickness  to  be  an  inch,  would  be  610  miles.  339  yards, 
9  inches;  and  supposing  each  guinea  an  inch  in  diameter, 
they  would  extend  in  a  right  iine,  12,203  miles,  150  yards, 
7  inches.  Moreover,  the  said  guineas  would  cover,  in  space, 
348  acres,  2  roods,  202  yards,  nearly.  And,  lastly,  in  shil- 
lings, each  being  an  inch  in  diameter,  would  cover  7319  acres, 
1  rood,  and  349  yards! 


MORAL  AND   PHYSICAL 
THERMOMSTER; 

OR,    A 
SCALE  OF  THE  PROGRESS 

OF 

TEMPERANCE  and  INTEMPERANCE. 


817 


Liquors,  with  their  Effects  an  their  usual  Order. 


ro- 


eo— 

50— 
40- 
30— 
20 — 
10— 

0- 
10— 

20— 
30— 


40- 


60- 


60- 


70- 


© 


Water 

Milk  and  Water 

Small  Beer 

Cider  and  Perry 

Wine 

Porter 

Strons  Beer  . . . 


TEMPERA  NCE. 

Health,  Wealth. 

Serenity  and  Composure  of  Mind. 
Reputation,  Long  Life,  and  Happiness. 
V  Cheerfulness  and  Contentment. 
Strength,  Vigour,  and  Nourishment,— 

when  taken  only  at  Meals,   and  h 

moderate  quantities. 


INTEMPER  A  NCE. 

Vices.  Diseases. 


Punch 


Toddy  &  Crank, 

^  Grog,  &  Bran- 
(  dy  and  Water, 

Flip  and  Shrub, 

r Bitters    infus- 
\  ed  in  Spirits, 
X  Usquebaugh, 
/  Hysteric 

VWater. 

rG'm,  Aniseed, 
7  Brandy,  Rum, 
\  and  Whiskey, 
v.in  the  Morning 

r  Ditto,  during 
<  the  J)ai/  and 
t  Night. 


Idleness ; 

Peevishness ; 
Quarrelling ; 
Fighting ; 

Lying ; 

;  Swearing; 
Obscenity ; 
Swindling; 
Perjury; 

Burglary ; 

Murder ; 


Sickness  ; 
Puking;  and 
Tremors  of  the 
Hands   in   the 
Morning ; 
Bloatedness ; 
InllamedEyes; 
Red  Nose  and 
Face; 

Sore  Scswelled 
Legs; 
Jaundice  ; 
Pains    in    the 
Limbs  and 
Burning  in  the 
Palms    of  the 
Hands  &  Soles 
of  the  Feet; 
Dropsy ; 
Epileps}' ; 
Melancholy ; 
Madness; 
Palsy  ; 
Apoplexy; 
Dratt). 


Punishments. 
Debt ; 

Black  Eyes ; 
Rags; 

Hunger; 

Hospital ; 
Poor-house ; 
Jail , 
Whipping ; 

The  Hulks ; 

Botany  Bay » 
<{BanotD9 


5L 


818  MISCELLANEOUS   CURIOSITIES. 

CONCLUSION. 

Thus  we  hav.^  conducted  our  reader  through  some  of  th 
principal  curiosities  of  Nature  and  Art,  Science  and  Literature. 
\Ve  trust  he  has  found  both  amusement  and  instruction.  Our 
object  has  been,  throughout  the  work,  to  assist  the  reader 
in  looking  through  Nature  up  to  Nature's  God.  All  second 
causes  derive  their  origin,  permanency,  and  efficacy  from  Him 
alone. 

Since,  then,  the  Lord  God  is  himself  the  source  and  per- 
fection of  all  beauty  and  excellency,  the  author  of  our  exist- 
ence, and  the  bountiful  giver  of  all  good  gifts;  we  undoubtedly 
ought  to  love  him  with  our  whole  hearts,  and  to  serve  him 
with  all  our  powers  ;  we  ought  to  reverence  his  majesty  and 
authority,  and  endeavour  above  all  things  to  obtain  his  favour; 
we  ought  to  devote  ourselves  entirely  to  his  service,  and  make 
all  our  actions  tend  to  the  advancement  of  his  glory.  And  as 
his  mercy  and  goodness  are  unbounded,  so  should  be  our  gra- 
titude and  praise. 

Jehovah  reigcns  :  let  ev'ry  nation  hear, 

And  at  his  footstool  bow  with  holy  fear; 

Let  heav'n's  hi^h  arches  echo  with  his  name. 

And  the  wide-peopled  earth  his  praise  proclaim; 
Then  send  it  down  to  hell's  deep  gloom  resounding, 
Thro'  ail  her  caves  in  dreadful  murmurs  sounding. 

He  rules  with  wide  and  absolute  command 

O'er  the  broad  ocean  and  the  stedfast  land  : 

Jehovah  reigns,  unbounded  and  alone. 

And  all  creation  hangs  beneath  his  throne  : 
He  reigns  alone;  let  no  inferior  nature 
Usurp  or  share  the  throne  of  the  Creator. 

He  saw  the  struggling  beams  of  infant  light 
Shoot  thro'  tiie  massy  gloom  of  ancient  night; 
His  spirit  hush'd  the  elemental  strife, 
And  brooded  o'er  the  kindling  seeds  of  life: 
Seasons  and  months  began  the  long  procession, 
And  measur'd  o'er  the  year  in  bright  succession. 

The  joyful  sun  sprung  up  th'  ethereal  way, 

Strong  as  a  giant,  as  a  bridegroom  gay; 

And  the  pale  moon  diffus'd  her  shadowy  light, 

Superior  o'er  the  dusky  brow  of  night; 
Ten  thousand  glittering  lamps  the  skies  adorning, 
Num'rous  as  dew-drops  from  the  womb  of  morning. 

Earth's  blooming  face  with  rising  flow'rs  he  dress'd. 
And  spread  a  verdant  mantle  o'er  her  breast; 
Then  from  the  hollow  of  his  hand  he  pours 
The  circling  waters  round  her  winding  shores, 

The  new-born  world  in  their  cool  arms  embracing. 

And  with  soft  murmurs  still  Iter  banks  caressing. 


CONCLUSION.  819 

At  lenp;tli  she  rose  complete  in  finisird  pride, 

All  fair  and  spotless  like  a  virgin  bride: 

Fresh  with  uiitarnish'd  lustre  as  she  stood, 

Her  Maker  bless'd  his  work,  and  call'd  it  good; 
The  morning  stars  with  joyful  acclamation. 
Exulting  suug,  and  hail'd  the  new  creation. 

Yet  this  fair  world,  the  creature  of  a  day, 

Tho'  built  by  God's  right  hand,  must  pass  away; 

And  long  oblivion  creep  o'er  mortal  things. 

The  fate  of  empires,  and  the  pride  of  kings: 
Eternal  night  shall  veil  their  proudest  story, 
And  drop  the  curtain  o'er  all  human  glory. 

The  sun  himself,  with  weary  clouds  opprest, 

Shall  in  his  silent  dark  pavilion  rest ; 

His  golden  urn  shall  broke  and  useless  lie, 

Amidst  the  common  ruins  of  the  sky ! 
The  stars  rush  headlong  in  the  wild  commotion. 
And  bathe  their  glittering  foreheads  in  the  ocean. 

But  fix'd,  0  God!  for  ever  stands  thy  throne, 

Jehovah  reigns,  a  universe  alone; 

Th'  eternal  fire  that  feeds  each  vital  flame. 

Collected  or  diffus'd,  is  still  the  same. 
He  dv(ells  within  his  own  unfathom'd  essence, 
And  fills  all  space  with  his  unbounded  presence. 

But  oh!  our  highest  notes  the  theme  debase. 

And  silence  is  our  least  injurious  praise: 

Cease,  cease  your  songs,  the  daring  flight  control. 

Revere  him  in  the  stillness  of  the  soul; 
"With  silent  duty  meekly  bend  before  him, 
And  deep  withinyour  inmost  hearts — adore  him. 

Mrt.  Barh«uld. 


APPENDIX 

TO  THE 

©©(OSS  ©3>  (D^3iaD2a?I»a223 

CONTAINING 

CURIOUS  EXFERZMENTS, 

AND 

A3ILSIXG    RECREATIOyS, 

WHICH    MAY    BE    PERFORMED   WITH    EASE,   AND    AT  A  SMALL 

EXPENSE. 

A  Person  having  an  even  dumber  of  Counters  in  one  Hand, 
and  an  odd  Number  in  the  other,  to  tell  in  which  Hand  each 
of  them  is. 

Desire  the  person  to  multiply  the  number  in  his  right 
hand  by  three,  and  the  number  in  his  left  by  two. 

Bid  him  add  the  two  products  together,  and  tell  you  whe- 
ther the  sum  be  odd  or  even. 

If  it  be  even,  the  even  number  is  in  the  right  hand  ;  but  if 
it  be  odd,  the  even  number  is  in  the  left  hand. 

Example  I. 

No.  in  right  hand.  No.  in  left  hand. 
18  7 

3  2 

54  54  14 

14 

68  sum  of  the  products. 

Example  II. 

No.  in  right  hand.  No.  in  left  hand. 
7  18 

3  2 

—  36 

21  21  36 

57  sura  of  the  products. 


A  F  P  I.  N  D  1  X  .  82 1 

A  Person  having  Jixed  on  a  Number  in  his  Mind,  to  tell  him  what 

I^ umber  it  is. 

Bid  him  quadruple  the  number  thought  on,  or  multiply  it 
by  4;  and  having  done  this,  desire  him  to  add  6,  8,  10,  or  any 
even  number  you  please,  to  the  product;  then  let  him  take 
the  half  of  this  sum,  and  tell  you  how  much  it  is ;  from  which, 
if  you  take  away  half  the  number  you  desired  him  at  first 
to  add  to  it,  there  will  remain  the  double  of  the  number 
thought  on.  Example. 

Suppose  the  number  thought  on  is  5 

The  quadruple  of  it  is    20 

8  added  to  the  product  is    28 

And  the  half  of  this  sum    14 

4  taken  from  this  leaves    10. — 

Therefore  5  was  the  number  thought  on. 


Another  Method  oj" discovering  a  Number  thought  on. 

After  the  person  has  fixed  on  a  number,  bid  him  double  it, 
and  add  4  to  that  sum;  then  let  him  multiply  the  whole  by  5, 
and  to  that  product  add  12;  desire  him  also  to  multiply  this 
sum  by  10,  and  after  having  deducted  302  from  the  product, 
to  tell  you  the  remainder,  from  which,  if  you  cut  oflf  the 
last  two  figures,  the  number  that  remains  will  be  the  one 
thought  on.  Example. 

Let  the  number  thoufiht  on  be      7 

Then  the  double  of  this  is      14 

And  4  added  to  it  makes    18 

This  multiplied  by  5  is 90 

And    12  added  to  it  is    102 

And  this  multiplied  by  10  is     1020 

From  which  deducting   302 

There  remains      718, —  ■ 

which,  by  striking  off  the  last  two  figures,  gives  7, — the  num- 
ber thoucrht  on. 


To  tell  the  Number  a  Person  has  Jixed  upon,  without  asking  him 
any  Questions. 

The  person  having  chosen  any  number  in  his  mind,  from  1 
to  15,  bid  him  add  one  to  it,  and  triple  the  amount.     Then, 

If  it  be  an  even  number,  let  him  take  the  half  of  it,  and 
triple  that  half;  but  if  it  be  an  odd  number,  he  must  add  1  to 
it,  and  then  halve  it,  and  triple  that  half. 

In  like  manner  let  him  take  the  half  of  this  number,  if  it 
oe  even,  or  the  half  of  the  next  greater,  if  it  be  odd;  and 
Jiiple  that  half. 


822  APPENDIX. 

Again,  bid  him  take  the  half  of  this  last  number,  if  even, 
or  of  the  next  greater,  if  odd ;  and  the  half  of  that  half  in  the 
same  way;  and  by  observing  at  what  steps  he  is  obliged  to 
add  1  i-n  the  halving,  the  following  table  will  shew  the  number 
thought  on: 

1—0—0  —4—8 

2-0-0  —13—  5 

3_0_0  —3-11 

1—2—0  —  2—10 

1-3-0  —8-0 

1—2—3  —  6—14 

2—3—0  —1—9 

0—0-0  —15—  7 

Thus,  if  he  be  obliged  to  add  1  only  at  the  first  step,  or 
halving,  either  4  or  8  was  the  number  thought  on;  if  there 
were  a  necessity  to  add  1  both  at  the  first  and  second  steps, 
either  2  or  10  was  the  number  thought  on.  Sec. 

And  which  of  the  two  numbers  is  the  true  one  may  always 
be  known  from  the  last  step  of  the  operation;  for  if  1  must 
be  added  before  the  last  half  can  be  taken,  the  number  is  in 
the  second  column,  or  otherwise  in  the  first,  as  will  appear 
from  the  following  examples: 

Suppose  the  number  chosen  to  be    9 

To  which,  if  we  add     1 

The  sum  is   10 

Then  the  triple  of  that  number  is      30 

1 .  The  half  of  which  is 15 

The  triple  of  15  is    45 

2.  And  the  half  of  that  is      23 

The  triple  of  23  is   69 

3.  The  half  of  that  is      35 

And  the  half  of  that  is    18 

From  which  it  appears,  that  it  was  necessary  to  add  1  both 
at  the  second  and  third  steps,  or  halvings;  and  therefore,  by 
the  table,  the  number  thought  on  is  either  1  or  9.  And  as  the 
last  number  was  obliged  to  be  augmented  by  1  before  the  half 
could  be  taken,  it  follows  also,  by  the  above  rule,  that  the  num- 
ber must  be  in  the  second  column;  and  consequently  it  is  9. 
Again,  suppose  the  number  thought  on  to  be  ... .      6 

To  which,  if  we  add    1 

The  sum  is 7 

Then  the  triple  of  that  number  is     21 

1.  The  half  of  which  is 11 

The  triple  of  1 1  is   33 

2.  And  the  half  of  that  is 17 

The  triple  of  17  is   51 

3.  The  half  of  that  is   26 

And  the  half  of  that  half  is   13 


APPKNDIX. 


323 


From  which  it  appears,  that  it  was  necessary  to  add  1  at 
all  the  steps,  or  halvings,  1,  2,  3,  therefore,  by  the  table,  the 
number  thought  on  is  either  6  or  14. 

And  as  the  last  number  required  no  augmentation  before 
its  half  could  be  taken,  it  follows  also,  by  the  above  rule,  that 
the  number  must  be  in  the  first  column;  and  consequently 
it  is  6. 


A  curious  Recreation,  usually  called — The  Blind  Abbess  and  her 

Nuns. 

A  blind  abbess  visiting  her  nuns,  who  were  twenty-four  in 
number,  and  equally  distributed  in  eight  cells,  built  at  the 
four  corners  of  a  square,  and  in  the  middle  of  each  side, 
finds  an  equal  number  in  every  row,  containing  three  cells. 
At  a  second  visit,  she  finds  the  same  number  of  persons  in  each 
row  as  before,  though  the  company  was  increased  by  the 
accession  of  four  men.  And  coming  a  third  time,  she  still 
finds  the  same  number  of  persons  in  each  row,  though  the 
four  men  were  then  gone,  and  had  each  of  them  carried  away 
a  nun. 

Fig.  1.  Fig.  2.  Fig.  3. 


2     5     2 
5  5 

2     5     2 


4 

1 

4 

1 

4 

1 

4 

Let  the  nuns  be  first  placed  as  in  fig.  1,  three  in  each  cell; 
then  when  the  four  men  have  got  into  the  cells,  there  must 
be  a  man  placed  in  each  corner,  and  two  nuns  removed  thence 
to  each  of  the  middle  cells,  as  in  fig.  2,  in  which  case  there 
will  evidently  be  still  nine  in  each  row  ;  and  when  the  four 
men  are  gone,  with  the  four  nuns  with  them,  each  corner  cell 
must  contain  four  nuns,  and  every  other  cell  one,  as  in  fig.  3 ; 
it  being  evident,  that  in  this  case  also,  there  will  still  be  nine 
in  a  row,  as  before. 


Atii/  Number  being  named,  to  add  a  Figure  to  it,  which  shall  make 
it  divisible  by  9. 

Add  the  figures  together  in  your  mind  which  compose  the 
number  named;  and  the  figure  which  must  be  added  to 
this  sum,  in  order  to  make  it  divisible  by  9,  is  the  one  re- 
quired. 

Suppose,   for  example,   the  number  named  was  8654;  you 
find  that  the  sum  of  its  figures  is  23;  and  that  4  being  added 
to  this  sum  will  make  it  27 ;  which  is  a  number  exactly  div' 
sible  by  9. 


S24  i»PPliNDIX. 

You  therefore  desire  the  person  wlio  named  the  number 
8654,  to  add  4  to  it;  and  the  result,  wliich  is  8658,  will  be 
divisible  by  9,  as  was  required. 

This  recreation  may  be  diversified,  by  your  specifying, 
before  the  sum  is  named,  the  particular  place  where  the 
figure  shall  be  inserted,  to  make  the  number  divisible  by  9; 
for  it  is  exactly  the  same  thing,  whether  the  figure  be  put 
at  the  end  of  the  number,  or  between  any  two  of  its  digits. 


A  Person  having  made  choice  of  several  Numbers,  to  tell  him 
what  dumber  ivi/l  exact /j/  divide  the  Sum  of  those  ichich  he 
has  chosen. 

Provide  a  small  bag,  divided  into  two  parts;  into  one  of 
which  put  several  tickets,  numbered  6,  9,  15,  36,  63,  120, 
213,  309,  or  any  others  you  please,  that  are  divisible  by  3, 
and  in  (he  other  part  put  as  many  different  tickets  marked 
with  the  number  3  only. 

Draw  a  handful  of  tickets  from  the  first  part,  and,  after 
shewing  them  to  the  company,  put  them  into  the  bag  again; 
and  having  opened  it  a  second  time,  desire  any  one  to  take 
out  as  many  tickets  as  he  thinks  proper.. 

When  he  has  done  this,  open  privately  the  other  part  of 
the  bag,  and  tell  him  to  take  out  of  it  one  ticket  only. 

You  may  then  pronounce,  that  this  ticket  shall  contain 
the  number  by  which  the  amount  of  the  other  numbers 
is  divisible;  for,  as  each  of  these  numbers  is  some  mul- 
tiple of  3,  their  sum  must  evidently  be  divisible  by  that 
number. 

This  recreation  may  also  be  diversified,  by  marking  the 
tickets  in  one  part  of  the  bag  with  any  numbers  which  are 
divisible  by  9,  and  those  in  the  other  part  of  the  bag  with  the 
number  9  only;  the  properties  of  both  9  and  3  being  the 
same;  or  if  the  numbers  in  one  part  of  the  bag  be  divisible  by 
9,  the  other  |)art  of  the  bag  may  contain  tickets  marked  both 
with  9  and  3,  as  every  number  divisible  by  9  is  also  divisible 
by  3. 

To  find  the  Difference  between  any  two  Numbers,  the  greater  of 
which  is  unknown. 

Take  as  many  9's  as  there  are  figures  in  the  less  number, 
and  subtract  the  one  from  the  other. 

Lot  another  person  add  that  difference  to  the  larger  num- 
ber; and  then,  if  he  take  away  the  first  figure  of  the  amount, 
and  add  it  to  the  remaining  figures,  the  sum  will  be  the  differ- 
ence of  the  two  numbers,  as  was  required. 

Suppose,  for  example,  that  Matthew,  who   is  22  years  of 


APPENDIX.  825 

age,  tells  Hemy,  who  is  older,  that  he  can  discover  thf» 
dirterence  of  their  ages. 

He  privately  deducts  22,  his  own  age,  from  99,  and  the 
difference,  which  is  77,  he  tells  Henry  to  add  to  his  age,  and 
to  take  away  the  first  figure  from  the  amount. 

Then  if  this  figure,  so  taken  away,  be  added  to  the  remain- 
ing ones,  the  sum  will  be  the  difference  of  their  ages  ;  as,  for 
instance  : 

The  difference  between  Matthew's  age  and  99,  is  . . . .  77 

To  which  Henry  adding  his  age 35 

The  sum  will  be 112 

And  1,  taken  from  112,  gives 12 

Which  being  increased  by 1 

Gives  the  difference  of  the  two  ages 13 

And,  this  added  to  Matthew's  age 22 

Gives  the  age  of  Henry,  which  is 35 


A  Person  striking  a  Figure  out  of'  the  Sum  oj'tn'o  given  Numbers, 
to  tell  him  what  that  Figure  was. 

Such  numbers  must  be  offered  as  are  divisible  by  9;  such, 
for  instance,  as  36,  63,  81,  117,  126,  162,  207,  216,  252,  261, 
306,315,360,  and  432. 

Then  let  a  person  choose  any  two  of  these  numbers,  and 
after  adding  them  tooether  in  his  mind,  strike  out  any  one  of 
the  figures  he  pleases,  from  tlie  sum. 

After  he  has  done  this,  desire  him  to  tell  you  the  sum  of 
the  remaining  figures  ;  and  that  number  which  you  are  obliged 
to  add  to  this  amount,  in  order  to  make  it  9,  or  18,  is  the 
one  he  struck  out. 

For  example,  suppose  he  chose  the  numbers  126  and  252, 
the  sum  of  which  is  378. 

Then,  if  he  strike  out  7  from  this  amount,  the  remaining 
figures,  3  and  8,  will  make  11  ;  to  which  7  must  be  added  to 
make  18. 

If  he  strike  out  the  3,  the  sum  of  the  remaining  figures,  7 
and  8,  will  be  15;  to  which  3  must  be  added,  to  make  18; 
and  so  in  like  manner,  for  the  8. 


By  hioiiung  the  last  Figure  of  the  Product  of  two  Numbers,  to 


tell  the  other  Figures. 


If  the  number  73  be  multiplied  by  each  of  the  nimibers  in 
the  following  arithmetical  progression,  3,  6,  9.  12,  15,  18,  21 
24,  27,  the   products  will    terminate  with  the   nine   digits,  in 

ao.  5  M 


826  APPENDIX. 

this  order,  9,  8,  7,  6,  5,  4,  3,  2,  1 ;  the  numbers  themselves 
being  as  follows,  219,  438,  637,  876,  1095,  1314,  1533,  1752, 
and  1971. 

Let  therefore  a  little  bag  be  provided,  consisting  of  two 
partitions,  into  one  of  which  put  several  tickets,  marked  with 
the  number  73;  and  into  the  other  part,  as  many  tickets  num- 
bered 3,  6,  9,  12.  15,  18,  21,  24,  and  27. 

Then  open  that  part  of  the  bag  which  contains  the  number 
73,  and  desire  a  person  to  take  out  one  ticket  anly;  after 
which,  dexterously  change  the  opening,  and  desire  another 
persoti  to  take  a  ticket  from  the  other  part. 

Let  them  now  multiply  their  two  numbers  together,  and  tell 
you  the  last  figure  of  the  product,  and  you  will  readily  deter-  jj 

mine,  from  the  foregoing  series,  what  the  remaining  figures  I 

must  be. 

Suppose,  for  example,  the  numbers  taken  out  of  the  bag 
were  73,  and  12;  then,  as  the  product  of  these  two  numbers, 
which  is  876,  has  6  for  its  last  figure,  you  will  readily  know 
that  it  is  the  fourth  in  the  series,  and  that  the  remaining 
figures  are  87. 


A  curious  Recreation  with  a  Hundred  Numbers,  usually  called 
the  Magical  Century. 

If  the  number  11  be  multiplied  by  any  one  of  the  nine  digits, 
the  two  figures  of  the  product  will  always  be  alike,  as  appears 
from  the  following  example  : — 

11      11      11      11      11      11      11     11      11 
123456789 


11     22    33    44    55    QQ    77     88    99 

Now,  if  another  person  and  yourself  have  fifty  counters 
apiece,  and  agree  never  to  stake  more  than  ten  at  a  time,  you 
may  tell  him,  that  if  he  will  permit  you  to  stake  first,  you  will 
always  undertake  to  make  the  even  century  before  him. 

In  order  to  this  you  must  first  stake  one,  and  remembering  the 
order  of  the  above  series,  constantly  add  to  what  he  stakes  as 
many  as  will  make  one  more  than  the  numbers  11,  22,  33,  &c. 
of  which  it  is  composed,  till  you  come  to  89;  after  which, 
the  other  party  cannot  possibly  make  the  even  century  him- 
self, or  prevent  you  from  making  it. 

If  the  person  who  is  your  opponent  have  no  knowledge  of 
numbers,  you  may  stake  any  other  number  first,  under  10, 
])rovided  you  afterwards  take  care  to  secure  one  of  the  last 
terms,  56,  67,  78,  &c.:  or  you  may  even  let  him  stake  first, 
provided  you  take  care  afterwards  to  secure  one  of  those 
number*. 


^^  Tug'   ' 


iiJfo. 


MPPEW  IJIX. 


827 


This  recreation  may  be  performed  with  other  numbers;  but, 
in  order  to  succeed,  you  must  divide  the  number  to  be  attained, 
by  a  number  which  is  an  unit  greater  than  what  you  can  stake 
each  time  ;  and  the  remainder  will  then  be  the  number  you 
first  stake.  Suppose,  for  example,  the  number  to  be  attained 
is  52,  and  that  you  are  never  to  add  more  than  six  ;  then 
dividing  52  by  7,  the  remainder,^  which  is  3,  will  be  the  num- 
ber you  must  stake  first;  and  whatever  the  other  stakes,  you 
must  add  as  much  to  it  as  will  make  it  equal  to  7,  the  num- 
ber by  which  you  divided  ;  and  so  on. 


A  Person  in  Company  bavins;  privately  put  a  Ring  on  one  oj 
his  Jingers,  to  ^ame  the  Person,  the  Hand,  the  Finger,  and 
even  the  Joint  on  which  it  is  placed. 

Desire  a  third  person  to  double  the  number  of  the  order  in 
which  the  wearer  of  the  ring  stands,  and  add  5  to  that  num- 
ber, then  multiply  that  sum  by  5,  and  to  the  product  add  10. 
Let  him  then  add  1  to  the  last  number,  if  the  ring  be  on  the 
right  hand,  and  2  if  on  the  left,  and  multiply  the  whole  by 
10  :  to  this  product  he  must  add  the  number  of  the  finger, 
beginning  with  the  thumb,  and  multiply  the  whole  again  by 
10.  Desire  him  then  to  add  the  number  of  the  joint;  and 
lastly,  to  increase  the  whole  by  35. 

This  being  done,  he  is  to  declare  the  amount  of  the  whole, 
from  which  you  are  to  subtract  3535;  and  the  remainder  will 
consist  of  four  figures,  the  first  of  which  will  give  the  place  in 
which  the  person  stands,  the  second  the  hand,  1  denoting  the 
right,  and  2  the  left  hand,  the  third  number  the  finger,  and 
the  fourth  the  joint. 

Example. 

Suppose  the  person  stands  the  second  in  order,  and  has 
put  tlie  ring  on  the  second  joint  of  the  little  finger  of  the  left 
hand  : 


Double  the  order  is 
Add 


4 
5 

9 
Multiply  by 5 

Add 


45 
10 


55 
Number  for  left  hand     2 

57 
Multiply  by 10 


570 
Number  of  finger  . .       5 


575 
Multiplyby 10 

5750 
Number  of  joint  . .       2 

5752 
Add _3_5 

5787 
Subtract 3535 


2252 


828  APPENDIX. 

Hence  it  will  appear  that  the  first  2  denotes  the  second 
person  in  order,  the  second  2  the  left  hand,  5  the  little  finger, 
and  2  the  second  joint. 

To  make  a  Deaf  Man  hear  the  Sound  of  a  Musical  Instrument. 

It  must  be  a  stringed  instrument,  with  a  neck  of  some 
length,  as  a  lute,  a  guitar,  or  the  like  ;  and  before  you  begin 
to  i^lay,  you  must  by  signs  direct  the  deaf  man  to  take  hold 
with  his  teeth  of  the  end  of  the  neck  of  the  instrument;  for 
then,  if  one  strikes  the  strings  with  the  bow  one  after  another, 
the  sound  will  enter  the  deaf  man's  mouth,  and  be  conveyed 
to  the  organ  of  hearing  through  a  hole  in  the  palate,  and  thus 
the  deaf  man  will  hear  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  the  sound 
of  the  instrument,  as  has  been  several  times  experienced  ;  nay, 
those  who  are  not  deaf  may  make  the  experiment  upon  them- 
selves, by  stopping  their  ears  so  as  not  to  hear  the  instrument, 
and  then  iioldino-  the  end  of  the  instrument  in  their  teeth, 
while  another  touches  the  strings. 


When  tuw  Vessels  or  Chests  are  like  one  another,  and  of  equal 
Weight,  being  filed  with  different  Metals,  to  distinguish  the 
one  from  the  other. 

This  is  easily  resolved,  if  we  consider  that  two  pieces  of 
different  metals,  of  equal  weight  in  air,  do  not  weigh  equally 
in  water,  because  that  of  the  greatest  specific  gravity  takes 
up  a  lesser  space  in  water;  it  being  a  certain  truth,  that  any 
metal  weighs  less  in  water  than  in  air,  by  reason  of  the  water, 
the  room  of  which  it  fills  ;  for  example,  if  the  water  weighs  a 
pound,  the  metal  will  weigh  in  that  water  a  pound  less  than 
in  the  air  :  this  gravitation  diminishes  more  or  less,  according; 

1  •  •  • 

as  the  specific  gravity  of  the  metal  is  greater  than  that  of  the 
water. 

We  will  suppose,  then,  two  chests  perfectly  like  one  an- 
other, of  equal  weight  in  the  air,  one  of  which  is  full  of  gold, 
and  the  other  of  silver;  we  weigh  them  in  water,  and  that 
which  then  weighs  down  the  other  must  needs  be  the  gold 
chest,  the  specific  gravity  of  gold  being  greater  than  that  of 
silver,  which  makes  the  gold  lose  less  of  its  gravitation  in 
water  than  silver.  We  know  by  experience,  that  gold  loses 
in  water  about  an  eighteenth  part  only,  whereas  silver  loses 
near  a  tenth  part;  so  that  if  each  of  the  two  chests  weighs  in 
the  air,  for  example,  180  pounds,  the  chest  that  is  full  of  gold 
will  lose  ir.  the  water  ten  pounds  of  its  weight;  and  the  chest 
that  is  full  of  silver  will  lose  eighteen  :  that  is,  the  chest  full 
of  gold  will  weigh  170  pounds,  and  that  of  silver  only  162. 

Or,  il"  vou  will,  considering  that  gold  is  of  a  greater  specific 
gravity  than  silver,  the  chest  full  of  gold,  though  similar  and 


APPENDIX.  829 

of  equal  weight  with   the   other,   must  needs  contain  a  less 
bulk,  and  consequently  it  contains  the  gold. 


To  find  the  Burden  of  a  Ship  at  Sea,  or  in  a  River. 

It  is  a  certain  truth,  that  a  ship  will  carry  a  weight  equal  to 
that  of  a  quantity  of  water  of  the  same  bulk  with  itself; 
subtracting  from  it  the  weight  of  the  iron  about  the  ship,  for 
the  wood  is  of  much  the  same  weight  with  water;  and  so^  if 
it  were  not  for  the  iron,  a  ship  might  sail  full  of  water. 

The  consequence  of  this  is,  that,  however  a  ship  be  loaded, 
it  will  not  totally  sink,  as  long  as  the  weight  of  its  cargo  is 
less  than  that  of  an  equal  bulk  of  water:  now,  to  know  this 
bulk  or  extent,  you  must  measure  the  capacity  or  solidity  of 
the  ship,  which  we  here  suppose  to  be  1000  cubical  feet,  and 
multiply  that  by  73  pounds,  the  weight  of  a  cubical  foot  of 
sea-water;  then  you  have  in  the  product  73,000  pounds  for 
the  weight  of  a  bulk  of  water  equal  to  that  of  the  ship;  so 
that  in  this  example,  we  may  call  the  burden  of  the  ship 
73,000  pounds,  or  36|-  tons,  reckoning  a  ton  2,000  pounds, 
that  being  the  weight  of  a  ton  of  sea-water;  if  the  cargo  of 
this  ship  exceeds  3Gl  tons,  she  will  sink  ;  and  if  her  loading 
is  just  73,000  pounds,  she  will  swim  very  deep  in  the  water 
upon  the  very  point  of  sinking;  so  that  she  cannot  sail  safe 
and  easy,  unless  her  loading  be  considerably  short  of  73,000 
pounds  weight ;  if  the  loading  come  near  to  73,000  pounds,  as 
being,  for  example,  just  36  tons,  she  will  swim  at  sea,  but 
will  sink  when  she  comes  into  the  mouth  of  a  fresh  water 
river;  for  this  water  being  lighter  than  sea-water  will  be 
surmounted  by  the  weight  of  the  vessel,  especially  if  that 
weight  is  greater  than  the  weight  of  an  equal  bulk  of  the  same 
water. 


To  Measure  the  Depth  of  the  Sea. 

Tie  a  great  weight  to  a  very  long  cord,  or  rope,  and  let  it 
fall  into  the  sea  till  you  find  it  can  descend  no  further,  which 
will  happen  when  the  weight  touches  the  bottom  of  the  sea  : 
if  the  quantity  or  bulk  of  water,  the  room  of  which  is  taken 
up  by  the  weight,  and  the  rope,  weighs  less  than  the  weight 
and  rope  themselves  ;  for  if  they  weigh  more,  the  weight  would 
cease  to  descend,  though  it  did  not  touch  the  bottom  of  the 
sea. 

Thus  one  maybe  deceived  in  measuring  the  length  of  a  rope 
let  down  into  the  water,  in  order  to  determine  the  depth  of 
the  sea:  and  therefore,  to  prevent  mistakes,  you  had  best  tie 
to  the  end  of  the  same  rope  another  weight  heavier  than  the 
former,  and  if  this  weight  does  not  sink  the  rope  deeper  than 


830  APPENDIX. 

the  other  did,  you  may  rest  assured  that  the  length  of  the 
rope  is  the  true  depth  of  the  sea;  if  it  does  sink  the  rope 
deeper,  you  must  tie  a  third  weight,  yet  heavier,  and  so  on, 
till  you  find  two  weights  of  unequal  gravitation,  that  run  just 
the  same  length  of  the  rope,  upon  which  you  may  conclude, 
that  the  length  of  the  wet  rope  is  certainly  the  same  with  the 
depth  of  the  sea. 


Method  of  Melting  Steel,  and  causing  it  to  Liquefy. 

Heat  a  piece  of  steel  in  the  fire,  almost  to  a  state  of  fusion, 
then  holding  it  with  a  pair  of  pincers  or  tongs,  take  in  the 
other  hand  a  stick  of  brimstone,  and  touch  the  piece  of  steel 
with  it :  immediately  after  the  contact,  you  will  see  the  steel 
melt  and  drop  like  a  liquid. 


How  to  dispose  two  little  Figures,  so  that  one  shall  light  a  Candle, 
and  the  other  put  it  out. 

Take  two  little  figures  of  wood  or  clay,  or  any  other  mate- 
rials you  please,  only  taking  care  that  there  is  a  little  hole  at 
the  mouth  of  each  :  put  in  the  mouth  of  one  a  few  grains  of 
bruised  gunpowder,  and  a  little  bit  of  phosphorus  in  the  mouth 
of  the  other,  taking  care  that  these  preparations  are  made 
beforehand. 

Then  take  a  lighted  wax  candle,  and  present  it  to  the  mouth 
of  the  figure  with  the  gunpowder,  which,  taking  fire,  will  put 
the  candle  out;  then  present  your  candle,  having  the  snuff 
still  hot,  to  the  other  figure ;  it  will  immediately  light  again 
by  means  of  the  phosphorus. 

You  may  propose  the  same  effects  to  be  produced  by  two 
figures  drawn  on  a  wall  with  a  pencil  or  coal,  by  applying 
with  a  little  starch,  or  water,  a  few  grains  of  bruised  gunpow- 
der to  the  mouth  of  one,  and  a  bit  of  phosphorus  to  the  mouth 
of  the  other. 


The  Camera  Obscvra,  or  Dark  Chamber. 

We  shall  here  give  a  short  description  of  this  optical  inven 
tion  ;  for  though  it  is  very  common,  it  is  also  very  pleasing; 
but  every  one  knows  not  how  to  construct  it. 

Make  a  circular  hole  in  the  shutter  of  a  window,  from  whence 
there  is  a  prospect  of  the  fields,  or  any  other  object  not  too 
near:  and  in  this  hole  place  a  convex  glass,  either  double  or 
single,  whose  focus  is  at  the  distance  of  five  or  six  feet:  the 
distance  should  not  be  less  than  three  feet;  if  it  be,  the 
images  will  be  too  small,  and  there  will  not  be  sufficient  room 
for  the  spectators  to  stand  conveniently  ;  on  the  other  hand. 


APl'ExNDlX.  831 

the  focus  should  never  be  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  for 
then  the  images  would  be  obscure,  and  the  colouring  faint; 
the  best  distance  is  from  six  to  twelve  feet: — take  care  that 
no  light  enters  the  room  but  by  this  glass  :  at  a  distance  from 
it,  equal  to  that  of  its  focus,  place  a  pasteboard,  covered  with 
the  whitest  paper;  this  paper  should  have  a  black  border,  to 
prevent  any  of  the  side  rays  from  disturbing  the  picture  ;  let 
it  be  two  feet  and  a  half  long,  and  eighteen  or  twenty  inches 
high  ;  bend  the  length  of  it  inwards  to  the  form  of  part  of  a 
circle,  whose  diameter  is  equal  to  double  the  focal  distance  of 
the  glass  :  then  fix  it  on  a  frame  of  the  same  figure,  and  put 
it  on  a  moveable  foot,  that  it  may  be  easily  fixed  at  that  exact 
distance  from  the  glass  where  the  objects  paint  themselves  to 
the  greatest  perfection  :  when  it  is  thus  placed,  all  the  objects 
that  are  in  the  front  of  the  window  will  be  painted  on  the 
paper  in  an  inverted  position  ;  this  inverted  position  of  the 
images  may  be  deemed  an  imperfection,  but  it  is  easily  reme- 
died ;  for  if  you  stand  above  the  board  on  which  they  are 
received,  and  look  down  on  it,  they  will  appear  in  their  natu- 
ral position  ;  or  if  you  stand  before  it,  and,  placing  a  common 
mirror  against  your  breast  in  an  oblique  direction,  look  down 
in  it,  you  will  there  see  the  images  erect,  and  they  will  receive 
an  additional  lustre  from  the  reflection  of  the  glass  :  or  place 
two  lenses  in  a  tube  that  draws  out:  or,  lastly,  if  you  place  a 
large  concave  mirror  at  a  proper  distance  before  the  picture, 
it  will  appear  before  the  mirror  in  the  air,  and  in  an  erect 
position,  with  the  greatest  regularity,  and  in  the  most  natural 
colours. 

If  you  place  a  moveable  mirror  without  the  window,  by 
turning  it  more  or  less,  you  will  have  on  the  paper  all  the 
objects  that  are  on  each  side  of  the  window. 

There  is  another  method  of  making  the  dark  chamber,  which 
is  by  a  scioptric  ball,  that  is,  a  ball  of  wood,  through  which  a 
hole  is  made,  in  which  hole  a  lens  is  fixed  ;  this  ball  is  placed 
in  a  wooden  frame,  in  which  it  turns  freely  round  :  the  frame 
is  fixed  to  the  hole  in  the  shutter,  and  the  ball  by  turning 
about  answers,  in  great  part,  the  use  of  the  mirror  on  the 
outside  of  the  window :  if  the  hole  in  the  window  be  no 
bigger  than  a  pea,  the  objects  will  be  represented  without  any 
lens. 

If  instead  of  placing  the  mirror  without  the  window,  you 
place  it  in  the  room,  and  above  the  hole,  (which  must  then  be 
made  near  the  top  of  the  shutter,)  you  may  receive  the  repre- 
sentation on  a  paper  placed  horizontally  on  a  table  ;  and  draw 
at  your  leisure  all  the  objects  that  are  there  painted. 

Nothing  can  be  more  pleasing  than  this  recreation,  espe- 
cially when  the  objects  are  strongly  enlightened  by  the  sun  ; 
and  not  only  land  prospects,  but  a  sea-port,  when  the  water 


832  APPENDIX. 

is  somewhat  agitated,  or  at  the  setting  of  the  sun,  presents  a 
very  delightful  appearance. 

This  •  representation  affords  the  most  perfect  model  for 
painters,  as  well  for  the  tone  of  colours,  as  that  gradation 
of  shades  occasioned  by  the  interposition  of  the  air,  which 
has  been  so  justly  expressed  by  some  modern  painters. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  paper  have  a  circular  form,  for 
otherwise,  when  the  centre  of  it  was  in  the  focus  of  the  glass, 
the  two  sides  would  be  beyond  it,  and  consequently  the 
images  would  be  confused:  if  the  frame  were  contrived  of 
a  spherical  figure,  and  the  glass  were  in  its  centre,  the  repre- 
sentation would  be  still  more  accurate.  If  the  object  without 
be  at  the  distance  of  twice  the  focal  length  of  the  glass,  the 
image  in  the  room  will  be  of  the  same  magnitude  with  the 
object. 

The  lights,  shades,  and  colours  in  the  camera  obscura, 
appear  not  only  just,  but,  by  the  images  being  reduced  to  a 
smaller  compass,  much  stronger  than  in  nature;  add  to  this, 
that  these  pictures  exceed  all  others,  by  representing  the 
motion  of  the  several  objects:  thus  we  see  the  animals  walk, 
run,  or  fly,  the  clouds  float  in  the  air,  the  leaves  quiver,  the 
waves  roll,  &c.  and  all  in  strict  conformity  to  the  laws  of 
nature.  The  best  situation  for  a  dark  chamber  is  directly 
north,  and  the  best  time  of  the  day  is  noon. 


To  skew  the  Spots  in  the  Sun's  Disk,  by  its  image  in  the  Camera 

Obscura. 

Put  the  object-glass  of  a  ten  or  twelve  feet  telescope  into  the 
scioptric  ball,  and  turn  it  about  till  it  be  directly  opposite  the 
sun:  when  the  sun  is  directly  opposite  the  hole,  the  lens  will 
itself  be  sufficient;  or  by  means  of  the  mirror  on  the  outside 
of  the  window,  as  in  the  last  recreation,  in  the  focus  of  the 
lens,  and  you  will  see  a  clear  bright  image  of  the  sun,  of 
about  an  inch  diameter,  in  which  the  spots  on  the  sun's 
surface  will  be  exactly  described. 

As  tins  image  is  too  bright  to  be  seen  with  pleasure  by  fh 
naked  eye,  you  may  view  it  through  a  lens,  whose  focus  is  < 
or  eight  inches  diameter,  which,  at  the  same  time  that  it 
])revents  the  light  from  being  offensive,  will,  by  magnifying 
both  the  image  and  the  spots,  make  them  appear  to  greater 
advantage. 


2b  magnify  small  Objects  by  means  of  the  Suns  Rays  let  into 
a  dark  Chamber. 
Let  the  rays  of   light  that   pass  through   the   lens   in  the 
shutter  be  thrown  on  a  large  concave  mirror,  properly  fixed 


APPENDIX.  833 

in  \  frame;  then  take  a  slip,  or  thin  plate  of  glass,  and 
sticking  any  small  object  on  it,  hold  it  in  the  incident  rays, 
at  a  little  more  than  the  focal  distance  from  the  mirror,  and 
you  will  see,  on  the  opposite  wall,  amidst  tlie  reflected  rays, 
the  image  of  that  object,  very  large,  and  extremely  clear  and 
bright.  This  experiment  never  fails  to  give  the  spectator  the 
highest  satisfaction. 


To  cut  a  Looking-glass,  or  piece  oj  Crystal,  let  it  be  ever  so 
thick,  without  the  help  of  a  Diamoud,  in  the  same  shape  as  the 
Mark  of  the  Drawing  made  on  it  with  Ink. 

This  remarkable  operation  unites  utility  with  amusement ; 
for  being  in  the  country,  or  in  a  place  where  there  is  no  glazier 
to  be  had,  the  following  means  will  answer  the  purpose 
without  their  help. 

Take  a  bit  of  walnut-tree,  about  the  thickness  of  a  candle, 
and  cut  one  of  its  ends  to  a  point;  put  that  end  in  the  fire, 
and  let  it  burn  till  it  is  quite  red:  while  the  stick  is  burning, 
draw  on  the  glass  or  crystal,  with  ink,  the  design  or  outline 
of  the  form  in  which  you  mean  to  cut  it  out:  then  take  a  file, 
or  bit  of  glass,  and  scratch  a  little  the  place  where  you  mean 
to  begin  your  section;  then  take  the  wood  red-hot  from  the 
fire,  and  lay  the  point  of  it  about  the  twentieth  part  of  an 
inch,  or  thickness  of  a  guinea,  from  the  marked  place,  taking 
care  to  blow  always  on  that  point,  in  order  to  keep  it  red; 
following  the  drawing  traced  on  the  glass,  leaving,  as  before, 
about  the  twentieth  part  of  an  inch  interval  every  time  that 
you  present  your  piece  of  wood,  which  you  must  take  care  to 
blow  often. 

After  having  followed  exactly  the  outlines  of  your  drawing, 
to  separate  the  two  pieces  thus  cut,  you  need  only  pull  thenit 
up  and  down,  and  they  will  divide. 


-By  the  means  of  two  plain  Looking-glasses,  to  make  a  Face  appear 
under  different  forms. 

Having  placed  one  of  the  two  glasses  horizontally,  raise  the 
other  to  about  right  angles  over  the  first;  and  while  the  two 
glasses  continue  in  this  posture,  if  you  come  u]>  to  the  per- 
pendicular glass,  you  will  set  your  face  quite  deformed  and 
imperfect;  for  it' will  appear  without  forehead,  eyes,  nose, 
or  ears,  and  nothing  will  be  seen  but  a  mouth  and  a  chin 
boldly  raised:  do  but  incline  the  glass  ever  so  little  from  the 
perpendicular,  and  your  face  will  appear  with  all  its  parts, 
excepting  the  eyes  and  the  forehead;  stoop  a  little  more,  and 
you  will  see  two  noses  and  four  eyes;  and  then  a  little  further, 
and  you  will  see  three  noses  and  six  eyes  ; — continue  to  incline 

5N 


)34  APPENDIX. 

it  still  a  little  more,  and  you  will  see  nothing  but  two  noses, 
two  mouths,  and  two  chins;  and  then  a  little  further  again, 
and  you  will  see  one  nose  and  one  mouth;  at  last  incline 
a  little  further,  that  is,  till  the  angle  of  inclination  comes  to 
be  44  degrees,  and  your  face  will  quite  disappear. 

If  you  incline  the  two  glasses,  the  one  towards  the  other, 
you  will  see  your  face  perfect  and  entire;  and  by  the  different 
inclinations,  you  will  see  the  representation  of  your  face, 
upright  and  inverted,  alternately. 


To  know  which  of  two  different  Waters  is  the  lightest,  without 

any  Scales. 

Take  a  solid  body,  the  specific  gravity  of  which  is  less  than 
that  of  water,  deal,  or  fir-wood,  for  instance,  and  put  it  into 
each  of  the  two  waters,  and  rest  assured  that  it  will  sink 
deeper  in  the  lighter  than  in  the  heavier  water;  and  so,  by 
observing  the  difference  of  the  sinking,  you  will  know  which 
is  the  lightest  water,  and  consequently  the  wholesoraest  for 
drinking:. 


To  knoiD  if  a  suspicious  Piece  of  Money  is  good  or  bad. 

If  it  be  a  piece  of  silver  that  is  not  very  thick,  as  a  crown, 
or  half  a  crown,  the  goodness  of  which  you  want  to  try  ;  take 
another  piece  of  good  silver,  of  equal  balance  with  it,  and  tie 
both  pieces  with  thread  or  horse  hair  to  the  scales  of  an  exact 
balance,  (to  avoid  the  wetting  of  the  scales  themselves,)  and 
dip  the  two  pieces  thus  tied,  in  water;  for  then,  if  they  are  of 
equal  goodness,  that  is,  of  equal  purity,  they  will  hang  in 
equilibrio  in  the  water  as  well  as  in  the  air:  but  if  the  piece 
in  question  is  lighter  in  the  water  than  the  other,  it  is  cer- 
tainly false,  that  is,  there  is  some  other  metal  mixed  with  it, 
that  has  less  specific  gravity  than  silver,  such  as  copper;  if  it 
is  heavier  than  the  other,  it  is  likewise  bad,  as  being  mixed 
with  a  metal  of  greater  specific  gravity  than  silver,  such  as 
lead. 

If  the  piece  proposed  is  very  thick,  such  as  tliat  crown  of 
gold  which  Hiero,  king  of  Syracuse,  sent  to  Archimedes,  to 
kno"w  if  the  goldsmith  had  put  into  it  all  the  eighteen  |)ounds 
of  gold  that  he  had  given  him  (or  that  end;  take  a  piece  of 
pure  gold  of  equal  weight  with  the  crown  proposed,  viz. 
eighteen  pounds;  and  without  taking  the  trouble  of  weighing 
them  in  water,  put  them  into  a  vessel  full  of  water,  one 
after  another,  and  that  wlii*-!)  drives  out  most  water,  must 
necessarily  be  mixed  with  another  metal  of  less  specific 
gravity  than  gold,  as  taking  up  more  space,  though  of  equal 
weight. 


APTEiNDIX.  835 

To  hold  a  Glass  full  of  Water  ivith  the  Mouth  downwards,  so 
that  the  Water  shall  not  run  out. 

Take  a  glass  full  of  water,  cover  it  with  a  cup  that  is  a  little 
hollow,  inverting  the  cup  upon  the  glass;  hold  the  cup  firra 
in  this  position  with  one  hand,  and  the  glass  with  the  other; 
then  with  a  jerk  turn  the  glass  and  the  cup  upside  down,  and 
so  the  cup  will  stand  upright,  and  the  glass  will  be  inverted, 
resting  its  mouth  upon  the  interior  bottom  of  the  cup:  this 
(ione,  you  will  find  that  part  of  the  water  contained  in  the 
s^lass  will  run  out  by  the  void  space  between  the  bottom  of 
the  cup,  and  the  brim  of  the  glass;  and  when  that  space  is 
filled,  so  that  the  water  in  it  reaches  the  brim  of  the  glass,  all 
passage  being  then  denied  to  the  air,  so  that  it  cannot  enter 
the  glass,  nor  succeed  in  the  room  of  the  water,  the  water 
remaining  in  the  glass  will  not  fall  lower,  but  continue 
suspended  in  the  glass. 

If  you  would  have  a  little  more  water  descend  into  the  cup, 
you  must,  with  a  pipe  or  otherwise,  draw  the  water  out  of  the 
cup,  to  give  passage  to  the  air  in  the  glass ;  upon  which, 
pact  of  the  water  will  fall  into  the  glass  till  it  has  stopped  up 
the  passage  of  the  air  afresh,  in  which  case  no  more  will  come 
down  ;  or,  without  sucking  out  the  water  in  the  cup,  you  may 
incline  the  cup  and  glass  so  that  the  water  in  the  cup  shall 
quit  one  side  of  the  brim  of  the  glass,  and  so  give  passage  to 
the  air,  which  will  then  suffer  the  water  in  the  glass  to 
descend  till  the  passage  is  stopped  again. 

This  may  likewise  be  resolved  by  covering  the  brim  of  the 
glass  that  is  full  of  water,  with  a  leaf  of  strong  paper,  and 
then  turn  the  glass  as  above;  and  without  holding  your  hand 
any  longer  upon  the  paper,  you  will  find  it  as  it  were  glued 
for  some  time  to  the  brim  of  the  glass,  and  durmg  that  time 
the  water  will  be  kept  in  the  glass. 

The  Mysterious  Watch. 
Desire  any  person  to  lend  you  his  watch,  and  ask  if  he 
thinks  it  will  or  will  not  go  when  it  is  laid  on  the  table:  if  he 
says  it  will,  place  it  over  the  end  of  a  magnet,  and  it  will 
presently  stop  ;  then  mark  with  chalk,  or  a  pencil,  the  precise 
point  where  yo-i  placed  the  watch,  and,  moving  the  position  of 
the  magnet,  give  the  watch  to  another  person,  and  desire  him 
to  make  the  experiment ;  in  which  he  not  succeeding,  give  it 
to  a  third  person,  at  the  same  time  replacing  the  magnet,  and 
he  will  immediately  perform  the  experiment. 

To  make  a  Glass  of  Water  appear  to  hoil  and  sparkle. 
Take   a   glass   nearly   full    of  water,    or   other   liquor,   and 
setting  one   hand    upon   the   foot  of  it   to  hold   it  last,    turn 


836  A  P  P  B  N  D I  X . 

f"'  ;ht]y  one  of  the  fingers  of  your  other  hand  upon  the  biim 
or  edge  of  the  glass,  (having  before  privately  wet  your  finger,) 
and  so  passing  softly  on,  with  your  finger  pressing  a  little, 
then  the  glass  will  begin  to  make  a  noise,  the  parts  of  the 
glass  will  sensibly  appear  to  tremble  with  notable  rarefaction 
and  condensation,  the  water  will  shake,  seem  to  boil,  cast 
itself  out  of  the  glass,  and  leap  out  by  small  drops,  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  the  observers,  if  they  are  ignorant  of 
the  cause,  which  is  only  the  rarefaction  of  the  parts  of  the 
glass,  occasioned  by  the  motion  and  pressure  of  the  finger. 


Hoio  to  make  a  Corkjiif  out  of  a  Bottle. 
Put  a  little  chalk  or  pounded  marble  into  a  phial,  and  pour 
on  some  water,  with  about  a  third  part  of  sulphuric  acid,  and 
put  in  a  cork:  in  a  few  seconds,  the  cork  will  be  sent  off  with 
great  violence. 


To  produce  Gas  Light,  on  a  small  Scale. 

Take  an  ordinary  tobacco  pipe,  and  nearly  fill  the  bowl 
with  small  coals,  and  stop  the  mouth  of  the  bowl  with  any 
suitable  luting,  as  pipe-clay,  or  the  mixture  of  sand  and  com- 
mon clay,  or,  as  clay  is  apt  to  shrink,  of  sand  and  beer,  and 
place  tlie  bowl  in  a  fire  between  the  bars  of  a  grate,  so  that 
the  pipe  may  stand  nearly  perpendicular.  In  a  few  minutes, 
if  the  luting  be  good,  the  gas  will  begin  to  escape  from  the 
stem  of  the  pipe,  when,  if  a  piece  of  lighted  paper  or  candle 
be  applied,  it  will  take  fire  and  burn  for  several  minutes  with 
^n  intense  light.  When  the  light  goes  out,  a  residuum  of 
useful  products  will  be  found  in  the  bowl. 


Thunder  Powder. 

Take  separately,  three  parts  of  good  dry  saltpetre,  two 
parts  of  dry  salt  of  tartar,  and  pound  them  well  together  in  a 
mortar;  then  add  thereto  one  part,  or  rather  more,  of  flour 
of  brimstone,  and  take  care  to  pound  and  mix  the  whole  per- 
fectly together:  put  this  composition  into  a  bottle  with  a 
glass  stopper,  for  use. 

Put  about  two  drams  of  this  mixture  in  an  iron  spoon,  over 
a  moderate  fire,  but  not  in  the  flame;  in  a  short  time  it  will 
melt,  and  go  off"  with  an  explosion  like  thunder  or  a  loaded 
cannon. 


To  tell,  l)!/  the  DialoJ'a  Watch,  at  what  hour  any  Person  intends  to  rise. 

Let  the   person   set   the  hand  of  the  dial  to  any  hour  he 
pleases,  and  tell  you  what  hour  that  is,   and  to  the  number  of 


APPENDIX.  837 

that  hour  you  add,  in  your  mind,  12.  After  this,  tell  him  to 
call  the  hour  the  index  stands  at  that  which  he  has  fixed 
upon;  and  by  reckoning  backwards  from  this  number  to  the 
former,  it  will  bring  him  to  the  hour  required. 

Example. 

Suppose  the  hour  at  which  he  intends  to  rise  be  8,  and  that 
he  has  placed  the  hand  at  5. 

Then,  adding  12  to  6,  you  bid  him  call  the  hour  at  which 
the  index  stands,  the  number  on  which  he  thought ;  and  by 
reckoning  back  from  this  number  to  17,  it  will  bring  him  to 
8,  the  hour  required. 


Thefolloioing  Experiment  shews  the  Power  of  Attraction. 

If  we  take  two  pieces  of  lead,  as  two  musket  or  pistol  balls, 
and  with  a  knife  smooth  two  plane  surfaces,  and  press  them 
together,  they  will  firmly  adhere. 

Two  plates  of  metal  made  very  smooth,  when  rubbed  with  oil 
and  put  together,  will  so  firmly  adhere,  that  it  will  require 
a  great  force  to  separate  them. 

If  two  pieces  of  wood,  or  of  glass,  be  wetted  with  water, 
and  placed  together,  the  one  may  be  lifted  up  by  means  of 
the  other.  Boys  often  have  a  piece  of  leather  on  the  end  of 
a  string,  which  they  wet  and  put  on  a  stone,  and  thereby  lift 
it  up. 

If  we  take  a  small  tube  of  glass  with  a  narrow  bore,  and  put 
it  in  water,  the  fluid  will  rise  higher  within  the  tube  than  in 
the  vessel.  The  narrower  the  tube  is,  the  higher  the  water 
rises.  This  is  called  Capillary  Attraction.  If  we  put  two 
pieces  of  glass  together,  and  place  the  lower  edge  in  water,  1: 
will  rise  between  them,  as  it  does  in  the  capillary  tubes.  This 
experiment  may  be  made  more  pleasing,  by  putting  a  shilling 
or  a  piece  of  paper  between  the  two  pieces  of  glass  at  one 
end.  The  water  will  then  rise  in  a  curve  line,  called  an 
hyperbola,  higher  and  higher  as  it  recedes  from  the  shilling 
or  piece  of  paper,  and  the  pieces  of  glass  get  nearer  to  each 
other. 

Place  a  balance  equally  poised,  so  that  one  scale  may  be 
made  to  touch  water  in  a  vessel;  considerable  weight  must  be 
put  in  the  other  scale,  to  make  it  rise  up.  Put  three  or  four 
bits  of  cork  to  float  in  a  basin  of  water;  they  will  gradually 
draw  nearer  to  each  other,  and  the  more  rapidly  as  the  dis- 
tance diminishes. 


Experiments  to  shew  the  Potter  oj  Repulsion. 

Dip  a  ball  in  oil  and  put  it  in  water;  a  ditch  will  be  formed 
all  round  it.     Pour  water  on  oiled  paper,  and  it  will  run  off". 


838  A  1'  H  E  N  D  I  X  . 

Sprinkle  water  on  a  dusty  floor,  it  rolls  over  it  in  ololiules. 
Sprinkle  it  upon  a  floor  that  has  been  swept,  and  this  will  not 
be  the  case,  as  it  then  comes  in  contact  with  the  wood,  and 
is  dift'used  over  it. 

We  may  observe  that  rain  water  stands  in  globules  on 
the  leaves  of  cabbages.  If  we  blow  up  soap-bubbles,  and 
let  them  fall  on  the  carpet,  they  will  not  for  some  time  burst. 
Let  them  fall  on  the  table,  or  any  snK^oth  surface,  and  they 
will  burst  instantly. 

If  we  pour  as  much  water  into  a  cup  as  it  will  possibly 
liold,  we  shall  see  the  water  above  the  level  of  the  sides,  if  the 
edge  be  dry,  but  otherwise  we  shall  not. 

Lay  a  very  fine  needle,  or  a  piece  of  tinfoil,  on  the  surface 
of  water,  and  it  will  tloat,  until  it  become  wet,  when  it 
sinks. 

Lay  a  piece  of  gold  on  mercury,  and  it  will  float  on  the 
surface;  but  if  depressed  below  the  surface,  it  will  sink  to  the 
bottom,  like  the  needle  on  water. 


E.iperiments  reapectiug  the  Centre  of  Gravity. 

The  centre  of  gravity  is  that  part  of  a  body,  round  which 
all  its  parts  are  so  equally  balanced,  that,  if  it  be  supported, 
the  whole  body  will  be  so  too. 

Take  a  book,  and  find,  by  trial,  under  what  part  the  finger 
must  be  placed  to  keep  the  book  from  falling;  that  point  is 
the  centre  of  gravity. 

Take  a  rod,  or  stick,  and  find  that  place  about  the  middle 
of  it,  under  which  the  finger  being  placed,  it  will  be  balanced  ; 
that  is  the  centre  of  gravity.  The  moment  the  centre  of 
gravity  ceases  to  be  supported,  the  whole  body  falls. 

Move  a  piece  of  board  to  the  edge  of  a  table,  and  gradually 
farther  and  farther  ort' it ;  the  instant  the  centre  of  gravity  gets 
bevond  the  edge  of  the  table,  the  board  falls. 

Run  the  point  of  a  knife  much  slanting  into  the  same  board, 
it  may  then  be  brought  much  farther  over  the  edge  of  the 
table  than  it  could  before,  as*  the  knife,  leaning  the  way  of  the 
table,  brings  the  centre  of  gravity  that  way. 

Take  a  bottle,  with  a  cork  in  it;  stick  in  the  middle  of  the 
cork  a  needle,  with  the  point  upwards ;  then  take  another  cork, 
and  with  a  knife  make  a  slit  in  one  of  its  ends,  in  which  place 
a  shilling  so  far  as  to  make  it  fast;  then  take  two  forks,  or 
penknives,  and  stick  one  on  each  side  the  cork,  slanting  a 
little  downwards;  then  place  the  edge  of  the  shilling  on  the 
])oint  of  the  needle,  and  it  will  rest  secure.  It  may  be  made 
to  revolve,  with  great  rapidity,  on  the  point  of  the  needle, 
w  ithout  falling  off". 


APPENDIX.  839 

The  following  Experiment  shews  the  Power  of  Steam. 
Put  a  little  water  in  a  bottle,  and  cork  it  securely,  covering 
it  with  sealing  wax;  then  put  the  bottle  into  a  kettle  of  water, 
and  let  it  boil  a  short  time,  and  the  steam  will  force  out  the 
cork. 


Diminution  of  Heat  hy  Evaporation. 
Pour  water  on  a  piece  of  writing-paper,  and  hold  it  over  a 
candle;  it  will  boil  without  burning  the  pa|)er. 
Water  may  be  boiled  in  an  egg-shell  on  the  fire. 


Experiment  to  ascertain  the  Strength  of  Spirits  of  Wine. 

It  is  a  common  practice  for  apothecaries,  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain if  spirit  of  wine  be  sufficiently  strong,  to  pour  some  into 
a  cup  upon  some  gunpowder,  and  then  to  set  fire  to  it.  If 
the  spirit  be  sufficiently  strong,  after  burning  down  to  the 
gunpowder,  it  will  make  it  go  off;  but  if  too  much  water  has 
been  poured  in,  that  will  not  take  place,  as,  after  the  spirit 
is  consumed,  there  will  still  be  water  enough  to  keep  the 
powder  wet. 


To  ascertain  the  Strength  of  Brine. 
To  ascertain  the  strength  of  brine  for  salting  meat,  it  is 
usual  to  put  an  egg  in  the  boiling  water,  and  gradually  put  in 


salt  until  the  eg^a;  be  made  to  swim. 


The  following  Experiments  sheiv  the  Pressure  and  Elasticity 

of  Air. 

Put  an  empty  bottle  with  a  cork  in  it  near  the  fire;  the  cork 
will  be  driven  out. 

Get  a  vessel  of  hot  water,  and  put  a  phial  into  it,  with  the 
mouth  downwards  ;  the  expanded  air  will  bubble  out.  Let 
the  water  cool,  or  pour  cold  water  on  the  phial,  of  which  the 
mouth  has  not  been  drawn  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
as  the  air  is  now  cooled,  and  occupies  less  space,  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  bottle  will  be  filled  with  water. 

Boil  a  little  water  in  a  glass  phial  over  a  candle  for  a  few 
minutes;  then  invert  the  mouth  of  the  phial  in  water,  and,  as 
it  cools,  the  air  will  contract,  and  water  will  be  forced  up  tlio 
bottle,  by  the  external  air,  to  occu[)y  the  vacant  space. 

Lay  a  weighty  book  on  a  bladder,  and  blow  into  it  with  a  pipe, 
and  the  book  will  be  raised.  Increase  the  weight  on  the  bladder 
Yery  much  indeed,  and  you  may  still  raise  it  as  before. 


840  AI'PIiNDlX. 

A  bladder  filled  with  air  may  be  compressed,  and  tlie  mo- 
ment the  force  is  rtmoved,  it  will  recover  its  size.  If  thrown 
on  the  ground  it  will  rise  like  a  ball. 

Take  a  cup,  and  burn  a  few  pieces  of  paper  ^n  it,  the  heat 
will  expand  the  air  in  it.  Invert  the  cup  now  in  a  saucer  of 
water,  and,  as  the  enclosed  air  cools,  it  will  return  to  its 
former  density,  and  leave  a  vacuum,  and  the  pressure  of  the 
external  air  will  force  a  great  deal  of  water  up  into  the  cup. 
If  this  experiment  be  performed  with  a  large  drinking-glass, 
the  water  may  be  seen  to  rise  in  the  glass. 

The  pressure  of  the  air  may  be  very  sensibly  felt,  by  putting 
the  hole  of  a  common  bellows  over  the  knee,  and  then  at- 
tem|)ting  to  raise  the  upper  part  of  it. 

Boil  water  in  a  glass  phial  over  a  candle  for  a  few  minutes, 
then  suddenly  removing  it,  tie  a  piece  of  wetted  bladder  over 
the  mouth,  making  it  fast  with  a  string;  the  pressure  of  the 
air  will  stretch  the  bladder,  if  it  do  not  burst  it. 

Get  a  glass  vessel,  as  a  common  tumbler,  if  no  better  be  at 
hand,  and  put  a  piece  of  wetted  bladder  over  the  mouth,  press- 
ing it  down  in  the  middle,  and  then  tie  it  firm  with  a  string; 
then  lay  hold  of  the  bladder  in  the  middle,  and  try  to  pull  it 
straight,  or  level  with  the  rest,  and  the  pressure  of  the  external 
air  will  not  permit  it. 

Do  exactly  the  same  as  before,  except  that  the  vessel  must 
be  nearly  full  of  water.  Turn  the  vessel  upside-down,  and 
the  bladder  will  still  continue  as  it  was  placed,  the  pressure 
of  the  air  overcoming  the  weight  of  the  water. 

Though  air  be  capable  of  compression,  it  makes  a  resistance, 
and  that  very  considerable.  The  ball  of  an  air-gun  has  been 
burst  asunder  by  overcharging  it.  If  bottles  are  filled  too 
much,  they  may  be  burst  in  attempting  to  cork  them,  from 
the  air  between  the  cork  and  the  liquor  being  too  much  con- 
densed. 

Put  a  common  wine-glass,  with  the  mouth  downwards,  into 
water;  and  to  whatevier  depth  it  may  be  plunged,  the  air  will 
not  allow  much  water  to  rise  into  it,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
inside  of  the  glass  not  being  wet.  If  a  bit  of  cork  float  inside 
of  the  glass,  it  will  point  out  to  the  eye  still  more  clearly  how 
high  the  water  rises.  This  experiment,  though  so  very  simple, 
will  illustrate  the  nature  of  the  divins-bell. 


Experiments  respecting  Sound. 

Hold  a  tumbler  sideways,  and  sprinkle  a  little  dust,  oi 
powder  of  any  sort,  on  it;  then  strike  the  glass,  and  make  it 
sound  : — the  dust  keeps  dancing  about  whilst  the  sound  con- 
tinues; stop  the  sound,  and  the  dust  is  at  rest. 

The  sound  of  a  watch  laid   upon  a  long  table,  or  upon  f 


APPENDIX.  841 

plank  of  wood,  will  be  heard  much  farther  than  it  otherwise 
would. 

When  a  vessel  on  the  fire  begins  to  boil,  let  a  lOmmunica- 
tion  be  made  between  it  and  the  ear,  by  means  of  the  poker, 
and  the  sound  is  more  distinctly  heard. 

Tie  a  string  round  the  end  of  a  poker,  and  then,  winding 
one  end  of  tlie  string  round  the  fore-finger  of  the  one  hand, 
and  the  other  end  of  the  string  round  the  fore-finger  of  the 
other;  |)ut  the  fingers  into  the  ears,  and  make  the  poker  strike 
against  a  table,  or  any  other  object,  and  it  will  sound  like  the 
bell  of  a  church. 

Tie  a  string  round  the  end  of  a  poker,  as  before,  and  hold 
the  string  with  your  teeth  ;  when  the  poker  is  made  to  strike 
against  any  object,  as  in  the  last  experiment,  the  same  kind 
of  sound  will  be  transmitted  through  the  teeth. 

Make  a  watch  touch  your  teeth,  and  you  will  hear  its  beat- 
ing more  distinctly. 

When  a  pitchfork  is  struck,  in  order  to  pitch  a  tune,  its  end 
is  put  on  the  table,  and  a  greater  sound  in  produced.  If 
the  pitchfork,  after  being  struck,  be  held  to  the  teeth,  its 
sound  is  still  more  distinct. 

Having  shut  up  both  ears  with  cotton  very  closely,  put 
your  fingers  on  the  teeth  of  a  person  who  speaks  to  you,  and 
you  will  hear  his  voice. 


Electrical  Experiments. 

If  a  piece  of  sealing-wax  be  rubbed  briskly  against  the 
sleeve  of  your  coat,  or  any  other  woollen  substance,  for  some 
time,  and  then  held  within  an  inch  or  less  of  hair,  feathers. 
bits  of  paper,  or  other  light  bodies;  they  will  be  attracted, 
that  is,  they  will  jump  up,  and  adhere  to  the  wax.  If  a  tube 
of  glass,  or  small  phial,  be  rubbed  in  a  similar  manner,  it  will 
answer  much  better.  The  bottle  thus  rubbed  becomes  elec- 
tric; and  when  the  operation  is  performed  in  a  dark  room, 
small  flashes  of  divergent  flame,  ramified  somewhat  like  trees 
bare  of  leaves,  will  dart  into  the  air,  from  many  parts  of  the 
surface  of  the  tube,  to  the  distance  of  six  or  eight  inches,  at- 
tended with  a  crackling  noise;  and  sometimes  sparks  will  fly 
along  the  tube  to  the  rubber  at  more  than  a  foot  distant. 

Cut  two  bits  of  cork  into  the  shape  and  size  of  a  common 
pea.  With  a  needle,  draw  a  thread  through  each  of  the  corks, 
so  that  they  may  be  made  to  hang  at  the  ends  of  the  threads 
with  a  knot  below  them.  Let  the  other  ends  of  the  threads 
be  inserted  in  the  notch  of  a  small  piece  of  v\ood,  about  a 
foot  long,  and  an  inch  broad,  and  the  thickness  of  a  common 
match.  Lay  the  piece  of  wood  over  two  wine-glasses,  a  few 
inches  asunder,  so  that  the  end   of  it,  in  •.\hich   the   threads 

50 


€42  APPENDIX. 

are,  may  project  over  the  edge  of  the  glass  nearest  it,  and  the 
corks  may  be  in  contact  one  with  anofhe*".  Take  another 
vvino-glass,  and,  having  rubbed  it  briskly  with  a  piece  of 
flannel,  or  upon  the  skirt  or  sleeve  of  a  woollen  coat,  hold  its 
mouth  to  wiihin  about  an  inch  of  ihe  corks,  and  they  will 
suddenly  start  asunder,  and  continue  so  for  some  time. 

Lay  a  pocket-watch  upon  a  table,  and  take  a  common 
tobacco-pipe,  and  place  it  on  the  face  of  the  watch  so  that  it 
may  balance  thereon  ;  then,  after  rubbing  a  wine-glass,  as 
described  in  the  former  experiment,  bring  it  to  within  an  inch 
of  the  smaller  end  of  the  tobacco-pipe,  and  by  moving  the 
glass  gently  round  in  an  horizontal  circular  track,  you  will 
cause  the  pipe  to  turn  round  on  the  watch-glass,  as  the  needle 
turns  on  its  centre  in  a  mariner's  compass. 


A  curious  Experiment  made  by  Mr.  Si/mmer,  on  the  Electricity 
of  Silk  Stockings. 

This  gentleman  having  frequently  observed,  that  on  putting 
off  his  stockings  in  the  evening,  they  made  a  crackling  or 
snapping  noise,  and  that  in  the  dark  they  emitted  sparks  of 
fire,  was  induced  to  examine  on  what  circumstances  these 
electrical  appearances  depended.  After  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  observations,  directed  to  this  point,  he  found  that  it 
was  the  combination  of  white  and  black  which  produced 
the  electricity,  and  that  the  appearances  were  the  strongest 
when  he  wore  a  white  and  a  black  stocking  upon  the  same 
leg.  These,  however,  discovered  no  signs  of  electricity  while 
they  were  upon  the  leg,  though  they  were  drawn  backwards 
and  forwards  upon  it  several  times;  but  the  moment  they 
were  separated,  they  were  both  of  them  found  to  be  highly 
electrified,  the  white  positively,  and  the  black  negatively; 
and  when  they  were  held  at  a  distance  from  each  other,  they 
appeared  inflated  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  exhibited  the 
entire  shape  of  the  leg. 

When  two  black  or  two  white  stockings  were  held  together, 
they  would  repel  one  another  to  a  considerable  distance  ;  and 
when  a  white  and  black  stocking  were  presented  to  each 
other,  they  would  be  mutually  attracted,  and  rush  together 
with  great  violence,  joining  as  close  as  if  they  had  been  so 
many  folds  of  silk  ;  and  in  this  case  their  electricity  did  not 
seem  to  have  been  in  the  least  impaired  by  the  shock  of 
meeting,  for  they  would  be  again  inflated,  attract,  repel,  and 
rush  together,  as  before. 

When  this  experiment  was  ,v,r formed  with  two  black  stock- 
ings in  one  hand,  and  two  white  ones  in  the  other,  it  exhibited 
a  still  more  curious  spectacle.  The  repulsion  of  those  of  the 
same  colour,  and  the  attraction  of  those  of  different  colours, 


APPENDIX.  843 

threw  them  into  an  agit;\tion,  and  mnde  each  of  them  catch 
at  the  opposite  colour  in  a  way  that  was  very  amusing. 

What  was  also  very  remarkable  in  these  experiments  with 
a  white  and  black  stocking,  was,  the  power  of  electrical  colie- 
sion  which  they  exhibited  ;  INIr,  Symmer  having  found,  that 
when  they  were  electrified,  and  allowed  to  come  together,  they 
frequently  stuck  so  close  to  each  other,  that  it  required  a 
weight  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  ounces  to  separate  them,  and 
this  in  a  direction  parallel  to  their  surfaces. 

When  one  of  the  stockings  was  turned  inside-out,  it  required 
twenty  ounces  to  separate  them  ;  and  by  having  the  black 
stockings  new  dyed,  and  the  white  ones  washed,  and  whitened 
in  the  fumes  of  sulphur,  and  then  putting  them  one  within 
the  other,  it  required  three  pounds  three  ounces  to  separate 
them. 

Trying  this  experiment  with  stockings  of  a  more  substan- 
tial make,  he  found  that,  when  the  white  stocking  was  put 
within  the  black  one,  so  that  its  outside  was  contiguous  to 
the  inside  of  the  other,  they  raised  near  nine  pounds;  and 
when  the  white  stocking  was  turned  inside-out,  and  put 
within  the  black  one,  so  that  their  rough  surfaces  were  con- 
tiguous, they  raised  fifteen  pounds,  which  was  ninety-two 
times  the  weight  of  the  stockings.  And,  in  all  these  cases, 
he  found  that  pressing  them  together  with  his  hands  contri- 
buted much  to  strengthen  the  cohesion. 

When  the  white  and  black  stockings  were  in  cohesion,  and 
another  pair,  more  highly  electrified,  were  separated  from 
each  other,  and  presented  to  the  former,  their  cohesion  would 
be  dissolved,  and  each  stocking  of  the  second  pair  would 
catch  hold  of,  and  carry  away  with  it,  that  of  its  opposite  co- 
lour; but  if  the  degree  of  electricity  of  both  pairs  were  equal, 
the  cohesion  of  the  former  would  be  weakened,  but  not  dis- 
solved, and  all  the  four  would  cohere  together  in  one  mass. 

Mr.  Symmer  also  observed,  that  white  and  black  silk,  when 
electrified,  not  only  cohered  with  each  other,  but  they  would 
also  adhere  to  bodies  with  broad,  and  even  polished,  surfaces, 
though  those  bodies  were  not  electrified.  This  he  discovered, 
by  throwing  accidentally  a  stocking  out  of  his  hand,  which 
stuck  to  the  paper-hangings  of  the  room,  and  which,  in 
another  experiment  of  this  kind,  continued  hanging  there 
nearly  an  hour. 

Having  stuck  up  the  black  and  white  stockings  in  this 
manner,  he  came  with  another  pair  of  stockings,  highly  elec- 
trified, and  applying  the  white  to  the  black,  and  the  black  to 
the  white,  he  carried  them  off  from  the  wall,  each  of  them 
hanging  to  that  which  had  been  brought  to  it.  The  same 
experiment  also  held  with  the  painted  boards  of  the  room, 
and  likewise  with  the  looking-glass,  to  the  smooth  surface  of 


844  APPENDIX. 

which,  the  white  and  black  stockings  appeared  to  adhere  more 
tenaciously  than  to  either  of  the  former. 


To  suspend  a  Ring  by  a  Thread  that  has  been  burnt. 

The  thread  having  been  previously  soaked  in  chamber  lye, 

or  common  salt  and  water,  tie  it  to  a  ring,  not  larger  than  a 

wedding-ring.     When  you  apply  the  flame  of  a  candle  to  it, 

though  the  thread  burn  to  ashes,  it  will  yet  sustain  the  ring. 


Chemical  Illuminations. 

Put  into  a  middling-sized  bottle.,  with  a  short  wide  neck, 
three  ounces  of  oil  or  spirit  of  vitriol,  with  twelve  ounces  of 
common  water,  and  throw  into  it,  at  different  times,  an  ounce 
or  two  of  iron  filings.  A  violent  commotion  will  then  take 
])lace,  and  white  vapours  will  arise  from  the  mixture.  If  a  taper 
be  held  to  the  mouth  of  the  bottle,  these  vapours  will  inflame, 
and  produce  a  violent  explosion;  which  may  be  repeated  as 
long  as  the  vapours  continue. 


To  make  the  Appearance  of  a  Flask  of  Lightning  when  any  one 
enters  a  Room  ivith  a  lighted  Candle. 

Dissolve  camphor  in  spirit  of  wine,  and  deposit  the  vessel 
containing  the  solution  in  a  very  close  room,  where  the  spirit 
of  wine  must  be  made  to  evaporate  by  strong  and  speedy 
boiling.  If  any  one  then  enters  the  room  with  a  lighted 
candle,  the  air  will  inflame;  but  the  combustion  will  be  so 
sudden,  and  of  so  short  duration,  as  to  occasion  no  danger. 


The  Fiery  Fountain. 
If  twenty  grains  of  phosphorus,  cut  very  small,  and  mixed 
with  forty  grains  of  powdered  zinc,  be  put  into  four  drachms 
of  water,  and  two  drachms  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid 
be  added  thereto,  bubbles  of  inflamed  phosphuretted  hydrogen 
gas  will  quickly  cover  the  whole  surface  of  the  fluid  in  suc- 
cession, forming  a  real  fountain  of  fire. 


A  Lamp  that  will  burn  Twelve  Months  without  replenishing 

Take  a  stick  of  phosphorus,  and  put  it  into  a  large  dry 
phial,  not  corked,  and  it  will  afl^ord  a  light  sufficient  to  dis- 
cern any  object  in  a  room,  when  held  near  it.  The  phial 
should  be  kept  in  a  cool  place,  where  there  is  no  great  current 
of  air,  and  it  will  continue  its  luminous  appearance  for  more 
than  twelve  months. 


APPENDIX.  84* 


The  Masic  Oracle. 


Get  six  blank  cards,  and  write  on  them  figures,  or  numbers, 
exactly  according  to  the  following  patterns. 


No.  I 

17 

19 

3 

13 

1 

27 

21 

5 

29 

47 

23 

7 

31 

45 

59 

11 

33 

43 

0 

9 

35 

41 

55 

0 

25 

37 

39 
49 

0 
51 

53 
0 

0 

0 

• 

15  11  33  43  0  57 


No.  II. 

14 

18  3 

15  2  35 

22  6  34  47 

19  10  31  46  59 

23  11  30  43  0  68 

7  27  42  55  0 

26  39  54  0 

38  0  0 

50  0 

51 


No.  III. 

14 

13  7 

21  4  37 

23  5  36  47 

20  6  31  46  60 

22  12  30  45  0  56 

15  29  44  0  0 

28  39  54  0 

38  0  0 

52  0 


846 


APPENDIX. 


No.  IV. 


14 

15  10 

13  8  41 

26  9  40  47 

27  11  31  46  60 

25  13  30  45  0  6© 

12  29  44  0  0 

28  43  57  0 

42  0  24 

56  0 

58 

No.  V. 

22 

24  17 

26  16  49 

23  18  48  55 

25  20  31  54  60 

27  21  30  53  0  5 

19  29  52  58  0 

28     .        51  57  0 

50  0  0 

0  0 

56 

No.  VI. 

38 

40  34 

39  32  49 

41  35  48  55 

43  37  47  54  60 

42  33  46  53  0  59 

36  45  52  0  0 

44  51  57  0 

50  0  0 

56  0 

58 

You  deliver  the  cards  to  a  person,  and  desire  him  to  think 
t  f  any  number  from  one  to  sixty;  he  is  then  to  look  at  the 
r;ards,  and  say  in  which  cards  the  number  he  thought  of 
is  to  be  found;  and  you  immediately  tell  him  the  number 
thought  of. 


appendix.  847 

Explanation. 

This  surprising  and  ingenious  recreation  is  done  by  means 
of  a  key  number.  There  is  a  key  niimber  in  every  card,  viz. 
the  last  but  one  in  the  second  row  from  the  top.  From  this 
explanation  the  reader  will  perceive  that  the  key  numbers  are 
],  2,  4,  8,  16,  32.  Now  whatever  number  is  fixed  on,  from 
1  to  60,  will  be  readily  found  by  privately  adding  together 
the  key  numbers  of  the  cards  that  contain  the  number  thought 
on.  For  instance,  suppose  a  person  thinks  of  number  43  ;  he 
looks  at  the  cards,  and  gives  you  No.  1,  2,  4,  5,  6,  as  cards 
which  contain  the  number  thought  on  :  you  expertly  perceive 
that  the  key  numbers  are  1,  2,  8,  32;  which  numbers  added 
together  make  43,  the  number  thought  on.  Suppose  he 
thinks  of  No.  15,  he  gives  you  No.  1,  2,  3,  4 :  the  key  num- 
bers are  1,  2,  4,  8;  which  added,  make  just  15;  and  so  of  all 
numbers  from  1  to  60. 

This  recreation  may  be  varied  many  ways;  as,  telling  the 
age  of  a  person,  &c.;  but  this  is  left  to  the  ingenious  reader's 
taste  and  application. 


Cheap  and  Easy  Method  of  constructing  a  Voltaic  Pile. 

Mr.  Mitchell,  in  his  useful  little  work  on  natural  philosophy, 
proposes  the  following  cheap  and  easy  method  of  construct- 
ing a  Voltaic  Pile.  Zinc  is  one  of  the  cheapest  of  metals,  and 
may  be  easily  melted,  like  lead.  Let  the  student  cast  twenty 
or  thirty  pieces,  of  the  size  of  a  penny-piece,  which  may 
easily  be  done  in  moulds  made  in  clay.  Let  him  then  get  as 
many  penny-pieces,  and  as  many  pieces  of  paper,  or  cloth  cut 
in  the  same  shape,  and  these  he  must  dip  in  a  solution  of  salt 
and  water.  In  building  the  pile,  let  him  place  a  piece  of  zinc, 
wet  paper,  (the  superabundant  water  being  squeezed  out,)  after 
which  the  copper;  then  zinc,  paper,  copper,  &c.  until  the 
whole  be  finished.  The  sides  of  the  pile  may  be  supported 
with  rods  of  glass,  or  varnished  wood,  fixed  in  the  board  on 
which  it  is  built.  The  following  experiment  may  then  be 
performed  : — 

Having  wetted  both  hands,  touch  the  lower  part  of  the  pile 
with  one  hand,  and  the  upper  part  with  the  other,  constant 
little  shocks  of  electricity  will  be  felt  until  one  hand  be 
removed.  If  the  hand  be  brought  back,  a  similar  repetition  of 
shocks  will  be  felt.  Put  a  basin  of  water  near  the  pile,  and 
put  the  left  hand  into  it,  holding  a  wire,  one  end  of  which 
touches  the  top  of  the  battery  or  pile  ;  then  put  the  end  of  a 
silver  spoon  between  the  lip  and  the  gum,  and  with  the  other 
end  of  the  spoon  touch  the  lower  part  of  the  pile;  a  strong 
shock  is  felt  in  the  gum  and  in  the  hand.  Take  the  left  hand 
from  the  water,  but  still  keep  hold   of  the  wire,  and   then 


84P  APPENDIX. 

perform  the  last  experiment  in  the  same  manner,  and  a  shock 
will  be  felt  in  the  gum  only.  Hold  a  silver  spoon  in  one 
hand,  and  touch  with  it  the  battery  at  the  lower  part,  then 
touch  the  upper  part  with  the  tongue  ;  the  bitter  taste  will  be 
extreme. 

In  performing  the  above  experiments,  if,  instead  of  the  two 
ends  of  the  pile,  the  one  end  and  the  middle  of  it  be  touched, 
the  sensations  will  not  be  nearly  so  strong.  If  the  student 
be  desirous  of  having  still  more  sensible  proofs  of  the  effect 
of  galvanism,  let  him  hold  a  wire  to  the  top  of  the  battery, 
and  let  him  place  one  end  of  a  silver  spoon  to  the  lower  part, 
and  the  other  end  within  his  mouth,  so  as  to  touch  the  gums; 
a  severe  set  of  shocks  will  be  felt.  In  performing  this  expe- 
riment, move  the  spoon  to  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  and  a  strong 
sensation  will  be  felt.  Let  the  end  of  the  spoon  be  run  up 
the  nose  so  as  to  touch  the  cartilaginous  bone  ;  shocks  like 
the  stabs  of  a  needle  will  be  felt.  Let  the  end  of  the  spoon 
be  put  under  the  eye-brow,  close  to  the  ball  of  the  eye  ;  a 
sensation  will  be  felt  like  the  burning  of  red-hot  iron,  but 
which  ceases  the  instant  the  spoon  is  removed. 


Magnetical  Experiments. 

The  magnetic  attraction  will  not  be  destroyed  by  interpos- 
ing obstacles  between  the  magnet  and  the  iron. 

Lay  a  small  needle  on  a  piece  of  paper,  and  put  a  magnet 
under  the  paper;  the  needle  may  be  moved  backwards  and 
forwards. 

Lay  the  needle  on  a  piece  of  glass,  and  put  the  magnet 
under  the  glass;  it  will  still  attract  the  needle.  The  same 
effects  will  take  place  if  a  board  be  interposed  between  the 
magnet  and  the  iron.  This  property  of  the  magnet  has  afforded 
the  means  of  some  very  amusing  deceptions. 

A  little  figure  of  a  man  has  been  made  to  spell  a  person's 
name.  The  hand,  in  which  was  a  piece  of  iron,  rested  on  a 
board,  under  which  a  person,  concealed  from  view,  with  a 
j)0werful  maiiuet,  contrived  to  carry  it  from  letter  to  letter, 
until  the  word  was  made  up. 

The  figure  of  a  goose  or  swan,  with  a  piece  of  iron  concealed 
about  the  head,  is  set  to  float  in  water.  A  rod,  with  a  con- 
cealed magnet  at  the  end,  is  presented  to  the  bird,  and  it 
swims  after  it.  The  effect  is  still  more  amusing,  when  some 
food  is  put  on  the  end  of  the  rod. 

The  figure  of  a  fish  is  thrown  into  the  water,  with  a  small 
magnet  concealed  in  its  mouth.  Of  course,  if  a  baited  hook 
be  suspended  near  it,  the  magnet  and  iron,  by  mutual  attrac- 
tion, will  bring  the  fish  to  the  bait. 

Put  a  pie<e  of  iron  in  one  scale  of  a  balance,  and  an  e'^ual 


APPENDIX.  849 

\Teijrlit  in  the  other  scale  ;  brino;  a  maonet  under  the  scale 
wlii  ;h  contains  tlie  iron,  and  it  will  draw  it  down.  Reverse 
this  experiment,  and  put  the  magnet  in  the  scale,  and  balance 
it;  bring  the  iron  under  it,  and  it  will  draw  down  the 
magnet.  Suspend  a  magnet  by  a  string,  and  bring  a  piece  of 
iron  near  it,  and  it  will  attract. 

]f  a  magnet  suspended  by  one  string,  and  a  piece  of  iron 
suspended  by  another,  be  brought  near  one  another,  they 
will  mutually  attract  each  other,  and  be  drawn  to  a  point 
between. 

Suspend  a  magnet  nicely  poised  by  a  thread,  and  it  will 
point  north  and  south,  the  same  end  pointing  invariably  the 
same  way. 

Rub  a  fine  needle  with  a  magnet,  and  lay  it  gently  on  the 
surface  of  the  water;  it  will  point  north  and  south.  Rub 
various  needles  with  the  mao-net,  and  run  them  throuoh  small 
pieces  of  cork,  and  put  them  to  swim  in  water;  they  will  all 
point  north  and  south,  and  the  same  end  will  invariably 
point  the  same  way.  This  mode  of  finding  the  north  is  some- 
times of  the  utmost  service  at  sea,  when  the  compass  is 
destroyed. 

Opposite  poles  attract ;  poles  of  the  same  name  repel.  Take 
two  magnets,  or  two  needles  rubbed  with  the  magnet,  and 
bring  the  north  and  south  poles  together,  and  they  attract. 

Bring  the  north  poles  near  each  other,  and  they  repel. 
Bring  the  south  poles  near  each  other,  and  they  repel.  Rub' 
a  needle  with  a  magnet,  and  run  it  through  a  piece  of  cork, 
and  put  it  to  float  in  water.  Hold  a  north  pole  of  a  magnet 
near  its  north  pole,  and  it  will  keep  flying  away  to  avoid  it. 
It  may  be  chased  from  side  to  side  of  a  basin.  On  the  other 
hand,  an  opposite  pole  will  immediately  attract. 

Rub  four  or  five  needles,  and  you  may  lift  them  up  as  in  a 
string,  the  north  pole  of  one  needle  adhering  to  the  south  pole 
of  another. 

Put  a  magnet  under  a  piece  of  glass,  and  sprinkle  iron- 
filings  on  it;  they  will  arrange  themselves  in  a  manner  that 
will  be  very  surprising.  At  each  pole  will  be  a  vast  abundance 
standing  erect,  and  there  will  be  fewer  and  fewer  as  the}'- 
recede,  until  there  are  scarcely  any  in  the  middle.  If  the 
iron-filings  are  sprinkled  on  the  magnet  itself,  they  will  arrange 
themselves  in  a  manner  very  striking. 

Lay  a  needle  exactly  between  the  north  and  south  pole,  it 
will  move  towards  neither. 


Artificial  Coruscations. 

There  is  a  method  of  produciui;  artificial   coruscations,  or 
sparkling  fiery  meteors,  which  will  be  visible  not  only  in  the 

5P 


850  APPENDIX. 

dark  but  at  noon-day,  and  that  from  two  liquors  actually  cold. 
Fifteen  grains  of  solid  phosphorus  are  to  be  melted  in  about 
a  drachm  of  water :  when  this  is  cold,  pour  upon  it  about  two 
ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol;  let  these  be  shaken  together,  and 
they  will  at  first  heat,  and  afteiwards  they  will  throw  up  fiery 
balls  in  great  numbers,  which  will  adhere  like  so  many  stars 
to  the  sides  of  the  ";lass,  and  continue  burnino-  for  a  consider- 
able  time  ;  after  tins,  if  a  small  quantity  of  oil  of  tuipentine 
is  poured  in,  without  shaking  the  phial,  the  mixture  will  of 
itself  take  fire,  and  burn  very  furiously.  The  vessel  should 
be  large,  and  open  at  the  top.  Artificial  coruscations  may 
also  be  produced  by  means  of  oil  of  vitriol  and  iron,  in  the 
following  manner: — Take  a  glass  body  capable  of  holding 
three  quarts  ;  put  into  it  three  ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol  and 
twelve  ounces  of  water;  then  warming  the  mixture  a  little, 
throw  in,  at  several  times,  two  ounces  or  more  of  clean  iron- 
filings;  upon  this,  an  ebullition  and  white  vapours  will  arise  ; 
then  present  a  lighted  candle  to  the  mouth  of  the  vessel,  and 
the  vapour  will  take  fire,  and  will  afford  a  bright  illumination, 
or  flash  like  lightninij;.  Applying  the  candle  in  this  manner 
several  times,  the  effect  will  always  be  the  same;  and  some- 
times the  fire  will  fill  the  whole  body  of  the  glass,  and  even 
circulate  to  tl>e  bottom  of  the  liquor;  at  others,  it  will  only 
reach  a  little  way  down  its  neck.  The  great  caution  to  be 
used  in  this  experiment  is,  in  making  the  vapour  of  a  proper 
heat;  for,  if  too  cold,  few  vapours  will  arise;  and,  if  made 
too  hot,  they  will  come  too  fast,  and  only  take  fire  in  the  neck 
of  the  glass,  without  any  remarkable  coruscation. 


To  make  an  Egg  enter  a  Phial  tvit/iout  breaking. 

Let  the  neck  of  a  phial  be  ever  so  strait,  an  egg  will  go 
into  it  without  breaking,  if  it  be  first  steeped  in  very  strong 
vinegar,  for  in  process  of  time  the  vinegar  does  so  soften  it, 
that  the  shell  will  bend  and  extend  lengthways  without  break- 
ing: and  when  it  is  in,  cold  water  thrown  upon  it  will  recover 
its  primitive  hardness,  and,  as  Cardan  says,  its  primitive 
figure. 


Light  produced  by  Friction,  even  under  Water. 

Rub  two  pieces  of  fine  lump  sugar  together  in  the  dark; 

the  efie-ct  is  produced,  but  in  a  much  greater  degree,  by  two 

pieces  of  silex,  or  quartz:  but  that  which  affords  the  strongest 

light  of  any  thing,  is  a  white  (jiuiriz*   from  the  Land's  End. 

*  Tlic  white  pel)h!es  found  on  Uie  l)aiiks  of  the  Mersey,  although  not  a 
pine  (|tinrtz,  answer  tiie  purpose  perfectly  well.  It  is  sinf!;i'l'>r.  that  tiie 
i'rictioti  is  invariably  accompanied  by  a  stronfj  sulphureous  smell. 


APPENDIX.  851 

considerable  quantities  of  which  are  brought  to  Bristol,  and 
enter  into  the  composition  of  china  ware.  By  means  of  two 
pieces  of  such  quartz,  pretty  forcibly  rubbed  together,  you 
may  distinguish  the  time  of  the  night  by  a  watch:  but,  what 
is  more  surprising,  the  same  eifect  is  produced  equally  strong 
by  rubbing  the  pieces  of  quartz  together  under  water. 


Rosin  Bubbles. 

The  following  account  of  a  simple  and  curious  experiment 
is  extracted  from  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Morey,  of  Oxford, 
New  Hampshire,  to  Dr.  Silliman,  the  editor  of  the  American 
Journal  of  Science  and  Arts. 

"  If  the  end  of  a  copper  tube,  or  of  a  tobacco-pipe  stem,  be 
dipped  in  melted  rosin,  at  a  temperature  a  little  above  that  of 
boiling  water,  taken  out  and  held  nearly  in  a  vertical  position, 
and  blown  through,  bubbles  will  be  formed  of  all  possible 
sizes,  from  that  of  a  hen's  e.zz  down  to  sizes  which  can 
hardly  be  discerned  by  the  naked  eye;  and  from  their  silvery 
lustre,  and  reflection  of  the  different  rays  of  light,  they  have 
a  pleasing  appearance.  Some  that  have  been  formed  these 
eight  months,  are  as  perfect  as  when  first  made.  They  gene- 
rally assume  the  form  of  a  string  of  beads,  many  of  them 
perfectly  regular,  and  connected  by  a  very  fine  fibre;  but  the 
production  is  never  twice  alike.  If  expanded  by  hydrogen 
gas,  they  would  probably  occupy  the  upper  part  of  the  room. 

"  The  formation  of  these  bubbles  is  ascribed  to  a  common 
cause,  viz.  the  distention  of  a  viscous  fluid  by  one  that  is 
aeriform;  and  their  permanency,  to  the  sudden  congelation 
of  the  rosin  thus  imprisoning  the  air  by  a  thin  film  of  solid 
matter,  and  preventing  its  escape." 


A  curious  Hydraulic  Experiment,  called  the  Magical  Bottle. 

Take  a  small  bottle,  (see  Plate)  AB,  Fig. 9,  the  neck  of  which 
must  be  very  narrow,  and  provide  a  glass  vessel,  CD,  tlie 
heiiiht  of  which  exceeds  that  of  the  bottle  about  two  inches; 
fill  the  bottle,  by  means  of  a  small  funnel,  with  red  wine,  and 
place  it  in  the  vessel  CD,  which  is  to  be  previously  filled  with 
water.  Then,  if  the  bottle  be  uncorked,  the  wine  will  pre- 
sently come  out  of  it,  and  rise  in  form  of  a  small  column,  to 
the  surface  of  the  water;  and  at  the  same  time  the  water 
entering  the  bottle,  will  supply  the  place  of  wine;  for  water 
being  specifically  heavier  than  wine,  it  will  consequently  sub- 
side to  the  lowest  place,  while  the  other  naturally  rises  to  the 
top. 

A  similar  effect  will  be  produced,  if  the  bottle  be  filled  with 
water,  and  the  vessel  with  wine,  for  the  bottle  being  placed 


852  APPENDIX. 

in  the  vessel,  in  an  inverted  position,  the  water  will  descend 
to  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and  the  wine  will  rise  in  the  bot- 
tle The  same  effect  may  also  be  produced  by  any  other 
liquors,  the  specific  gravities  of  which  are  considerably 
different. 


Another  Hydraulic  Experimetit,  called  the  Miraculous  Vessel. 

Take  a  tin  vessel  of  about  six  inches  in  height,  and  three 
in  diameter,  having  a  mouth  of  only  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
wide,  and  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  make  a  number  of  small 
holes,  of  a  size  sufficient  to  admit  a  common  sewing  needle. 

Plunge  the  vessel  into  water,  with  its  mouth  open,  and 
when  it  is  full,  cork  it,  and  take  it  out  again;  then,  as  long 
as  the  vessel  remains  corked,  no  water  will  come  out  of  it; 
but  as  soon  as  it  is  uncorked,  the  water  will  immediately  issue 
from  the  small  holes  at  the  bottom.  It  must  be  observed,  how- 
ever, that  if  the  holes  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  be  more 
than  one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  or  if  they  be  too 
numerous,  the  experiment  will  not  succeed  ;  for,  in  this  case, 
the  pressure  of  the  air  against  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  will 
not  be  sufficient  to  confine  the  water. 


A  curious  Hydraulic  Experime)it,  called  Tantalus's  Cup, 

Take  a  glass,  or  any  other  vessel,  (see  Plate)  ABCD,  fig.  10. 
which  has  a  small  bent  pipe,  EFG,  open  at  each  end,  running 
through  the  n)iddle  of  it;  then,  if  water  or  wine  be  poured  into 
the  glass,  it  will  continue  in  it  till  the  tube  is  full  up  to  the  bend 
F,  which  should  be  a  little  lower  than  the  upper  edge  of  the 
glass;  but  if,  after  this,  you  continue  to  pour  more  liquor 
into  it,  it  will  endeavour,  as  usual,  to  rise  higher  in  the  glass, 
but  not  finding  room  for  a  farther  ascent  in  the  tube,  it  will 
descend  through  the  part  EG,  and  run  out  at  the  end  G,  as 
long  as  you  continue  to  put  it  in.  To  those  who  are  unac- 
quainted with  the  nature  of  the  syphon,  the  efiTect  may  perha))s 
appear  something  more  extraordinary,  if  the  longest  branch 
of  the  tube  be  concealed  in  the  handle  of  the  cup. 

This  is  called  the  cup  of  Tantalus,  from  its  resemblance  to 
an  experiment  of  the  same  kind,  by  placing  an  upright  image 
in  the  cup,  and  disposing  the  syphon  in  such  a  manner 
that,  as  soon  as  the  water  rises  to  the  chin  of  the  image,  it 
will  begin  to  run  out  through  the  longest  leg,  in  the  same 
manner  as  from  the  cup  above-mentioned. 


A  curious  Chemical  Experiment,  called  the  Tree  of  Diana. 
Make  an  amalgam,  without  heat,  of  two  drachms  of  leaf 
silver  with  one  drachm  of  quicksilver.     Dissolve  this  amalgam 


APPENDIX.  853 

'WO  ounces,  ».r  a  sufficient  quantity,  of  pure  nitrous  acid 
o.  a  moderate  streni;th  :  dilute  the  solution  in  about  a  puund 
and  a  half  of  distilled  water,  agitate  the  mixture,  and  preserve 
it  for  use  in  a  glass  bottle  with  a  ground  stopper.  When  you 
would  make  your  tree,  put  i)ito  a  phial  the  quantity  of  an 
ounce  of  the  above  preparation,  and  add  to  it  about  the  size  of 
a  ]iea  of  amalgam  of  gold  or  silver,  as  soft  as  butter:  the 
vessel  must  then  be  left  at  rest,  and  soon  afterwards  small 
filaments  w  ill  appear  to  issue  out  of  the  ball  of  amalgam,  whicli 
quickly  increase,  and  shoot  out  branches  in  the  form  of 
shrubs. 

A  metallic  arborisation,  somewhat  similar,  may  be  produced 
in  the  fbllowino-  manner: — Dissolve  a  little  sucjar  of  lead  in 
water,  and  fill  a  phial  with  the  solution.  Pass  a  wire  through 
the  cork,  and  affix  to  the  upper  part  of  the  wire  a  small  bit  of 
silver,  or  zinc,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  may  be  immersed  in 
the  solution  not  far  from  its  surface.  Set  the  phial  in  some 
place  where  it  may  remain  undisturbed,  and  in  about  twenty- 
four  hours  you  will  perceive  the  lead  beginning  to  shoot  round 
the  wire:  this  process  will  continue  going  on  slowly,  till  you 
have  a  beautiful  metallic  tree.  If  you  have  a  wide-mouthed 
phial,  or  glass  jar,  the  experiment  may  be  pleasingly  diversi- 
fied, by  arranging  the  wire  in  various  forms. 


A  remarkable  Experiment,  colled  Prince  Rupert's  Drops. 

Take  up  a  small  quantity  of  the  melted  matter  of  glass  with 
a  tube,  and  let  a  drop  of  it  fall  into  a  vessel  of  water.  This 
drop  will  have  a  small  tail,  which,  being  broken,  the  whole 
substance  of  the  drop  will  burst,  with  great  violence,  into  a  fine 
powder,  and  give  a  little  pain  to  the  hand,  but  do  no  hurt  to  it. 

It  is  a  remarkable  circumstance  in  this  experiment,  that  the 
bulb,  or  body,  will  bear  the  stroke  of  a  hammer,  without 
breaking;  but  when  the  tail  is  broken,  the  above-mentioned 
effect  is  produced.  If  the  drop  be  cooled  in  the  air,  the  same 
effect  will  not  take  place;  and  if  it  be  ground  away  on  a 
stone,  nothing  extraordinary  appears ;  but  if  it  be  put  into 
the  receiver  of  an  air-pump,  and  then  broken,  the  effect  will 
be  so  violent  as  to  produce  light. 


How  to  make  Sympathetic  Inks  of  various  Kinds. 

Bv  sympathetic  inks,  are  meant  those  kinds  of  liquors,  with 
which  if  any  characters  be  written,  they  will  remain  invisible, 
till  some  method  is  used  to  give  them  a  colour. 

The  first  class  of  these  inks  consists  of  such  as  become 
visible  bv  pas-sing  another  liquor  over  them,  or  by  exposin 
them  to  the  vapour  of  that  liquor. 


854  APPENDIX. 

The  seond,  of  tliose  which  do  not  appear  so  long  as  they 
are  kept  close,  but  soon  become  visible  on  being  exposed  to 
the  air. 

The  third,  of  such  as  become  apparent  by  strewing  or  sift- 
ing some  very  fine  powder  over  them. 

The  fourth,  of  those  which  do  not  become  visible  till  they 
are  exposed  to  the  fire,  or  heated. 

The  fifth,  like  the  fourth,  of  such  as  appear  by  heat,  but 
disappear  again  when  the  paper  becomes  cold,  or  has  had  a 
sufficient  time  to  imbibe  the  moisture  of  the  air. 

St/mpathelic  Inks  oj  the  First  C'ass. — Put  some  litharge  into 
strong  distilled  vinegar,  and  let  it  stand  for  twenty-four  hours; 
then  strain  it  off,  and,  after  it  is  quite  settled,  put  it  into  a 
bottle  closely  corked,  and  preserve  it  for  use.  Having  done 
this,  put  into  a  pint  bottle  two  ounces  of  quicklime,  one 
ounce  of  orpiment  in  powder,  and  as  much  water  as  will  rise 
two  or  three  fingers'  breadth  above  them  ;  and  when  the 
solution  is  made,  pour  the  liquid  gently  off,  and  let  it  stand  in 
the  sun  for  two  or  three  days,  observing  to  turn  it  five  or  six 
times  each  day. 

When  these  liquors  are  ready  for  use,  any  letters  written 
by  the  first,  being  exposed  to  the  vapours  of  the  second,  will 
quickly  become  visible;  and  if  you  would  have  them  disap- 
pear again,  vou  must  draw  a  sponge,  or  pencil,  dipt  in  aqua- 
i'ortis,  or  spirit  of  nitre,  over  them :  and  if,  after  this,  you  would 
have  them  appear  again,  stay  till  the  paper  is  quite  dry,  and 
then  pass  the  vivifying  liquor,  made  of  the  solution  of  orpi- 
ment, over  them,  as  before. 

Another  Ink  of  this  C/ass. — Dissolve  bismuth  in  the  nitrous 
acid,  and  any  letters  written  with  this  ink  will  become  quite 
black,  by  being  exposed  to  the  vapour  of  liver  of  sulphur, 
which  is  of  so  penetrating  a  nature,  that  it  will  act  u|)on 
the  ink  through  a  quire  of  paper,  or  even  the  slight  partition 
of  a  room. 

A  Si/mpafhetic  Gold  Ink  of  the  Second  C/ass. — Put  as  much 
gold  into  a  small  quantity  of  aqua-regia  as  will  dissolve  it, 
and  then  dilute  it  with  two  or  three  times  as  much  distilled 
water. 

Also  dissolve,   in  a  separate  vessel,  fine   pewter   in   aqua-, 
regia;  and  when  it  is  well  saturated,  add  to  it  an  equal  quan- 
tity of  distilled  water. 

Then,  if  any  characters  be  written  with  the  solution  of  gold, 
put  them  in  the  shade  till  they  become  quite  dry,  and  they 
will  not  appear  for  the  first  seven  or  eight  hours,  but  if  you 
dip  a  pencil,  or  small  fine  sponge,  in  the  solution  of  pewter, 
and  draw  it  lightly  over  the  invisible  characters,  they  will  pre- 
Bently  a]ipear  of  a  purple  colour. 

The  purple  colour  of  these  letters  may  be  effaced  again,  by 


APPENDIX.  855 

wetting  them  with  aqiia-regia,  and  may  be  produced  a  second 
time,  by  passing  tlie  solution  of  pewter  over  them  as  before. 

A  Sifinpalhctic  Ink  of  the  Second  C/ass. — Dissolve  fine  silver 
in  aqua-lortis.  and  add  some  distilled  water  to  the  solution, 
in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  gold  ink;  then,  whatever  is 
written  with  this  ink,  will  remain  invisible  for  three  or  four 
months,  if  it  be  kept  close  from  the  air;  but  if  it  be  exposed 
to  the  sun,  it  will  a|ij)ear  in  about  an  hour,  of  a  gray  colour, 
like  that  of  a  slate. 

Si/>npalhetic  Inks  of  the  Third  Class, — or  such  as  become 
visible  by  having  any  fine  powder  strewed  over  them, — may 
be  composed  of  the  glutinous  and  colourless  juice  of  any 
vegetable,  the  milk  of  animals,  and  several  other  sub- 
stances. 

Sympathetic  Inks  of  the  Fourth  Class, — are  made  Ky  diluting 
acid  of  vitriol  with  about  three  times  its  weight  of  common 
water,  or  as  much  as  will  prevent  it  from  corroding  the  paper. 
The  juice  of  lemons,  or  onions,  will  answer  the  same  purpose; 
but  either  of  them  requires  more  heat  than  the  first,  and  will 
not  keep  so  long. 

A  Green  Ink  of  the  Fifth  Class. — Take  zafTre  in  powder,  and 
let  it  remain  dissolved  in  aqua-regia  for  twenty-four  hours; 
after  which  pour  the  liquor  off  clear,  and,  adding  to  it  as  much 
common  water,  keep  it  in  a  bottle  well  corked.  Then,  if  any 
characters  be  written  with  this  ink,  and  exposed  to  the  fire, 
or  strong  rays  of  the  sun,  they  will  appear  of  a  lively  green.     ' 

It  is  the  peculiar  property  of  this  ink,  that  as  soon  as  the 
paper  becomes  cold  again,  the  letters  will  disappear;  and  this 
alternate  appearance  and  disappearance  may  be  repeated  a 
great  number  of  times,  provided  the  heat  be  not  too  great. 


Other  Sympathetic  Inks. 

A  Yellow  Ink  of  this  kind  may  be  made,  by  steeping  the 
flowers  of  marigolds  seven  or  eight  days  in  clear  distilled 
vinegar,  and  then  pressin<j  them  out,  and  keeping  the  liquor 
well  corked  in  a  bottle  for  use. 

For  a  lied  invisible  Ink, — take  the  pure  spirit  of  vitriol,  or 
that  of  nitre,  and  add  to  it  eight  or  ten  times  as  much  water, 
according  as  you  would  have  it  more  or  le-ss  red. 

For  a  Green  Ink  of  this  sort, — dissolve  salt  of  tartar,  the 
clearest  and  driest  you  can  procure,  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
river  water;  and  for  a  Violet  sympathetic  Ink,  express  the  juice 
of  lemons,  and  keep  it  in  a  bottle  well  corked. 

Then,  if  any  characters  be  written  with  one  of  these  inks, 
they  will  appear  in  their  proper  colours,  the  paper  having  been 
dipped  in  the  following  liquor. 

Take  a   sufficient  quantity   of  the   flowers    of  pansies,    r,x 


%56  APPENDIX. 

common  violets,  and  after  adding  some  water  to  them,  strain 
the  liquor  throuj^h  a  cloth,  and  keep  it  in  a  bottle  for  use. 


A  Sympatlietic  Ink  ivhich  appears  hi)  being  xoetted  iclh  Water. 

Mix  alum  witli  a  sufficient  quantity  of  lemon  juice;  then, 
if  any  letters  or  characters  be  written  with  this  mixture,  they 
will  be  invisible  till  they  are  wetted  with  water,  which  will 
make  them  appear  of  a  grayish  colour,  and  quite  transparent. 

Or,  you  may  write  with  a  strong  solution  of  roch-alum  only, 
and  when  the  writing  is  dry,  pour  a  small  quantity  of  water 
over  it,  and  it  will  appear  of  a  white  colour,  like  that  of  the 
paper  before  it  was  wetted. 

Also  all  saline  liquors,  such  as  vitriolic,  nitrous,  and  marine 
acids,  diluted  with  water,  the  liquor  of  fixed  vegetable  alkalis, 
and  even  vinegar,  will  produce  the  same  effect. 

If  a  little  aqua-fortis  be  mixed  with  the  water,  the  writing 
will  dry  well,  and  not  run  out  of  its  form  when  the  paper  is 
wetted. 


A  curious  Recreation  with  Syryipathetic  Ink,  called  the  Book  of 

Fate. 

Make  a  book,  consisting  of  seventy  or  eighty  leaves,  and 
in  the  cover  at  the  end  of  it,  let  there  be  a  case  which  opens 
next  to  the  back,  that  it  may  not  be  perceived.  At  the  top 
of  each  right-hand  page,  write  any  question  you  please  ;  and 
at  the  beginning  of  the  book,  let  there  be  a  table  of  those 
questions,  with  the  number  of  the  pages  in  which  each  is  to 
be  found.  Then  write  with  common  ink  on  separate  papers, 
each  about  half  the  size  of  the  pages,  the  same  questions  that 
are  in  the  book  ;  and  under  each  of  them,  write  the  answer 
with  the  ink  made  with  the  litharge  of  lead,  or  the  solution 
of  bismuth. 

Soak  a  double  paper  in  the  vivifying  ink,  made  of  quick- 
lime and  orpiment,  or  the  liver  of  sulphur;  and  just  before 
you  make  the  experiment,  place  it  in  the  case  that  is  in  the 
cover  of  the  book. 

Having  done  this,  deliver  some  of  the  papers  on  which  the 
questions  are  written,  to  the  company;  and  after  they  have 
chosen  such  as  they  wish  to  have  answered,  let  them  put 
them  into  those  leaves  where  the  same  questions  are  con- 
tained; then  shutting  the  book  for  a  few  minutes,  the  sulph.u- 
reous  spirit,  with  which  the  paper  in  the  cover  of  the  book 
is  impregnated,  will  penetrate  the  leaves,  and  make  the 
answer  visible,  which  will  be  of  a  brown  colour,  and  more 
or  less  deep,  in  proportion  to  the  time  the  book  has  been 
closed. 


APPENDIX.  857 

A  curious  Recreation,  called  the  Transcolorated  Writing, 

Write  on  a  paper,  with  a  violet-coloured  liquor,  as  many 
letters  or  words  as  you  please,  and  ask  any  person  which  he 
will  choose  to  have  the  writing, — yellow,  green,  or  red.  Wlien 
he  has  made  his  choice,  have  a  sponge  ready  with  three  sides, 
which  you  can  easily  distinguish,  and  dip  each  of  its  sides 
in  one  of  the  three  sympathetic  inks;  then  draw  the  side  of 
the  sponge  which  corresponds  to  the  colour  the  person  has 
chosen,  over  the  writing,  once  only,  and  it  will  directly 
change  to  the  colour  required. 


An  Experiment  with  Sympathetic  Ink,  called  the  Oracular  Letters. 

Write  on  several  slips  of  paper  different  questions,  and 
such  as  may  be  answered  by  the  name  of  some  person:  for 
example.  Who  is  the  merriest  man  in  company? — Ans2ver, 
Mr.  ***.  To  whom  will  Miss  ***  be  married? — Ansiver,  To 
Mr.  ***.  These  questions  are  to  be  written  in  the  sympa- 
thetic ink  of  the  fourth  class,  and  exposed  to  the  fire,  and  the 
answers  written  in  the  same  ink,  and  left  invisible.  The 
papers  are  then  to  be  folded  in  the  form  of  letters,  and  in 
such  a  manner,  that  the  part  where  the  name  is  written  shall 
be  directly  under  the  seal;  in  which  case,  the  heat  of  the 
wax  will  make  it  visible.  Then,  if  the  letter  be  given  to  the 
person  who  requires  the  answer,  he  will  find  it  plainly 
written. 


An  Experiment  with  Sympathetic  Ink,  called  Winter  changed  to 

Spring. 

Take  a  print  which  represents  winter,  and  trace  over  the 
trees,  plants,  Snd  ground,  with  the  green  sympathetic  ink  ; 
observing  to  make  some  parts  deeper  than  others,  according 
to  their  distance.  When  those  parts  are  dry,  paint  the  other 
objects  in  their  natural  colours;  then  put  the  print  into  a 
glazed  frame,  and  cover  the  back  of  it  with  a  paper,  pasted 
over  its  border  only.  When  this  print  is  exposed  to  the  heat 
of  a  moderate  fire,  or  to  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun,  all  the 
grass  and  foliage  will  turn  to  a  pleasing  green  ;  and  if  a  yellow 
tint  be  given  to  some  parts  of  the  print,  before  the  sympathetic 
ink  he  drawn  over  it,  the  green  will  be  of  different  i.hades, 
and  the  scene,  that  a  minute  before  represented  Winter,  will 
now  be  changed  into  Spring.  When  this  print  is  placed  in 
the  cold.  Winter  will  appear  again,  and  be  again  driven  away 
by  the  warn)  rays  of  the  sun  ;  and  this  alternate  change  of 
seasons  may  be  repeated  as  often  as  you  please,  provided  the 
print  be  not  made  too  hot. 

5Q 


858  APPENDIX. 

A  remarkable  Experiment,  called  the  Revivified  Rose. 
Take  a  rose  that  is  quite  faded,  and  throw  in  some  common 
sulphur  in  a  chafing-dish  of  hot  coal.  Hold  the  rose  over  the 
fumes,  and  it  will  become  quite  white;  then  dip  it  into  a 
basin  of  water,  and  giving  it  to  any  one,  tell  him  to  put  it 
into  his  box  or  drawer,  and  after  locking  it,  to  give  you  the 
key.  About  five  or  six  hours  afterwards,  return  him  the  key, 
and  when  he  unlocks  his  drawer,  instead  of  the  white  rose  he 
put  into  it,  he  will  find  one  perfectly  red. 


How  to  Write  on  Glass  by  means  of  the  Rays  of  the  Sun. 

Dissolve  chalk  in  aqua-fortis,  to  the  consistence  of  milk, 
and  add  to  it  a  strong  solution  of  silver;  keep  this  liquor  in  a 
glass  decanter,  well  stopped,  and  cutting  out  from  a  paper 
the  letters  you  wish  to  appear,  paste  it  on  the  decanter,  and 
place  it  in  the  sun,  in  such  a  manner,  that  its  rays  may  pass 
through  the  spaces  cut  out  of  the  paper,  and  fall  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  liquor;  then  will  that  part  of  the  glass  through 
which  the  rays  pass  be  turned  black,  while  that  uiuler  the 
paper  will  remain  white;  but  particular  care  must  be  taken 
that  the  bottle  be  not  moved  during  the  time  of  the  opera- 
tion. 


To  produce  different   Colours,    by  pouring  a  colourless  Liquor 
into  a  clean  Glass. 

Take  a  strong  solution  of  quicksilver,  made  with  spirit  of 
nitre;  dilute  it  with  water,  and  pour  it  into  a  hot  glass,  rinsed 
in  strong  spirit  of  sea-salt,  and  it  will  instantly  become  co- 
loured. Or,  if  a  solution  of  silver,  made  with  spirit  of  nitre, 
considerably  diluted,  be  poured  into  a  glass,  prepared  in  the 
manner  above-mentioned,  it  will  produce  the  same  effect. 
And  if  you  ])0ur  hot  water  upon  new-made  crocus  metallorum, 
and  put  it  into  a  clean  glass,  rinsed  with  any  acid,  it  will  pro- 
duce an  orange  colour. 


To  produce  a  Colour  xohich  appears  and  disappears  by  the 
hfuence  of  the  Air. 

Put  into  a  decanter  some  volatile  spirit,  in  which  you  have 
dissolved  copper  filings,  and  you  will  have  a  fine  blue  tinc- 
ture ;  and  if  the  bottle  be  stopped,  the  colour  will  soon  return 
again  ;  and  this  experiment  may  be  repealed  a  considerable 
number  of  times. 


APPENDIX.  859 

To  turn  a  colourless  Liquor  Blade,  by  adding  a  While  Powder 

to  it. 

Put  a  hot  weak  pellucid  infusion  of  galls  into  a  glass,  and 
throw  into  it  a  grain  of  the  vitriol  of  iron,  calcined  to  white- 
ness, and  considerably  heated  ;  then,  as  it  falls  to  the  bottom, 
it  will  make  a  black  cloud,  which  will  uniformly  diffuse  itself 
through  the  transparent  liquor,  and  gradually  turn  it  black. 

The  same  effect  may  also  be  produced  by  the  addition  of  a 
little  vitriol  of  iron  calcined  to  a  yellow  colour,  or  by  the  col- 
cothar  of  vitriol  calcined  to  redness. 

The  black  liquor,  produced  as  above,  may  be  rendered 
pellucid  again,  by  pouring  the  liquor  hot  into  a  glass  rinsed 
with  the  pure  acid  of  vitriol.  And  to  make  this  transparent 
liquor  black  again,  pour  to  it  as  much  hot  oil  of  tartar  per 
deliquium  as  will  saturate  the  acid,  which  has  attracted  the 
metallic  matter. 


Freezing  Mixture. 

In  the  time  of  snow,  a  freezing  mixture  may  easily  be  made, 
by  mixing  a  little  snow  and  common  salt  in  a  basin  near  the 
fire.  II  water  in  an  iron  cup  or  jjhial  be  put  into  this  mixture, 
it  will  immediately  be  frozen  ;  and  if  pounded  ice  and  common 
salt  be  added,  it  will  have  a  still  more  powerful  effect. 


Experiments  with  the  Microscope, 

They  who  possess  this  amusing  instrument,  may  easily  per- 
form with  It  a  variety  of  pleasing  experiments  ;  among  others, 
the  following : — Leave  some  vinegar  exposed  in  a  saucer,  for  a 
few  days,  to  the  open  air ;  then  place  a  drop  of  it,  by  means  of 
a  clean  pen,  or  a  camel's  hair  brush,  on  the  transparent  object- 
plate  of  the  microscope;  and  if  the  object-plate  be  properly 
illuminated  from  below,  you  will  observe  in  this  drop  of 
liquor  animals  resembling  some  small  eels,  which  are  in  con- 
tinual motion. 

If  you  slightly  bruise  some  pepper-corns,  and  infuse  them 
in  water  for  a  few  days,  and  then  expose  a  drop  of  it  to  the 
microscope,  a  number  of  animals  of  a  different  kind  will  be 
visible.  These  are  of  an  oblong  shape,  and,  like  the  others, 
in  continual  motion,  going  backwards  and  forwards  in  all  di- 
rections, turning  aside  when  they  meet  each  other,  or  when 
their  passage  is  stopped  by  some  obstacle. 

In  other  infusions,  as  in  that  of  new  hay,  diff'erently  shaped 
animalcules  will  be  found.  When  the  drop  in  which  they 
swim,  and  which  to  them  is  like  a  pond,  becomes  diminished 
Dy   evaporation,    they   gradually  retire    towards  the   middle. 


*""VER8,Ty 


or 

./POouti 


R60  APPENDIX. 

where  they  accumulate,  and  at  length  perish  when  entirely 
deprived  of  moisture.  Previously  to  this,  they  appear  in  great 
distress,  writhe  their  bodies,  and  endeavour  to  escape  from 
that  state  of  uneasiness  which  they  evidently  feel. 

If  the  smallest  quantity  or  drop  of  sulphuric  acid  be  put 
into  a  drop  of  the  infusion  which  swarms  with  these  insects, 
they  immediately  throw  themselves  on  their  backs,  and  expire  ; 
sometimes  losing  their  skin,  which  bursts,  and  suffers  small 
pai  tides  of  air  to  escape. 

Those  who  wish  to  be  furnished  with  microscopic  eels,  at 
all  seasons,  may  have  them  in  common  paste,  such  as  the 
bookbinders  commonly  use.  It  should  neither  be  too  stiff, 
nor  too  watery.  Expose  it  to  the  air,  and  prevent  its  harden- 
ing or  becoming  mouldy  on  the  surface,  by  beating  it  well 
together,  when  it  has  that  tendency.  After  some  days  it  will 
become  sour;  and  then,  if  examined  attentively  by  a  micro- 
scope, multitudes  of  exceedingly  small,  long,  and  slender 
animalcules  will  be  visible;  these  will  grow  larger,  till  thev 
are  of  sufficient  size  to  be  seen  by  the  naked  eye.  A  drop  or 
two  of  vinegar  should  now  and  then  be  poured  on  the  paste; 
and  sometimes,  to  prevent  its  being  dry,  a  little  vinegar  and 
water.  By  this  means  microscopic  eels  may  be  had  all  the 
year.  They  must  be  applied  to  the  microscope  upon  any  flat 
surface,  after  having  first  put  on  it  a  very  small  drop  of  water 
for  them  to  swim  in.  These  are  very  entertaining  objects 
when  examined  by  any  kind  of  microscope,  but  particularly 
the  solar  one,  by  which  the  motions  of  their  intestines  may 
very  plainly  be  distinguished  ;  and  when  the  water  is  nearly 
dried  away,  and  they  are  on  the  point  of  expiring,  their 
mouths  may  be  seen  opening  to  a  considerable  width. 

If  some  of  the  dust  of  the  puff-ball  be  examined  with  the 
microscope,  it  appears  to  consist  of  perfectly  round  globules, 
of  an  orange  colour,  the  diameter  of  which  is  only  about  the 
one-fiftieth  part  of  the  thickness  of  a  hair,  so  that  each  of 
this  giain  is  but  the  T"23^(TTTth  part  of  a  globule,  equal  in  dia- 
meter to  the  breadth  of  a  hair. 

The  farina  of  flowers  is  found  to  be  regularly  or  uniformly 
organized  in  each  kind  of  plant.  In  the  mallow,  for  example, 
each  grain  is  an  opaque  ball,  covered  over  with  small  points. 
The  farina  of  the  tulip,  and  of  most  of  the  liliaceous  kind  of 
flowers,  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  seeds  of  the 
cucumber:  that  of  the  poppy  is  like  grains  of  barley. 

There  are  certain  jjlants,  the  leaves  of  which  seem  to  be 
pierced  with  a  multitude  of  small  holes.  Of  this  kind  is  the 
St.  John's  Wort.  If  a  fragment  iif  this  be  viewed  with  a  good 
microscope,  the  supposed  holes  are  found  to  be  vesicles, 
contained  in  the  thickness  of  the  leaf,  and  covered  with  an 
exceedingly  thin  membrane;  and  these  are  thought  to  be  the 


APPENDIX.  36 1 

receptacles  which  contain  the  essential  and  aromatic  oil  pecu- 
liar to  the  plant.  The  view  exhibited  by  those  plants  which 
have  down,  such  as  borage,  nettles,  8vc.  is  exceedinoly  curious. 
When  examined  by  a  microscope,  they  appear  to  be  covered 
with  sj^ikes.  Those  of  boiaoe  are,  ("or  the  most  part,  bent  so 
as  to  form  an  elbow  ;  and  though  really  so  close,  they  appeal, 
by  the  microscope,  to  be  at  a  consideral)le  distance  from  each 
other.  The  entire  appearance  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
skin  of  a  porcupine. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  sand,  viz.  the  calcareous  and  the 
vitreous  :  the  former,  examined  with  a  microscope,  resembles 
large  irregular  fragments  of  rock  ;  but  the  latter  appears  like 
so  many  rough  diamonds.  In  some  instances,  the  particles 
of  sand  seem  to  be  highly  polished  and  brilliant,  like  an 
assemblage  of  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds. 

Charcoal  is  a  fine  object  for  the  microscope  :  it  is  found  to 
be  full  of  pores,  regularly  arranged,  and  passing  through  its 
whole  length. 

Those  who  wish  to  observe  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  by 
means  of  the  microscope,  may  readily  obtain  the  desired  sa- 
tisfaction. An  object  employed  chieHy  for  this  purpose  is  the 
delicate  transparent  membrane  which  unites  the  toes  of  the 
frog;  another  ojiject  is  the  tail  of  the  tadpole.  If  this  mem- 
brane be  extended,  and  fixed  on  a  piece  of  glass  illuminated 
below,  the  motion  of  the  blood  in  the  vessels  will  be  distinctly 
visible  ;  the  appearance  resembles  a  number  of  small  islands, 
with  a  rapid  current  flowing  between  them. 

Take  a  small  tadpole,  and,  having  wrapped  its  body  in  a 
piece  of  moist  cloth,  place  its  tail  on  the  object-plate  of  the 
microscope,  and  enlighten  it  below,  and  you  will  see  very 
distinctly  the  circulation  of  the  blood  ;  which  in  some  of  the 
vessels  proceeds  by  a  kind  of  undulation,  and  in  others  with 
a  uniform  motion.  The  former  are  thought  to  be  the  arteries 
in  which  the  blood  moves,  in  consequence  of  the  alternate 
pulsation  of  the  heart;  the  latter  are  said  to  be  the  veins. 
The  circulation  of  the  blood  may  be  seen  also  in  the  legs  and 
tails  of  shrimps.  The  transparent  legs  of  small  spiders,  and 
tiiose  of  bugs,  will  also  afford  the  means  of  observing  the 
circulation  of  the  blood  to  very  great  advantage.  The  latter 
are  said,  by  Mr.  Baker,  to  exhibit  an  extraordinary  vibration 
of  the  vessels,  which  he  never  saw  any  where  else.  Very 
small  fish  are  good  objects  for  this  purpose;  but  the  most 
curious  of  all  spectacles  of  this  kind,  is  that  exhibited  by  the 
mosentery  of  a  living  frog,  applied  in  particular  to  the  solar 
microscope. 

If  you  take  off  a  small  piece  of  the  epidermis,  or  scarf  skin, 
of  the  hand,  by  means  of  a  sharp  razor,  and  place  it  on  the 
object-plate  of  the  m.'croscope,  you  will  see  it  covered  with  a 


APPENDIX. 

multitude  of  small  scales,  so  exceedingly  minute,  that,  accord 
ing  to  Leuwenhoek,  a  grain  of  sand  would  cover  two  hundred 
of  them.  These  scales  are  arranged  like  those  on  the  back  of 
fishes,  like  the  tiles  of  a  house,  each  in  part  covering  the 
other.  To  ascertain  the  form  of  these  little  scales,  scrape  the 
skin  with  a  penknife,  and  put  this  dust  into  a  drop  of  water,  and 
it  will  be  seen  that  these  scales,  small  as  they  are,  have,  in  gene- 
ral, five  planes,  and  that  each  consists  of  se\eral  strata.  Under- 
neath these  scales  are  the  pores  of  the  epidermis,  which,  when 
the  former  are  removed,  may  be  distinctly  seen,  apparently 
like  small  holes,  pierced  with  an  exceedingly  fine  needle.  In 
the  length  of  an  inch,  twelve  hundred  have  been  counted,  so 
that,  in  a  surface  equal  to  a  square  inch,  there  are  fourteen 
thousand  ;  and  as  there  are  one  hundred  and  forty-four  inches 
in  a  square  foot,  the  number  of  pores  in  a  square  foot  of  sur- 
face would  be  more  than  two  millions;  and  as  the  surface  of 
the  human  body  is  reckoned  at  fourteen  feet,  the  number  of 
pores  in  its  surface,  through  which  there  is  a  perpetual  perspi- 
ration going  on,  must  be  more  than  twenty-eight  millions. 

The  hairs  of  animals,  seen  through  a  microscope,  appear 
to  be  organized  bodies:  they  are  composed  of  long,  slender, 
hollow  tubes;  some  seem  to  be  composed  of  several  small 
hairs,  covered  with  a  common  bark;  others  are  hollow 
throughout.  The  bristles  of  a  cat's  whisker,  when  cut  trans- 
versely, exhibit  the  appearance  of  a  medullary  part,  which 
occupies  the  middle,  like  the  pith  in  the  twig  of  the  elder- 
tree.  A  human  hair,  cut  in  the  same  manner,  shews  a  variety 
of  vessels  in  very  regular  figures.  Hair  taken  from  the  head, 
the  eyebrows,  the  nostrils,  the  beard,  the  hand,  Sec.  appear 
unlike,  as  well  in  the  roots  as  in  the  hairs  themselves,  and 
vary  as  plants  do  of  the  same  genus,  but  of  different  species. 
Those  of  the  hedgehog  contain  a  kind  of  real  marrow,  which 
is  whitish,  and  formed  of  radii  meeting  in  a  centre.  A  split 
hair  appears  like  a  stick  shivered  with  beating. 

Nothing  can  be  more  curious  than  the  appearance  exhibited 
by  mouldiness,  when  viewed  through  a  microscope.  If  looked 
at  by  the  naked  eye,  it  seems  nothing  but  an  irregular  tissue 
of  filaments;  but  the  magnifying-glass  shews  it  to  be  a  forest 
of  small  plants,  which  derive  their  nourishment  from  the  moist 
substance  which  serves  them  as  a  base.  The  stems  of  these 
plants  may  be  plainly  distinguished,  and  sometimes  the' 
buds,  some  shut,  and  some  open.  They  have  much  similarity 
to  mushrooms,  the  tops  of  which,  when  they  come  to  matu- 
rity, emit  an  exceedingly  fine  dust,  which  is  their  seed. 

Upon  examining  the  edge  of  a  very  keen  razor  with  a  mi- 
croscope, it  will  appear  as  broad  as  the  back  of  a  thick  knife, 
rough,  uneven,  full  of  notches  and  furrows.  An  exceedingly 
small  needle  resembles  a  rouo-h  iron  bar.    But  the  sting;  of  a  bee, 


APPENDIX.  863 

seen  through  the  same  instrument,  exhibits  every  where  a 
polish  exceedingly  beautiful,  without  the  least  flaw,  blemish, 
or  inequality,  and  ends  in  a  point  too  fine  to  be  discerned. 

A  small  piece  of  exceedingly  fine  lawn,  appears,  through  a 
microscope,  like  a  hurdle  or  lattice,  and  the  threads  them- 
selves seem  coarser  than  the  yarn  with  which  ropes  are  made 
for  anchors.  But  a  silkworm's  web  appears  perfectly  smooth 
and  shining,  and  every  where  equal. 

The  smallest  dot  that  can  be  made  with  a  pen,  appears, 
when  viewed  by  the  microscope,  an  irregular  spot,  rough, 
jagged,  and  uneven.  But  the  little  specks  on  the  wings  or 
bodies  of  insects,  are  found  to  be  most  accurately  circular. 

A  microscope  will  prove  the  most  boasted  performances  of 
art  to  be  ill-shaped,  rugged,  and  uneven.  The  finest  minia- 
ture paintings  appear  before  this  instrument  as  mere  daubings, 
plastered  on  with  a  tiowel,  entirely  void  of  beauty,  either  in 
the  drawing  or  the  colouring.  The  most  even  and  beautiful 
varnishes  and  polishings  will  be  found  to  be  mere  roughness, 
full  of  gaps  and  flaws.  Thus  sink  the  works  of  art,  before  the 
microscopic  eye.  But  the  nearer  we  examine  the  works  of 
God,  even  in  the  least  of  his  productions,  the  more  sensible 
shall  we  be  of  his  wisdom  and  power.  Apply  the  microscope 
to  any,  the  most  minute  of  his  works,  nothing  is  to  be  found 
but  beauty  and  perfection.  If  we  examine  the  numberless 
species  of  insects  that  swim,  creep,  or  fly  around  us,  what 
proportion,  exactness,  uniformity,  and  symmetry,  shall  we 
perceive  in  all  their  organs!  what  a  profusion  of  colouring! 
azure,  green,  and  vermilion,  gold,  silver,  pearls,  rubies,  and 
diamonds;  fringe  and  embroidery  on  their  bodies,  wings, 
heads,  and  every  other  part!  how  high  the  finishing,  how 
mimitable  the  polish,  we  every  where  behold  ! 

Their win^s,  all  glorious  to  behold! 

Bedeck'd  with  azure,  jet,  and  p:old. 

Wide  they  display  :  the  spangled  i\ew 

Rcllects  their  eyes  and  various  hue.  Ga;/. 

The  most  perfect  works  of  art  betray  a  meanness,  a  poverty, 
an  inability  in  the  workman;  but  the  works  of  nature  plainly 
prove,  that  "  the  hand  which  formed  them  was  divine." 


Amusing  Experiments  with  the  Thermometer. 

A  thermometer  is  amusing  in  a  room,  to  enable  us  to  know 
with  accuracy  the  real  degree  of  heat,  as  our  own  feelings  are 
so  very  deceptive.  According  to  their  state  of  health  at  the 
time,  dififerent  persons  will  give  a  diflierent  judgment  on  the 
subject.  After  hot  weather,  a  day  which  is  not  very  cold, 
will  yet  feel  so  to  us,  and  after  cold  weather  we  shall  be  ready 
to  thmk  a  day  warm,  which  is  not  so  severe  as  the  preceding. 


S64  APPENDIX. 

In  winter,  a  thermometer  in  a  sitting-room  enablns  us  to  regu- 
late iir,  heat.  Too  great  warmth  produced  by  a  fire  is  injuri- 
ous to  health,  as  it  rehixes  the  strength,  and  consumes  the 
pure  oxygenous  air,  so  necessary  for  respiration. 

Experiments  will  shew  how  differently  the  feelings  of  dif- 
ferent individuals  may  be  affected  by  the  same  degree  of 
heat. 

Let  one  person  go  out  into  the  cold  air  in  winter  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  let  another  sit  by  a  warm  fire;  then  introduce 
both  into  a  room  without  a  fire  :  the  person  from  the  cold  will 
f.-el  it  warm,  and  the  other  will  feel  it  cold. 

A  much  more  entertaining  experiment  will  shew,  that  what 
will  be  cold  to  the  one  hand,  will  be  warm  to  the  other.  Pour 
warm  water  into  one  basin,  cold  water  into  a  second,  and  a 
mixture  of  hot  and  cold  water  into  a  third  ;  then  put  the  one 
hand  into  the  cold  water,  and  the  other  into  the  warm,  for 
two  minutes,  and  after  that  put  both  hands  into  the  luke- 
warm water,  and  to  the  one  hand  it  will  feel  cold,  and  to  the 
other  hot. 


THE  BAROMETElt. 

Rules  for  judging  of  and  predicting  the  State  of  the  Weather 
by  the  Barometer. 

The  rising  of  the  mercury  presages,  in  general,  fair  weather, 
and  its  falling,  foul  weather,  as  rain,  snow,  high  winds,  and 
:rms. 

When  the  surface  of  the  mercury  is  convex,  or  stands 
nigher  in  the  middle  than  at  the  sides,  it  is  a  sign  the  mercury 
is  then  in  arising  state;  but  if  the  surface  be  concave,  or 
hollow  in  the  middle,  it  is  then  sinking. 

In  very  hot  weather,  the  falling  of  the  mercury  indicates 
thunder. 

In  winter,  the  rising  presages  frost;  and  in  frosty  weather, 
if  the  mercury  falls  three  or  four  divisions,  there  will  be  a 
thaw.  But  in  a  continued  frost,  if  the  mercury  rises,  it  will 
certainly  snow. 

When  wet  weather  happens  soon  after  the  depression  of  the 
mercury,  expect  but  little  of  it;  on  the  contrary,  expect  but 
little  fair  weather,  when  it  proves  fair  shortly  after  the  mercury 
has  risen. 

In  wet  weather,  when  the  mercury  rises  mucTi  and  high, 
and  so  continues  for  two  or  three  days  before  the  bad  weather 
is  entirely  over,  then  a  continuance  of  fair  weather  may  be 
expected. 

In  fair  weather,  when  the  uRrcnry  falls  much  and  low,  and 
thus  continues  for  two  or  three  days  before  the  rain  comes, 
then  a  deal  of  wet  may  be  expected,  and  probably  high  winds. 


APPENDIX.  865 

The  unsettled  motion  of  the  mercury  denotes  unsettled 
weather. 

The  words  engraved  on  the  scale  are  not  so  much  to  be 
attended  to,  as  the  rising  and  failing  of  the  mercury  ;  for  if  it 
stands  at  much  rain,  and  then  rises  to  changeable,  it  denotes 
fair  weather,  though  not  to  continue  so  long  as  if  the  mercury 
had  risen  hioher. 

If  the  mercury  stands  at  fair,  and  falls  to  changeable,  bad 
weather  may  be  expected. 

In  winter,  spring,  and  autumn,  the  sudden  falling  of  the 
mercury,  and  that  for  a  large  space,  denotes  high  winds  and 
storms;  but  in  summer  it  presages  heavy  showers,  and  often 
thunder.  It  always  sinks  very  low  for  great  winds,  though 
not  accompanied  with  rain  ;  but  it  falls  more  for  wind  and 
rain  together,  than  for  either  of  them  alone. 

If,  after  rain,  the  wind  change  into  any  part  of  the  north, 
with  a  clear  and  dry  sky,  and  the  mercury  rise,  it  is  a  certain. 
«ign  of  fair  weather. 

After  very  great  storms  of  wind,  when  the  mercury  has  been 
low,  it  commonly  rises  again  very  fast. 

In  settled  fair  weather,  except  the  mercury  sink  much,, 
expect  but  little  rain. 

In  a  wet  season,  the  smallest  depression  must  be  attended 
to;  for   when   the   air  is  much   inclined    to   showers,  a  little 
sinking  in  the  barometer  denotes  more  rain.     And  in  such  a 
season,  if  it  rise  suddenly  fast  and  high,  fair  weather  cannot. 
be  expected  to  last  more  than  a  day  or  two. 

The  greatest  heigbts  of  the  mercury  are  found  upon  easterly 
and  north-easterly  winds;  and  it  may  often  rain  or  snow,  the 
wind  being  in  these  points,  while  the  barometer  is  in  a  rising- 
state,  the  etlects  of  the  wind  counteracting  its  influence.  But 
the  mercury  sinks  for  wind  as  well  as  rain  in  all  other  points, 
of  the  compass. 


New  Method  of  Preserving  Birds. — (From  the  Annual  Register.) 
When  I  receive  a  bird  fresh  taken,  (says  the  author,)  I  open 
the  venter,  from  the  lower  part  of  the  breast-bone  down  to 
the  anus,  with  a  pair  of  scissars,  and  extract  all  the  contents. 
This  cavity  I  immediately  fill  up  with  the  following  mixture, 
and  then  bring  the  wound  together  by  a  suture,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent the  stuffing  from  coming  out.  The  gullet  or  passage  I 
fill,  from  the  beak  down  to  vvhere  the  stomach  lies,  with  the 
mixture  finer  ground,  which  must  be  forced  down  a  little 
at  a  time,  by  the  help  of  a  quill  or  wire  :  the  head  I  open 
near  the  root  of  the  tongue,  with  the  scissars.,  and,  after  hav- 
ing turned  out  the  brains,  I  fill  the  cavity  with  the  same 
mixture. 

5R 


866  APPENDIX 

The  bird  being  thus  filled,  must  now  be  hung  up  bv  the  leo-s 
to  dry  for  two  days,  to  let  the  spice  settle ;  after  which  it  may 
be  placed  in  a  frame  to  dry,  in  the  same  attitude  as  we 
usually  see  it  when  alive.  In  this  frame  it  must  be  held  up 
by  two  threads,  the  one  passing  from  the  anus  to  the  lower 
part  of  the  back,  and  the  other  through  the  eyes  :  the  ends 
of  these  threads  are  to  brace  the  bird  up  to  its  proper  attitude, 
fasten  them  to  the  side  of  the  frame,  and  place  it  on  a  chip 
pill-box.  It  will  now  require  no  other  support  than  a  pin 
through  each  foot,  fastened  into  the  box:  it  must  remain  a 
month  or  two  to  dry.  The  eyes  must  be  supplied  by  j)ropor- 
tional  glass  beads,  fixed  in  with  strong  gum-water. 

The  mixture  is:  common  salt,  one  pound  ;  alum,  powdered, 
four  ounces;  ground  pepper,  two  ounces;  all  blended  toge- 
ther. 


To  take  the  Impression  of  the  Wings  of  a  Butterfy  in  all  their 

Colours. 

Kill  it  without  spoiling ;  cut  off  the  body  close  to  the 
wings,  which  contrive  to  spread  in  a  flying  position  ;  then 
take  a  piece  of  white  paper,  wash  part  of  it  with  thick  gum- 
water ;  when  dry,  lay  it  on  a  smooth  board,  with  the  wings 
on  the  gum-water;  lay  another  paper  over  this,  press  both 
very  hard,  let  them  remain  under  pressure  for  an  hour;  after- 
wards take  off  the  wings  of  the  butterfly,  and  you  will  find  a 
perfect  impression  of  them,  with  all  their  various  colours, 
remaining  on  the  paper.  Draw,  between  the  wings  of  the  im- 
pression, the  body  of  the  butterfly,  and  colour  it  after  life. 


take  the  Impression  of  a  Leaf  of  any  Tree,  Plant,  or  Shrnh, 
with  all  its  Veins. 

Having  put  the  intended  leaf  into  a  book  for  a  few  minutes, 
which  will  cause  it  to  lie  very  flat,  you  must  have  a  pair  of 
balls,  somewliat  of  the  shape  of  those  used  by  printers;  have 
them  covered  with  kid-skin,  that  being  the  best  leatlier  for 
tlie  purpose.  These  balls  may  be  n)a(ie  to  any  size.  You 
must  then  procure  some  lamp-black,  ground  or  mixed  with 
drying  oil,  and  having  put  a  smnll  quantity  on  one  of  the  balls, 
spread  it  all  over  with  the  other  till  they  are  both  black  ;  then 
laying  the  leaf  on  one  of  them,  place  the  other  over  it,  and 
press  both  very  hard  together.  When  the  leaf  is  sulficiently 
black,  take  it  oft'  the  ball,  and  place  it  between  a  sheet  of 
white  paper.  Press  it  gently  with  your  hand,  the  heat  and 
pressure  of  which  will  cause  it  to  receive  an  accurate  delinea- 
.tion  of  all  its  veins. 


APPENDIX.  867 

Instead  of  black,  any  other  colour  may  be  used.  Verdigris 
makes  a  pleasant  green ;  and  by  adding  yellow  ochre,  or 
Prussian  blue,  you  may  approach  the  original  tint  of  the  leaf, 
and  your  impression  will  almost  equal  that  of  nature. 


Curious  Experiments  respecting  Colours. 

The  following  curious  and  useful  remarks  on  the  different 
degrees  of  heat  imbibed  from  the  sun's  rays,  &c.  by  cloths  of 
ditferent  colours,  were  extracted  from  "  Experiments  and  Ob- 
servations," by  that  famous  Ameiican  philosopher  and  politi- 
cian, Dr.  B.  Franklin. 

"  First,  let  me  mention  an  experiment  you  may  easily  make 
yourself.  Walk  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  your  garden  when 
the  sun  shines,  with  a  part  of  your  dress  white,  and  a  part 
black  ;  then  apply  your  hand  to  them  alternately,  and  you 
will  find  a  very  great  difference  in  their  warmth.  The  black 
will  be  quite  hot  to  the  touch,  the  white  still  cool. 

"Another.  Try  to  fire  paper  with  a  burning-glass.  If  it 
be  white,  you  will  not  easily  burn  it;  but  if,  you  bring  the 
focus  to  a  black  spot,  or  upon  letters  written  or  printed,  the 
paper  will  immediately  be  on  fire  under  the  letters. 

"Thus  fullers  and  dyers  find  thatblack  cloths,  of  equal  thick- 
ness with  white  ones,  and  hung  out  equally  wet,  dry  in  the 
sun  much  sooner  than  the  white,  being  more  readily  heated  by 
the  sun's  rays.  It  is  the  same  before  a  fire ;  the  heat  of 
which  sooner  penetrates  black  stockings  than  white  ones,  and 
is  apt  sooner  to  burn  a  man's  shins.  Also  beer  much 
sooner  warms  in  a  black  mug  set  before  the  fire,  than  in  a 
white  one,  or  in  a  bright  silver  tankard. 

"  My  experiment  was  this  :  I  took  a  number  of  little  square 
pieopc  ^^  «-.-^orJ  -i^tv  ^~^nt  o  ta!!^-' '■'■  —  — '\rd,  of  various  co- 

^,^tT,  1  neie  were  DiacK,  v^eep  oiue,  ligbte^  Ane,  green,  purple, 
red,  yellow,  white,  and  other  colours,  or  shades  of  colours.  I  laid 
them  all  out  upon  tiie  snow  in  a  bright  sunshiny  morning.  In 
a  few  houfs,  (I  cannot  now  be  exact  as  to  tiie  time,)  the  black 
being  warmed  most  by  the  sun,  was  sunk  so  low  as  to  be 
below  the  stroke  of  the  sun's  rays;  the  dark  blue  almost  as 
low,  the  lighter  blue  not  quite  so  low  as  the  dark,  the  other 
colours  less  as  they  were  lighter ;  and  the  quite  white  remained 
on  the  surface  of  the  snow,  not  having  entered  it  at  all. 

"What  signifies  philosophy  that  does  not  apply  to  some 
use?  I\lay  we  not  learn  from  hence,  that  black  cloths  are  not 
so  fit  to  wear  in  a  hot  sunny  climate,  or  season,  as  white  ones; 
because,  in  such  clothes  the  body  is  more  heated  by  the  sun 
when  we  walk  abroad,  and  are  at  the  same  time  heated  by  the 
exercise,  which  double  heat  is  apt  to  bring  on  putrid  dan- 
gerous fevers? — that  soldiets  and   sf-arjifn,  who  must  march 


HGS  APPENDIX. 

anU  la  jOur  /ii  the  sun,  should,  in  I'he  East  or  West  Indies, 
have  a  uniform  of  white? — that  summer  hats  for  men  or 
women,  should  be  white,  as  repellint;  that  heat  which  gives 
head-achs  to  many,  and  to  some  the  fatal  stroke  that  the 
French  call  the  coup  de  solid? — that  the  ladies'  summer 
hats,  however,  should  be  lined  with  black,  as  not  reverberat- 
ing on  their  faces  those  rays  which  are  reflected  upwards  from 
the  earth  or  water? — that  the  putting  a  white  cap  of  paper  or 
linen,  within  the  crown  of  a  black  hat,  as  some  do,  will  not 
keep  out  the  heat,  though  it  would  if  placed  without? — that 
fruit-walls  being  blackened,  may  receive  so  much  heat  from  the 
s\in  in  the  day-time,  as  to  continue  warm,  in  some  degree, 
through  the  night,  and  thereby  preserve  the  fruit  from  frosts, 
or  forward  its  growth? — with  sundry  other  particulars,  of  less 
or  greater  importance,  that  will  occur  from  time  to  time  to 
attentive  minds?"  07  vhj.ir;  n  liii  ;  ■^■y 


Thirty  Soldiers  having  deserted,  so  to  place  them  in  a  Ring,  that 
you  may  save  any  Fifteen  you  please,  and  it  shall  seem  the 
Effect  of  Chance. 

This  recreation  is  usually  proposed  thus:  Fifteen  Christians 
and  fifteen  Turks  being  in  a  ship  at  sea,  in  a  violent  ten)pest, 
it  was  deemed  necessary  to  throw  half  the  number  of  persons 
overboard,  in  order  to  disburden  the  ship,  and  save  the  rest; 
to  effect  this,  it  was  agreed  to  be  done  by  lot,  in  such  a  man- 
ner, that  the  persons  being  placed  in  a  ring,  every  ninth  man 
should  be  cast  into  the  sea,  till  one  half  of  them  were  thrown 
overboard.  Now,  the  pilot,  being  a  Christian,  was  desirous 
of  saving  those  of  his  own  persuasion  :  how  ought  he  there- 
fore to  dispose  the  crew,  so  that  the  lot  might  always  fall 
upon  the  Turks  ? 

This  question  may  be  resolved  by  placing  the  men  accord- 
ing to  the  numbers  annexed  to  the  vowels  in  the  words  of 
'the  followincr  verse  : — 

Po-pu-le-am     Jir-gam     Ma-ter     Re-gi-na  fe-re-bat. 
4521         3      1  12        231221 

from  which  it  appears,  that  you  must  place  four  of  those  you 
would  save  first;  then  five  of  those  you  would  punish.  After 
this,  two  of  those  to  be  saved,  and  one  to  be  punished  ;  and 
so  on.  When  this  is  done,  you  must  enter  the  rrng,  and 
beginning  with  the  first  of  the  four  men  you  intend  to  save, 
count  on  to  nine  ;  and  turn  this  man  out  to  be  punished  ;  then 
count  on,  in  like  manner,  to  the  next  ninth  man,  and  turn 
him  out  to  be  punished  ;  and  so  on  for  the  rest. 

It  is  reported  that  Josephus,  the  author  of  the  Jewish  His- 
tory, escaped  the  danger  of  death  by  means  of  this  problem  j 


APPENDIX.  869 

for  being  governor  of  Joppa,  at  the  time  that  it  was  taken  by 
Vespasian,  he  was  obliged  to  secrete  himself  with  thirty  or 
forty  of  his  soldiers  in  a  cave,  where  they  made  a  firm  reso- 
lution to  perish  by  famine  rather  than  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  conqueror  J  but  being  at  length  driven  to  great  distress, 
they  would  have  destroyed  each  other  for  sustenance,  had  not 
Josephus  persuaded  them  to  die  by  lot,  which  he  so  ordered, 
that  all  of  them  were  killed  except  himself  and  another,  whotu 
he  might  easily  destroy,  or  persuade  to  yield  to  the  Romans. 


Three  Persons  having  each  chosen,  privately,  one  out  of  three 
Things, — to  tell  them  which  they  have  chosen. 

Let  the  three  things,  for  instance,  be  a  ring,  a  guinea,  and 
a  shilling,  and  let  them  be  known  privately  to  yourself  by  the 
vowels  a,  e,  i,  of  which  the  first,  a,  signifies  one,  the  second, 
e,  two,  and  the  third,  i,  three. 

Then  take  24  counters,  and  give  the  first  person  1,  which 
signifies  a,  the  second  2,  which  represents  e,  and  the  third  3, 
which  stands  fore";  then,  leavingthe  other  counters  upon  the 
table,  retire  into  aaother  room,  and  bid  him  who  has  the 
ring  take  as  many  counters  from  the  table  as  you  gave  him; 
he  that  has  the  guinea,  twice  as  many,  and  he  that  has  the 
shilling  four  times  as  many. 

This  being  done,  consider  to  whom  you  gave  one  counter, 
to  whom  two,  and  to  whom  three;  and  as  there  were  only 
tvveiUy-four  counters  at  first,  there  must  necessarily  remain 
either  1,  2,  3,  5,  6,  or  7,  on  the  table,  or  otherwise  they 
must  have  failed  in  observing  the  directions  you  gave  them. 

Rut  if  either  of  these  numbers  remain,  as  they  ought,  the 
question  may  be  resolved  by  retaining  in  your  memory  tho 
six  following;  words  : — 

Salve      certa        aninia       semita       vita       quies. 
12  3  5  6  7 

As,  for  instance,  suppose  the  number  that  remained  was  5; 
then  the  word  belonging  to  it  is  semita;  and  as  the  vowels  in 
the  first  two  syllables  of  this  word  are  e  and  /,  it  shews,  ac- 
cording to  the  former  directions,  that  he  to  whom  you  gave 
two  counters  has  the  ring;  he  to  whom  you  gave  three  coun 
ters,  the  gold;  and  the  other  person,  of  course,  the  silver,  it 
beino;  the  second  vowel  which  represents  2,  and  the  third 
which  represents  3. 


Iloiv  to  part  an  Eight  Gal/on  Buttle  of  Wine  equally  heticeen  two 
Persons,  using  only  tico  other  Bottles,  one  of  Five  Gallons, 
and  the  other  of  Three. 

This  question  is  usually  proposed  in  the  following  manner: 


870  APPENDIX. 

A  certain  person  liaving  an  eigbt-gallon  bottle  filled  with  ex 
cellent  wine,  is  desirous  of  making  a  present  of  half  of  it  to 
one  of  his  friends  ;  but  as  he  has  notliing  to  measure  it  out 
with,  but  two  other  bottles,  one  of  which  contains  five  gallons, 
and  the  other  three,  it  is  required  to  find  how  this  may  be 
accomplished? 

In  order  to  answer  the  question,  let  the  eight-gallon  bottle 
be  called  A,  the  five-gallon  botile  B,  and  the  three-gallon 
bottle  C  ;  then,  if  the  liquor  be  poured  out  of  one  bottle  into 
another,  according  to  the  manner  denoted  in  either  of  the 
two  following  examples,  the  proposed  conditions  will  be  an- 
swered. 


8 

5 

3 

A 

B 

C 

8 

0 

0 

3 

5 

0 

3 

2 

3 

6 

2 

0 

6 

0 

2 

1 

5 

2 

1 

4 

3 

4 

4 

0 

8 

5 

3 

A 

B 

C 

8 

0 

0 

5 

0 

3 

5 

3 

0 

2 

3 

3 

2 

5 

1 

7 

0 

1 

7 

1 

0 

4 

1 

3 

A  Quantity  of  Eggs  being  broken,  to  Jind  how  many  there  were 
without  remembering  the  Number. 

An  old  woman,  carrying  eggs  to  market  in  a  basket,  met 
an  unruly  fellow,  who  broke  them.  Being  taken  before  a 
magistrate,  he  was  ordered  to  pay  for  them,  provided  the 
woman  could  tell  how  many  she  had  ;  but  she  could  only 
remember,  that  in  counting  them  into  the  basket  by  twos, 
by  threes,  by  fours,  by  fives,  and  by  sixes,  there  always  re- 
mained one;  but  in  counting  them  in  by  sevens,  there  were 
none  remaining.  Now,  in  this  case,  how  was  the  number  to 
be  ascertained  ? 

This  is  the  same  thing  as  to  find  a  number,  which  being 
divided  by  2,  3,  4,  5,  and  6,  there  shall  remain  1,  but  being 
divided  by  7,  there  shall  remain  nothing;  and  the  least  num- 
ber, which  will  answer  the  conditions  of  the  question,  is  found 
to  be  301,  which  was  therefore  the  number  of  eggs  the  old 
woman  had  in  her  basket. 


To  Jind  the  least  Number  of  Weights,  that  will  weigh  from  One 
Pound  to  Fort!/. 

This  problem  may  be  resolved  by  the  means  of  the  geome- 
trical progression,  1,3,9,  27,  81,  &.C.  the  property  of  which 
is  such,  that  the  last  sum  is  twice  the  number  of  all  the  rest^ 


APPENDIX.  871 

and  one  more;  so  that  the  number  of  pounds  being  forty, 
which  is  also  the  sum  of  1,  3,  9,  27,  these  four  weights  will 
answer  the  purj)0se  required.  Suppose  it  was  required,  for 
example,  to  weigh  eleven  pounds  by  them :  you  must  put 
into  one  scale  the  one-pound  weight,  and  into  the  other  the 
three  and  nine-pound  weights,  which,  in  this  case,  will  weigh 
only  eleven  pounds,  in  consequence  of  the  one-pound  weight 
being  in  the  other  scale ;  and  therefore,  if  you  put  any  substance 
into  the  first  scale,  along  with  the  one-pound  weight,  and  it 
stands  in  equilibrio  with  the  three  and  nine  in  the  other  scale, 
you  mav  conclude  it  weighs  eleven  pounds. 

In  like  manner,  to  find  a  fourteen-pound  weight,  put  into 
one  of  the  scales  the  one,  three,  and  nine-pound  weights,  and 
into  the  other  that  of  twenty-seven  pounds,  and  it  will  evi- 
dently outweigh  the  other  three  by  fourteen  pounds  ;  and  so 
on  for  any  other  weight. 


To  break  a  Stick  which  rests  upon  two    Wine  Giasses,  without 
injuring  the  Glasses. 

Take  a  stick,  (see  Plate,)  AB.  fig.  1,  of  about  the  size  of  a 
common  broomstick,  and  lay  its  two  ends,  AB,  which  ought 
to  be  pointed,  upon  the  edges  of  two  glasses  placed  upon  two 
tables  of  equal  height,  so  that  it  may  rest  lightly  on  the  edge 
of  each  glass.  Then  take  a  kitchen  poker,  or  a  large  stick, 
and  give  the  other  a  smart  blow,  near  the  middle  point  c,  and 
the  stick  AB  will  be  broken,  without  in  the  least  injuring  the 
glasses:  and  even  if  the  glasses  be  filled  with  wine,  not  a 
drop  of  it  will  be  spilt,  if  the  operation  be  properly  j)erformed. 
But  on  the  contrary,  if  the  stick  were  struck  on  the  under- 
side, so  as  to  drive  it  up  into  the  air,  the  glasses  would  be 
infallibly  broken. 


A  Number  of  Metals  being  mixed  together  in  one  Mass,  to  Jind 
the  Quantitu  of  each  oj' them. 

Vitruvius,  in  his  Architecture,  reports,  that  ITiero,  king 
of  Sicily,  having  employed  an  artist  to  make  a  crown  of  pure 
gold,  which  was  designed  to  be  dedicated  to  the  gods,  sus- 
pected that  the  goldsmith  had  stolen  part  of  the  gold,  and 
substituted  silver  in  its  place:  being  desirous  of  discovering 
the  cheat,  he  proposed  the  question  to  Archimedes,  desiring 
to  know  if  he  could,  by  his  art,  discover  whether  any  other 
metal  were  mixed  with  the  gold.  This  celebrated  mathema- 
tician being  soon  afterwards  bathing  himself,  observed,  that 
as  he  entered  the  bath,  the  water  ascended,  and  flowed  out  of 
it;  and  as  he  came  out  of  it,  the  water  descended  in  like  man- 
ner:   fioni    which  he  inferred    that  if  a   mass  of  pure  gold, 


872  APPEND!  t. 

silver,  or  any  other  metal,  were  thrown  into  a  vessel  of  water, 
the  water  would  ascend  in  proportion  to  the  bulk  of  the 
metal.  Being  intensely  occupied  with  the  invention,  he 
leaped  out  of  the  bath,  and  ran  naked  through  the  streets, 
crying,  "  I  have  found  it,  I  have  found  it!" 

The  way  in  which  he  applied  this  circumstance  to  the  solu- 
tion of  the  question  proposed  was  this :  he  procured  two 
masses,  the  one  of  pure  gold,  and  the  other  of  pure  silver, 
each  equal  in  weight  to  the  crown,  and  consequently  of  une- 
qual magnitudes;  then  immersing  the  three  bodies  separately 
in  a  vessel  of  water,  and  collecting  the  quantity  of  water 
expelled  by  each,  he  was  presently  enabled  to  detect  the 
fraud,  it  being  obvious,  that  if  the  crown  expelled  more  water 
than  the  mass  of  gold,  it  must  be  mixed  with  silver  or  some 
baser  metal.  Suppose,  for  instance,  in  order  to  apply  it  to 
the  question,  that  each  of  the  three  masses  weighed  eighteen 
pounds;  and  that  the  mass  of  gold  displaced  one  pound  of 
water,  that  of  silver  a  pound  and  a  half,  and  the  crown  one 
pound  and  a  quarter  only  :  then,  since  the  mass  of  silver  dis- 
placed half  a  pound  of  water  more  than  the  same  weight  of 
gold,  and  the  crown  a  quarter  of  a  pound  more  than  the  gold, 
it  appears,  from  the  rule  of  proportion,  that  half  a  pound  is 
to  eighteen  pounds,  as  a  quarter  is  to  nine  pounds;  which  was, 
therefore,  the  quantity  of  silver  mixed  in  the  crown. 

Since  the  time  of  Archimedes,  several  other  methods  have 
been  devised  for  solving  this  problem  ;  but  the  most  natural 
and  easy  is,  that  of  weighing  the  crown  both  in  air  and  water, 
and  observinir  the  difference. 


To  make  a  mutual  Exchange  of  the  Liquor  in  tivo  Bottles,  without 
using  auitf  other  Vessel. 

Take  two  bottles,  which  are  as  nearly  equal  as  possible, 
both  in  neck  and  belly,  and  let  one  be  filled  with  oil, 
and  the  other  with  water;  then  clap  the  one  that  is  full 
of  water  dexterously  upon  the  other,  so  that  the  two  necks 
shall  exactly  fit  each  other;  and  as  the  water  is  heavier  than 
the  oil,  it  will  naturally  descend  into  the  lower  bottle,  and 
make  the  oil  ascend  into  its  place.  In  order  to  invert  the 
bottle  of  water  without  spilling  the  contents,  place  a  bit  of 
thin  writing  paper  over  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  ;  and  when 
you  have  placed  the  bottle  in  the  proper  position,  draw  out 
the  paper  quickly  and  steadily. 


How  to  make  a  Feg  that  will  exactly  jit  Three  different  Holes. 

Let  one  of  the  holes  be  circular,  the  other  square,  and  the 
third  an  oval;  then  it  is  evident,  that  any  cylindrical  body. 


APPENDIX.  873 

of  a  proper  size,  rfiay  be  made  to  pass  throuj^h  the  first  hole 
per|)eiuliciilarly  ;  and  if  its  length  be  just  equal  to  its  diame- 
ter, it  may  be  passed  horizontally  through  the  second,  or 
square  liole  ;  also,  if  the  breadth  of  the  oval  be  n)ade  equal 
to  the  diameter  of  the  base  of  the  cylinder,  and  its  longest 
diameter  equal  to  the  diagonal  of  it,  the  cylinder,  being  put 
in  obliquely,  will  till  it  as  exactly  as  any  of  the  former. 


To  place  Three  Sticks,  or  Tobacco  Pipes,  iipou  a  Table,  in  such 
a  maimer  that  they  may  appear  to  be  unsupported  by  any 
thing  but  themselves. 

Take  one  of  the  sticks,  or  pipes,  (see  Plate,)  AB,  fig.  2,  and 
place  it  in  an  oblique  position,  with  one  of  its  ends,  B,  resting 
on  the  table;  then  put  one  of  the  other  sticks,  as  CD,  across 
this  in  such  a  manner  that  one  end  of  it,  D,  may  be  raised,  and 
the  other  touch  the  table  at  C.  Having  done  this,  take  the 
third  stick  E,  and  complete  the  triangle  with  it,  making  one 
of  its  ends  E  rest  on  the  table,  and  running  it  under  the 
second,  CD,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  may  rest  upon  the  first, 
AB;  then  will  the  three  sticks,  thus  placed,  mutually  support 
each  other;  and  even  if  a  small  weight  be  laid  upon  them,  it 
will  not  make  them  fall,  but  strengthen,  and  keep  them  firmer 
in  their  position. 


Hotv  to  prevent  a  heavy  Body  from  falling,  by  adding  another 
heavier  Body  to  it  on  that  side  toivards  which  if  inclines. 

On  the  edge  of  a  shelf,  or  table,  or  any  other  liorizontal 
surface,  lay  a  key,  (see  Plate,)  CD,  fig.  3,  in  such  a  manner, 
that,  being:  left  to  itself,  it  would  fall  to  the  siround  ;  then,  in 
order  to  prevent  this,  take  a  crooked  stick  DFG,  with  a  weight, 
H,  at  the  end  of  it;  and  having  inserted  one  end  of  the  stick 
in  the  open  part  of  the  key,  at  D,  let  it  be  so  placed,  that  the 
weight  H  n>ay  fall  perpendicularly  under  the  edge  of  the  table, 
and  the  body  by  these  means  will  be  effectually  prevented 
from  falling. 

The  same  thing  may  be  done  by  hanging  a  weight  at  the 
end  of  a  tobacco-pipe,  a  stick,  or  any  <  '  er  body;  the  best 
means  of  accomplishing  which  will  be  tacny  known  by  a  few 
trials. 


To  make  a  false  Balance,  that  shrill  appear  perfectly  just  when 
empty,  or  ivhen  loaded  ivith  inief/val  Ifeighls. 

Take  a  balance,  (see  Plate.)  DCE,  fig.  4,  the  scales  and 
arms  of  which  are  of  such  unequal  weights  and  lengtlis,  that 
the  scale  A  may  be  in  proportion  to  the  scale  B,  as  tiie  length 

37  ■'  5  S 


874  APPENDIX. 

uf  the  aim  CE  is  to  the  length  of  the  arm  CD;  then  will  the 
two  scales  be  exactly  in  equilibrio  about  the  point  C;  and  tlie 
same  will  be  the  case,  if  the  two  arms  CD,  CE,  ■^re  of  equal 
length,  but  of  unequal  thickness,  provided  the  thickness  of 
CD  is  to  that  of  CE,  as  the  weight  of  the  scale  B  is  to  that 
of  A. 

For  example;  suppose  the  arm  CD  is  equal  to  three  ounces, 
and  the  arm  CE  to  two,  and  that  the  scale  B  weighs  three 
ounces,  and  the  scale  A  two;  then  the  balance,  in  this  case, 
will  be  exactly  true  when  empty;  and  if  a  weight  of  two 
pounds  be  put  into  the  scale  A,  and  one  of  three  pounds  into 
B,  they  will  still  continue  in  equilibrio.  But  the  fallacy  in 
this,  und  all  other  cases  of  the  same  kind,  may  be  easily 
detected,  in  shifting  the  weights  from  one  scale  to  the  other. 


How  to  lift  up  a  Bottle  with  a  Straw,  or  any  other  slight 
Substance. 

Take  a  straw,  (see  Plate,)  AB,  fig.  5,  which  is  not  broken  or 
bruised,  and  bend  one  end  of  it  into  a  sharp  angle  ABC ;  then 
if  this  end  of  the  straw  be  put  into  the  bottle,  so  that  the 
bent  part  of  it  may  rest  against  either  of  its  sides,  you  may 
take  the  other  end  in  your  hand,  and  lift  up  the  bottle  by  it 
without  breaking  the  straw;  and  this  will  be  the  more  easily 
done,  according  as  the  angular  part  of  the  straw  approaches 
nearer  to  that  which  comes  out  of  the  bottle. 


Hoiu  to  make  a  Cone,  or  Pyramid,  move  upon  a  Table  without 
Springs,  or  any  other  artijicial  Means. 

Take  a  cone,  or  pyramid,  of  paper,  or  any  other  light  sub- 
stance, and  put  a  beetle,  or  some  such  small  insect,  privately 
under  it;  then,  as  the  animal  will  naturally  endeavour  to  free 
itself  from  its  captivity,  it  will  move  the  cone  towards  the 
edge  of  the  table,  and  as  soon  as  it  comes  there,  will  imme- 
diately return  for  fear  of  fallins;  and  by  moving  backwards 
and  forwards  in  this  manner,  will  occasion  much  diversion  to 
those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  cause. 


To  make  a  Pen,  tvlnch  holds  One  Hundred  Sheep,  hold  double  the 
Number,  by  only  adding  txco  Hurdles  7nore. 

In  the  first  pen,  or  that  which  holds  one  hundred  sheep, 
the  hurdles  must  be  so  disposed,  that  there  shall  be  only  one 
at  the  top  and  bottom,  and  the  rest  in  equal  numbers  on  each 
side  ;  then  it  is  obvious,  that  if  one  hurdle  more  be  placed 
at  each  end,  the  space  enclosed  must  necessarily  be  double 
the  former,  and  consequently  will  hold  twice  the  number  of 
sheep. 


APPENDIX.  O/O 

Ail  ingenious  Recreation,  called  the  2  wo  Cununnnicative  Busts. 

Tiike  two  heads  of  plaster  of  Paris,  and  place  them  on 
pedestals  on  the  opposite  sides  of  a  room.  I'hen  take  a  tin 
tube,  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  let  it  pass  from  the  ear  of 
one  head  thiough  the  pedestal,  and  under  the  floor,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  other,  observing-,  that  the  end  of  the  tube  vviiicli 
is  next  the  ear  of  one  head,  should  be  considerably  larger 
than  that  which  comes  to  the  mouth  of  the  other. 

The  whole  being  so  disposed  that  there  maybe  no  suspicion 
of  a  communication,  let  any  person  speak  with  a  low  voice 
into  the  ear  of  one  bust,  and  the  sound  will  be  distinctly  heard 
by  any  one  who  shall  place  his  ear  to  the  mouth  of  the  other; 
and  if  there  be  two  tubes,  one  going  to  the  ear,  and  the  other 
to  the  mouth  of  each  head,  two  persons  may  converse  toge- 
ther, by  applying  their  mouth  and  ear  reciprocally  to  the 
mouth  and  ear  of  the  busts,  without  being  heard  by  any  other 
persons  in  the  room. 


Another  Kecreation  of  the  same  kind,  called  the  Oracular  Head. 

Place  a  bust  on  a  pedestal  in  the  corner  of  a  room,  and  let 
there  be  two  tubes,  one  of  which  goes  from  the  mouth,  and 
the  other  from  the  ear  of  the  bust,  through  the  pedestal  and 
floor,  to  an  under  apartment. 

Then  if  a  person  be  placed  in  the  under  room,  by  applying 
his  eiir  to  one  of  the  tubes  as  soon  as  a  proper  signal  is  given, 
he  will  hear  any  question  that  is  asked,  and  can  immediately 
i('ti:in  an  answer;  and  if  wires  be  contrived  to  go  from  tiie 
undf  r  jaw  and  eyes  of  the  bust,  they  may  be  made  to  move 
at  the  same  time,  and  by  these  means  appear  to  deliver  the 
answer. 

It  was  by  a  contrivance  of  this  kind,  that  Don  Antonio  de 
Moreno  so  much  astonished  the  celebrated  Knight  of  the  Woe- 
ful Countenance,  and  his  facetious  squire  Sancho  Panza,  by 
resolving  certain  doubts  proposed  by  the  former  concerning 
his  adventures  in  the  cave  of  Montesinos,  and  the  disenchant- 
mt'nt  of  my  lady  Dulcinea. 


lloro  to  make  a  Piece  of  Metal,  or  any  other  heavy  Body,  swirr 
upon  the  Surface  of  Water,  like  a  Cork. 
The  specific  gravity  of  water  is  inferior  to  that  of  metals, 
and  consequently  water,  absolutely  speaking,  cannot  support 
a  ball  of  iron  or  lead  ;  but  if  this  ball  be  flattened,  and  beat 
out  to  a  very  thin  plate,  it  will,  if  ptit  softly  upon  still  water, 
be  prevented  from  sinking,  and  will  swim  upon  its  surface 
like  any  light  substance.     In  like  manner,  if  a  fine  steel  needle, 


87G  APPENDIX 

which  is  perfectly  dry,  be  placed  gently  upon  some  still  water 
ill  a  vessel,   it  will  float  upon  the  surface  without  sinking. 

But  if  you  would  have  a  metallic  body  of  large  dimensions 
to  swim  upon  water,  you  must  reduce  it  into  a  thin  concave 
plate,  like  a  kettle;  in  which  case,  as  the  air  it  contains,  to- 
gether with  the  body  itself,  weighs  less  than  the  same  bulk 
of  water,  it  cannot  possibly  sink;  as  is  evident  from  large 
copper  boats,  or  pontoons,  by  which  whole  armies  have  fi-e- 
quently  ]iassed  over  rivers  without  danger. 

If  this  concave  metallic  vessel  be  placed  upon  the  water 
with  its  Hiouth  downwards,  it  will  swim  as  before,  and  the 
contained  air  will  keep  the  bottom  of  it  from  being  wet;  for 
that  the  Water  will  not  rise  into  any  hollow  vessel  which  is 
immersed  into  it,  may  be  made  evident  thus: — Take  a  glass 
tumbler,  and  plunge  it  into  water  with  its  mouth  downwards, 
and  you  will  find,  when  you  take  it  out,  tliat  the  inside  of  the 
vessel  is  perfectly  dry,  so  that  if  a  live  coal  were  put  there, 
it  would  not  be  extinsfuished. 


A  curious  Experiment ,  to  prove  that  Ttoo  and  Two  do  not  make 

Four. 

Take  a  glass  vessel  with  a  long  narrow  neck,  which,  being 
filled  with  water,  will  hold  exactly  a  quart;  then  put  into  this 
vessel  a  pint  of  waiter,  and  a  pint  of  acid  of  vitriol,  and  you 
w  ill  presently  perceive,  that  the  mixture  will  not  fill  the  vessel, 
as  it  did  when  a  quart  of  water  only  was  put  into  it.  The 
acid  of  vitriol  must  be  put  in  gradually,  by  little  and  little  at 
a  time,  mixing  each  portion  with  the  water  before  you  add 
more,  by  shaking  the  bottle,  and  leaving  its  mouth  open, 
otherwise  the  bottle  will  burst.  The  mixture  in  this  case  also 
possesses  a  considerable  degree  of  heat,  though  the  two  ingre- 
dients of  themselves  are  perfectly  cold  ;  and  this  phenonienon 
is  not  to  be  accounted  for,  by  supposing  that  the  acid  of 
vitriol  is  received  into  the  pores  of  the  water,  for  then  a  small 
portion  of  it  might  be  absorbed  by  the  water,  without  aug- 
menting its  bulk,  which  is  known  not  to  be  the  case;  but  the 
very  form  of  the  bodies  in  this  ex|)eriment,is  changed,  there 
being,  as  Dr.  Ilooke,  who  first  noticed  the  fact,  observes,  an 
actual  penetration  of  dimensions.  Chemistry  aliio  furnishes  a 
number  of  other  instances,  which  shew  that  two  bodies, 
when  mixed  together,  possess  less  space  than  when  they  are 
separate. 


An  ingenious  Method  of  Secret  Writing,  bi/  means  of  corre- 
sponding Spaces. 

Take  two  pieces  of  pasteboard,  or  stiff  paper,  out  of  which 
cut  a  number  of  oblong  figures,  at  different  distances  from 


APPENDIX.  877 

each  other,  as  in  the  following  example.  Keep  one  of  these 
pieces  for  yourself,  and  give  one  to  your  correspondent;  and 
when  you  are  desirous  of  sending  him  any  secret  intelligence, 
lay  the  pasteboard  upon  a  sheet  of  paper  of  the  same  size, 
and  in  the  spaces  which  are  cut  out,  write  what  you  would 
have  him  only  to  understand,  and  fill  up  the  intermediate 
parts  of  the  paper  with  something  which  makes  with  these 
words  a  different  sense.  Then,  when  your  correspondent 
receives  this  letter,  by  applying  it  to  his  pasteboard,  he  will 
be  able  to  comprehend  your  meaning. 

Example. 
[  1  shall  be  |  much  obliged  to  you,  as  reading  |  alone  ( 
engages  my  attention  |  at  |  present,  if  you  will  send  me  any 
of  the  I  eight  |  volumes  of  the  Spectator;  I  hope  you  will 
excuse  |  this  |  freedom,  but  for  a  winter's  |  evening  |  I 
I  don't  I  know  a  better  entertainment.  If  I  |  fail  |  to  return 
it  soon,  never  trust  me  for  the  time  \  to  come.  | 


A  curious  Experiment,  %ohich  depends  on  an  Optical  Illusion. 

On  tlie  bottom  of  the  vessel,  (see  Plate,)  AlBD,  fig.  6,  plac« 
three  pieces  of  money,  as  a  half-crown,  a  shilling,  and  a  six- 
pence ;  the  first  at  E,  the  second  at  F,  and  the  third  at  G. 
Then  let  a  person  be  placed  with  his  eye  at  H,  so  that  he  can 
see  no  farther  into  the  vessel  than  I ;  and  tell  him,  that  by 
pouring  water  into  the  vessel,  you  will  make  him  see  three 
different  pieces  of  money,  which  he  may  observe  are  not 
poured  in  with  the  water. 

For  this  purpose,  desire  him  to  keep  himself  steady  in  the 
same  position,  and,  pouring  the  water  in  gently,  that  the 
pieces  of  money  may  not  be  moved  out  of  their  places,  when 
it  comes  up  to  K,  the  piece  G  will  become  visible  to  him  ; 
when  it  comes  up  to  L,  he  will  see  the  two  pieces  G  and  F; 
and  when  it  rises  to  M,  all  the  three  pieces  will  become  visi- 
ble: the  cause  of  which  is  owing  to  the  refraction  of  the  rays 
of  light,  in  their  passage  through  the  water;  for  while  the 
vessel  is  empty,  the  ray  HI  will  proceed  in  a  straight  line; 
but  in  proportion  as  it  is  filled  w  ith  water,  the  ray  will  be  bent 
into  the  several  directions  NG,  OF,  PE,  and  by  these  means 
the  pieces  are  rendered  visible. 


A  curious  Experiment,  of  nenrli/  the  some  hind  as  the  last,  called 
Optical  Augmentation. 

Take  a  large  drinking-glass,  of  a  conical  figure,  and  liaving 
put  a  shilling  into  it,   fill  the  glass  about  half  full  with  water- 


87<S  APPENDIX. 

then  place  a  plate  on  the  top  of  it,  and  turn  it  quickly  over, 
so  that  the  water  may  not  get  out.  This  being  clone,  look 
through  the  glass,  and  you  will  now  perceive  a  piece  of  money 
of  the  size  oi  half-a-crown  ;  and  somewhat  higher  up,  another 
piece  of  the  size  of  a  shilling.  But  if  the  glass  be  entirely 
filled  with  water,  the  large  piece  at  the  bottom  only  will  be 
visible. 

This  phenomenon  is  occasioned  by  your  seeing  the  piece 
through  the  conical  surface  of  the  water,  at  the  side  of  the 
glass,  and  through  the  flat  surface  at  the  top  of  the  water,  at 
the  same  time  ;  for  the  conical  surface  dilates  the  rays,  and 
makes  the  piece  appear  larger,  while  the  flat  surface  only 
refracts  them,  and  occasions  the  piece  to  be  seen  higher  up 
in  the  glass,  but  still  of  its  natural  si^'e. 


Another  curious  Experiment ,  called  Optical  Subtraction. 

Against  the  wainscot  of  a  room  fix  three  small  pieces  of 
paper,  as  A,  B,  C,  fig.  7,  (see  Plate,)  about  a  foot  and  a  half  or 
two  feet  asunder,  at  the  height  of  your  eye;  and  placing  your- 
srlf  directly  before  them,  r.bout  five  times  the  distance  from 
them  that  the  papers  are  from  each  other,  shut  one  of  your 
eyes,  and  look  at  them  with  the  other,  and  you  will  then  see 
only  two  of  those  papers,  suppose  A  and  B;  but  altering  the 
])Osition  of  your  eye,  you  will  now  see  the  third,  and  one  of 
the  first,  suppose  A;  and  by  altering  its  position  a  second 
time,  you  will  see  B  and  C,  but  in  neither  case  all  three  of 
them  together. 

The  cause  of  this  phenomenon  is,  that  one  of  the  three 
pencils  of  rays,  which  come  from  these  objects,  falls  on  the 
optic  nerve  at  D,  whereas,  to  produce  distinct  vision,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  rays  of  light  fall  on  some  part  of  the  retina 
E,  F,  G,  H. 

From  this  experiment,  the  use  of  having  two  eyes  may  be 
easily  perceived ;  for  he  that  has  only  one  can  never  see  three 
objects  placed  in  this  position  ;  or  all  the  parts  of  one  object, 
of  the  same  extent,  without  altering  the  situation  of  his  eve. 


An   Optical  Experiment,  shelving  how  to  produce  an  Artificial 

Rainbow. 

In  any  room  which  has  a  window  facing  the  sun,  suspend  a, 
glass  globe,  filled  with  water,  by  a  string  which  runs  over  a 
puilev,  so  that  the  sun's  rays  may  fall  directly  upon  it;  then 
drawing  the  ulobe  gradually  up,  when  it  comes  to  the  height 
of  about  forTy  degrees  above  the  horizon,  you  will  see,  by 
placing  yourself  in  a  proper  situation,  the  glass  tinged  with 
a  purple  colour;  and  by  drawing  it  gradually  higher  up,  tiie 


APPENDIX.  879 

oilier  prismatic  colours,  blue,  green,  yellow,  and  red,  will 
successively  appear;  but  after  this  they  will  all  vanish,  till 
the  globe  is  raised  to  about  fifty  degrees,  when  they  will  again 
be  seen,  but  in  an  inverted  order,  the  red  appearing  first,  and 
the  blue,  or  violet,  last;  and  when  the  globe  comes  up  to 
little  more  than  fifty-four  degrees,  they  will  entirely  vanish. 

These  appearances  serve  to  illustrate  the  phenomena  of 
natural  rainbows,  of  which  there  are  generally  two,  the  one 
being  about  eight  degrees  above  the  other,  and  the  order  of 
their  colours  inverted,  as  in  this  experiment;  the  red  being 
the  uppermost  colour  in  the  lower  bow,  and  the  violet  in  the 
other. 


An  artificial  Raiiibozv  may  also  be  produced  as  folloivs. 

Take  some  water  in  your  mouth,  and  turn  your  back  to  the 
sun  ;  then  if  it  be  blown  forcibly  out  against  some  dark  or 
shady  place,  you  will  see  the  drops  formed  by  the  beams  of 
the  sun  into  an  apparent  rainbow,  which,  however,  soon 
vanishes. 


A  curious   Optical  lUasiou,  produced  hij  means  of  a   Concave 

Mirror. 

Take  a  glass  bottle,  (see  Plate,)  ABC,  fig.  8,  and  fill  it  with 
water  to  the  point  B  ;  leave  the  upper  part,  BC,  empty,  and 
cork  it  in  the  common  manner;  place  this  bottle  opp/osite  a 
concave  mirror,  and  beyond  its  focus,  so  that  it  may  appear 
reversed  ;  then  if  you  place  yourself  still  further  from  the 
mirror,  the  bottle  will  appear  to  you  in  the  situation  a  h  c. 

And  in  this  a|)parent  iDottle  it  is  remarkable,  that  the  water, 
which,  according  to  the  laws  of  catoptrics,  and  ail  other  ex- 
periments of  this  kind,  should  appear  at  a  b,  appears,  on  the 
contrary,  at  b  c,  the  part  a  b  seeming  to  be  entirely  empty. 

And  if  the  bottle  be  inverted,  and  placed  before  the  mirror, 
as  in  the  under  part  of  the  figure,  its  image  will  appear  in  its 
natural  erect  position,  but  the  water,  which  is  in  reabty  at  b  c, 
will  appear  at  a  b. 

And  if,  while  the  bottle  is  inverted,  it  be  uncorked,  and  the 
water  suffered  to  run  gently  out,  it  will  appear,  uhat  while  the 
part  BC  is  emptying,  the  part  o  6  in  the  image  is  filling;  and 
if,  when  the  bottle  is  partly  empty,  some  drops  of  water  fall 
from  the  bottom  A,  towards  BC,  it  seems  in  the  image  as  if 
there  were  formed  at  the  bottom  of  the  part  a  b  bubbles  of  air 
arising  from  a  to  b,  which  is  the  part  that  seems  full. 

The  circumstances  most  remarkable  in  this  experiment,  are, 
first,  not  only  to  see  an  object  where  it  is  no.,  but  alsd  where 
its  image  is  not;  and,  secondly,  that  of  two  objects,    vhich 


880  APPENDIX. 

are  really  in  tlie  same  place,  as  the  surface  of  tlie  bottle  and 
the  water  it  contains,  the  one  should  be  seen  at  one  place, 
and  the  other  at  another;  and  also  that  the  bottle  shoiild  be 
seen  in  the  place  of  its  image,  and  the  water  where  neither  it 
nor  its  images  are. 

It  is,  however,  to  be  noted,  that  if  any  coloured  liquor  be 
put  into  the  bottle  instead  of  water,  no  such  illusion  will  take 
place. 

There  is  one  phenomenon  more  of  this  kind,  which  ought 
not  to  be  omitted  ;  for  though  it  be  common  enough,  it  is  also 
extremely  pleasing,  and  easy  to  be  performed. 

If  you  place  yourself  before  a  concave  mirror,  at  a  proper 
distance,  your  figure  will  appear  inverted  ;  and  if  you  stretch 
out  your  hand  towards  the  mirror,  you  will  perceive  another 
hand,  which  seems  to  meet  and  join  it,  though  imperceptible 
to  the  touch. 

And  if,  instead  of  your  hand,  you  make  use  of  a  drawn 
sword,  and  present  it  in  such  a  manner  that  its  point  may  be 
directed  towards  the  focus  of  the  rays  reflected  by  the  mirror, 
another  sword  will  appear,  and  seem  to  encounter  that  in  your 
hand.  But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  to  make  this  experiment 
succeed  well,  you  must  have  a  mirror  of  at  least  a  foot  in 
diameter,  that  you  may  see  yourself  in  part;  and  if  you  have 
a  mirror  large  enough  to  see  your  whole  person,  the  illusion 
will  be  still  more  striking. 


Hoio  to  make  a  violent   Tempest,  by  means  of  artijicial  Rain 

and  Hail. 

Make  a  hollow  cylinder  of  wood,  very  thin  at  the  sides, 
about  eioht  or  ten  inches  lonp-,  and  two  or  three  feet  in  dia- 
meter.  Divide  its  inside  into  five  equal  partitions,  by  means 
of  boards  of  about  six  inches  wide;  and  let  there  be  a  space 
between  them  and  the  wooden  circle,  of  about  one-sixth  ot 
an  inch  ;  observing,  that  the  boards  are  to  be  placed  obliquely 
to  each  other. 

This  being  done,  put  into  the  cylinder  four  or  five  pounds 
of  leaden  shot,  of  a  size  that  will  easily  pass  through  the 
opening  left  for  this  purpose ;  then  turn  the  cylinder  on  its 
axis,  and  the  sound  of  the  machine,  when  in  motion,  wil. 
represent  that  of  rain,  which  will  increase  with  the  velocity 
of  the  motion  ;  and  if  a  larger  sort  of  shot  be  used,  it  will 
produce  the  sound  of  hail. 


Magic  Square. 
This,  in  arithmetic,  is  a  square  figure  made  up  of  numbers 
in  aiithmetical  proportion,  so  disposed  in  parallel  and   equal 


APPENDIX.  88! 

ranks,  tliat  the  sums  ot  each  row,  taken  either  perpendicu- 
larly, horizontally,  or  diagonally,  aree4uai:  inus — 


Natural  Square. 


Magic  Square. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

2 

7 

6 

9 

5 

1 

,  4 

3 

8 

Magic  squares  seem  to  have  been  so  called,  from  their  being 
used  in  tlie  construction  of  talismans. 
Take  another  instance  :-  - 


Natural  Square. 


Magic  Square. 


1 

2  3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

10 

17 

18 

19 

20 

^ 

22 

23 

24 

25 

16 

14 

8 

2|25 

3 

22 

20 

11 

? 

1£ 

6 

4 

23 

17 

24 

18 

12 

10 

1 

7 

5 

21 

19 

13 

where  every  row  and  diagonal  in  the  magic  square,  makes  just 
the  sum  65,  beino-  the  same  as  the  two  diatjonals  of  the 
natural  square. 

It  is  probable  that  these  magic  squares  were  so  called,  both 
because  of  this  property  in  them,  viz.  that  the  ranks  in  every 
direction  make  the  same  sum,  which  appeared  extremely  surpris- 
ing, especially  in  the  more  ignorant  ages,  when  mathematics 
passed  for  magic;  and  because  also  of  the  superstitious  opera- 
tions they  were  employed  in,  as,  the  construction  of  talis- 
mans, &c. ;  for,  according  to  the  childish  philosophy  of  those 
days,  which  ascribed  virtues  to  numbers,  what  might  not  be 
expected  from  numbers  so  seemingly  wonderful?  The  magic 
square  was  held  in  great  veneration  among  the  Egyptians,  and 
the  Pythagoreans  their  disciples,  who,  to  add  more  efficacy 
and  virtue  to  this  square,  dedicated  it  to  the  then  known 
seven  planets,  divers  ways,  and  engraved  it  upon  a  plate  of  the 
metal  that  was  esteemed  in  sympathy  with  the  planet.  The 
square,  thus  dedicated,  was  enclosed  by  a  regular  polygon, 
inscribed  into  a  circle,  which  was  divided  into  as  many  equal 
parts  as  there  were  units  in  the  side  of  the  square;  with  the 
names  of  ih.e  angels  of  the  planet,  and  the  signs  of  the  zodiac 
written  upon  the  void  spaces  between  the  polygon  and  the 
circumference  of  the  circumscribed  circle.     Such  a  talisman, 

5T 


\ 


882  APPENDIX. 

or  metal,  they  vainly  imagined  would,  upon  occasion,  befriend 
the  person  who  carried  it  about  him.  To  Saturn,  they  attri- 
buted the  square  of  9  places,  or  cells,  the  side  being  3,  and 
the  sum  of  the  number  in  every  row  15  :  to  Jupiter,  the  square 
of  16  places,  the  side  being  4,  and  the  amount  of  each  row  34 : 
to  Mars,  the  square  of  25  places,  the  side  being  5,  and  the 
amount  of  each  row  65  :  to  the  Sun,  the  square  with  36  places, 
the  side  being  6,  and  the  sum  of  each  row  111:  to  Venus,  the 
square  of  49  places,  the  side  being  7,  and  the  amount  of  each 
row  175:  to  Mercury,  the  square  with  64  places,  the  side 
being  8,  and  the  sum  of  each  row  260:  and  to  the  Moon,  the 
square  of  81  places,  the  side  being  9,  and  the  amount  of  each 
row  369.  Finally,  they  attributed  to  imperfect  matter,  the 
squaie  with  4  divisions,  having  2  for  its  side:  and  to  God,  the 
square  of  only  one  cell,  the  side  of  which  is  also  an  unit, 
which,  multiplied  by  itself,  undergoes  no  change. 


ADDENDA 

TO  TIIF. 

CURIOSITIES  RESPECriya   MA?«. 
'*^- — 

It  never  was  the  intention  of  the  compiler  of  this  work  to 
give  an  account  of  all  the  curious  and  remarkable  persons 
that  have  figured  on  this  mortal  stage,  but  only  such  as  have 
not  been  usually  incorporated  in  works  of  this  kind  ;  it  lias 
been  thought  advisable,  however,  to  make  the  following- 
additions  to  this  department,  with  which,  it  is  hoped,  the 
reader  will  be  amused  and  instructed. 

Aa    account    of    that  CELEBRATEn    EXTRAORDINARY    G  K- 

Nius,  John  Henderson,  B.  A. — Of  this  much  celebrated 
young  man,  whose  extraordinary  acquirements  attracted  tiie 
notice,  and  even  commanded  the  respect,  of  Dr.  Johnson, 
several  accounts  have  been  published,  and  much  eulogium 
has  been  pronounced.  By  many  he  has  been  supposed  to 
emulate  the  variety  and  extent  of  knowledge  possessed  by  the 
admirable  Crichton  ;  and,  like  that  eccentric  character,  he 
has  lett  little  for  posterity  to  form  a  judgment  of  the  truth  of 
those  praises  which  have  been  bestowed  upon  him. 

lie  was  born  at  Bellegarance,  near  Limerick,  in  the  king- 
dom of  Ireland,  on  the  27th  of  March,  1757,  of  very  pious 
and  respectable  parents.  He  received  his  education  among 
the  Methodists ;  and  at  eight  years  of  age  he  under- 
stood Latin  so  well,  as  to  be  able  to  teach  it  at  Kingswood 
school.  At  twelve,  he  taught  the  Greek  language,  in  the 
school  of  Trevecka,  in  Wales,  to  men,  several  of  whom  were 
double  his  a^e.  The  povernor  of  the  colleiie,  at  that  time, 
was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fletcher,  late  Vicar  of  Madeley,  a  clergyman 
highly  distinguished  for  the  fervour  of  his  piety  and  the  live- 
liness of  his  imagination.  Some  disagreement  taking  place 
with  this  gentleman  and  those  who  had  the  superintendence 
of  the  college,  he  was  dismissed,  together  with  young  Hen- 
derson, who  soon  after,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  went 
to  Oxford,  was  entered  of  Pembroke  college,  and,  in  due 
time,  took  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  From  the  time 
of  his  entrance  into  the  college,  his  life  passed  with  little 
variety,  and  no  adventure.     His   thirst  after  knowledge  ap- 


884  cvRiosniEs  respecting  man. 

pears  to  have  been  unabated  and  unobtruded;  he  was  admired, 
and  generally  respected  ;  and  he  acquired  habits,  some  of 
which  brought  him  into  the  notice  ot"  the  world,  almost  as 
much  as  his  talents.  Some  of  these  traits  of  character  having 
been  depicted  by  one  who  appears  to  have  known  him  well, 
we  shall  give  nearly  in  the  words  of  their  author,  wiio  was 
also  of  Pembroke  college,  and  thus  describes  Mr.  Henderson's 
appearance  when  he  was  first  introduced  to  him. 

His  clothes  were  made  in  a  fashion  peculiar  to  himself;  he 
wore  no  stock  nor  neckcloth;  his  buckles  were  so  small  as 
not  to  exceed  the  dimensions  of  an  ordinary  knee-buckle,  at 
a  time  when  very  large  buckles  were  in  vogue.  Though  he 
was  then  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  wore  his  hair  like  a 
schoolboy  of  six. 

Mr.  H.'s  temper  was  mild,  placable,  and  humane.  He  pro- 
fessed that  he  was  ready  to  serve  any  individual  as  far  as  lay 
in  his  power.  His  benevolence  knew  no  bounds  ;  and  his 
liberality  was  so  diffusive,  that  it  submitted  with  difficulty  to 
the  circumscription  of  a  narrow  income.  He  was  fond  of 
society,  and  well  qualified  to  shine  in  it.  He  was  frank,  open.. 
And  communicative,  averse  to  sus|)ici.on,  and  untinctured  with 
pride  and  moroseness.  His  mode  of  life  was  singular.  He 
generiilly  retired  to  rest  about  daybreak,  and  rose  in  the 
afternoon ;  a  practice,  however,  that  was  frequently  inter- 
rupted by  the  occasional  attendance  he  was  obliged  to  give 
to  the  morning  service  of  the  college  chapel.  He  spent  a  great 
])art  of  the  day  in  smokinsj;  and,  except  when  in  company, 
he  usually  read  while  he  smoked. 

With  ies2,ard  to  his  moral  and  religions  character,  he  was  a 
pattern  highly  worthy  of  imitation.  He  shewed  a  constant 
regard  to  the  obligations  of  honour  and  justice;  and  com- 
mended, both  by  precept  and  example,  an  attention  to  moral 
rectitude  in  all  its  ramifications.  He  had  the  courage  to 
reprove  vice  and  immorality  wherever  they  appeared  ;  and 
thouiih  he  was  sometimes  treated  on  these  occasions  with 
contumely  and  insult,  he  bore  with  a  moderation  truly  chris 
tian,  so  ill  a  return  for  his  well-meant  endeavours.  He  was 
perfectly  acquainted  with  the  religious  dogmas  of  every 
different  sect,  and  could  readily  detect  the  respective  fallacies 
of  each. 

His  abilities  and  understanding  were  eminently  conspicu- 
ous. His  penetrati('n  was  so  great,  as  to  have  the  appearance 
of  intuition.  So  retentive  was  his  memoiy,  that  he  remem- 
bered whatever  he  lieard  ;  and  this  faculty  of  recollection, 
combined  with  a  pregnancy  of  imagination  and  solidity  of 
judgment,  enabled  him  to  acquire  an  amazing  fund  of  erudi- 
tion and  argument,  a  fund  ready  at  every  call,  and  adequate 
to  every  emergency. 


JOHN    HENDERSON.  885 

His  learning  was  deep  and  multirarious.  He  was  admirably 
skilled  in  logic,  ethics,  metaphysics,  and  scholastical  theology. 
He  had  studied  the  healing  art  with  particular  attention, 
and  added  to  a  sound  theoretic  knowledge  of  it,  some  degree 
of  practice.  His  skill  in  this  art  he  rendered  subservient  to 
his  philanthropy  ;  for  he  gratuitously  attended  the  valetudi- 
narian poor  wherever  he  resided,  and  favoured  them  with 
medical  advice,  as  well  as  pecuniary  assistance.  He  had  a 
competent  knowledge  of  geometry,  astronomy,  and  every 
Ijranch  of  natural  and  experimental  philosophy.  He  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  civil  and  canon  laws,  and  the  law  of 
nature  and  nations.  In  classical  learning  and  the  belles  let- 
tres,  he  was  by  no  means  deficient.  He  was  master  of  the 
Greek  and  Latin,  as  well  as  of  several  modern  langcuaores. 

He  spoke  of  physiognomy  as  a  science  with  all  the  confi- 
dence of  a  Lavater.  He  pretended  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
occult  sciences  of  magic  and  astrology.  Whether  this  was 
or  was  not  a  mere  pretence,  we  leave  to  the  judgment  of  the 
enlightened  reader.  SuflSce  it  to  remaik,  that  his  library 
was  well  stored  with  the  niaoical  and  astrological  books  of 
the  last  century. 

His  talents  of  conversation  were  so  attractive,  so  various 
and  multiform,  that  he  was  a  companion  equally  acceptable 
to  the  philosopher  and  the  man  of  the  world,  to  the  grave 
and  the  gay,  the  learned  and  the  illiterate,  the  young  and  the 
old  of  both  sexes. 

Henderson,  like  many  other  great  characters,  had  his  little 
peculiarities.  The  following  remarkable  custom  was  fre- 
quently observed  by  him  before  he  retired  to  repose: — He 
used  to  strip  himself  naked  as  low  as  the  waist,  and  taking 
his  station  at  a  pump  near  his  rooms,  would  completely  sluice 
his  head  and  the  upper  part  of  his  body  ;  after  which  he  would 
pump  over  his  shirt  so  as  to  make  it  perfectly  wet,  and  put- 
ting it  on  in  that  condition,  would  immediately  go  to  bed. 
This  he  jocularly  termed  "  an  excellent  cold  bath."  The  latter 
part  of  this  ceremony,  however,  he  did  not  practise  with 
such  frequency  as  the  former. 

There  is  great  reason  to  think  that  he  materially  injured  a 
good  natural  constitution  by  the  capriciousness  of  his  con- 
duct, and  particularly  by  the  bold  and  strange  experiments 
which  he  was  accustomed  to  be  always  making  upon  himself. 
He  used  to  swallow  large  quantities  of  noxious  drugs,  and 
quicksilver;  and  what  seemed  very  rash,  such  doses  of  opium, 
like  the  f'an)ous  Psalmanazar,  as  were  apparently  sufficient  to 
send  a  dozen  men  to  the  grave. 

His  external  appearance  was  as  singular  as  his  habits  of 
life.  He  would  never  sutler  his  hair  to  be  strewed  with  white 
dust,  (to  use   his  own  expression,)  daubed   with  [)omatum,  o'' 


886  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    MAN. 

distorted  by  the  curlin(^-irons  of  the  friseur.  Though  under 
two-and-thirty  years  of  age  at  his  death,  he  walked,  when  he 
appeared  in  public,  with  as  much  apparent  caution  and  so- 
lemnity as  if  he  had  been  enfeebled  by  the  co-operation  of 
age  and  disease. 

His  learning  was  truly  astonishing:  scarcely  a  book,  how- 
ever obscure,  could  be  mentioned,  but  he  could  give  some 
account  of  it;  nor  any  subject  started,  but  he  could  engage 
in  the  discussion  of  it.  He  had  a  very  deep  and  extensive 
knowledge  of  the  learned  languages;  the  Arabic  and  Persian 
were  familiar  to  him.  He  delighted  much  in  parodoxes,  and 
his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  schoolmen  brought  him 
much  into  the  habit  of  disputation.  At  one  time  he  was 
profoundly  plunged  in  the  study  of  the  writings  of  the  illu- 
mined Jacob  Behmen;  and  he  tlien,  and  afterwards,  warmly 
vindicated  the  system,  if  system  it  may  be  called,  of  that 
wonderful  man. 

Many  surprising  cures,  accomplished  by  means  of  his  pre- 
scriptions, might  be  produced :  one  upon  a  very  ingenious 
and  valuable  youth  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Taunton,  deserves 
notice,  as  the  patient  had  been  in  an  alarming  decline  for  the 
long  space  of  four  years,  and  seemed  just  verging  to  the 
house  appointed  fur  all  living.  Mr.  Henderson  attended  him 
with  the  utmost  assiduity  and  tenderness,  and  saw,  at  last, 
his  patient  in  a  state  of  perfect  health.  The  benevolent  man 
had  then  a  presentiment  of  his  own  approaching  change,  and 
addressed  himself  to  his  yoimg  friend  to  this  eflect :  "  My 
young  and  beloved  friend,  your  cure,  in  all  human  probability, 
is  now  certain,  and  you  will  live,  but  I  shall  die.  Ilemendjer, 
to  be  pious,  is  to  be  happy;  to  be  sober,  is  to  live  long;  and 
to  practise  the  moral  virtues,  is  to  become  great." — Mr.  Hen- 
derson died  a  few  months  after,  November  2,  1788.  His  con- 
nections with  the  Methodists  continued  till  the  last.  The  late 
venerable  and  truly  great  John  AV^esley  had  a  very  great  re- 
gard for  him.  The  father  of  Mr.  Henderson  was  for  some 
time  one  of  ]Mr.  Wesley's  itinerant  preachers  in  Ireland,  from 
whence  he  came  over  to  Bristol,  and  soon  after  settled  at 
Hanham,  a  village  about  four  miles  from  that  city,  where  he 
set  up  a  very  respectable  boarding-school,  for  the  instruction 
of  youth  in  classical  learning.  A  few  years  previous  to  his 
death,  he  left  oft'  keeping  school,  and  opened  his  house  for 
the  reception  of  insane  persons.  The  death  of  his  favourite 
and  only  child,  made  a  deep  and  lasting  impression  on  him  ; 
and  so  strongly  was  he  affected  by  his  loss,  that  he  caused 
the  corpse  to  be  taken  up  again  some  days  after  the  interment, 
to  be  satisfied  whether  he  was  really  dead.  The  following  is 
taken  from  the  sermon  that  was  preached  by  his  friend,  Mr 
Agutter: — "When  we  consider  the  strength  of  his  mind,  the 


JOHN    HENDERSON. —  DANIEL  LAMBERT.  8(S7 

variety  of  his  knowledge,  and  the  excellencies  of  his  soul,  we 
may  justly  declare,  that  he  was  a  truly  great  character,  and 
an  original  genius.  The  partiality  of  friendship  must  give 
place  to  the  sacredness  of  truth  ;  and  I  do  not  mean  to  describe 
him  as  a  perfect  man:  his  friends  lamented  his  failings  and 
he  himself  sincerely  repented  of  them.  The  God  of  heaven 
does  not  require  more  of  his  fallen  creatures ;  and  let  us 
remember  nut  to  be  extreme  to  mark  all  that  is  done  amiss,  seeing 
we  have  much  cause  for  shame  and  repentance.  He  was  a 
meek  sufferer  through  this  world  of  misery  ;  a  sincere  and 
contrite  penitent  for  time  mispent  and  talents  misapplied  ;  an 
humble  believer  in  Christ  his  Saviour.  1  saw  him  in  his  last 
sutierings;  I  heard  his  last  words;  he  languished  under 
extreme  weakness;  he  laboured  under  most  grievous  pains. 
lie  was  wonderfully  patient  and  resigned  ;  for  he  knew  in  whom 
he  believed,  and  his  hope  was  full  of  immortality.  He  prayed 
with  uncommon  fervour  to  his  good  God,  even  to  Jesus  Christ, 
in  whom  all  his  hopes  were  placed  ;  and  "  without  whoni," 
says  he,  "  heaven  would  be  no  heaven  to  me."  Death  was  the 
wished-for  messenger,  whom  he  earnestly  expected.  Three  days 
before  that  awful  event,  his  pulse  ceased  to  beat,  and  the  sight 
of  his  ei/es  xcent  from  him — the  last  struggle  is  over;  the  bitter- 
ness of  death  is  past.  There  was  an  humble  dignity  and  com- 
posure in  that  hour  of  trial,  worthy  the  man  and  Christian. 
Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end,  or 
more  properly,  my  hereafter,  be  like  his." 

The  next  character  we  shall  introduce  is  a  contrast  to  the 
former;  he  being  famous  for  comprehension  of  mind,  this 
for  bulk  of  body. 

Daniel  Lambert,  the  Fat  Man. — This  prodigy  of  corpu- 
lence, or  obesity,  was  born  at  Leicester,  March  13,  1770. 
He  became  keeper  of  the  prison  in  his  native  town.  He  first 
went  to  London  for  exhibition,  in  1806,  and  was  visited  by 
persons  of  all  ranks,  and  was  considered  the  then  wonder  of 
the  world.  After  this  he  travelled  over  England,  and  aston- 
ished every  beholder  by  his  immense  bulk.  He  was  very 
polite,  shrewd,  and  well  informed.  This  extraordinary  man 
died  at  Stamford,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1809.  He  had  tra- 
velled from  Huntingdon  to  that  town  ;  and  on  the  Tuesday 
before  his  death,  he  sent  a  message  to  the  office  of  the  Stam- 
ford newspaper,  requesting,  that  "  as  the  mountain  could  not 
wait  upon  Mahomet,  Mahomet  would  go  to  the  mountain  ;" 
or,  in  other  words,  that  the  printer  would  call  upon  him,  and 
receive  an  order  for  executing  some  handbills,  announcing 
Mr.  Lambert's  arrival,  and  his  desire  to  see  company  in  that 
town.  The  orders  he  gave  upon  that  occasion  were  delivered 
without  any  presentiment  that  they  were  to    6e   his  last,  and 


888  CURIOSITIES   KESPECTING  MAN. 

with  his  usual  cheerfulness  ;  he  was  then  in  bed,  only  fitigued 
from  his  journey,  and  anxious  to  be  able  to  see  company 
early  in  the  morning.  However,  before  nine  o'clock,  the  day 
following,  he  was  a  corpse.  His  corpulency  had  been  gradu- 
ally increasing:,  until  nature  could  no  longer  support  it.  He 
was  in  his  40th  year;  and  upon  being  weighed  within  a  few 
days,  by  the  famous  Caledonian  balance,  in  the  possession  of 
Mr.  King,  of  Ipswich,  was  found  to  be  52  stone,  11  lbs.  in 
weight,  (14  lb.  to  the  stone,)  which  Is  10  stone  11  lb.  more 
than  the  great  Mr.  Bright,  of  Essex,  weighed, — or,  6  cwt. 
2qrs.  11  lb. 

He  had  apartments  at  Mr.Berridge's,  theWaggon-and-Horses, 
in  St.  Martin's,  on  the  ground  floor,  for  he  had  long  been  incapa- 
ble of  walking  up  stairs.  His  coffin,  in  which  there  was  great 
difficulty  of  placing  him,  was  six  feet  four  inches  long,  four  feet 
four  inches  wide,  and  two  feet  four  inches  deep.  The  immense 
substance  of  his  legs  made  it  necessarily  almost  a  square  case. 
The  celebrated  Sarcophajyus  of  Alexander,  viewed  with  so 
much  admiration  at  the  British  Museum,  would  not  contain 
this  immense  sheer  hulk.  The  coffin,  which  consisted  of  112 
superficial  feet  of  elm,  was  built  upon  two  axle-trees  and 
four  wheels,  and  upon  them  the  remains  of  poor  Lambert 
were  rolled  into  his  grave,  which  was  in  the  new  burial  ground 
at  the  back  of  St.  Martin's  church.  A  regular  descent  was 
made  by  cutting  away  the  earth  slopingly,  for  some  distance. 
The  window  and  wall  of  the  room  in  which  he  lay  was  taken 
down,  to  allow  of  his  exit. 

Edward  Nokes. — This  was  an  extraordinary  character,  at 
Hornchurch,  in  Essex.  He  was  by  trade  a  tinker,  which  he 
followed  zealously  till  about  six  weeks  before  his  death.  His 
apartments  pourtrayed  symptoms  of  the  most  abject  poverty, 
though  at  his  death  he  was  found  to  be  possessed  of  between 
five  and  six  thousand  pounds.  He  had  a  wife  and  several 
children,  which  he  brought  up  in  the  most  parsimonious 
manner,  often  feeding  them  on  grains  and  oft'als  of  meat, 
which  he  purchased  at  reduced  prices.  He  was  no  less  re- 
markable in  his  person  and  dress;  for,  in  order  to  save  the 
expense  of  shaving,  he  would  encourage  the  dirt  to  gather  on 
his  face,  to  hide  in  some  measure  this  defect.  He  never 
suffered  his  shirt  to  be  washed  in  water,  but  after  wearing  it 
till  it  became  intolerably  black,  he  used  to  wash  it  in  urine, 
to  save  the  expense  of  soap.  His  coat,  which  time  had  trans- 
formed into  a  jacket,  would  have  puzzled  the  wisest  philoso- 
pher to  make  out  its  original  colour,  so  covered  was  it  with 
shreds  and  patches  of  diflerent  colours,  and  those  so  diversified, 
as  to  resemble  the  trophies  of  the  diflerent  nations  of  Europe, 
and  it  seemed  to  vie  with  Joseph's  coat  of  many  colours. 


EDWARD   NOKES. — CHARLES   PRICE.  889 

The  interest  of  his  money,  together  with  all  he  conld  heap 
up  from  his  penurious  mode  of  living,  he  used  to  deposit  in  a 
bag,  which  bag  was  covered  up  in  a  tin  pot,  and  then  con- 
veyed to  a  brick  kitchen,  where  one  of  the  bricks  was  taken 
up,  and  a  hole  made  just  large  enough  to  hold  the  pot;  the 
brick  was  then  carefully  marked,  and  a  tally  kept  behi-nd  the 
door,  of  the  sum  deposited.  One  day  his  wife  discovered  this 
hoard,  and,  resolving  to  profit  by  the  opportunity,  took  from 
the  pot  one,  of  sixteen  guineas  that  were  then  placed  therein. 
Her  husband  soon  discovered  the  trick,  for  when  he  came  to 
count  his  money,  on  finding  it  not  to  agree  with  the  tally 
behind  the  door,  which  his  wife  did  not  know  of,  he  taxed  her 
with  the  theft;  and  to  the  day  of  his  death,  even  on  his  death- 
bed, he  never  spoke  to  her  without  adding  the  epithet  'thief 
to  every  expression. 

In  his  younger  days,  he  used,  at  the  death  of  any  of  his 
children,  to  have  a  deal  box  made  to  put  them  in  ;  and  with 
out  undergoing  the  solemn  requisites  of  a  regular  funeral,  he 
would  take  them  upon  his  shoulder  to  the  place  appropriated 
for  their  reception  ;  where,  once  interred,  he  seemingly  coin- 
cided with  the  old  adage,  "  Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind,"  and 
appeared  as  unconcerned  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

A  short  time  before  his  death,  which  he  evidently  hastened 
by  the  daily  use  of  nearly  a  quart  of  spirits,  he  gave  strict 
charge  that  his  coffin  should  not  have  a  nail  in  it;  which  was 
actually  the  case,  the  lid  being  fastened  with  hinges  made  of 
cords;  there  was  no  plate  on  the  coffin,  but  barely  the  initials 
"E.  N."  cut  out  of  the  lid.  His  shroud  was  made  of  a  pound  of 
wool ;  the  coffin  was  covered  with  a  sheet  instead  ot  a  pall, 
and  was  carried  by  six  men,  to  each  of  whom  he  left  half-a- 
crovvn  :  and,  at  his  particular  desire,  not  one  who  followed  him 
to  the  grave  wore  mourning;  but,  on  the  contrary,  each  of 
the  mourners  seemed  to  try  whose  dress  should  be  the  most 
striking,  even  the  undertaker  being  habited  in  a  blue  coat 
and  scarlet  waistcoat.  He  died  without  a  will,  and  his  fortune 
was  equally  divided  between  his  wife  and  family.  His  death 
took  place  in  1802. 

A  Sketch  of  the  Memoirs  of  the  celebrated  Swin- 
dler, Charles  Price. 

Even-handed  justice  returns  the  ingredients 

Of  our  poison'd  chalice  to  our  own  lips.  Shakspeare. 

In  the  following  sketch  we  shall  detail  a  series  of  singular 
facts,  scarcely  ever  before  equalled  in  the  annals  of  depra- 
vity. By  bringing  forward  such  particulars,  we  may  learn 
the  progress  of  iniquity,  teach  the  rising  generation  to  guard 
against"  its  first  approaches,    and  warn    our  readers  against 

5U 


890  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

those  depredations  which  are  daily  infesting  society.  Such 
examples  of  wickedness  are  indeed  humiliating-  to  our  nature, 
but  they  hold  forth  instructive  lessons  ;  in  this  point  of  view, 
they  are  well  deserving  of  our  contemplation. 

Charles  Price  was  born  about  the  year  1730,  in  London: 
his  father  lived  in  Monmouth-street,  and  carried  on  the  trade 
of  a  salesman  in  old  clothes;  here  he  died  in  the  year  1750, 
of  a  broken  heart,  occasioned,  it  is  said,  by  the  bad  conduct 
of  his  children. 

In  early  life,  Charles  manifested  those  traits  of  duplicity  for 
which  he  was  afterwards  so  greatly  distinguished.  One  in- 
stance shall  be  mentioned  :  he  ripped  oft^some  gold  lace  from 
a  suit  of  old  clothes  in  his  father's  shop,  and  putting  on  his 
elder  brother's  coat,  went  to  sell  it  to  a  Jew.  The  Jew,  most 
unfortunately,  came  and  offered  it  to  the  father  for  sale  ; — he 
instantly  knew  it,  and  insisted  on  the  Jew  declaring  whence 
he  received  it.  The  boys  passing  by,  he  pointed  to  the  elder 
one,  on  account  of  his  coat,  as  the  person  of  whom  he  bought 
it;  and  he  was  directly  seized,  and  severely  flogged  :  his  pro- 
testations of  innocence  were  in  vain — the  father  was  inflexi- 
ble;  whilst  Charles,  with  an  abominable  relish  for  hypocrisy, 
secretly  rejoiced  in  the  castigation. 

His  father,  tired  of  the  tricks  and  knaveries  of  his  son 
Charles,  put  him  an  apprentice  to  a  hosier  in  St,  James's- 
street.  Here  he  continued  but  for  a  short  time.  He  robbed 
his  father  of  an  elegant  suit  of  clothes,  in  which  he  dressed 
himself,  went  to  his  master  in  this  disguise,  purchased  about 
ten  pounds' worth  of  silk  stockings, left  his  address,  "  Benjamin 
Bolingbroke,  Esq.  Hanover-square,"  and  ordered  them  to  be 
sent  to  him  in  an  hour's  time,  when  he  would  pay  the  person 
who  brought  them.  His  master  did  not  know  him  ;  and,  to 
complete  the  cheat,  our  hero,  coming  back  in  half  an  hour  in 
his  usual  dress,  was  ordered  to  take  the  goods  home,  which 
he  actually  pretended  to  do;  and  thus  were  both  master  and 
father  robbed.  He  was,  however,  afterwards  found  out,  and 
discarded  :  henceforward,  therefore,  we  are  to  regard  him  in 
society,  where  he,  for  a  series  of  years,  practised  the  most 
outrageous  arts  of  duplicity. 

Soon  after  this  period  he  set  off  for  Holland,  imder  the 
assumed  name  of  Johnson.  Forging  a  recommendation  to  a 
Dutch  merchant,  he  became  his  clerk, — debauched  his  master's 
daughter, — was  oliered  her  in  marriage,  robbed  his  employer, 
and  returned  to  England.  He  conducted  this  business  with 
the  most  consummate  villany. 

He  now  contrived  to  become  clerk  in  his  Majesty's  small- 
beer  brewhouse,  near  Gosport.  At  this  place  he  behaved 
himself  with  so  much  propriety,  that  he  was  on  the  point  of 
'orminiT  a  matrimonial  connection  with  his  master's  daujrht.er 


CHARLKS    PRICE.  891 

every  tiling,  however,  was  soon  laid  aside  by  an  accidental 
discovery:  the  Jew  to  whom  he  had  formerly  sold  the  gold 
lace  happened  to  live  at  Portsmouth,  by  whom  his  charac- 
ter was  soon  disclosed,  and  spread  abroad.  Thus  were  his 
hopes  put  to  flight,  and  he  was  again  thrown  upon  the  wide 
world. 

As  his  wits  were  never  long  unemployed  for  some  deceptive 
ends,  he  thought  of  advertising  for  a  partner  in  the  brewery 
line;  and  actually  issued  the  following  curious  advertisement, 
vn  the  year  1755  : — 

"Wanted, — A  partner  of  character,  probity,  and  extensive 
acquaintance,  upon  a  plan  permanent  and  productive,— j^//ifj/ 
per  cent,  without  risk,  may  be  obtained.  It  is  not  necessary 
he  should  have  any  knowledge  of  the  business,  which  the 
advertiser  possesses  in  its  fullest  extent;  but  he  must  possess 
a  capital  of  between  500  and  1000  pounds,  to  purchase  mate- 
rials, with  which,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  advertiser,  a  large 
fortune  must  be  made  in  a  very  short  time. 

"  Address  to  P.  C.  Caidigan  Head,  Charing  Cross." 

"  P.  S.  None  but  principals,  and  those  of  liberal  ideas,  will 
be  treated  with." 

To  this  advertisement,  the  famous  comedian,  Samuel  Foote, 
Esq.  paid  attention.  Eager  to  seize  what  he  thought  a  golden 
opportunity,  he  advanced  the  sum  of  £500  for  a  brewery;  we 
need  not  add,  that  the  sum  soon  disappeared,  and  Foote  was 
wrung  with  the  anguish  of  disappointment.  Price,  however, 
had  the  impudence  to  apply  to  him  again,  wishing  him  to 
unite  in  the  baking  trade  :  the  comedian  archly  replied,  "  As 
you  have  brewed,  so  you  may  bake  ;  but  I'll  be  hang'd  if  ever 
you  bake  as  you  have  brewed!" 

After  this  unfortunate  business,  Mr.  Price  turned  Methodist 
preacher,  and  in  this  character  defrauded  several  persons  of 
large  sums  of  money. 

Advertising,  in  order  to  get  gentlemen  wives,  he  swindled 
a  person  of  the  name  of  Wigmore,  of  fifty  guineas,  for  which 
he  was  indicted  ;  but  having  refunded  a  part,  effected  his 
escape.  These  and  other  fraudulent  practices  were  long  the 
objects  of  his  ambition,  though  they  are  all  sure  and  certain 
roads  to  infamy  :  such  was  his  strange  propensity. 

With  astonishing  impudence,  he  again  set  up  a  brewery  in 
Gray's-inn-lane  ;  and,  after  various  frauds,  he  became  a  bank- 
rupt in  1776.  Ever  fruitful  in  resources,  he  set  out  for  Ger- 
many; but  in  Holland  he  got  into  prison  for  being  concerned 
in  a  smuggling  scheme,  by  which  three  hundred  pounds  were 
obtained.  By  his  artful  defence  he  escaped,  and  returned  to 
his  native  country.  Here  he  once  more  engaged  his  atten- 
tion by  a  sliam  brewery,  at  Lanrbeth,  where  he  was  married. 
Continuins;,    however,    to    practise    his    deceptions,    he   was 


692  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

obliged  to  decamp,  went  actually  to  Copenhagen,  and,  ?.fter 
some  time,  c.ime  back  to  Ecgland,  wnere  he  was  doomed  to 
close  his  days. 

His  breweries  having  failed,  he  now  proceeded  to  study 
how  in  other  ways  he  might  most  effectually  ravage  society. 
Under  the  pretence  of  charity,  he  obtained  money,  for  which 
he  was  imprisoned;  and  having  been  liberated,  he  succeeded 
in  various  impositions  as  a  clergyman.  This  eventually 
brought  him  to  the  King's  Bench  prison,  from  whose  walls 
he  dexterously  extricated  himself. 

A  lottery-office-keeper  was  the  next  subject  of  his  atten- 
tion; but  decamping  with  a  ticket  of  very  large  value,  this 
scheme  speedily  came  to  a  termination.  To  recount  all  his 
tricks,  would  form  the  contents  of  a  well-sized  volume.  Alas 
for  human  depravity! 

But  we  now  arrive  at  that  period  of  our  hero's  life,  when 
he  commenced  his  ravages  upon  the  Bank  of  England,  which 
ended  in  his  destruction.  Such  a  series  of  iniquitous  devices 
wer^  never  before  practised  on  mankind. 

In  the  year  1780,  under  the  assumed  name  of  "  Brank,"  Mr. 
Price  engaged  a  servant,  a  plain,  simple,  honest  fellow,  by 
whom  he  passed  his  notes  without  detection.  He  advertised 
fur  him,  and  their  meeting  was  truly  curious.  Having  re- 
ceived a  reply  to  the  advertisement,  one  evening,  just  as  it  was 
dark,  he,  driving  to  the  person's  residence,  sent  the  coachman 
to  inquire  for  the  man  who  had  answered  the  advertisement, 
savin";,  "  There  was  a  gentleman  over  the  way,  in  a  coach,  who 
wanted  to  speak  with  him."  On  this,  the  young  fellow  was 
called,  and  went  to  the  coach,  where  he  was  desired  to  step  in. 
There  he  saw  an  apparently  old  man,  affecting  the  foreigner, 
seemingly  very  gouty,  wrapped  up  with  five  or  six  yards  of 
flannel  about  his  legs,  a  camblet  surtout  buttoned  over  his 
chin,  close  to  his  mouth,  a  large  patch  over  his  left  eye,  and 
every  part  of  his  face  so  hid,  that  the  young  fellow  could  not 
see  any  part  of  it,  except  his  nose,  his  right  eye,  and  a  small 
part  of  that  cheek.  To  carry  on  the  dece]Uion  still  better, 
Mr.  Price  thought  proper  to  place  the  man  on  his  left  side, 
on  which  the  patch  was,  so  that  the  old  gentleman  could 
take  an  askance  look  at  the  vounfr  man  with  his  riuht  eye, 
and  by  that  means  discover  only  a  small  ))ortion  of  his  own 
face.  He  appeared,  by  this  disguise,  to  be  between  sixty  and 
seventy  years  of  age;  and  afterwards,  when  the  man  saw  him 
standing,  not  much  under  six  feet  high,  owing  to  boots  or 
shoes  with  heels  very  little  less  than  three  inches  high. 
Added  to  this  deception,  he  was  so  buttoned  up  and  straight- 
ened, as  to  appear  perfectly  lank. 

The  writer  of  his  life,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  these 
particulars,    then    subjoins: — "It   may  not    be   ill-timed,    to 


CHAULF.S    TRICE.  893 

those  who  did  not  know  him,  to  <;ive  the  true  description  of 
his  j)erson.  He  was  about  five  f'tet  six  inches  high  ;  a  com- 
pact neat-made  man,  square  shouldtred,  inclined  to  corpu- 
lency; his  legs  were  firm  and  well  set;  but  hy  nature  his 
features  made  him  look  much  older  than  he  really  was,  which, 
at  that  time,  was  nearly  fifty  ;  his  nose  was  aquiline,  and  his 
eyes  small  and  gray  ;  his  mouth  stood  very  much  inwards, 
with  very  thin  lips;  his  chin  pointed  and  prominent;  with  a 
pale  complexion  :  but  what  contributed  as  much  as  any  thing 
to  fivour  his  disguise  of  speech  was,  his  loss  of  teeth.  He 
walked  exceedingly  upright,  was  very  active  and  quick  in  his 
walk,  and  was  soniething  above  what  we  describe  a  man  to 
be,  when  we  call  him  "  a  dapper-made  man." 

This  simple  and  honest  lellow  (Samuel)  Mr.  Price  employed 
to  negociate  his  forged  bills,  jirincipally  in  the  purchase  of 
lottery  tickets,  at  the  same  time  never  fully  disclosing  to  him 
his  nan~je,  person,  or  history.  Indeed,  the  plan  was  devised 
and  executed  with  uncommon  ability.  However,  at  last 
Samuel  was  detected,  having  passed  bills  to  the  amount  of 
J'ouiteen  hmidred pounds !!  but  his  agent  eluded  discovery,  and 
retired  with  his  booty  into  the  shades  of  the  deepest  obscu- 
rity. The  poor  servant  was  imprisoned  for  nearly  a  twelve- 
month, terrified  out  of  his  wits,  being  the  innocent  instrument 
of  such  complicated  villany. 

Mr.  Price,  having  most  probably  exhausted  his  former 
acquisitions,  sallied  forth,  in  the  year  1782,  after  new  game, 
with  the  most  unparalleled  audacity.  For  this  purpose,  he 
obtained  his  second  servant,  from  a  register-office,  a  smart 
active  bov,  of  the  name  of  Power:  his  fatiier  was  a  Scotch 
presbyterian  ;  and,  to  ingratiate  himself  with  him,  Mr.  Price 
made  great  pretensions  to  religion,  expressing  a  hope  that  his 
son  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Ten 
Commandments.  Our  hero  began  his  ravages  upon  Mr.  Spils- 
bury,  of  Soho-square,  ordering  large  quantities  of  his  drops. 
Wilmnt  was  his  present  assumed  name,  and  he  introduced 
himself  to  him  as  possessing  all  the  symptoms  of  age  and  infir- 
mity. He  was  wrapped  up  in  a  large  camblet  great  coat;  he 
had  a  slouched  baton,  the  brim  of  which  was  large,  and  bent 
downward  on  each  side  of  his  head  ;  a  piece  of  red  Hannel 
covered  his  chin,  and  came  up  on  each  side  of  his  face  almost 
as  high  as  his  cheek-bones;  he  Ivad  a  large  bush  wig  on,  and 
legs  wrapped  over  with  flannel ;  he  had  also  a  pair  of  green 
spectacles  on  his  nose,  with  a  green  silk  shade  hanging  down 
from  his  hat,  but  no  patch  on  his  eye. 

It  is  remarkable  that  Mr.  Spilsbury  knew  Mr.  Price,  bul  not 
Mr.  Wilmot ;  nay,  so  complete  was  the  deception,  that  as  they 
sat  together  in  a  coffee-house,  Mr.  S.  complained  to  his  coffee- 
house acquaintance,  of  the  notes  which  Wihnot  had  imposed 


894  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING    MAN. 

upon  him.  Price  crying  out  now  and  then,  "  Lack-a-day ! 
Good  God!  vvlio  could  conceive  such  knavery  to  exist .'  What, 
and  did  the  Bank  refuse  payment,  Sir?"  starin<»;  througli  his 
spectacles  with  as  much  seeming  surprise  as  an  honest  man 
would  have  done.  "  O  yes,"  (said  Mr.  S.)  with  some  degree 
of  acrimony,  "  for  it  was  on  the  faith  of  the  Bank  of  England, 
that  I  and  a  great  many  others  have  taken  them  ;  and  they 
were  so  inimitably  well  done,  that  the  nicest  judges  could 
notdistinguish  them." — "  Good  God !  Lack-a-day !  (said  Price,) 
he  must  have  been  an  ingenious  villain  !  What  a  complete 
old  scoundrel !" 

Upon  Mr,  Watt  a  hosier,  Mr.  Reeves  a  colourman,  and  a 
great  many  other  individuals,  he  practised  frauds  equally 
ingenious  and  successful,  for  in  one  day  he  negociated  sixty  ten- 
pound-notes,  and  changed  fourteen  fifty-pound  notes  for  seven 
one-hundred-pound  notes;  indeed, so  multiplied  were  his  tricks 
at  (his  period,  that  the  mind  sickens  at  the  recital  of  them. 

In  his  last  attempt  on  the  Bank,  wliich  ended  in  his  detec- 
tion, he  assumed  the  name  of  Palton,  pretended  he  was  an 
Irish  linen  factor,  and  employed  two  young  men  to  circulate 
his  notes,  whilst  he  still,  greatly  disguised,  kept  back  in 
obscurity.  By  means  of  a  pawnbroker,  he  was  found  out 
with  great  difficulty.  On  his  seizure,  he  solemnly  declared 
his  innocence,  and  before  the  mairistrate  behaved  with  inso- 
lence.  This  detection  took  place  on  the  14th  of  January,  1786: 
he  was  soon  sworn  to  by  more  persons  than  one  ;  and  seeing 
no  way  of  escape,  he  pretended,  to  his  wife  in  particular,  great 
penitence;  but  there  appeared  no  ground  for  its  reality.  The 
Bank  was  fully  intent  on  the  prosecution  of  him,  and  there 
was  no  doubt  of  his  dying  by  the  hand.s  of  the  executioner. 
He,  however,  was  found  one  evening  hanging  against  the  post 
of  his  door,  in  his  apartments,  Tothill-fields  bridewell.  Thus 
was  the  earth  freed  from  as  <;reat  a  monster  as  ever  disoraced 
society. 

It  may  appear  strange  to  the  reader  that  this  depraved  im- 
postor could  have  so  long  escaped  discovery.  But  it  must 
be  added,  tiiat  besides  the  multifarious  disguises  of  his  person, 
he  had  taken  care  to  prevent  almost  t!ie  possibility  of  detec- 
tion. To  use  the  words  of  the  writer  of  his  life — *'  Had  Mr. 
Price  permitted  a  partner  in  his  proceedings,  had  he  employed 
an  engraver,  hiad  he  procured  paper  to  be  made  for  hiui  with 
water-marks  put  into  it,  he  must  have  been  soon  discovered  ; 
but  Price  was  without  a  confidant :  he  engraved  his  own  plates, 
made  his  own  paper,  with  the  water-marks,  and  his  negociator 
never  knew  him,  thereby  confining  a  secret  to  his  own  breast, 
which  he  wisely  deemed  not  safe  in  the  breast  of  another;  even 
Mrs.  Price  had  not  the  least  knowledge  or  suspicion  of  his 
^)roceedings.     Having  practised    engraving  till   he  had  made 


CHARLES   PRICE. —  STEPHENSON.  895 

niinself  sufficiently  master  of  it,  he  then  made  his  owl  ink,  to 
prove  his  own  works;  having  purchased  implements,  and 
manufactured  the  water-marks,  he  next  set  himself  to  counter- 
feit hand-writings,  and  succeeded  so  far,  as  even  to  puzzle 
a  part  of  the  tirst  body  of  men  in  the  world.  The  abilities 
of  the  unhappy  Ryland  were  exerted  in  his  profession,  and 
therefore  the  imposition  was  to  be  less  wondered  at;  but  here 
was  a  novice  in  the  art,  capable  of  equal  ingenuity  in  every 
department  of  the  dangerous  undertaking,  from  the  engraving 
down  to  the  publication. 

Whoever  reads  this  narrative  with  attention,  must  feel  rising 
within  his  breast  a  series  of  useful  reflections.  That  such 
talents  should  be  appropriated  to  such  a  use,  must  be  deeply 
regretted  ;  but  that  any  individual  should,  throughout  life, 
thus  prev  on  hia  fellow-creatures,  excites  the  strongest  detes- 
tation. Society  also  may  learn  lessons  of  caution  and  vigilance 
from  the  contemplation  of  the  extraordinary  character  we 
have  delineated.  Vice  here  appears  in  its  most  odious  features, 
that  of  meditated  imposition  upon  the  honest  and  industrious 
part  of  the  community.  Mark,  however,  its  serpentine  pro- 
gress and  its  wretched  termination. 

The  ECCENTRIC  Stephenson. — A  person  of  the  name  of 
Stephenson,  who  died  at  Kilmarnock,  in  Scotland,  in  1H17, 
came  originally  from  Dunlop,  and  was  brought  up  as  a  mason, 
but  during  many  of  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  had  wan- 
dered about  as  a  beggar.  His  wife  and  himself  had  been 
separated  thirty  years,  upon  these  strange  conditions, — that 
the  first  who  pioposed  an  agreement  should  forfeit  £100. 
Tliis  singular  pair  never  met  again.  Stephenson  was  much 
afl[licted,  during  the  last  two  years  of  his  life,  with  the  stone. 
As  his  disease  increased,  he  was  fully  aware  of  his  approach- 
ing dissolution  ;  and  for  this  event  he  made  the  following 
extraordinary  preparation  : — He  sent  for  a  baker,  and  ordered 
twelve  dozen  of  burial  cakes,  and  a  great  profusion  of  sugar 
biscuit,  together  with  a  corresponding  quantity  of  wine  and 
spirituous  liquors.  He  next  sent  for  a  joiner,  and  ordered 
a  coffin  decently  mounted,  with  instructions  that  the  wood 
should  be  quite  dry,  and  the  joints  firm,  and  imper\  ious  to  the 
water.  The  grave-digger  was  next  sent  for,  and  asked  if  he 
thought  he  could  find  a  place  to  put  him  in  after  he  was  dead. 
The  spot  fixed  u-pon  was  in  the  church-yard  of  Riccarton,  a 
village  about  half  a  mile  dir.tant.  He  enjoined  the  sexton  to 
be  sure  and  make  his  grave  roomy,  and  in  a  dry  comfortable 
corner;  and  he  would  be  well  rewarded  for  his  care  and  trou- 
ble. Having  made  these  arran<rements,  he  ord«ered  the  old 
woman  that  attended  him,  to  go  to  a  certain  nook,  and  bring 
out  £9,  to   be   appropriated  to   defray   the   funeral   charges. 


R96  ciJRiosn  :  Ks  iihsrKciiNG  man. 

lie  told  her,  at  the  same  time,  not  to  be  grieved, — chat  he  haa 
not  forgotten  her  in  his  will.  In  a  few  hours  afterwards,  in 
the  full  exercise  of  his  mental  powers,  but  in  the  most  excru- 
ciating agonies,  he  expired. 

A  neighbour  and  a  professional  man  were  immediately  sent 
for,  to  examine  and  seal  up  his  effects.  The  first  thing  they 
found  was  a  bag,  containing  large  silver  pieces,  such  as  crowns, 
half-crowns,  and  dollars,  to  a  large  amount:  in  a  corner  vvass 
secreted,  amongst  a  vast  quantity  of  musty  rags,  a  great 
number  of  guineas  and  seven-shilling  pieces.  In  his  trunk 
was  a  bond  for  £300,  and  other  bonds  and  securities  to  the 
amount  of  £900.  By  his  will,  £20  were  left  to  his  house- 
keeper, and  the  rest  of  his  property  to  be  divided  among  his 
distant  relations.  As  it  required  some  time  to  give  his  rela- 
tives intimation  of  his  death,  and  to  make  preparations  for 
his  funeral,  he  lay  in  state  four  days,  during  which  the  place 
resembled  more  an  Iiish  wake  than  a  deserted  room  where 
the  Scots  lock  up  their  dead.  The  invitations  to  his  funeral 
were  most  singular.  Persons  were  not  asked  individually, 
but  whole  families;  so  that,  except  a  few  relatives  dressed  in 
black,  his  obsequies  were  attended  by  tradesmen  in  their 
working  clothes,  barefooted  boys  and  girls,  and  an  immense 
crowd  of  tattered  beggars  :  to  the  aged  among  whom  he  left 
six-pence,  and  to  the  younger  three-pence.  After  the  inter- 
ment, this  motley  group  retired  to  a  large  barn,  fitted  up  for 
the  purpose,  where  a  scene  of  profusion  and  inebriety  was 
exhibited  almost  without  a  parallel. 

Whimsical  Character. — The  Rev.  Mr.  Hagamore,  of 
Catshoge,  Leicestershire,  was  a  very  singular  character.  He 
died  the  1st  of  January,  1776,  possessed  of  the  following 
effects,  viz. — £700  per  annum,  and  £1000  in  money,  which, 
as  he  died  intestate,  fell  to  a  ticket-porter  in  London.  He 
kept  one  servant  of  each  sex,  whom  he  locked  u[)  every  night. 
His  last  employment  of  an  evening  was  to  go  round  his  pre- 
mises, let  loose  his  dogs,  and  fire  his  gun.  lie  lost  his  life 
as  follows;  Going  one  morning  to  let  out  his  servants,  the 
dogs  fawned  upon  him  suddenly,  and  threw  him  into  a 
pond,  where  he  was  found  dead.  His  servants  heard  his 
call  for  assistance,  but  being  locked  up,  they  could  not  lend 
him  any.  He  had  30  gowns  and  cassocks,  100  pair  of 
breeches,  100  pair  of  boots,  400  pair  of  shoes,  80  wigs, 
yet  always  wore  his  own  hair,  58  dogs,  80  waggons  and  carts, 
80  ploughs,  and  used  none,  50  saddles,  and  furniture  for  the 
menage,  30  wheelbarrows,  so  many  walking-sticks,  tiiat  a 
tovman  in  Leicester-fields  offered  £8  for  them,  60  horses 
and  mares,  200  pickaxes,  200  spades  and  shovels,  74  ladders, 
and  249  razors. 


ECCENTRIC  CHARACTER. — INDIAN  JUGGLERS.  897 

ExtraordinaryCharacter. — In  July,1818,  A.INI.Crom- 
WELL,  of  Hammersmith,  died  suddenly  in  Tottenham-court- 
road  :  he  was  returning  from  the  corn-market,  when  he  was 
taken  ill,  and  carried,  in  a  dying  state,  into  the  house  of  a 
corn-chandler,  in  Tottenham-court-road.  The  master  of  the 
shop,  who  knew  him,  was  from  home,  and  in  the  country. 
The  mistress  did  not  know  him,  and  he  was  therefore  treated 
with  no  more  attention  from  her  than  humanity  dictated. 

He  remained  in  the  shop,  and  a  crowd  was  collected  in  con- 
sequence. His  dress  not  bespeaking  him  a  man  of  wealth  or 
respectability,  he  was  about  to  be  removed  to  the  parish 
workhouse.  However,  some  gentlemen  passing  by  chance, 
recognized  him;  and,  knowing  him  to  be  a  wealthy  man, 
thought  it  right  to  search  his  person  in  the  presence  of  several 
witnesses,  when  they  found  bank-notes  to  the  amount  of 
£1500.  A  surgeon  was  sent  for,  who  attended,  and  examined 
him;  and  declared,  that,  in  his  opinion,  he  had  been  dying 
during  the  last  two  hours,  in  consequence  of  tlie  breaking  of 
a  blood-vessel,  supposed  to  be  near  his  heart.  It  is  said  he 
was  worth  two  millions  and  a  half.  He  was  75  years  old,  and 
had  been  accumulating  property  for  a  great  number  of  years, 
living  at  the  most  trifling  expense.  He  frequently  bought  his 
clothes  in  Monmouth-street,  and  wore  them  as  long  as  they 
would  hang  together:  his  breeches  were  very  greasy  and 
raooed  •  bis  stockinos  usually  contained  many  holes;  in  fact, 
he  could  not  be  distinguished  by  his  dress  from  his  men.  In 
the  summer  season  he  was  frequently  up  at  three  o'clock, 
attending  to  and  assisting  in  loading  the  brick  carts,  8cc.  &c. 
His  wealth  did  not  improve  or  alter  his  conduct,  manners, 
or  mode  of  living.  He  provided  plenty  of  food  for  the  house, 
but  it  was  in  a  very  rough  style; — fat  pork,  fat  bacon.  Sic. 
and  sometimes  poultry.  His  hog-feeders  and  other  men  sat  at 
table  with  him  in  their  working-dress;  and,  if  a  friend  hap- 
pened to  dine  with  him,  his  men  were  made  company  for  them, 
and  he  did  not  deviate  from  his  daily  plan  of  helping  them 
first. 

Indian  Jugglers;  (see  pages  62  and  63.) — The  Indian 
jugglers,  who  exhibited  in  London  from  1810  to  1815,  per- 
formed such  astonishing  feats,  that  it  would  appear  to  require 
a  long  life,  spent  in  incessant  practice,  to  acquire  facility  in 
anyone  of  them;  such  proficiency  is  so  common,  however, 
in  India,  that  it  probably  excites  no  extraordinary  interest 
there.  The  following  is  a  description  of  their  pertormauces, 
which  were  witnessed  by  the  editor  of  this  work. 

The  exhibition  takes  place  upon  a  raised  platform,  on 
which,  having  performed  his  salaam,  or  eastern  obeisance, 
the  chief  performer  takes  his  seat;  and  behind  him  sits  the 

5X 


898  CURIOSITIES  kesi'Ecting  man 

second  juggler,  and  an  attendant  boy,  whose  occupation  is  to 
beat  t0iiet])er  two  metallic  plates,  somewhat  resembling  cym- 
bals, which  emit  an  unremitting  sound,  like  the  clucking  of 
a  hen. 

The  first  tricks  are  performed  with  cups  and  balls.  These 
are  similar  in  their  mode  to  the  deceptions  of  our  own  conju- 
rers, and  only  remarkable  for  the  superiority  of  their  evolu- 
tions in  the  hands  of  this  celebrated  Asiatic.  The  cups 
seem  enchanted  ;  the  balls  fly  ;  they  increase  in  number ;  they 
diminish  ;  now  one,  now  two,  now  none  under  the  cup  ;  and 
now  the  serpent,  the  cobra  de  capella,  usurps  the  place  of  a 
small  globule  of  cork,  and  winds  its  snaky  folds  as  if  from 
under  the  puny  vessel.  The  facility  with  which  this  dexterous 
feat  is  accomplished,  gives  life  and  animation  to  the  sable 
countenance  of  the  artist,  whose  arm  is  bared  to  the  elbow, 
to  shew  that  the  whole  is  done  by  sleight  of  hand.  During 
his  performances,  the  juggler  keeps  up  an  unremitting  noise, 
strikins:  his  tongue  asainst  his  teeth,  like  the  clack  of  ma- 
chinery,  and  uttering  sounds,  as  if  he  were  repeating,  with 
inconceiv<^ble  rapidity,  the  words  "  Crickery-tick,  ciickeiy- 
tick,  crickery-tick,  a-tow,  geret-tow,  crickery-tick,  a-toiv,  geret- 
tow,  &.C." 

The  next  feat  is  that  of  breaking  a  cotton  thread  into  the 
consistency  of  scraped  lint,  as  used  by  surgeons,  and  repro- 
ducing it  continued  and  entire  ;  after  which  he  lays  uj)on  the 
palm  of  his  hand  a  small  quantity  of  common  sand  ;  this  he 
rubs  with  the  fingers  of  his  other  hand,  and  it  changes  its 
hue — the  colourless  grains  become  yellow;  he  rubs  them 
again,  they  are  white  ;  again,  and  they  are  black. 

A  series  of  evolutions  then  succeeds,  with  four  hollow  brass 
balls,  about  the  size  of  oranges.  His  power  over  these  is  al- 
most miraculous.  He  causes  them  to  describe  every  possible 
circle — horizontally,  perpendicularly,  obliquely,  transversely, 
round  his  legs,  under  his  arms,  about  his  head,  in  small  and 
in  large  circumferences — with  wondrous  rapidity,  and  keeping 
the  whole  number  in  motion  at  the  same  time.  This  being 
the  sole  fruit  of  effort,  activity,  quickness  of  eye,  and  rapi- 
dity of  action,  no  one  who  has  not  witnessed  it  can  form  an 
idea  of  its  excellence.  He  then  exhibits  his  astonishing  power 
of  balancing.  He  places  on  his  two  great  toes  (over  which 
he  seems  to  have  the  same  command  that  less  favoured  whites 
enjoy  over  their  fingers  only)  a  couple  of  thin  rings,  of  about 
four  inches  in  diameter;  a  pair  of  similar  rings  he  places  on 
his  fore  fingers,  and  then  he  sets  the  whole  into  rotation,  and 
roulid  they  all  whirl,  and  continue  describing  their  orbits 
without  cessation,  as  if  set  to  work  by  machinery,  endowed 
with  the  principle  of  perpetual  motion.  Throwing  himself 
back,  the  performer  then  balances  a  sword  upon  his  forehead. 


INDIAN    JUGGLERS.  899 

and  with  liis  mouth  strin<;s  a  number  of  very  small  beads 
upon  a  hog's  bristle,  which  he  holds  between  his  lips.  All 
the  wheels  are  kept  in  regular  movement;  the  sword  is  nicely- 
poised;  and  arts  and  manufactures,  under  the  emblem  of  bead- 
stringing,  carried  on  in  peacefulness :  during  this  part  of  the 
show,  the  performer  is  compelled,  from  the  nature  of  his  em- 
ployment, to  be  still  and  quiet. 

Having  concluded  this,  the  juggler  executes  the  following 
exploit. — Upon  the  tip  of  his  nose  he  balances  a  small  wooden 
parasol,  from  the  circumference  of  which  about  a  dozen  of 
cork  tassels  are  pendent.  With  his  mouth  he  inserts  into 
each  of  these  tassels  a  quill  of  about  the  length  of  twelve 
inches,  and  the  thickness  of  that  of  the  porcupine.  The  bases 
of  these  he  places  with  his  tongue  between  his  upper  lip  and 
nose,  the  rings  on  his  toes  all  the  while  performing  their  cir- 
cuits. Having  succeeded  in  putting  a  quill  in-to  every  tassel, 
he  takes  out  the  centre  stick  on  which  the  parasol  was  origi- 
nally supported  from  the  top  of  his  nose,  and  it  then  remains 
balanced  on  the  quills.  Thus  far  the  work  is  difficult  enough  ; 
but  this  is  nothing  to  its  conclusion.  He  undermines  his 
structure  by  a  quill  at  a  time,  till  only  three  remain.  Of  these 
he  takes  one  away  ;  and  the  top,  which  resembles  the  roof  of 
a  pagoda,  swings  down,  and  hangs  by  two,  the  Indian  preserv- 
ing the  astonishing  balance  even  throughout  this  motion, 
which  might  be  deemed  sufficient  to  disconcert  any  human 
ingenuity :  but  even  here  he  does  not  stop ;  the  last  prop 
but  one  is  removed,  and  on  that  one  the  erect  balance  of  the 
machine  rests. 

After  a  variety  of  other  extraordinary  performances,  the 
Indian  places  a  stone  of  fourteen  pounds  weight,  about  the 
size  and  shape  of  a  Dutch  cheese,  between  his  feet.  With  an 
apparently  slight  exertion,  he  kicks  up  his  heels,  and  the 
stone,  performing  a  parabola  over  his  head  from  behind,  alights 
upon  the  bend  of  his  arm,  where  it  rests.  He  then  tosses  it 
to  the  same  part  of  the  other  arm,  where  it  rests,  as  if  held 
by  the  hand,  or  caught  by  magic;  thence  he  throws  it  to 
various  parts  of  his  frame,  to  his  wrist,  and  the  back  of  his 
neck.  At  this  latter  point  it  might  be  supposed  it  would  be 
stationary,  as  one  feels  very  little  capacity  of  twisting  any 
weighty  body  from  the  neck  in  a  direction  different  from  what 
it  would  take  on  being  shaken  off.  But  even  here  our  jug- 
gler commands  its  obedience.  He  again  tosses  it  to  his  arm; 
back  again  to  his  neck  ;  and  after  a  few  gambols  of  this  sort, 
he  finally,  by  a  masterly  jerk,  throws  the  stone  of  fourteen 
pounds  weight  round  his  head. 

The  famous  feat  of  swallowing  the  sword  closes  this  won- 
derful exhibition  ;  for  a  description  of  which,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  page  63. 


900      •  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

John  Metcalf,  or  Blind  Jack  of  Knaresborough. — This 
extraordinary  character  was  born  in  1717,  and  died  in  1798. 
When  four  years  old,  his  parents,  who  were  working  people, 
put  him  to  school,  soon  after  which  he  was  seized  with  the 
small-pox,  by  which  he  became  totally  blind,  though  all  pos- 
sible means  were  used  to  preserve  his  sight.  Recovering 
from  the  small-pox,  he  found  that  he  was  able  to  go  from  his 
father's  house  to  the  end  of  the  street,  and  return,  without  a 
guide;  and,  in  the  space  of  three  years,  he  could  find  his 
way  to  any  part  of  the  town,  which  gave  him  much  satisfac- 
tion. In  process  of  time,  he  began  to  associate  with  the 
neighbouring  boys,  of  his  own  age,  and  went  with  them  to 
take  birds'  nests.  For  his  share  of  the  eggs  and  young  birds, 
he  was  to  climb  the  trees,  whilst  his  companions  waited  at 
the  bottom  to  receive  what  he  should  throw  down.  After 
that,  he  could  ramble  into  the  fields  alone,  frequently  to  the 
distance  of  two  or  three  miles  ;  and,  his  father  keeping  horses, 
he  in  time  became  an  able  horseman,  and  a  gallop  was  his 
favourite  pace.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  being  taught  music, 
he  became  very  expert,  though  he  had  more  taste  for  the  cry 
of  the  hounds  than  for  any  instnmient.  A  Mr.  VVoodburn,  of 
Knaresborough,  master  of  a  pack  of  hounds,  used  to  take 
young  Metcalf  to  hunt  with  him  ;  and  he  having  a  couple  and 
a  half  of  2;ood  ones  of  his  own,  used  to  <>;o  out  at  a  nioht 
when  the  hares  were  feeding;  but  one  of  his  young  dogs  hap- 
pening to  worry  a  couple  of  lambs,  Metcalf  was  obliged  to 
discontinue  this  practice.  At  about  fourteen  years  of  age  he 
learned  to  swim  in  the  river  Nidd;  but  few  of  his  companions 
liked  to  come  near  him  in  the  water,  it  being  his  custom  to 
seize  them,  send  them  to  the  bottom,  and  swim  over  them  by 
way  of  diversion. 

Having  practised  oni  the  violin  till  he  could  ph^y  country 
dances,  lie  attended  several  assemblies,  and  to  his  fondness 
for  hunting,  added  that  of  cock-fighting  ;  and,  ifat  any  time 
he  heard  of  a  better  game-cock  than  his  own,  he  would  be 
sure  to  get  him  by  some  means  or  other,  though  at  ever  so 
great  a  distance.  In  fact,  his  fame  began  to  spread  to  such 
a  degree,  that  when  any  arch  trick  was  done,  inquiry  was 
sure  to  be  made,  where  Blind  Jack  was  at  the  time.  In  1732, 
Metcalf  succeeded  the  fiddler  at  Harrowgate,  who  died  in  the 
102d  year  of  his  age  ;  after  this  he  bought  a  horse,  and  often 
ran  him  for  small  plates;  and  for  some  time,  hunting  by  day, 
and  fiddling  by  night,  were  his  ])rincipal  occupations.  Soon 
after  this,  as  Metcalf  had  learned  to  walk  and  ride  very  rea- 
dily through  most  of  the  streets  in  York,  he  one  evening 
offered  himself  as  a  guide  to  a  gentleman  who  wanted  to  go 
to  Knaresborough  that  night,  and  absolutely  performed  it, 
the  gentleman  not  even  suspecting  that  he  was  blind  till  they 


JOHN   METCALF.  90] 

came  to  their  journey's  end.  This  the  gentlenian  was  told  at 
the  sign  of  the  Granby,  just  as  he  had  entered  the  parlour. 
Expressing  some  doubt  of  this  to  the  landlord's  question, 
"  Do  you  not  know  that  he  is  blind?"  he  exclaimed,  "  Wha', 
do  you  mean  by  that?" — "  I  mean  sir,  that  he  cannot  see." — 
"Blind!  gracious  God!" — "Yes  sir,  as  blind  as  a  stone." 
Metcalf  was  then  called  in,  and  the  gentleman's  doubts  were 
immediately  dissipated. 

In  1745,  during  the  rebellion,  as  Captain  Thornton  under- 
took to  raise  a  company  at  his  own  expense,  and  knowing 
Mctcalf's  turn  of  mind,  engaged  him  as  a  musician  to  his 
corps.  As  Metcalf  was  then  nearly  six  feet  two  inches  high, 
and  being,  like  his  companions,  dressed  in  blue  and  bulf,  with 
a  large  gold-laced  hat,  the  captain  was  so  well  pleased  with 
him,  that  he  said  he  would  give  one  hundred  guineas  for  only 
one  eye  to  be  put  into  the  head  of  his  dark  companion.  Dur- 
ing the  rebellion,  after  seeing  much  service,  and  being  parti- 
cularly noticed  by  the  duke  of  Cumberland,  he  was  discharged, 
and  being  at  liberty  to  choose  his  occupation,  he  attended 
Harrowgate  as  before  ;  but  having,  in  the  course  of  his  Scotch 
expedition,  become  acquainted  with  the  various  articles  manu- 
factured in  that  country,  he  provided  himself  with  several 
in  the  cotton  and  worsted  way,  especially  Aberdeen  stockings, 
for  all  which  he  found  a  ready  sale  in  the  extensive  county  of 
York.  Among  a  thousand  articles,  he  never  was  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  each  had  cost  him,  from  a  particular  mode  of 
marking.  It  was  also  customary  with  him  to  buy  horses  for 
sale  in  Scotland,  bringing  back  galloways  in  return.  In  this 
traffic  he  depended  on  feeling  the  animals  to  direct  his  choice. 
In  1754,  Metcalf  set  up  a  stage  waggon  between  York  and 
KnaresborougTi,  being  the  first  of  the  kind  known  on  that 
road.  This  he  constantly  conducted  himself,  going  twice  a 
week  in  summer,  and  once  in  the  winter;  but  at  length,  turn- 
ing his  attention  to  the  making  of  roads,  he  disposed  of  his 
waggon,  &.C.  His  first  undertaking  of  this  kind  was  three 
miles  of  the  new  turnpike  road  from  Harrowgate  to  Borough- 
bridge;  and  for  this  he  was  actually  appointed  foreman  to  the 
surveyor. 

He  often  walked  from  Knaresborough  in  the  morning,  with 
four  or  five  stone  of  meat  on  his  shoulders,  and  joined  his 
men  by  six  o'clock.  By  the  means  he  used,  he  completed  the 
work  much  sooner  than  was  expected,  to  the  entire  s-atisfac- 
tion  of  the  surveyor  and  the  trustees.  During  his  leisure 
hours  he  studied  measurement  in  a  way  of  his  own  ;  and,  when 
certain  of  the  girth  and  length  of  any  piece  of  timber,  he  was 
able  to  reduce  its  true  contents  to  feet  and  inches,  and  could 
bring  the  dimensions  of  any  building  into  yards  or  feet.  In 
fact,  he  contracted  for,  and   constructed   several  roads,  in  a 


902  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   MAN. 

manner  superior  to  the  method  of  making  them  at  that  time. 
He  built  various  bridges  in  difficult  situations,  in  a  manner 
that  astonished  those  that  employed  him,  and  afterwards  un- 
dertook the  erection  of  houses.  One  of  iiis  bridges,  it  was 
remarked,  had  stood  thirty  years,  and  the  foundation  never 
cost  one  penny  in  repairs. 

In  1792,  having  been  some  time  absent,  he  returned  to 
Yorkshire,  and,  having  no  engagement,  he  bought  hay  to  sell 
again  :  he  used  to  measure  the  stacks  with  his  arms,  and 
knowing  the  height,  could  readily  tell  what  number  of  square 
yards  were  contained  in  hay,  from  five  to  one  hundred  pounds 
value;  with  equal  facility  he  could  calculate  the  solid  contents 
of  standing  wood.  Having  known  the  streets  of  York  very 
accurately  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  life,  he  determined  to  visit 
that  ancient  city,  where  he  had  not  been  for  the  space  of 
thirty-two  years.  He  found  alterations  for  the  better  in 
Spurrier-gate,  Blake-street,  the  Pavement,  Sic.  and  so  reten- 
tive was  his  memory,  that,  though  so  many  years  had  elapsed 
since  he  had  been  that  way  before,  he  discovered  an  altera- 
tion in  tile  hanging  of  two  gates  by  a  wall-side  near  the  house 
of  a  Mr.  Barlow.  His  wife  died  in  1778,  in  her  61st  year, 
eaving  him  four  children,  after  39  years  of  conjugal  affec- 
tion and  felicity. 

Mrs.  Van  Butchell. — In  1775,  died  the  wife  of  an  eccen- 
tric empiric.  Dr.  Martin  Van  Butchell;  and  the  singular  mode 
employed  for  the  preservation  of  her  body  merits  notice.  On 
her  death  taking  place,  he  applied  to  Dr.  Hunter,  to  exert 
liis  skill  in  preventing,  if  possible,  the  changes  of  form  usual 
after  the  cessation  of  life.  Accordingly,  the  doctor,  assisted 
by  the  late  Mr.  Cruikshank,  injected  the  blood-vessels  with 
a  coloured  fluid,  so  that  the  minute  red  vessels  of  the  cheeks 
and  lips  were  filled,  and  exhibited  their  native  hue;  and  the 
body  in  general,  having  all  the  cavities  filled  with  antiseptic 
substances,  remained  perfectly  free  from  corruption,  or  any 
unpleasant  smell,  and  as  if  it  was  merely  in  a  state  of  sleep. 
But  to  resemble  the  appearance  of  life,  glass  eyes  were  also 
inserted.  The  corpse  was  then  deposited  in  a  bed  of  thin 
oaste  of  plaster  of  Paris,  in  a  box  of  sufficient  dimensions, 
which  subsequently  crystallized,  and  produced  a  pleasing 
effect.  A  curtain  covered  the  glass  lid  of  the  box,  which 
could  be  withdrawn  at  pleasure  ;  and  which  box  being  kept 
in  the  common  parlour,  Mr.  Van  Butchell  had  the  satisfaction 
of  retaining  his  departed  wife  for  many  years,  frequently  dis- 
playing the  beautiful  corpse  to  his  friends  and  visitors.  A 
second  marriage,  some  years  afterwards,  is  said  to  have  occa- 
sioned some  family  difference,  and  it  was  found  expedient  to 
remove  the  preserved  bod;/. 


HARRISON. —  BLIND   v^LERGYMAN.  993 

Harrison,  a  Penurious  Character. — This  person  died  in 
IVoveiuber,  1821,  in  Bennett-street,  Rathbone-place,  Oxford- 
road,  London,  where  he  had  lodged  20  years.  The  furniture 
of  his  room  consisted  of  one  old  chair,  a  table,  a  trunk  or  two, 
an  old  stump  bedstead,  and  a  bed  of  straw  ;  in  one  corner 
was  a  heap  of  ashes;  and  the  cupboard,  the  day  after  his 
decease,  contained  a  few  potato-peelings  and  a  stale  roll. 
His  body  ])resented  a  picture  of  the  most  extreme  misery 
and  starvation,  though  he  had  no  family,  and  had  property 
in  the  funds  to  the  amount  of  £1500.  A  female  friend  who 
lived  at  Putney,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  calling  on  him  when 
she  came  to  town,  deposed,  that  he  would  let  no  person  but 
her  enter  his  room,  which  he  always  kept  padlocked  inside, 
for  fear  of  being  robbed  :  he  lay  on  his  bed  in  the  day-time, 
and  sat  up  at  night  without  any  fire,  always  burning  a  lamp. 
A  few  evenings  before  his  death,  he  told  the  female  before- 
mentioned,  that  many  persons  wanted  to  finger  his  cash,  but 
they  should  not.  He  then  desired  her  to  lock  him  in,  and 
take  the  key  with  her,  which  she  did;  but,  on  going  again 
next  day,  she  found  him  lying  on  his  bed  with  his  clothes  on, 
quite  dead.  He  had  made  his  will  several  months  before, 
and  left  her  executrix  of  his  property,  which  was  to  be  divided 
between  herself,  his  nephew,  and  niece.  He  had  been  mar- 
ried, and  had  a  daughter,  who,  with  his  wife,  were  both  dead. 
He  carried  large  sums  of  money  sewed  up  in  different  parts 
of  his  clothes,  for  which  reason  he  never  pulled  them  ofl' 
Upwards  of  JCIOO  was  found  upon  him  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  on  the  night  previous  to  which  he  sent  for  one  oyster, 
half  a  pint  of  beer,  and  a  pennyworth  of  figs,  which  he  ate. 
For  nearly  four-  years  previous  to  his  decease,  he  appeared 
almost  childish.  The  jury  that  sat  upon  the  body,  brought 
in  their  verdict, — Died  by  the  visitation  of'  God. 

The  Blind  Clergyman. — The  following  very  interesting 
account  was  published  in  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  Jan.  21, 
1791.      It  bears  all  the  marks  of  authenticity. 

"  In  my  rambles  (says  the  writer)  last  summer,  on  the 
borders  of  Wales,  I  found  myself  one  morning  on  the  banks 
of  the  beautiful  river  Wye,  alone,  without  a  servant  or  guide. 
I  had  to  ford  the  river  at  a  place  where,  according  to  the 
instiuctions  given  me  at  the  nearest  hamlet,  if  I  divertjed  ever 
so  little  from  the  marks  which  the  ripling  of  the  current  made 
as  it  passed  over  a  h*dge  of  rock,  I  should  sink  twice  the 
depth  of  myself  and  horse.  While  I  stood  hesitating  on  the 
margin,  viewing  attentively  the  course  of  the  ford,  a  person 
passed  me  on  the  canter,  and  the  next  instant  I  saw  him 
plunge  into  the  river.  Presuming  on  his  acquaintance  with  the 
passage,  I  immediately  and  closely  followed  his  steps.    As  soon 


904  cuHiosniEs  respecting  man. 

as  we  had  gained  the  opposite  bank,  I  accosted  him  with 
thanks  for  the  benefit  ex*'  his  guidance;  but  what  was  my 
astonishment,  wlien,  bursting  into  a  hearty  laugh,  he  observed, 
that  "  my  confidence  would  have  been  less,  had  I  known  that 
1  had  been  following  a  blind  guide."  The  manner  of  the 
man,  as  well  as  the  fact,  attracted  my  curiosity.  To  my  ex- 
pressions of  surprise  at  his  venturing  to  cross  the  river  alone, 
he  answered,  that  he  and  the  horse  he  rode  had  done  the 
same  every  Sunday  morning  for  the  last  five  years  ;  but  that 
in  reality,  this  was  not  the  most  perilous  part  of  his  hebdo- 
madal peregrination,  as  1  should  be  convinced,  if  my  way  led 
over  the  mountain  before  us.  My  way  was  ad  libitum,  at  plea- 
sure ;  I  therefore  resolved  to  attach  myself  to  my  extraordinary 
companion,  and  soon  learned  in  our  chat,  as  we  wound  up 
the  steep  mountain's  side,  that  he  was  a  clergyman,  and  of 
that  class  which  is  the  disgrace  of  our  ecclesiastical  establish- 
ment;  I  mean  the  country  curates,  who  exist  upon  the  liberal 
stipend  of  thirty,  twenty,  and  sometimes  fifteen  pounds  a  year ! 
This  gentleman,  of  the  age  of  sixty,  had  about  thirty  years 
before  been  engaged  in  the  curacy  to  which  he  was  now  tra- 
velling; and  though  at  tiie  distance  of  eight  long  Welsh  miles 
from  the  place  of  his  residence,  such  was  the  respect  of  his 
Sunday  flock  towards  him,  that  at  the  commencement  of  his 
calamity,  rather  than  part  with  him,  they  sent  regularly,  every 
Sunday  morning,  a  deputation  to  guide  their  old  pastor  along 
a  road,  which,  besides  the  river  we  had  just  passed,  led  over 
a  craggy  mountain,  on  whose  top  innumerable  and  uncertain 
bogs  were  constantly  forming,  and  which,  nevertheless,  by 
the  instinct  of  his  Welsh  pony,  this  blind  man  has  actually 
crossed  alone  for  the  last  five  years,  having  so  long  dismissed 
the  assistance  of  guides. 

"  While  our  talk  beguiled  our  road,  we  insensibly  arrived 
within  sight  of  his  village  church.  It  was  seated  in  a  deep 
and  narrow  vale.  As  I  looked  down  upon  it,  the  bright  ver- 
dure of  the  meadows,  which  were  here  and  there  chequered 
with  patches  of  yellow  corn,  the  movi-ng  herds  of  cattle,  the 
rich  foliage  of  the  groves  of  oak,  hanging  irregvilarly  over  its 
sides,  the  white  houses  of  the  inhabitants,  which  sprinkled 
every  corner  of  this  peaceful  retreat;  and  above  all,  the  inha 
bitants  themselves,  assembled  in  their  best  attire  round  their 
place  of  weekly  worship  ;  all  this  gay  scene  rushing  at  once 
on  the  view,  struck  my  senses  and  imagination  more  forcibly 
than  I  can  express.  As  we  entered  the  church-yard,  the  re- 
spectful "  How  do  you  do?"  of  the  young,  the  hearty  shakes 
by  the  hand  of  the  old,  and  tlie  familiar  gambols  of  the  chil- 
dren, shewed  how  their  old  pastor  reigned  in  the  hearts  of 
all.  After  some  refreshment  at  the  nearest  house,  we  went  to 
church,    in  which  my  veteran   priest  read   the  prayers^   the 


CLARA    FISHER.  905 

pialms,  and  chapters  of  the  day,  and  then  preached  a  sermon 
in  a  manner  that  would  have  made  no  one  advert  to  his  defect 
of  sii^ht.  At  dinner.,  which  it  seems  {'our  of  the  most  substan- 
tial farmers  of  the  vale  provided  in  turn,  he  related  the  pro- 
gress of  his  memory.  For  the  first  year  he  attempted  only 
the  prayers  and  sermons,  the  best  readers  of  the  paiish 
making  it  a  pride  to  officiate  for  him  in  the  psalms  and  chap- 
ters. He  next  endured  the  labour  of  getting  these  by  lieart; 
and  at  present,  by  continual  repetition,  there  is  not  a  psalm 
or  chapter  of  the  more  than  two  hundred  appointed  for  the 
Sunday  service,  that  he  is  not  perfect  in.  He  told  me  also, 
that  having-  in  his  little  school  two  sons  of  his  own,  intended 
for  the  university,  he  has,  by  hearing  them  continually,  com- 
mitted the  greatest  part  of  Homer  and  Virgil  to  his  memory." 

We  shall  now  introduce  to  the  notice  of  the  reader,  a  living 
character, — a  child,  a  little  girl, — the  most  extraordinary  that 
ever  appeared  in  the  world. 

Miss  Clara  Fisher. — This  little  lady,  the  youngest  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  G.  F.  Fisher,  a  respectable  auctioneer,  of  London, 
was  born  in  Covent-garden,  on  the  14th  of  July,  1811.  At 
a  very  early  age,  she  evinced  powers  of  intellect  and  genius 
very  unusual  in  infants.  A  passionate  fondness  for  music 
was  a  first  characteristic  ;  and  while  yet  in  the  arms  of  a  nurse, 
she  was  excited  to  pleasurable  emotions,  when  tunes  which 
she  liked  were  played,  but  shewed  the  most  determined  oppo- 
sition in  her  power,  to  the  continuance  of  those  to  which  she 
had  conceived  an  aversion.  This  fact  is  recorded  in  the  writ- 
ings of  Anthony  Pasquin,  in  his  Dramatic  Censor,  as  an 
instance  of  wonderfully  premature  infantine  endowment. 

The  fame  which  Miss  O'Neil  had  acquired  soon  after  her 
appearance  in  London,  induced  Mr.  Fisher  to  take  his  family 
to  Covent-garden  theatre,  to  witness  her  performance  of  Jane 
Shore;  and  to  the  impression  made  that  night  on  the  mind 
of  little  Clara,  may  be  ascribed  the  wonderful  turn  for  theatri- 
cal exhibition,  which  has  ever  since  characterized  this  juvenile 
candidate  for  histrionic  fame.  On  the  same  evening,  after 
returning  from  the  theatre,  Clara  retired  to  a  corner  of  the 
room,  and,  as  she  thought,  unseen,  went  through,  in  dumb 
show,  a  great  part  of  the  performances  she  had  witnessed  at 
the  theatre.  These  evident  symptoms  of  dramatic  genius  in 
a  child,  then  under  four  years  of  age,  excited  much  surprise 
and  pleasure  amongst  the  family  circle.  A  few  evenings 
afterwards,  she  was  persuaded  to  repeat  this  primary  exhibi- 
tion before  some  private  friends,  and  the  applause  which  she 
elicited  seemed  to  implant  in  her  young  mind  that  ardent  love 
for  the  stage,  which  thenceforward  has  guided  all  her  thoughts 
and  actions. 

Y 


906  CURIOSITIES   HESPECTING   MAN. 

In  the  autumn  of  1817,  Dr.  D.  Corrie,  the  celebrated  mu- 
sician, and  composer  of  the  music  of  the  Travellers,  solicited 
and  received  permission  for  little  Clara  to  appear  in  a  private 
performance  with  his  juvenile  pupils  in  music.  A  short  cha- 
racter was  assigned  to  little  Clara  to  learn  ;  and  she  performed 
it  with  an  effect  which  excited  the  astonishment  and  admira- 
tion of  a  select  and  fashionable  company,  who  had  met  to 
witness  the  efibrts  of  the  juvenile  performers.  From  the 
success  of  this  evening's  amusement,  may  be  dated  Miss 
Clara's  introduction  to  public  notice.  On  the  10th  of  Decem- 
ber following,  she  appeared  in  Drury-lane  theatre,  in  Garrick's 
romance  of  Lilliput;  revived  and  altered,  with  songs,  pro- 
logue, epilogue,  and  a  masque,  written  by  Mr.  Fisher;  and 
in  which  was  introduced  the  last  act  of  Shakspeare's  Richard 
III.  in  order  to  bring  forward  the  little  Clara  in  the  character 
of  the  crookbacked  tyrant.  Her  success  in  this  arduous 
character  was  beyond  all  anticipation  :  for  seventeen  nights 
the  house  was  crowded  in  every  part,  and  the  applause  be- 
stowed on  the  extraordinary  infant,  then  only  six  years  and  a 
half  old,  was  enthusiastic  and  incessant.  The  public  jour- 
nals published  in  London  during  the  run  of  the  piece,  bear 
ample  testimony  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  the  best 
critics  of  the  day  held  the  talents  of  the  young  actress.  Im- 
mediately after  the  close  of  her  engagement  at  Drury-lane, 
she  was  applied  for  by  Mr.  Harris,  of  Covent-garden  theatre, 
where  she  performed  with  equal  success  and  approbation. 
On  one  occasion,  his  present  Majesty,  then  Prince  of  Wales, 
honoured  the  theatre  with  his  presence,  and  was  pleased  cor- 
dially to  join  in  the  general  plaudits  of  the  audience.  After 
the  part  of  Richard  111.  was  concluded,  she  appeared  in  her 
own  infantine  character,  and  delivered  the  following  epilogue, 
written  by  her  father,  with  a  pathos  and  feeling  which  power- 
fully affected  the  auditors: — 


Well,  Sirs,  what  say  you  (o  our  little  play — 

Must  it  expire,  or  live  another  day? 

Will  you  permit  onee  more  our  proup  to  try 

To  raise  your  laughter,  or  to  make  you  cry  ? 

My  spangled  robes  laid  by,  and  waving  plume, 

In  muslin  frock  my  sex  I  re-assume ; 

And  though  in  simple  dress  I'm  now  array 'd, 

I  hope  you'll  not  reject  a  little  maid. 

Who  sues  for  favour,  for  herself,  and  those. 

Who,  like  herself,  are  now  in  common  clothes. 

And  I  assure  you,  laiiics,  from  my  heart, 

I  like  my  robes  nmch  better  than  my  part; 

The  shining  spangles  are  to  me  so  dear, 

I'm  come  to  ask — may  I  again  appear? 

O!  pray  iiidulge  nie  in  tliis  one  recjucst. 

And  1  will  strive  to  please  you, — and  be  drest! 


CLAHA    FISHER.  907 

On  leaving  Covent-garden,  she  was  engaged  byMr.EIliston  to 
perform  at  the  Birmingham  tlieatre,  as  a  star,  for  some  nights; 
after  which  she  appeared  in  Bath,  Edinburgh,  Glasgow, 
Aberdeen,  York,  Doncaster,  Hull,  Brighton,  and  every  thea- 
tre of  consequence,  in  the  kingdom. 

Miss  Clara  Fisher  has  at  this  time,  1822,  been  on  tlie  boards 
more  than  four  years,  and  has  already  performed  in  about 
one  hundred  theatres.  She  has  travelled  through  various 
parts  of  Great  Britain,  a  distance  of  upwards  often  thousand 
miles  ;  and  she  has  performed  in  Shakspeare's  character  of 
Richard  III.  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  times,  besides 
other  arduous  parts  in  the  various  departments  of  the  English 
drama.  Her  singing  and  dancing  are  equal  to  her  other 
accomplishments,  and  yield  delight  to  all  who  witness  them. 
Being  yet  but  eleven  years  of  age,  she  will  furnish  for  the 
future  historian  a  rare  instance  of  precocity  of  intellect.  She 
is  gracefully  formed,  but  not  tall  of  her  age  ;  her  face  is  oval, 
and  full  of  expression;  her  eyes  blue,  large,  and  animated; 
her  mouth  particularly  well  moulded  ;  and  her  hand  and  arm 
are  considered  by  artists  as  uncommonly  beautiful  for  her 
years.  The  general  opinion  of  critics  is,  that  she  resembles 
in  voice,  and  manner  of  acting,  the  late  celebrated  Mrs. 
Jordan. 

An  authentic  anecdote  is  related  of  our  heroine,  which 
places,  in  a  strong  point  of  view,  her  felicitous  conception  of 
character,  and  her  extraordinary  collectedness  and  presence 
of  mind,  under  circumstances,  which,  in  all  probability,  would 
confuse  and  Hutter  even  a  long-experienced  actor.  Immedi- 
ately after  leaving  Drury-lane,  she  performed  for  Mr.  Elliston, 
at  Birminoham.  A  new  and  elegant  crown  was  there  made 
for  her,  that  she  might  appear  to  advantage  in  the  character 
of  Richard  III.  The  crown  was  accidentally  made  too  small, 
and  was  with  difficulty  kept  on  the  head.  When  Richard 
(personated  by  this  little  lady)  descended  from  the  throne, 
in  the  presence  of  his  nobles,  and  was  delivering  one  of 
his  most  impassioned  speeches,  the  crown  fell  off  upon  the 
stage.  Contrary  to  the  natural  expectation  of  all,  little 
Clara  took  no  notice  of  the  circumstance,  but  concluded  her 
speech  with  the  same  energy  and  commanding  deportment 
with  which  it  commenced  ;  and  then  beckoning  to  Catesby 
to  approach,  "Catesby!"  said  she,  pointing  to  the  fallen 
diadem,  and  stood  erect  and  motionless,  with  the  haughty 
dignity  of  monarchy,  until,  the  brief  mandate  understood,  he 
lifted  it,  and  solemnly  replaced  it  upon  her  brows.  Thus, 
when  a  less-gifted  performer  would  have  found  it  difficult  to 
save  the  whole  scene  from  derision,  did  she  sternly  maintain 
the  regal  ch.aracter  she  had  assumed  ;  and  commanded  the 
respect,  surprise,  and  aduiiration  of  the  audience. 


9C8  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

Earth  Eaters;  from  Humboldt's  Personal  Narrative. — 
"  The  inhabitants  ofUmana  belong  to  those  nations  of  the 
savannas,  [Indios  andantes,']  who,  more  diificult  to  civilize 
than  the  nations  of  the  forest,  \^Indios  del  monie,']  have  a  decided 
i.;ersion  to  cultivate  the  land,  and  live  almost  exclusively  on 
hunting  and  fishing.  They  are  men  of  a  very  robust  consti- 
tution ;  but  ugly,  savage,  vindictive,  and  passionately  fond 
of  fermented  liquors.  They  are  omnivorous  animals  in  the 
highest  degree  ;  and  therefore  the  other  Indians,  who  consi- 
der them  as  barbarians,  have  a  common  saying,  '  Nothing  is 
so  disgusting,  that  an  Otomac  will  not  eat  it.*  While  the 
waters  of  the  Oroonoko  and  its  tributary  streams  are  low,  the 
Otonjacs  subsist  on  fish  and  turtles;  the  foirner  they  kill 
with  surprising  dexterity,  by  shooting  them  with  an  arrow, 
when  they  appear  at  the  surface  of  the  water.  When  the 
rivers  swell,  which  in  South  America,  as  well  as  in  Egypt 
and  in  Nubia,  is  erroneously  attributed  to  the  melting  of  the 
snows,  and  which  occurs  periodically  in  every  part  of  the 
torrid  zone,  fishing  almost  entirely  ceases.  It  is  then  as  diffi- 
cult to  procure  fish  in  the  rivers,  which  are  become  deeper,  as 
when  you  are  sailing  on  the  open  sea.  It  often  fails  the  poor 
missionaries,  on  fast-days  as  well  as  flesh-days,  though  all 
the  young  Indians  are  under  the  obligation  of  fishing  for  the 
convent.'  At  the  period  of  these  inundations,  which  last  two 
or  three  months,  the  Otomacs  swallow  a  prodigious  quantity 
of  earth.  We  found  heaps  of  balls  in  their  huts,  piled  up  in 
pyramids,  three  or  four  feet  high.  These  balls  were  five  or 
six  inches  in  diameter.  The  earth  which  the  Otomacs  eat  is 
a  very  fine  and  unctuous  clay,  of  a  yellowish  gray  colour; 
and,  being  slightly  baked  in  the  fire,  the  hardened  crust  has 
a  tint  inclining;  to  red,  owins:  to  the  oxide  which  is  ming-led 
with  it.  We  brought  away  some  of  this  earth,  which  we  took 
from  the  winter  provision  of  the  Indians;  and  it  is  absolutely 
false  that  it  is  steatitic,  and  contains  magnesia.  Mr.  Van- 
quelin  did  not  discover  any  traces  of  this  earth  in  it;  but  he 
found  that  it  contained  more  silex  than  alumine,  and  three  or 
four  per  cent,  of  lime. 

"The  Otomacs  do  not  eat  every  kind  of  clay  indifferently; 
they  choose  the  alluvial  beds  or  strata  that  contain  the  most 
unctuous  earth,  and  is  the  smoothest  to  the  feeling.  I  in- 
quired of  the  missionary,  whether  the  moistened  clay  were 
made  to  undergo,  as  Father  Gumilla  asserts,  the  peculiar 
decom|)Osition  which  is  indicated  by  a  disengagement  of 
carbonic  acid  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  which  is 
designated  in  every  language  by  the  term  putrefaction :  but  he 
assured  me,  that  the  natives  neither  cause  the  clay  to  rot, 
nor  do  they  mingle  it  with  flour  of  maize,  oil  of  turtles'  eggs, 
or  fat  of  the  crocodile.     We  ourselves  examined,  both  at  the 


EARTH-EATERS. —  DR.  GRAHA.M.  909 

Oroonoko,  and  after  our  return  to  Paris,  the  balls  of  earth 
which  we  brought  away  wiili  us,  and  found  no  trace  of  the 
mixture  of  any  organic  substance,  whether  oily  or  farinaceous. 
The  savage  regards  every  thing  as  nourishing  that  appeases 
hunger  ;  when,  therefore,  you  inquire  of  an  Utomac  on  what 
he  subsists  during  the  two  months  when  the  river  is  the 
highest,  he  shews  you  his  balls  of  clay.  This  he  calls  his 
principal  food;  for  at  this  period  he  can  seldom  procure  a 
lizard,  a  root  of  fern,  or  a  dead  fish  swimming  at  the  surface 
of  the  water. 

"  If  the  Indian  eats  earth  through  want  during  two  months, 
and  from  three-quarters  to  five-quarters  of  a  pound  in  twenty- 
four  hours,  he  does  not  the  less  regale  himself  with  it  during 
the  rest  of  the  year.  Every  day,  in  the  season  of  drought, 
when  fishing  is  most  abundant,  he  scrapes  his  balls  of  poya, 
and  mingles  a  little  clay  with  his  other  aliment.  What  is 
most  surprising,  is,  that  the  Otomacs  do  not  become  lean  by 
swallowing  such  quantities  of  earth  ;  they  are,  on  the  contrary, 
extrenielv  robust,  and  far  from  having  the  belly  tense  and 
puffed  up.  The  missionary.  Fray  Ramon  Bueno,  asserts,  that 
he  never  remarked  any  alteration  in  the  health  of  the  natives 
at  the  period  of  the  great  risings  of  the  Oroonoko. 

"  The  following  are  the  facts,  in  all  their  simplicity,  which 
we  were  able  to  verify.  The  Otomacs,  during  some  months, 
eat  daily  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  clay  slightly  hardened 
by  fire,  without  their  health  being  sensibly  affected  by  it. 
They  moisten  the  earth  afresh  when  they  are  going  to  swallow  it. 
It  has  not  been  possible  to  verify  hitherto  with  precision  how 
much  nutritious  vegetable  or  animal  matter  the  Indians  take 
in  a  week  at  the  same  time  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  they  attri- 
bute the  sensation  of  satiety  which  they  feel  to  the  clay,  and 
not  to  the  wretched  aliment  which  they  take  with  it  occa- 
sionally. 

"  I  observed  every  where  within  the  torrid  zone,  in  a  great 
number  of  individuals,  children,  women,  and  sometimes  even 
full-grown  men,  an  inordinate  and  almost  irresistible  desire 
of  swallowing  earth  ;  not  an  alkaline  or  calcareous  earth,  to 
neutralize,  as  it  is  vulgarly  said,  acid  juices,  but  a  fat  clay, 
unctuous,  and  exhaling  a  strong  smell.  It  is  often  found 
necessary  to  tie  the  children's  hands,  or  to  confine  them,  to 
prevent  their  eating  earth,  when  the  rain  ceases  to  fall.  At 
the  village  of  Banco,  on  the  bank  of  the  river  Magdalena, 
I  r>aw  the  Indian  women  who  make  pottery,  continually  swal- 
lowing great  pieces  of  clay." 

The  celebrated  Dr.  Graham. — About  the  year  1782, 
there  appeared  in  London  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
empirics  of  modern  times.     His  name  war,  Graham.     He  was 


910  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING   MAN. 

a  graduate  of  Edinburgh,  wrote   in  a  bombastic  style,    and 

Possessed  a  great  fluency  of  elocution.  He  Ojoened  in  Pall- 
lall,  a  mansion,  which  he  called  the  "  Temple  of  Health." 
The  front  was  ornamented  with  an  enormous  gilt  sun,  a  sta- 
tue of  Hygenia,  and  other  attractive  emblems;  the  suit  of 
rooms,  in  the  interior,  was  superbly  furnished  ;  and  the  walls 
were  decorated  with  mirrors,  so  as  to  confer  on  the  place  an 
effect  like  that  from  an  enchanted  palace.  Here  he  delivered 
lectures  on  health,  Scc.  at  the  extravagant  price  of  two  guineas 
per  lecture  ;  and  the  price,  together  with  the  novelty  of  his 
subjects,  drew  considerable  audiences  of  the  wealthy  and 
dissipated.  He  entertained  a  female,  of  beautiful  figure,  whom 
he  called  the  Goddess  of  Health,  and  it  was  her  business  to 
deliver  a  concluding  discourse  after  the  Doctor  himself 
had  finished  his  lecture.  As  a  further  means  of  attraction, 
he  hired  two  men  of  extraordinary  stature,  provided  with 
enormous  cocked  hats,  and  with  showy  and  bulky  liveries, 
whose  business  it  was  to  distribute  bills  from  house  to  house 
throHgh  the  town.  Graham  became,  therefore,  an  object  of 
universal  curiosity.  But,  as  his  two-guinea  auditors  were 
soon  exhausted,  he  dropped  his  lectures  successively  to  one 
guinea,  half-a-guinea,  five  shillings,  and  (as  he  said,  "  for 
the  benefit  of  all,")  to  half-a-crown  ;  and,  when  he  could  no 
longer  draw  this  price,  he  exhibited  the  temple  itself  for 
one  shilling,  to  daily  crowds,  for  several  months. 

Among  his  furniture  was  a  Celestial  Bed,  as  he  called  it, 
standing  on  glass  legs,  provided  with  the  richest  hangings, 
and  possessing  properties  peculiar  to  itself.  For  sleeping  in 
this  bed,  he  demanded  one  hundred  pounds  per  night;  and 
such  is  the  folly  of  wealth,  that  heirless  persons,  of  high  rank, 
were  named,  who  acceded  to  his  terms.  He  also  pretended 
to  have  discovered  the  "Elixir  of  Life,"  by  taking  which,  a 
person  might  live  as  long  as  he  pleased,  and  he  modestly 
demanded  one  thousand  pounds  for  a  supply  of  it;  and  more 
than  one  noble  person  was  reported  to  have  paid  this  enor- 
mous price  to  be  cured  of  folly. 

Having  worn  out  his  character  in  these  various  projects,  he 
then  recommended  Earth-bathing,  and  undertook  to  sanction 
it  by  his  own  practice.  During  one  hour  every  day,  he,  there- 
fore, admitted  spectators,  at  first  at  a  guinea,  and  then  de- 
scended, as  in  a  former  instance,  to  a  shilling,  to  view  him 
and  the  goddess  of  health  immersed  naked  in  the  ground  to 
their  chins;  the  Doctor  having  his  hair  full-dressed  and  pow- 
dered, and  the  lady's  head  being  dressed  also  in  the  best 
fashion  of  the  times.  When  no  more  money  was  to  be  drained 
from  the  population  of  London,  the  Doctor  \isited  the  great 
provincial  towns,  and  lectured  and  exhibited  in  the  same 
manner  whenever  he  could  obtain  permission  of  the  magi- 


THE   ADMIRABLE   CRiCHTON.  911 

strates.  In  llie  end,  the  goddess  of  health  nearly  fell  a  victim 
to  the  practice;  and  the  Doctor  retired  from  public  notice, 
and  died  in  poor  circumstances  a  few  years  afterwards,  in 
spite  of  his  "  Elixir  of  Life,"  at  the  early  age  of  fifty-two. 
His  brother  married  the  celebrated  Mrs.  Macauley  Graham, 
and  his  sister  was  married  to  Dr.  Arnold,  of  Leicester,  the 
respectable  author  of  a  very  able  treatise  on  insanity. 

It  is  generally  understood,  that  the  lady  who  performed  the 
singular  part  of  the  goddess  of  health,  was  Emma,  afterwards 
wife  of  Sir  W.  H.  and  a  personal  favourite  of  a  late  celebrated 
naval  character. 

The  Admirable  Crichton. — Mr.  James  Crichton,  ac- 
cording to  the  generality  of  his  biographers,  was  born  in  the 
year  1551  ;  but  Lord  Buchan  fixes  the  time  of  his  nativity  in 
the  mo-nth  of  August,  1560.  It  is  admitted  by  all,  that  this 
celebrated  man  was  a  native  of  Scotland  ;  but  although  Perth 
has  in  general  been  considered  as  his  birth-place,  even  this 
circumstance  has  been  perplexed  with  conflicting  opinions. 
Of  his  ancestors,  the  accounts  are  equally  diversified.  Some 
assert  that  his  father,  Robert  Crichton,  commanded  the  army 
of  Queen  Mary  at  the  battle  of  Langside:  others  state,  with 
equal  confidence,  that  he  was  Lord  Advocate  of  Scotland 
from  1560  to  1573.  His  mother's  name  was  Elizabeth  Stewart, 
the  only  daughter  of  Sir  James  Stewart,  of  Beath,  a  descend- 
ant of  Robert,  duke  of  Albany,  the  third  son  of  king  Robert 
the  Second.  Relying  on  his  pedigree,  he  was  accustomed  to 
boast,  when  he  displayed  his  astonishing  acquirements  in 
foreign  countries,  of  his  lineal  descent  from  the  Scottish 
kings. 

At  what  time  Mr.  James  Crichton  began  his  studies,  we  are 
not  informed  ;  neither  have  we  any  satisfactory  accounts  when 
those  diversified  powers  of  his  mind,  on  which  all  Europe 
gazed  with  admiration,  first  appeared  to  excite  attention. 
The  primary  rudiments  of  his  grammatical  education  were 
received  at  Perth  ;  after  which  he  studied  philosophy  in  the 
University  of  St.  Andrew.  In  that  University,  his  tutor  was 
the  celebrated  John  Rutherford,  a  professor,  famous  for  his 
learning,  and  distinguished  by  four  books,  which  he  had 
written  on  Aristotle's  Logic,  and  a  commentary  on  his  Poet- 
cs.  But  it  is  not  to  this  professor  alone,  that  the  honour  of 
forming  this  extraordinary  character  is  to  be  ascribed.  Ma- 
nutius,  who  calls  Crichton  first  cousin  to  the  king,  says, 
that  he  was  educated  with  James  I.  under  Buchanan,  Hepburn, 
and  Robertson,  as  well  as  under  Rutherford.  We  cannot 
doubt,  from  the  favourable  circumstances  under  which  Crich- 
ton entered  life,  that  the  best  masters  were  assigned  him  that 
could  be  procured  in  every  department  of  learning. 


912  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN. 

Under  their  tuition,  and  through  the  native  vigour  of  his 
understanding,  he  had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  ten  different 
languages,  and  had  run  through  the  vviiole  circle  of  the 
sciences,  by  the  time  he  had  attained  the  twentieth  year  of 
his  age.  Arduous,  however,  as  these  varied  pursuits  may 
seem  to  common  minds,  they  occupied  a  part  only  of  Crich- 
ton's  attention.  A  portion  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  music, 
in  the  knowledge  of  which  he  made  an  astonishing  proficiency. 
He  learnt  to  play  on  various  instruments;  and  improved  him- 
self, to  the  highest  degree,  in  dancing,  fencing,  singing,  and 
horsemanship. 

Having  made  himself  master  of  these  various  acquirements, 
he  left  his  native  land,  and,  proceeding  to  Paris,  introduced 
himself  to  the  literati  of  that  city  in  the  following  manner. 
On  his  arrival,  he  caused  six  placards  to  be  fixed  on  the  gates 
of  the  schools,  halls,  and  colleges,  belonging  to  the  Univer- 
sity, and  on  all  the  pillars  and  posts  of  the  houses  inhabited 
by  men  most  renowned  for  literature  and  science,  inviting  all 
who  thought  themselves  well  versed  in  any  art,  tc  meet  and 
dispute  with  him  in  the  college  of  Navarre,  on  that  day  six 
weeks,  by  nine  in  the  morning.  In  this  challenge,  which 
was  according  to  the  practice  of  the  age,  he  declared  himself 
ready  to  answer  any  question  which  should  be  proposed  to 
him,  on  any  art  or  science,  in  any  of  the  twelve  following- 
languages,  viz.  Hebrew,  Syriac,  Arabic,  Greek,  Latin,  S|)an- 
ish,  French,  Italian,  English,  Dutch,  Flemish,  and  Sclavo- 
nian  ;  and  this  either  in  prose  or  verse,  at  the  choice  of  his 
antagonist. 

Bold  as  this  challenge  may  appear,  instead  of  devoting 
himself  to  the  minute  examination  of  the  various  articles 
contained  in  its  comprehensive  embrace,  upon  the  issues  of 
which  he  had  risked  his  reputation,  his  time  was  chiefly  spent 
in  hunting,  hawking,  tilting,  vaulting,  riding,  tossing  the 
pike,  handling  the  musket,  and  such  military  feats  and  ath- 
letic exercises;  and,  when  tired  with  these,  the  interim  was 
filled  up  in  domestic  engagements,  such  as  balls,  concerts  of 
music,  vocal  and  instrumental,  cards,  dice,  and  tennis,  toge- 
ther with  such  diversions  as  frequently  occupy  the  mind  of 
youth.  A  mode  of  conduct,  apparently  so  inconsistent  with 
the  character  he  had  assumed  in  his  placards,  the  students  of 
the  University  were  at  a  loss  how  to  interpret.  And  so  pro- 
voked were  they  at  the  insolence  of  this  daring  foreigner, 
that,  beneath  the  placard  which  was  fixed  on  the  gate  at 
Navarre,  they  caused  the  following  words  to  be  written; — "  If 
you  would  meet  with  this  monster  of  perfection,  to  make 
seaich  for  him  either  in  the  tavern  or  the  brothel  is  the 
readiest  way  to  find  him." 

But  notwithstanding  this  dissipation,   when  the  appointed 


THE  ADMIRABLE  CRICHTON.  yio 

day  arrived,  Crichton  appeared  in  the  college  of  Navarre, 
and  enoaoed  in  a  dispiUalion,  which  lasted  from  nine  in  the 
morning  until  six  in  the  evening.  And  so  well  did  he  acquit 
himself,  that  the  President,  after  expatiating  on  the  many 
rare  and  excellent  endowments  which  God  had  hestowed  upon 
him,  rose  from  his  chair,  and,  accompanied  by  four  of  the 
n)0st  eminent  professors  of  the  University,  presented  him 
with  a  diamond  ling,  and  a  purse  full  of  gold,  as  a  testimony 
of  their  high  approbation.  On  what  subjects  these  antago- 
nists disputed,  we  have  not  been  informed;  neither  is  it 
known  with  certainty  in  what  languages  they  addressed  each 
other.  We  are  only  told,  that  the  interview  ended  amidst 
the  reileraled  acclamations  and  huzzas  of  the  spectators;  and 
that  this  conquest  obtained  for  him  the  appellation  of  "  The 
Admirable  Crichton."  It  has  been  added,  to  the  preced- 
ing account,  that  so  little  was  he  fatigued  with  the  dispute, 
that  he  went  to  the  Louvre,  on  the  ensuing  day,  and  engaging 
in  a  tilting  match,  an  exercise  then  much  in  use,  carried  ofi" 
the  ring  fifteen  times  successively,  and  broke  as  many  lances, 
in  the  presence  of  some  princes  of  the  French  court,  and  of  a 
great  many  ladies,  whose  applauses  were  deemed  a  glorious 
reward,   by  all  the  heroes  of  chivalry. 

Of  Cricliton's  exploits  in  Paris,  the  following  account  has 
been  given  by  Mackenzie,  and  translated  by  Pennant,  from 
the  testimony  of  an  author  whom  they  consider  as  an  eye- 
witness. 

"  There  came  to  the  college  of  Navarre,  a  young  man  of 
twenty  years  of  age,  who  was  perfectly  well  seen  in  all  the 
sciences,  as  the  most  learned  masters  of  the  University  ac- 
knowledged. In  vocal  and  instrumental  music,  none  could 
excel  him  ;  in  painting  and  drawing  in  colours,  none  could 
equal  him.  In  military  feats  he  was  most  expert;  and  could 
play  with  the  sword  so  dexterously  with  both  his  hands,  that 
no  man  could  fight  him.  WMien  he  saw  his  enemy  or  antago- 
nist, he  would  throw  himself  upon  him  at  one  jump  of  twenty 
or  twenty-four  feet  distance.  He  was  master  of  arts,  and 
disputed  with  us  in  the  schools  of  the  college,  on  medicine, 
the  civil  and  canon  law,  and  theology.  And,  although  we 
were  above  fifty  in  number,  besides  about  three  thousand 
who  were  present,  so  pointedly  and  learnedly  he  answered  to 
all  the  questions  which  were  proposed  to  him,  that  none  but 
they  who  were  present  can  believe  it.  He  spoke  Latin,  Greek, 
and  Hebrew,  and  other  languages,  most  politely.  He  was 
likewise  a  most  excellent  horseman;  and,  truly,  if  a  man 
should  live  a  hundred  years,  without  eating,  drinking,  or 
sleeping,  he  could  not  attain  to  this  man's  knowledge,  which 
struck  us  with  a  panic  fear,  for  he  knew  more  than  humfui 
nature  can  well  bear.     He   overcame  four  of  the  doctors  of 

5Z 


914  CURIOSITIKS    RESPECTING    MAN. 

the  cburcli  ;  for  in  learnin<j:  none  could  contest  with  him  ;  and 
he  was  thought  to  be  Antichrist." 

Having-  thus  obtained  in  Paris  the  victory  for  which  he 
contended,  Crichton  next  repaiied  to  Rome,  where  he  affixed 
a  placard  upon  all  the  eminent  places  of  the  city,  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms: — -"  IS  os  Jacobus  Crictouus  Scotus,  cuicuiique  He' 
propositi  ex  improviso  respondebimus."  In  a  city  which  abound- 
ed with  scholastic  learning  and  wit,  this  challenge,  bearing 
all  the  marks  of  presumption,  soon  became  the  subject  of  a 
pasquinade.  Rome,  it  has  been  said,  was  at  this  time  much 
infested  with  mountebanks,  jugglers,  and  other  empirics;  and 
those  who  felt  indignant  at  the  placard  of  Crichlon,  endea- 
voured to  ridicule  him,  by  classiiying  him  with  the  quacks. 
Designating  him  by  the  neuter  gender,  their  pasquinade  was 
to  the  following  effect: — "And  he  that  will  see  it,  let  him 
repair  to  the  sign  of  the  Falcon,  and  it  shall  be  shewn."  Boc- 
calini,  who  was  then  at  Rome,  says,  that  the  appearance  of 
this  paper  had  such  an  etl'ect  upon  him,  that,  with  indignant 
feelings,  he  almost  immediately  left  the  city,  where  he  had 
been  so  grossly  insulted,  in  being  compared  to  the  impostors 
who  could  only  amuse  the  vulgar.  Mackenzie,  however, 
asserts,  that  instead  of  being  discouraged,  he  appeared  at  the 
time  and  place  appointed;  and,  in  the  presence  of  the  Pope, 
many  Cardinals,  Bishops,  and  Doctors  of  Divinity,  and  Pro- 
fessors of  all  the  Sciences,  displayed  such  wonderful  proofs 
of  his  universal  knowledge,  that  he  excited  a  degree  of 
astonishment  equal  to  that  which  had  marked  his  career  in 
Paris. 

From  Rome,  Crichton  proceeded  to  Venice,  in  which  place 
he  appears  to  have  been  reduced  to  much  distress  ;  but  whe- 
ther this  arose  from  any  mental  depression,  from  bodily  indi-s- 
position,  or  from  embarrassment  of  circumstances,  is  not 
clearly  expressed.  The  reality  of  his  distress  he  has  stated 
in  a  poem,  the  principal  design  of  uhich  was,  to  obtain  a 
favourable  reception  in  the  city  ;  and  more  particularly  so, 
with  Aldus  Manutius,  a  celebrated  critic.  On  presenting  his 
verses,  Manutius  was  struck  with  an  agreeable  surprise,  at 
the  comprehensiveness  of  thought,  the  display  of  intellect, 
and  the  brilliancy  of  genius,  which  they  exhibited.  And, 
upon  conversing  with  the  author,  he  was  so  filled  with  admi- 
ration on  finding  him  intimately  acquainted  with  almost  every 
subject,  that  he  introduced  him  to  the  acquaintance  of  the 
principal  men  of  learning  and  note  in  Venice. 

Thus  recommended,  he  contracted  an  intimate  friendship 
with  Manutius,  Massa,  Speronius,  Donatus,  and  various  others, 
to  whom  he  presented  several  pi>ems,  in  connnendation  of  the 
university  and  city.  Three  of  these  odes  are  still  preserved 
After  some  time  he  was  introduced  to   the  Doge  and  S'Miate, 


I 


THE   ADMIRABLE   CKICHTON.  915 

in  wliose  presence  he  delivered  a  speech,  fraught  with  so 
much  beauty  and  eloquence,  and  accompanied  with  such 
gracefulness  of  person  and  manners,  that  he  received  the 
thanks  of  that  illustrious  body;  and  nothing  \vas  talked  about 
for  some  time,  through  the  city,  but  this  rava  avis  in  terris, — 
this  prodigy  in  nature.  In  this  city,  also,  he  held  various 
disputations,  on  theology,  philosophy,  and  mathematics,  with 
the  most  eminent  professors,  and  before  vast  concourses  or 
people.  The  talents  which  he  displayed  on  these  occasions, 
gave  such  publicity  to  his  reputation,  that  multitudes  re])aired 
to  Venice  from  distant  parts,  that  they  might  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  and  hearing  a  man,  whose  abilities  were  con- 
sidered as  almost  super-human. 

Adorned  with  all  the  laurels  of  literature  which  Venice  could 
bestow,  Crichton  next  removed  to  Padua,  the  university  of 
which  was,  at  this  time,  in  high  repute.  On  the  day  after 
his  arrival,  there  was  a  general  meeting  of  all  the  learned  men 
which  this  place  could  boast ;  but  on  what  occasion  they  were 
convened,  we  are  not  informed.  The  fame  of  Crichton,  how- 
ever, gained  him  an  admission  into  this  learned  assembly, 
whom  he  immediately  addressed  in  an  extemporary  poem,  m 
praise  of  the  city,  of  the  university,  and  of  the  company  that 
had  honoured  him  wi  h  their  presence.  Having  finished  this 
introductory  address  to  the  admiration  of  all  present,  he 
disputed  during  six  hours  with  the  most  celebrated  professors, 
on  various  subjects  of  learning.  It  was  during  this  debate, 
that  he  exposed  the  errors  of  Aristotle  and  his  commentators, 
with  so  much  solidity,  acuteness,  and  modesty,  that  tiie  -dil- 
mirers  of  this  philosopher  were  astonished  at  his  acquirements, 
and  even  filled  with  profound  admiration.  Before  they  se|ja- 
rated,  he  delivered,  extempore,  an  oration  in  praise  of  Igno- 
rance, which  he  conducted  with  so  much  ingenuity,  nui- 
naoed  with  such  exquisite  skill,  and  expressed  vviih  so  iniiel' 
elegance,  that  his  hearers  were  almost  overwhelmed  wilh 
amazement.  This  display  of  his  learning  and  talents  took 
place  on  the  14th  of  March,  1581,  in  the  house  of  Jacobus 
Aloysius  Cornelius. 

As  several  persons  of  considerable  rank,  who  were  absent 
on  the  above  memorable  day,  expressed  their  regret  on  this 
occasion,  Crichton  appointed  another,  to  meet  any  opponents 
who  might  be  disposed  to  encounter  him;  merely  to  comply 
with  their  earnest  solicitations,  and  to  afford  them  gratifica- 
tion. Whether  this  meeting  ever  took  place,  seems  rather 
uncertain.  Manutius  asserts,  that  some  circumstances  oc- 
curred which  prevented  it;  but  Imperialis  observes,  from 
information  communicated  by  his  father,  who  was  present  on 
the  occasion,  that  Crichton  was  formidably  opposed  by  Arch- 
sngelus  JNIercenarii's,  a  famous  philosopher,  but  that  the  youn^ 


916  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN. 

foreigner  was  finally  victorious,  and  obtained  the  plaudits  of 
the  auditors,  and  the  approbation  even  of  his  antagonist. 

But  this  tide  of  popular  applause  was  not  without  its  cor- 
responding eddy.  Mortified  at  being  foiled  by  this  youthful 
stranger,  many,  even  among  the  learned,  envied  both  his 
fame  and  merit,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  resort  to  artifices, 
which,  they  imagined,  would  lessen  his  reputation.  Crichton 
was  not  ignorant  of  these  contrivances  ;  and,  conscious  of 
his  own  transcendent  abilities  and  attainments,  he  resolved 
to  give  all  who  were  inclined  to  detract  from  his  merit,  a 
convincing  proof  of  his  decided  superiority.  He  therefore 
caused  a  paper  to  be  fixed  on  the  gates  of  St.  John's  and  St. 
Paul's  churches,  in  which  he  offered  to  prove,  before  the 
University,  that  both  Aristotle  and  his  followers  had  fallen 
into  almost  innumerable  errors  ;  and  that  the  latter  had  failed 
in  explaining  the  philosophy  of  their  master,  and  had  erred 
in  their  application  of  his  principles  to  theological  subjects. 
He  enoaoed,  likewise,  to  refute  the  theories  of  several  mathe- 

Or?  '    ^ 

matical  professors  ;  offered  to  dispute  with  any  one  on  all  the 
sciences;  and  promised  to  answer  whatever  might  be  pro- 
posed to  him,  or  objected  against  what  he  should  advance. 
All  this  he  engaged  to  do,  either  in  the  common  logical  way, 
or  by  numbers  and  mathematical  figures;  or,  in  case  his 
antagonists  should  prefer  it,  in  no  less  than  one  hundred  sorts 
of  verses. 

The  men  who  had  been  secretly  contriving  how  to  under- 
mine his  reputation,  beheld  this  challenge  with  strange  emo- 
tions. From  the  presumption  which  it  dis]jlayed,  they  flat- 
tered themselves  with  an  easy  conquest;  but  from  the  talents 
which  Crichton  had  on  all  former  occasions  manifested,  and 
his  being  constantly  victorious,  they  became  intimidated,  and 
hesitated  to  accept  the  summons  they  had  provoked.  They 
had,  however,  proceeded  too  far  to  retreat;  and  therefore 
nothing  remained  but  for  them  to  collect  their  forces,  and 
meet  him,  agreeably  to  his  proposal.  Manutius  informs  us, 
that  the  meeting  took  place  at  the  time  appointed  ;  that  the 
disputations  continued  for  three  days;  and  that  Crichton, 
during  the  whole  contest,  supported  his  credit,  and  main- 
tained his  propositions  with  so  much  spirit  and  energy,  and 
appait'iitly  with  so  little  fatigue,  that  he  obtained,  from  an 
unusual  concourse  of  people,  such  acclamations  and  praises 
as  were  scarcely  ever  before  received  by  man. 

Nor  were  the  bodily  powers,  activity,  and  skill,  of  this 
astonishing  man  less  conspicuous,  than  those  energies  by 
•which  his  mind  was  distinguished.  Of  these,  also,  he  has 
given  some  surprising  proofs  in  his  various  exploits. 

It  happened  much  about  this  time,  that  a  famous  gladiator 
who,  in  his  travels,  had  foiled  ths  most  able  fencers  in  Europe 


THE   ADMIRABLE   CRICHTON.  917 

and  lately  killed  th'ee  men  who  had  entered  the  lists  aoainst 
him,  took  up  his  residence  in  Mantua.  The  duke,  under 
whose  promised  protection  he  had  taken  shelter,  on  findino- 
that  he  had  afforded  an  asylum  to  a  troublesome  inmate,  by 
whom  the  inhabitants  were  much  annoyed,  did  not  hesitate  to 
manifest  his  regret :  but  having-  pledged  his  word,  which  he 
could  neither  recall  nor  violate,  no  way  remained  to  release 
the  public  from  this  sanctioned  pest,  but  that  of  finding  some 
person  who  would  dare  to  meet  him  in  single  combat. 

Crichton  having  been  informed  of  the  fact,  in  connection 
with  its  various  circumstances,  voluntarily  offered  his  services, 
not  only  to  drive  the  murderer  from  Mantua,  but  to  prevent 
his  remaining  in  any  part  of  Italy.  He  therefore  made  a  pro- 
posal to  fight  him  for  fifteen  hundred  pistoles.  The  duke, 
though  anxious  to  be  delivered  from  his  troublesome  intruder, 
was  unwilling  that  the  valuable  life  of  Crichton  should  be 
placed  in  competition  with  that  of  such  a  barbarous  adven- 
turer. But  having  been  informed  that  he  was  as  capable  of 
appearing  in  feats  of  arras,  as  in  scientific  disquisitions,  he 
gave  his  consent,  that  he  should  undertake  to  meet  the  com- 
batant. AffTairs  being  arranged,  and  the  day  appointed,  the 
whole  court  assembled  to  witness  the  issue  of  this  singidar 
conflict.  In  the  commencement  of  this  encounter,  Crichton 
stood  wholly  on  the  defensive  ;  while  his  antagonist  assailed 
him  with  such  eagerness  and  fury,  that  in  a  short  time  he 
became  exhausted.  This  Crichton  soon  perceived;  and  avail- 
ing himself  of  the  opportunity,  attacked  him  in  return,  with 
so  much  skill  and  lesolution,  that  he  was  unable  to  withstand 
the  assault.  The  weapons  with  which  they  fought  were 
rapiers,  then  but  newly  brought  into  use  ;  but  so  far  had 
Crichton  made  himself  master  of  this  instrument  of  death, 
that  he  ran  his  antagonist  through  the  body  three  times,  and 
saw  him  fall  dead  at  his  feet.  The  spectators,  on  perceiving 
this  victory,  uttered  thunders  of  applause,  making  the  earth 
resound  with  their  united  acclamations.  And  although  many 
present  were  much  skilled  in  the  use  of  arms,  they  united  in 
declaring,  that  they  had  never  seen  art  grace  nature,  or  nature 
second  the  precepts  of  art,  in  so  lively  a  manner  as  the  events 
of  this  day  had  exhibited  before  their  eyes.  Crichton  in  the 
meanwhile,  to  prove  that  his  generosity  was  equal  to  his  skill 
and  courage,  distributed  the  fifteen  hundred  pistoles  which 
he  had  won  by  his  valour,  among  the  widows  of  the  three 
men  who  had  lost  their  lives  in  fighting  with  the  gladiator 
whom  he  had  slain. 

Pleased  with  this  bloody  performance,  the  duke  of  Mantua 
is  said  immediately  to  have  chosen  Crichton  as  preceptor  to 
his  son  Vincentio  di  Gonzaga,  who  is  represented  as  a  youth 
>f  a  turbulent  disposition,  and  a  dissolute  life.     This  appoint- 


918  CUKIOSI'IIES   UESPECTING    MAN. 

ment  was  pleasing  to  the  court,  and  liigbly  flattering  to  the 
vanity  of  the  victor;  who,  to  testify  his  oratitude,  and  to 
contribute  to  their  diversion,  is  said  to  have  framed  a  comedy, 
in  wliich  he  exposed  to  ridicule,  the  foibles,  weaknesses,  and 
defects  of  the  several  employments  in  which  men  were  engaged. 
The  composition  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  ingenious 
satires  that  was  ever  made  upon  mankind.  In  the  perform- 
ance of  this  comedy,  Crichton  is  represented  as  sustaining  no 
less  than  fifteen  characters  in  his  own  person.  Among  the 
rest,  he  acted  the  divine,  the  philosopher,  the  lawyer,  the 
mathematician,  the  physician,  and  the  soldier,  with  such  an 
inimitable  grace,  that  every  time  he  appeared  on  the  theatre, 
he  seemed  to  be  a  difterent  person. 

But  it  was  not  long  after  he  had  sustained  these  various 
characters,  in  the  comedy  which  he  had  composed  for  public 
entertainment,  before  he  became  the  subject  of  a  dreadful 
tragedy,  which  furnished  a  melancholy  occasion  for  lamenta- 
tion. 

It  happened  one  night,  during  the  time  of  carnival,  as  he 
was  walking  along  the  streets  of  Mantua,  playing  upon  his 
guitar,  that  he  was  attacked  by  six  persons  in  masks.  He 
immediately  drew  his  weapon  to  defend  himself;  and  soon 
convinced  his  assailants,  that  they  had  something  more  than 
an  ordinary  person  with  whom  to  contend.  In  this  conflict, 
when  they  found  they  were  unable  to  stand  their  ground,  their 
leader,  being  disarmed,  pulled  off  his  mask,  an(l  begged  his 
life,  telling  him  that  he  was  prince  Gonzaga  his  pupil.  Crich- 
ton, on  making  this  discovery,  fell  upon  his  knees,  and 
expressed  much  concern  for  his  mistake;  alleging  that  what 
he  had  done  was  only  in  his  own  defence,  and  that  if  Gonzaga 
had  any  design  upon  his  life,  he  was  always  master  of  it. 
Having  said  this,  he  took  his  sword,  and  holding  it  by  the 
point,  presented  the  handle  to  the  prince,  who  instantly 
received  it,  and.,  with  a  degree  of  barbarous  meanness,  that 
will  always  be  associated  with  his  name,  immediately  stabl)ed 
Crichton  to  the  heait. 

On  the  causes  which  led  to  this  brutal  action,  various  con- 
jectures have  been  started.  Some  have  imagined,  that  it 
arose  from  the  mortification  of  being  foiled,  disarmed,  and 
discovered,  and  being  obliged  to  beg  for  his  life.  Others 
have  supposed,  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  the  effect  of  a 
drunken  iVolic,  in  which  the  passions  assumed  the  dominion 
over  reason.  And  others  have  intimated,  that  it  was  the 
effect  of  jealousy,  Gonzaga  being  suspicious  that  Crichton 
was  more  in  favour  than  himself,  with  a  lady  whom  he  pas- 
sionately loved.  In  one  point,  however,  all  who  have  recorded 
these  transactions  mutually  agree,  namely,  that  Crichton  lost 
his  life  in  this  rencontre;  but  whether  the  meeting  was  preme 


THE   ADMIRABLE   CRICHTON. —  MISS   M'AVOY.  919 

dilated  on  the  part  of  the  prince  and  liis  associates,  or  purely 
as  accident;\l  as  it  was  on  that  ofCrichton,  we  have  no  means 
of  ascertaining.  The  time  when  this  disastrous  event  took 
place,  is  said,  by  the  generality  of  his  biographers,  to  have 
been  early  in  July  1583;  but  Lord  Buchan  thinks  it  to  have 
happened  one  year  earlier.  The  difference  is  still  greater 
with  regard  to  his  age,  when  he  was  thus  assassinated.  The 
common  accounts  declare,  that  he  was  killed  in  his  thirty- 
second  vear;  but  Imperialis  asserts,  that  he  was  only  in  his 
twenty-second;  and  in  this  he  is  confirmed  by  the  testimony 
of  Lord  Buchan.  His  death  was  universally  lamented,  the 
people  of  Mantua  mourned  for  him  three-quarters  of  a  year, 
and  his  picture  appeared  in  the  chambers  and  houses  of  every 
Italian. 

The  fame  ofCrichton,  like  that  of  an  actor,  was  chiefly 
confined  to  those  who  had  witnessed  his  achievements.  He 
wrote  little,  but  he  performed  much.  The  latter  was  soon 
forgotten  ;  or  so  blended  with  fiction,  that  it  became  doubt- 
ful. He  blazed  like  a  meteor  for  a  moment;  his  coruscations 
dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  beholder;  but  when  he  vanislied,  the 
impression  which  he  had  made  w  as  no  where  to  be  found.  Yet., 
we  must  again  repeat,  he  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished men,  who,  in  that  age,  had  ever  appeared. 

To  those  who  feel  the  aspirings  of  genius,  he  furnishes  an 
example  of  the  heights  to  which  it  can  ascend.  And  to  those 
who  are  less  gifted  by  nature,  his  unsettled  life,  and  his  me- 
lancholy end,  may  at  least  teach  acquiescence  in  the  humbler 
gifts  which  Providence  has  assigned  them. — See  British  Nepos, 
p.  101. 

In  favour  of  Crichton's  moral  character,  we  fear  that  little 
can  be  "said.  His  warmest  admirers  have  furnished  us  with 
the  means  of  making  this  reflection.  They  have  occasionally 
palliated  dissipation  ;  but  unfortunately,  while  softening  his 
vices  into  youthful  foibles,  they  have  recorded  facts,  to  which 
posterity  have  given  names.  On  the  vanity,  which  in  too 
many  instances  marked  his  life,  and  the  unhappy  manner  in 
which  it  was  terminated,  no  comment  can  be  deemed  neces- 
sary. In  his  whole  history,  all  those,  "  who  in  the  confidence 
of  superior  capacities  or  attainments  disregard  the  common 
maxims  of  life,  shall  be  reminded,  that  nothing  will  supply 
the  want  of  prudence  ;  and  that  negligence  and  irregularity, 
long  continued,  will  make  knowledge  useless,  wit  ridiculous, 
and  genius  contemptible." — Johnson's  Life  of  Savage. 

Miss  Margaret  M'Avoy. — Some  time  in  the  year  1815, 
an  extraordinary  phenomenon  appeared  at  Liverpool,  in  the 
person  of  Miss  M'Avoy,  a  young  lady  about  fifteen  years  of 
age,  reputed  to  be  totally  blind  ;  but  whose  exquisite  nervous 


S20  CURIOSITIKS   liESPECTINC    MAN. 

sensibility  enabled  her  to  distingnisli,  by  the  power  of  touch, 
a  variety  of  objects,  which,  to  all  other  persons,  were  percep- 
tible only  through  the  medium  of  vision.  The  circumstances 
connected  with  tl'.is  case,  taken  in  all  their  bearinos,  are  such, 
that  it  may  be  justly  doubted  if  any  thing  more  extraordi- 
nary has  ever  occurred  in  the  physiological  history  of  our 
species. 

The  following  interesting  narrative  is  an  abridged  copy  of 
what  appeared  in  the  Liverpool  Mercury,  at  the  time  when 
her  astonishing  powers  excited  a  considerable  degree  of  pub- 
lic attention.  The  article  is  signed  by  Mr.  Egerton  Smith, 
the  proprietor  of  the  above  paper,  and  his  relation  is  founded 
on  personal  observations. 

"  Some  time  in  September,  1816,  I  accompanied  Dr.  Ren- 
wick,  on  a  professional  visit  he  paid  to  Miss  M'Avoy,  at  her 
residence  in  St.  Paul's-square,  on  the  east  side.  She  was  then 
between  sixteen  and  seventeen  years  of  age,  of  a  pleasing 
and  ingenuous  countenance,  and  apparently  of  an  amiable  and 
artless  disposition.  Her  mother  informed  n>e,  that  in  the 
preceding  June,  her  daughter  had  been  attacked  with  hydro- 
cephalus, or  water  in  the  head,  together  with  paralytic  affec- 
tion on  one  side,  and  a  complication  of  other  disorders,  which 
I  forbear  to  enumerate,  because  I  am  whollv  ignorant  of  that 
part  of  the  subject.  According  to  her  own  statement,  corro- 
borated by  that  of  her  mother,  the  hydrocephalus  preceded, 
and  in  their  opinion  produced,  the  blindness  of  gutta  serena, 
under  which  she  is  supposed  to  labour,  but  which  has  been 
called  in  question,  I  understand,  by  some  of  the  professional 
men  who  have  visited  her. 

"  Her  mother,  however,  declared,  that  the  light  of  the  sun 
produced  not  the  slightest  sensible  effect  upon  her  eyes;  and 
some  of  the  professional  gentlemen  who  happened  to  be  pre- 
sent at  one  of  my  repeated  visits,  declared,  that  though  some 
slight  contraction  of  the  pupil  was  perceptible  upon  the 
approach  of  a  lighted  candle  to  the  eye,  it  was  by  no  means 
such  as  uniformly  occurs  when  the  visual  organs  perform  their 
regular  functions. 

"At  my  first  interview,  I  learned  from  herself,  what  I  had 
indeed  previously  been  told  by  others,  that  she  had  recently 
acquired  the  faculty  of  distinguishing  not  only  the  colours  of 
cloth  and  stained  glass,  but  that  she  could  actually  decij)her 
the  forms  of  words  in  a  printed  book  ;  and,  indeed,  could  read, 
if  the  phrase  may  be  permitted,  with  tolerable  facility.  To 
put  these  pretensions  to  the  test,  she  permitted  a  shawl  to  be 
))assed  across  the  eyes  in  double  folds,  in  such  a  way  that  all 
present  were  convinced  they  could  not  under  similar  circum- 
stances discern  day  from  night.  In  this  state  a  book  was 
placed  before  her,  and  opened  indiscriminately  ;  when,  to  our 


MISS  m'avoy.  921 

extreme  surprise,  she  began  to  trace  the  words  witli  her  finger, 
and  to  repeat  them  correctly.  She  appeared  to  recognize 
a  short  monosyllable  by  the  simple  contact  of  one  finger;  but 
in  ascertaining  a  long  word,  she  placed  the  fore-finger  of  her 
left  hand  on  the  beginnirg,  whilst  with  that  of  her  right  hand 
she  proceeded  from  the  other  extremity  of  the  wortl ;  and 
when  the  two  fingers,  by  having  traversed  over  all  the  letters, 
came  in  contact  with  each  other,  she  invariably  and  precisely 
ascertained  the  word.  By  my  watch  I  found  that  she  read 
about  thirty  words  in  half  a  minute  ;  and  it  very  naturally 
occurred  to  us,  that  if,  notwithstanding  her  supposed  blind- 
ness, and  the  double  bandage  over  her  eyes,  she  could  still 
see,  she  would  have  read  much  more  rapidly,  if  her  motive 
had  been  to  excite  our  astonishment.  And  here  it  may  not 
be  amiss  to  state,  that  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  ade- 
quate motive  for  practising  a  delusion  upon  the  public.  Her 
situation  in  life  is  respectable  ;  and  her  mother  disavows  any 
intention  of  ever  exhibiting  her  daughter  as  a  means  of  pecu- 
niary remuneration.  Fifteen  months  have  now  elapsed  since 
the  period  at  which  she  laid  claim  to  the  extraordinary  faculty 
which  has  given  rise  to  so  much  curiosity,  astonishment,  and 
perplexity;  during  which  time  the  reputation  of  so  wonderful 
a  circumstance  has  subjected  her  to  the  fatigue  and  inconve- 
nience of  daily  and  almost  hourly  visits. 

"  According  to  her  own  statement,  her  powers  of  touch  vary 
very  materially  with  circumstances;  when  her  hands  are  cold, 
she  declares  that  the  faculty  is  altogether  lost;  and  that  it  is 
exhausted,  also,  by  long  and  unremitting  efforts;  that  she 
considers  the  hours  of  from  ten  till  twelve,  of  each  alternate 
day,  the  most  favourable  for  her  performance.  Her  pulse, 
during  the  experiments,  has  varied  from  110  to  130  degrees. 

*' One  circumstance,  which  has  created  much  doubt  and  sus- 
picion, must  not  be  concealed  ;  which  is,  that  if  any  substance, 
for  instance,  a  book  or  a  shawl,  be  interposed  between  her 
eyes  and  the  object  she  is  investigating,  she  is  much  embar- 
rassed, and  frequently  entirely  baffled.  She  explains  this  by 
saying,  that  it  is  necessary  there  should  be  an  uninterrupted 
conmiunication  between  her  finger  and  her  breath.  1  leave  it 
to  others  to  draw  their  own  conclusions  upon  this  point;  as 
my  object  is  not  to  establish  any  theory,  or  give  currency  to 
any  mystery,  but  to  relate  the  simple  facts,  I  am,  therefore, 
couipelled  to  express  my  conviction,  that  she  can  neither 
ascertain  colours,  nor  the  words  of  a  book,  in  total  dark- 
ness; and,  as  many  persons  very  naturally  will  ask,  why 
has  not  such  a  test  been  pro|)osed  ?  the  reply  must  be,  that 
as  the  young  lady  is  not  the  subject  of  a  public  exhibition, 
and  as  an  introduction  to  her  is  merely  a  matter  of  favour,  it 
miL:,ht  not  be  very  courteous  or  delidite,  under  such  circum 

ni>  6  A 


922  CU  UlOSniF.S    K  liSl'ECTlNG    MAN. 

stances,  lO  make  any  proposal  which  seemed  to  imply  a  sus- 
picion thai  she  was  an  impostor. 

"  There  are  persons,  however,  who,  giving  her  implicit  credit 
for  the  reality  of  the  extraordinary  powers  to  which  she  lays 
claim,  will  contend  that  it  is  altogether  unfair  to  propose  the 
test  of  total  darkness.  Proceeding  upon  their  belief  that  she 
actually  ascertains  colour,  vk-c.  by  the  finger,  or  that  the 
visual  organ  is  tran:>ferred  to  the  touch,  still  they  say  that 
light  Is  essentially  necessary  to  produce  that  eflect  upon  the 
surface  of  the  body  felt,  which  enables  her  to  distinguish  one 
shade  from  another;  they  add,  that  as  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  colour  in  total  darkness,  it  is  perfectly  ridiculous  to  expect 
that  she  should  ascertain  the  various  shades  without  the  pre- 
sence of  that  light  which  alone  produces  those  shades.  It  is, 
according  to  their  mode  of  considering  the  subject,  as  absurd 
as  to  expect  an  eHTect  without  a  cause. 

"  It  has  already  been  stated,  that,  with  the  double  bandage 
over  her  eyes,  she  read  several  lines  of  a  book  indiscrimi- 
nately opened  ;  as  it  was  possible  that  the  letters  of  a  printed 
book  might  leave  some  slight  impression  sensible  to  an 
exquisite  touch,  I  took  from  my  pocket-book  an  engraved 
French  assignat,  which  was  hot-pressed,  and  smooth  as  glass; 
she  read  the  smallest  lines  contained  in  this  with  the  same 
facility  as  the  printed  book.  A  letter  received  by  that  day's 
post  was  produced,  the  direction  and  post-mark  of  which  she 
immediately  and  correctly  deciphered.  She  also  named  the 
colour  of  the  separate  parts  of  the  dresses  of  the  persons  in 
company,  as  well  as  various  shades  of  stained  glass  which 
were  purposely  brought. 

"  What  I  had  seen  at  my  first  interview  was  so  extremely 
astonishing,  and  so  far  surpassed  any  thing  I  had  ever  known 
or  read  of  the  powers  ascribed  to  persons  deprived  of  sight, 
that  I  could  only  account  for  it  on  the  supposition  that  she 
was  not  blind,  and  that  she  had  some  secret  mode  of  discern- 
ing an  object,  notwithstanding  the  bandage,  through  which 
I  myself  could  not  distinguish  night  from  day,  when  it  was 
applied  to  my  own  eyes.  I  therefore  made  the  best  apoloiiy 
1  could  for  visiting  her  house  again  the  same  evening,  having 
previously  prepared  n^yself  with  several  tests,  which  I  begged 
permission  to  submit  to  her  examination,  when  the  candle 
was  withdrawn.  Not  the  slightest  objection  was  olfered  to 
my  proposal,  and  the  candle  was  extinguished  :  her  mother 
stationed  herself  before  the  fire,  which  was  extremely  low, 
and  afforded  so  little  light  that  I  could  not  have  read  one 
word  of  moderate-sized  print,  if  it  had  been  brought  almost 
in  contact  with  the  bars  of  the  grate.  I  then  took  from  my 
pocket  a  small  book,  the  type  of  which  was  veiy  little  larger 
than  that  of  an  ordinary  newspaper ;  observing  at  the  time. 


MISS  m'avoy.  9'J3 

that  I  was  afraid  the  print  was  too  minute;  to  wliich  she 
replied,  that  her  fingers  were  in  excellent  order,  and  that 
she  had  no  doubt  she  could  be  able  to  make  it  out. 

"  The  candle,  as  was  betoreobserved,  had  been  extinguishea  ; 
and  her  mother  and  myself  were  so  stationed,  that  had  there 
been  any  light  atiordt-d  by  the  fire,  we  must  have  completely 
intercepted  it.  jMiss  ^M'Avoy  sat  in  the  furthest  part  of  the 
room,  with  her  back  towards  the  grate,  in  such  a  situation 
that  1  could  barely  discern  even  the  leaves  of  the  book  which 
lav  open  before  her;  the  title  of  which  she  proceeded  to  read 
with  complete  succes-s,  with  the  exception  of  one  very  minute 
word.  1  then  presented  to  her  a  small  piece  of  smooth  writ- 
ing paper,  which  was  ruled  with  horizontal  faint  blue  lines, 
with  a  pen  and  black  ink  ;  there  were  also  perpendicular  red 
lines,  between  which  were  scored  black  lines  :  all  these,  with 
their  direction  and  order,  she  determined  without  any  appa- 
rent difficulty.  She  also  told  correctly  the  colour  of  a  variety 
of  species  of  cloth,  procured  immediately  before  at  a  draper's 
shop.  All  the  experiments  hitherto  described,  as  well  as 
those  which  follow,  were  performed  by  Miss  M.  with  the 
bandage  before  her  eye^; ;  and  as  the  shawl,  which  was  usually 
applied  to  this  purpose,  produced  considerable  warmth  and 
inconvenience,  a  ))air  of  what,  in  the  optician's  shops,  are 
called  goggles,  had  been  provided,  which  so  comj)letely  ex- 
cluded the  light,  that  no  person  who  tried  them  could  discern 
the  difference  between  day  and  night,  when  they  were  fitted 
to  the  face.  As  these  goggles  have  been  generally  used  when 
Miss  M.  has  exhibited  her  surprising  talent,  it  is  necessary 
that  the  reader  should  have  a  correct  idea  of  them.  They 
are  intended  to  be  worn  by  travellers,  to  guard  the  eyes 
against  the  wind  or  the  dust,  and  consist  of  two  glasses, 
sometimes  green,  fitted  into  a  bandage  of  leather,  which  is 
passed  horizontally  across  the  face,  and  is  tied  with  ribands 
round  the  back  of  the  head.  The  goggles  provided  for  Miss 
M.  instead  of  glasses,  were  fitted  up  with  opake  pasteboard, 
lined  with  paper,  and  not  an  aperture  was  left  through  which 
a  single  ray  of  light  could  penetrate. 

"Mr.  Nichol,  a  scientific  gentleman,  who  was  delivering  a 
course  of  philosophical  lectures  in  Liverpool,  having  heard  of 
this  extraordinary  property,  applied  to  me  to  obtain  an  intro- 
duction to  Miss  M'Avoy,  and  I  accompanied  him  to  her 
house,  along  with  Mr.  James  Smith,  printer,  of  Liverpool. 
At  this  interview,  the  experiments  1  have  already  detailea 
were  repeated  with  complete  success,  whilst  the  goggles 
were  applied.  One  part  of  the  performance  was  so  truly 
astonishing,  that  I  should  almost  hesitate  to  relate  it,  if  those 
two  gentlemen  had  not  been  present  to  vouch  for  the  truth. 
I  had  furnished  myself  with  a  set  of  stained  lands-ape  glasses. 


924  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

usually  termed  Claude  Lonaiii  glasses.  They  were  seven  in 
number,  contained  in  a  frame.  Siie  ascertained  the  precise 
shade  of  each  correctly ;  one  glass,  however,  appeared  to 
embarrass  her,  and  after  considerable  scrutiny,  she  said  it 
was  not  black,  nor  dark,  blue,  nor  dark  brown,  but  she  thought 
it  was  a  very  deep  crimson.  We  did  not  know  whether  her 
conjecture  was  correct  or  not,  as  we  could  not  ourselves 
ascertain  the  shade.  By  reflected  light  it  appeared  to  us  to 
be  perfectly  black  ;  nor  was  the  flame  of  the  fire,  which  was 
stirred  for  the  occasion,  visible  through  it  in  the  faintest  de- 
gree. We  had  abandoned  all  expectation  of  determining  this 
point,  when  the  sun  suddenly  emerged  from  behind  the 
clouds;  and  by  that  test,  and  that  alone,  were  we  enabled  to 
discover  that  she  was  correct,  as  we  could  just  discern  the 
solar  image  of  a  very  deep  crimson.  It  has  been  said,  and 
with  some  plausibility,  that  this  must  ha\e  been  a  bold  guess 
on  her  part;  if  not,  it  will  puzzle  our  physiologists  to  explain 
how  a  person  reputed  to  be  blind,  with  an  opake  bandage  also 
over  her  eyes,  could  declare  the  colour  of  a  glass,  which 
persons  in  full  enjoyment  of  their  eyesight,  and  without  any 
such  obstacles,  could  not  discern  by  any  other  light  than  that 
of  the  meridian  sun  !  At  this  meeting,  we  were  informed  that 
Miss  M'Avoy  had  recently  found  out  that  this  extraordinary 
faculty  was  not  confined  to  her  fingers  ;  and  that  she  could 
also  distinguish  the  colour  of  an  object  which  was  brought 
into  contact  with  the  back  of  her  hands.  This  was  immedi- 
ately made  the  subject  of  experiment  by  Mr.  Nichol,  who 
successively  applied  several  objects  which  he  had  with  him 
to  that  part  of  the  hand  ;  in  placing  which  he  used  so  much 
precaution,  that  1  could  not  see  them  myself,  although  my 
eyes  were  fixed  upon  his  hands.  She  was  completely  success- 
ful also  upon  this  occasion." 

The  paragraph  which   follows  is  from  the  Liverpool  Adver- 
tiser :  — 

"  As  the  extraordinary  powers  attributed  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet M'Avoy,  of  this  town,  have  lately  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public  in  an  uncommon  degree,  permit  me  to 
send  you  a  fact,  which  has  lately  occurred,  and  which  must 
silence  the  scepticism  of  the  most  incredulous: — Two  ladies 
of  this  town,  whose  habits  of  rigid  veracity  and  cautious 
inquiry  are  well  known,  and  whose  names  are  left  with  the 
publishers,  in  order  to  satisfy  any  doubts  which  may  arise, 
went  to  the  house  of  this  jjhenomenon,  impelled  by  that  curi 
osity  which  has  now  become  general.  Fortunately,  Miss 
M'Avoy's  marvellous  powers,  which  are  known  to  be  some 
times  fluctuating  and  capricious,  were  that  day  in  the  highest 
perfection,  and  the  following  experiment  was  actually  tried: — 
One  of  these  visitors  stood  behind  the  young  lady's  chair,  and 


MISS    M'AVuY. — OLD   ENGLISH   'sQUIUE.  925 

pressed  down  her  eyelids  with  botli  hands  so  closely,  that  it 
\vas  a  physical  impossibility  for  a  single  ray  of"  light  to  enter. 
I  may  here  remark,  that  no  method  of  closing  the  eyes,  by 
any  sort  of  covering  that  can  be  devised,  is  half  so  effectual 
as  this,  for  obvious  reasons.  The  other  lady  then  took  up  a 
printed  book  of  sermons,  which  was  lying  in  the  apartment, 
and  which  appeared  to  have  just  come  from  the  bookseller's, 
as  the  le  aves  were  not  yet  cut  open  ;  she  opened  it  in  a  place 
where  the  leaves  were  united,  and  placed  it  before  Miss 
M'Avoy,  (her  eyes  still  closed  as  above  described,)  who  read 
several  lines  in  it,  without  hesitation.  The  lady  then  took  a 
written  note  out  of  her  pocket,  which  had  been  received  that 
morning,  and  Miss  M,  also  read  that,  without  any  other  diffi- 
culty than  what  arose  from  the  badness  of  the  hand-writing. 
This  experiment,  which  can  be  ascertained  on  oath,  seems  so 
decisive  as  to  the  power  possessed  by  Miss  M.  of  reading  by 
the  touch  alone,  that  I  am  not  aware  of  any  possible  way  in 
which  it  can  be  controverted." 

At  the  time  when  the  case  of  this  young  lady  came  before 
the  public,  her  claims  to  extraordinary  powers  were  examined 
with  the  utmost  scrutiny,  both  by  those  who  admitted,  and 
those  who  doubted  her  abilities.  In  every  experiment  that 
was  made,  the  former  were  confirmed  in  their  opinion  ;  and 
the  latter,  while  they  withheld  their  assent,  were  constrained 
to  acknowledo-e  themselves  overwhelmed  with  an  accumula- 
tion  of  facts,   for  which  they  were  unable  to  account. 

An  old  English  'Squire. — The  following  character  of 
the  Honourable  William  Hastings,  of  the  Woodlands,  in 
Hampshire,  v.as  copied  in  the  year  1737,  from  a  manuscript 
of  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper,  the  first  earl  of  Shaftsbury,  by 
W.  Cowper,"^  Esq.  then  clerk  of  parliament. 

In  the  year  lt)38,  lived  Mr.  Hastings,  by  his  quality,  son, 
brother,  and  uncle,  to  the  earls  of  Huntingdon.  He  was,  per- 
adventure,  an  original  in  our  age,  or  rather  the  copy  of  our 
ancient  nobility  in  hunting,  not  in  warlike  times. 

He  was  low,  very  strong,  and  very  active  ;  of  a  reddish  flaxen 
hair.  His  clothes  always  of  green  cloth,  and  never  all  worth, 
when  new,  five  pounds. 

His  house  was  perfectly  of  the  old  fashion  :  in  the  midst  of 
a  large  park  well  stocked  with  deer,  and  near  the  house,  rab- 
bits to  serve  his  kitchen;  many  fishponds;  great  store  of 
wc'.^d  and  timber;  a  bowling-green  in  it,  long,  but  narrow, 
full  Df  high  ridges,  it  beiu-g  never  levelled  since  it  was 
ploughed  ;  they  used  round  sand-bowls  ;  and  it  had  a  large 
banqiieting-house  like  a  stand,   built  in  a  tree. 

He  kept  all  manner  of  sport  hounds,  that  ran  buck,  fox, 
hare,  otter,  and  badger ;  and  hawks,  long  and  short  winged 


925  CURIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

He  had  all  sorts  of  nets  for  fish.  He  had  a  walk  in  the  New 
Forest  and  the  manor  of  Christ  Church  ;  this  last  supplied 
jim  with  red  deer,  sea  and  river  fish  ;  and  indeed  all  his 
neighbours'  lands  and  royalties  were  free  to  him,  who  be- 
stowed all  his  time  on  these  sports,'  but  what  he  borrowed  to 
caress  his  neighbours'  wives  and  daughters.  This  made  him 
very  po|)ular,  always  speaking  kindly  to  the  husband,  brother, 
or  father,  who  was,  besides,  always  welcome  to  his  house. 
There  he  would  find  beef,  pudding,  and  small  beer  in  great 
plenty;  a  house  not  so  neatly  kept  as  to  shame  him,  or  his 
dusty  shoes ;  the  great  hall  strewed  with  marrow-bones,  and  full 
of  hawks' perches,  hounds,  spaniels,  and  terriers  ;  the  upper 
side  of  the  hall  hung  with  the  fox-skins  of  this  and  the  last 
year's  killing,  with  here  and  there  a  pole-cat  intermixed  ;  and 
gamekeepers'  and  hunters'  poles  in  great  abundance. 

The  parlour  was  a  large  long  room,  curiously  furnished: — 
on  a  great  hearth  paved  with  bricks  lay  some  terriers,  and  the 
choicest  hounds  and  spaniels  ;  usually  two  of  the  great  chairs 
had  litters  of  young  cats  in  them,  which  were  not  to  be 
disturbed,  he  having  always  three  or  four  attending  him  at 
dinner,  and  a  little  round  white  stick  of  fourteen  inches  long 
lying  by  his  trencher,  that  he  might  defend  such  meat  as  he 
had  no  mind  to  part  with  to  them.  The  windows,  which  were 
very  large,  served  for  places  to  lay  his  arrows,  cross-bows, 
stone-bows,  and  other  such  like  accoutrements  :  the  corners 
of  the  room  were  full  of  the  best-chosen  hunting  and  hawking 
poles.  An  oyster  table  stood  at  the  lower  end,  of  constant 
use  twice  a  day,  all  the  year  round,  for  he  never  failed  to  eat 
oysters  before  dinner  and  supper  through  all  seasons;  with 
these  the  neighbouring  town  of  Poole  supplied  him. 

The  upper  part  of  the  room  had  two  small  tables  and  a 
desk,  on  the  one  side  of  which  was  a  Church  Bible,  and  on 
the  other  the  Book  of  Martyrs.  On  the  tables  were  hawks* 
hoops,  bells,  and  such  like,  two  or  three  old  green  hats,  with 
their  crowns  thrust  in  so  as  to  hold  ten  or  a  dozen  eggs; 
which  were  of  a  pheasant  kind  of  poultry  he  took  much  care 
of  and  fed  himself.  Tables,  dice,  cards,  and  boxes,  were  not 
wanting.  In  the  holes  of  the  desk  were  store  of  tobacco- 
pipes  that  had  been  used. 

On  one  side  of  this  end  of  the  room  was  a  door  of  the 
closet,  wherein  stood  the  strong  beer  and  the  wine,  which 
never  came  thence  but  in  single  glasses,  that  being  the  rule 
of  the  house  exactly  observed,  for  he  never  exceeded  in  drink, 
or  permitted  others  to  transgress. 

On  the  other  side  was  a  door  into  an  old  chapel,  not  used 
for  devotion;  the  pulpit,  as  the  safest  place,  was  never  want- 
ing of  a  cold  chine  of  beef,  venison  pasty,  gammon  of  bacon, 
or  great  apple  pie,  with  thick  crust  extremely  baked. 


JOAN    OF  ARC.  027 

His  table  cost  him  not  much,  though  it  was  well  provided. 
His  sports  supplied  all  but  beef  and  mutton,  except  Fridays, 
Avhen  he  had  the  best  salt  fish,  as  well  as  other  fish,  he  could 
get.  This  was  the  day  his  neighbours  of  first  quality  most 
visited  him.  He  never  wanted  a  London  pudding,  and  always 
sung  it  in  with  "  My  pert  eyes  therein  a."  He  drank  a  glass 
or  two  of  wine  at  meals;  very  often  syrup  of  gillyflowers  in 
his  sack  ;  and  had  always  a  tun  glass,  without  feet,  standing 
by  him,  holding  a  pint  of  small  beer,  which  he  often  stirred 
with  rosemary. 

He  was  good-natured,  but  soon  angry,  calling  his  servants 
bastards,  and  cuckoldy  knaves;  in  one  of  which  he  often 
spoke  truth  to  his  own  knowledge,  and  sometimes  in  both, 
though  of  the  same  man.  He  lived  to  be  an  hundred,  never 
lost  his  eyesight,  but  always  wrote  and  read  without  specta- 
cles, and  got  on  horseback  without  help.  Until  past  four- 
score, he  rode  to  the  death  of  a  stag  as  well  as  any  one. 

Joan  of  Arc,  commonly  called  the  Maid  of  Orleans, — 
This  celebrated  heroine  was  the  daughter  of  a  peasant  of 
Domrenii,  near  Vaucouleurs,  on  the  borders  of  Lorrain,  and 
born  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-seven  years,  she  was  servant  in  a  small  inn, 
where  she  was  accustomed  to  tend  horses,  and  to  perform 
other  menial  offices  which  commonly  fall  to  the  share  of  men- 
servants.  About  this  time,  king  Charles  VII.  was  reduced  to 
the  most  distressed  condition  by  the  English  ;  but  the  siege 
of  Orleans,  which  was  bravely  defended  by  the  garrison  and 
inhabitants,  in  some  measure  retarded  their  progress.  Joan 
partook  of  the  feelings  of  sympathy  with  the  besieged,  that 
very  generally  prevailed,  and  determined  to  make  some  effort 
for  relieving  her  sovereign  in  his  present  distresses.  Whilst 
she  was  indulging  these  feelings,  her  enthusiasm  led  her  to 
fancy  that  she  saw  visions  and  heard  voices  exhorting  her  to 
re-establish  the  throne  of  France,  and  to  expel  the  foreign 
invaders.  Under  the  strong  impulse  of  passion  and  imagined 
inspiration,  she  obtained  admission  to  Baudricourt,  the 
governor   of  Vaucouleurs,  who  after  beino-   informed   of  her 

•  .  .  .  ^  .  .     , 

mspiration  and  intentions,  treated  her  for  some  time  with 
neglect;  but,  in  consequence  of  her  renewed  and  importunate 
solicitations,  he  gave  orders  that  she  should  be  conducted  to 
the  French  court,  which  then  resided  at  Chinon.  It  is  pre- 
tended that  Joan,  immediately  on  her  admission,  knew  the 
king,  though  she  had  never  seen  his  face  before,  and  though 
he  purposely  kept  himself  in  the  crowd  of  courtiers,  and  laid 
aside  every  thing  in  his  apparel  that  might  seem  to  distinguish 
him;  and  that  she  offered,  in  the  name  of  the  supreme  Crea- 
tor, to  raise   the  siege    of  Orleans,  and   to   conduct  him   to 


928  CURIOSITIES  RESPECTING   MAN 

Rheims,  to  be  there  crowned  and  anointed.  In  order  to  re- 
move liis  doubts  of  her  mission,  it  is  said,  that  she  disclosed 
a  secret,  known  only  to  himself,  and  which  she  must  have 
derived  from  heavenly  inspiration.  She  also  demanded,  as 
the  instrument  of  her  future  victories,  a  particular  sword 
which  was  kept  in  the  church  of  St.  Catharine  of  Fierbois, 
and  which,  though  she  had  never  seen  it,  she  described  by 
all  its  marks,  and  by  the  place  in  which  it  had  long  lain  neg- 
lected. Her  intrepid  and  determined  mode  of  address  excited 
attention,  and  gained  confidence ;  and  she  was  referred  to 
matrons  for  proofs  of  her  virginity,  and  to  doctors  of  the 
church  for  evidence  of  her  inspiration  :  their  report  being 
favourable,  she  was  sent  to  the  parliament  at  Poictiers  ;  but 
they,  considering  her  as  insane,  demanded  fror"  her  a  mira- 
cle. Her  reply  was,  that  she  would  soon  exhibit  one  at 
Orleans. 

Accordingly,  she  was  at  length  completely  armed,  mounted 
on  horseback  in  the  presence  of  the  multitude,  and  sent,  amidst 
the  loudest  acclamations,  to  join  the  army  destined  to  the 
relief  of  Orleans.  Upon  joining  the  army,  consisting  of  10,000 
men,  she  ordered  all  the  soldiers  to  confess  themselves  before 
they  set  out  on  the  enterprise  ;  she  banished  from  the  camp 
all  women  of  bad  fame  ;  she  displayed  in  her  hands  a  conse- 
crated banner,  representing  the  Supreme  Being  as  grasping 
the  iilobe  of  earth,  and  surrounded  with  flower-de-luces;  and 
after  thus  communicating  to  the  soldiers  a  great  degree  of 
that  enthusiasm  by  which  she  herself  was  actuated,  she 
advanced  towards  Orleans.  The  English  besiegers  were  over- 
awed by  her  orders  and  menaces,  dictated  in  the  name  of  the 
Almighty  Creator ;  and  she  entered  Orleans  arrayed  in  her 
military  garb,  and  displaying  her  consecrated  standard,  and 
was  received  by  all  the  inhabitants  as  a  celestial  deliverer. 
The  convoy  approached  without  finding  any  resistance  on  the 
part  of  the  besiegers  ;  the  waggons  and  troops  passed  without 
interruption  between  the  redoubts  of  the  English  ;  and  a 
dead  silence  and  astonishment  reigned  among  those  troops, 
formerly  so  elated  with  victory,  and  so  fierce  for  the  com- 
bat. 

Joan,  having  thus  far  succeeded,  ordered  the  garrison,  at 
the  same  time  encouraging  them  with  the  promise  of  heavenly 
assistance,  first,  to  attack  the  English  redoubts,  in  which 
measure  they  were  successful ;  and  then  to  fall  upon  the  main 
body  of  the  English  in  their  entrenchments.  In  one  of  these 
latter  attacks  the  French  were  repulsed,  but  the  intrepid 
maid  led  them  back  to  the  charge,  and  overpowered  the  Eng- 
lish. In  one  of  these  attacks,  she  was  wounded  in  the 
neck  with  an  arrow;  but  retreating  behind  the  assailants,  she 
pulled  it  out  with  her  own   hands,  had  the  wound   quickly 


JOAN    OF    ARC.  929 

dressed,  and  hastened  back  to  head  the  troops,  and  to  plant 
her  victorious  banner  on  the  ramparts  of  the  enemy.  In  con- 
sequence of  these  successes,  attended  with  a  loss  to  the 
English  of  more  than  6000  men,  their  courage  and  confidence 
gave  way  to  amazement  and  despair.  The  French,  in  order 
to  magnify  the  wonder  of  all  these  prosperous  events,  repre- 
sent the  maid  as  not  only  active  in  combat,  but  as  performing 
the  office  of  general ;  directing  the  troops,  conducting-  the 
military  operations,  and  swaying  the  deliberations  in  all  the 
councils  of  war.  But  whatever  the  policy  of  the  French 
court  might  suggest  for  maintaining  this  opinion  among  the 
multitude,  it  is  much  more  probable,  that  this  inexperienced 
country  girl  m  as  prompted  in  all  her  measures  by  the  wiser 
commanders. 

Having  raised  the  siege  of  Orleans,  Joan  now  insisted  that 
she  should  proceed  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  second  part 
of  her  promise,  which  was  that  of  crowning  the  king  at 
Rheinis.  The  king,  accompanied  by  the  victorious  maid, 
marched  at  the  head  of  r2,000  men  towards  Rheims,  receiv- 
ing the  submission  of  the  towns  through  which  he  passed  ;  till 
at  length  arriving  near  Rheims,  a  deputation  met  him  with 
the  keys  of  the  city,  and  he  was  admitted  into  it  with  trans- 
Dort.  Here  the  ceremony  of  his  coronation  was  [)erformed 
with  the  holy  oil  of  Clovis;  and  the  maid  stood  by  his  side 
in  complete  armour,  and  displayed  her  sacred  banner.  When 
the  ceremony  was  finished,  she  threw  herself  at  the  king's 
feet,  embraced  his  knees,  and  with  a  flood  of  tears  she  con- 
oratulated  him  on  this  singular  and  marvellous  event.     Charles 

^  .  .  .  . 

testified  his  gratitude  by  ennobling  tlie  family  of  Joan,  giving 
it  the  name  of  du  Li/s,  probably  in  allusion  to  the  lilies  of 
her  banner,  and  assigning  to  her  a  suitable  estate  in  land. 
Having  accomplished  both  the  objects  which  she  had  pro 
posed,  the  maid  of  Orleans  expressed  her  wish  to  return  to 
her  foimer  condition,  and  to  the  occupation  and  course  of 
life  which  became  her  sex  :  but  the  French  general  Dunois, 
urged  her  continuance  with  the  army,  till  the  English  should 
be  completely  expelled,  and  her  predictions  fully  accom- 
plished. 

Overpowered  by  his  advice,  she  threw  herself  into  the  town 
of  Compeigne,  which  was  then  besieged  by  the  duke  of  Bur- 
gundy and  the  English  ;  wliere,  on  a  sally,  having  twice 
driven  the  enemy  from  their  entrenchments,  and  finding  their 
number  increasing,  she  ordered  a  retreat;  but  was  deserted 
by  her  friends,  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  and  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Burgundians.  Instead  of  treating  Joan  as  a  prisoner 
of  war,  with  the  courtesy  and  good  usage,  to  which,  as  such, 
she  was  entitled,  and  -vhich  civilized  nations  practise  towards 
enemies  on  occasions  of  this  kind,  she  was  purchased  from 

6B 


930  CURIOSITIES    RESPECIING    MAN. 

the  captors  by  the  re«ient  duke  of  Bedford,  and  a  criminal 
jjrosecution  wiis  instituted  -against  her  on  the  charges  of  sor- 
cery, ini|)iety,  idolatry,  and  magic.  Tlie  clergy  in  his  interest, 
and  even  the  university  of  Paris,  concurred  in  the  accusation. 
An  ecclesiastical  commission  was  held  at  Rouen  for  her  trial, 
and  the  maid,  clothed  in  her  former  military  apparel,  but 
loaded  with  iions,  was  produced  before  this  tribunal.  Her 
trial  lasted  four  months  ;  and  in  the  course  of  that  time,  many 
captious  interrogatories  were  put  to  her,  which  she  answeied 
with  firmness  and  dignity. 

Upon  being  asked,  whether  she  would  submit  to  the  church 
the  truth  of  her  pretended  visions,  revelations,  and  intercourse 
with  departed  saints?  she  replied,  that  she  would  submit 
them  to  God,  the  fountain  of  truth  :  and  when  she  was  charged 
with  being  a  heretic,  and  denying  the  authority  of  the  church, 
she  appealed  to  the  pope;  but  her  appeal  was  rejected. 
When  she  was  asked,  why  she  put  her  trust  in  her  standard, 
which  had  been  consecrated  by  magical  incantations.'  she 
answered,  that  she  put  her  trust  in  the  Supreme  Being  alone, 
whose  image  was  impressed  upon  it.  When  it  was  demanded, 
why  she  carried  in  her  hand  that  standard  at  the  unction  and 
coronation  of  Charles  atRheims?  she  replied,  that  the  person 
who  had  shared  the  danger  was  entitled  to  share  the  glory. 
When  she  was  accused  of  going  to  war,  she  scrupled  not  to 
declare,  that  her  sole  purpose  was  to  defeat  the  English,  and 
to  expel  them  the  kingdom.  In  the  issue,  however,  she  was 
condemned  for  all  the  crimes  of  which  she  had  been  accused, 
aggravated  by  heresy  ;  her  revelations  were  declared  to  be 
inventions  of  the  devil  to  delude  the  people  ;  and  she  was 
sentenced  to  be  delivered  over  to  the  secular  arm.  At  length 
her  resolution  failed  her;  and  through  dread  of  the  punish- 
ment to  which  she  was  sentenced,  she  declared  that  she  was 
willing  to  recant;  and,  accordingly,  siie  acknowledged  the 
illusion  of  those  revelations  which  the  church  had  rejected  ; 
and  she  promised  never  more  to  maintain  them.  Upon  this, 
her  sentence  was  mitigated  ;  and  she  was  condemned  to  per- 
petual imprisonment,  and  to  be  fed  during  life  on  bread  and 
water.  But  with  this  vengeance  her  enemies  were  not  satis- 
fied. In  order  to  justify  the  severest  measures  against  her, 
they  insidiously  placed  in  her  apartment  a  suit  of  men's  appa- 
rel ;  u]ion  the  sight  of  this  garb,  in  which  she  had  acquired 
so  much  renown,  and  assumed,  as  she  once  believed,  by  the 
appointment  of  heaven,  her  former  ideas  and  passions  revived, 
and  she  ventured  in  her  solitude  to  put  on  the  forbidden  dress. 
In  this  apparel  she  was  detected  ;  it  was  regarded  as  a  relapse 
into  heresy  ;  her  recantation  became  void  ;  her  partial  pardon 
was  revoked  ;  and  she  was  to  be  buined  in  the  market-place 
of  Rouen.      In   June,   1431,    this   barbarous    sentence,    much 


JOAN   OF   ARC. —  POPE  JOAN.  931 

more  ignominious  to  those  who  inflicted  it  than  to  her  t\'ho 
was  the  object  of  it,  was  executed. 

"  This  admirable  heroine,  to  whom  the  more  generous  su- 
perstition of  the  ancients  would  have  erected  altars,  was,  on 
pretence  of  heresy  and  magic,  delivered  over  alive  to  the 
flames,  and  expiated,  by  that  dreadful  punishment,  the  signal 
services  which  she  had  rendered  to  her  prince  and  to  her 
native  country."  She  met  her  fate  with  resolution,  and  the 
English  themselves  beheld  the  scene  with  tears.  The  king 
made  no  effort  for  avenging  her  cause  ;  he  merely  procured  a 
revision  of  the  process,  and  a  restoration  of  her  memory  ten 
years  afterwards  by  the  pope,  in  an  act  which  styled  her  a 
"  Martyr  to  her  religion,  her  country,  and  her  king."  Her 
countrymen,  more  prompt  in  the  tribute  of  their  respect,  pro- 
pagated many  tales  relating  to  her  execution  ;  and  some  of 
them  would  not  even  allow  her  to  he  dead,  but  professed  to 
expect  her  speedy  return  to  conduct  them  again  to  victory. 

Of  the  character  and  conduct  of  this  singular  heroine,  the 
most  probable  opinion  is,  that  of  her  being  an  honest  and 
deluded  enthusiast,  of  whose  fancies  and  passions  the  princi- 
pal persons  in  the  interest  of  Charles  availed  themselves  for 
deluding  and  rousing  into  exertion  the  passions  of  the  people, 
at  a  crisis  of  peculiar  importance;  in  which  the  maid  of 
Orleans  was  instrumental  in  giving  a  decisive  turn  to  the 
contest  between  the  French  and  English.  The  exploits  of 
Joan  of  Arc  have  been  celebrated  both  in  prose  and  verse 
Of  the  latter,  the  serious  poem  of  Chapelain  has  been  much 
less  successful  than  the  burlesque  and  licentious  one  of  Vol- 
taire ;  but  the  injury  done  by  it  to  her  memory  has  been  in 
some  degree  repaired  in  England,  by  Southey's  sublime  and 
spirited  poem  of  "  Joan  of  Arc,"  which  exhibits  her  in  the 
brightest  colours  of  virtue  and  heroism. 

Pope  Joan. — Among  the  numerous  individuals  who  have 
figured  on  the  great  theatre  of  public  life,  few  characters 
have  ever  been  more  distinguished  than  this  celebrated  lady, 
who,  by  a  singidar  compound  of  dexterity,  secrecy,  and 
address,  contrived  to  reach  the  pontificate.  Many  doubts 
have,  indeed,  been  entertained  of  the  authenticity  of  the  tale  ; 
but  it  is  well  known,  that  prior  to  the  Reformation  it  wa^ 
sanctioned  by  universal  belief. 

It  is  said,  that  about  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century,  a 
woman  named  Joan,  born  at  Mentz,  and  who  had  received  an 
excellent  education,  conceiving  a  violent  passion  for  a  young 
monk  named  Fidda,  resolved  to  desert  her  faniily  and  friends, 
to  assume  the  male  habit,  and  gain  admittance  into  the  mo- 
nasterv.  The  jilan  succeeded  ;  and  having  long  indulged  ia 
their  amours  unJisturbed  and  unsuspected,  ihev  eloi)ed  toiie- 


932  CURIOSITIES   RESPECTING   MAN. 

ther,  and  travelled  into  most  of  the  countries  of  Europe, 
availing  themselves  of  evejy  opportunity  for  increasing  their 
knowledge,  by  engaging  the  assistance  of  the  best  masters  in 
the  different  cities  through  which  they  passed.  On  the  death 
of  her  lover,  Joan  repaired  to  Rome,  still  in  the  dress  of  a  man  ; 
where  her  address  and  enoooincr  manners  raisintr  her  into  no- 
tice.  she  commenced  the  duties  of  ])rofessor,  and  persons  of 
the  highest  rank  and  most  considerable  talents  enlisted  in  the 
number  of  her  disciples.  At  length,  on  the  death  of  ])ope 
Leo  X.  in  855,  she  was  unanimously  elected  his  successor 
to  the  pontifical  throne.  So  prudently  did  she  conduct  her- 
self, and  with  so  much  ability  did  she  perform  the  duties  of 
her  station,  that  the  people  had  reason  to  congratulate  them- 
selves on  their  choice.  At  lenoth  she  confided  her  secret  to 
a  domestic  whom  she  took  to  her  bed,  the  consequence  of 
which  was  her  pregnancy,  and  she  was  taken  in  labour  at  one 
of  the  most  solemn  processions,  delivered  of  a  child  in  the 
street,  and  died  on  the  spot.  It  is  likewise  said,  that  to 
])erpetuate  the  memory  of  such  an  extraordinary  adventure,  a 
statue  was  erected  on  the  place  where  it  happened  ;  that  in 
abhorrence  of  the  crime,  the  pope  and  clergy,  in  their  subse- 
quent annuiil  processions  from  the  Vatican  to  the  Lateran, 
have  turned  off  from  that  street ;  and  that,  to  preven'ta  similar 
imposition,  a  custom  was  introduced  of  examining  each  pope 
previously  to  his  consecration,  in  order  to  ascertain  his  sex. 
Such  are  the  particulars  of  a  story  that  seems  not  to  have  been 
called  in  question  till  the  time  of  Luther,  but  which  the  best 
informed  historians  usually  abandon  as  fictitious.  "  Till  the 
Reformation,  (says  Gibbon,)  the  tale  was  repeated  ami  be- 
lieved without  offence,  and  Joan's  female  statue  long  occupied 
her  place  among  the  popes  in  the  cathedral  of  Sienna.  She 
lias  been  annihilated  by  two  learned  Protestants,  Blondel  and 
Bayle,  but  their  brethren  were  scandalized  by  this  equitable 
and  generous  criticism.  Spanheim  and  L'Enfant  atten)pted 
to  save  this  poor  engine  of  controversy  ;  and  even  Mosheim 
condescends  to  cherish  some  doubt  and  suspicion." 

History  of  the  memorable  Siu  Richard  Whittington, 
three  times  Lord  Mayor  of  London  ;  in  the  years  1397,  1406. 
1419.— 

The  obscurity  of  the  origin  of  this  remarkable  character, 
has  given  occasion  to  many  fabvdous  accounts,  but  our  readers 
may  rely  upon  the  following  being  the  result  of  careful  re- 
search, from  the  best  authorities.  Whittington  came  to  Lon- 
don, from  Shropshire,  about  the  year  1368,  in  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  III.  and  in  his  way  he  chiefly  lived  upon  the  charily 
of  well-disposed  persons.  On  his  arrival  in  town,  he  made 
an  application  to  the  prior  of  the  hospital  of  St.  John's,  Clerken- 


SIR    RICH. \  HI)    WHll  riNCJTON.  933 

well,  where  he  was  kindly  relieved  ;  and  being  handy  and  will- 
ing, was  soon  put  into  an  inferior  post  in  the  house.  How 
long  he  remained  here,  is,  I  believe,  no  where  mentioned; 
but  to  the  piety  of  this  charitable  foundation  he  was  certainly 
indebted  for  his  first  support  in  London.  His  next  reception 
was  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Fitzwarren,  a  rich  merchant,  whose 
house  was  in  the  Minories,  near  the  Tower.  Here  he  un- 
doubtedly acted  as  under  scullion,  for  his  keep  only. 

In  this  situation  he  met  with  many  crosses  and  difficulties; 
for  the  servants  made  sport  of  liim;  and  particularly  the  ill- 
natured  cook,  who  was  of  a  morose  temper,  used  him  very 
ill,  and  not  unfrequently,  with  a  sturdy  arm,  laid  the  ladle 
across  his  shoulders:  so  that,  to  keep  in  the  family,  he  had 
many  a  sore  bout  to  put  up  with  ;  but  his  patience  carried 
it  off,  and  at  last  he  became  accustomed  to  her  choleric  dis- 
position. 

This  was  not  the  only  misfortune  he  laboured  under;  for 
lying  in  a  place  for  a  long  time  unfrequented,  such  abundance 
of  rats  and  mice  had  bred  there,  that  they  were  almost  ready 
at  times  to  dispute  the  possession  of  the  place  with  him,  and 
full  as  troublesome  by  night  as  the  cook  was  by  day,  so  that 
he  knew  not  what  to  think  of  his  condition,  or  how  to  mend 
it.  After  many  disquieting  thoughts,  he  at  last  comforted 
himself  with  the  hopes  that  the  cook  might  soon  marry,  or 
die,  or  quit  her  service  ;  and  as  for  the  rats  and  mice,  a  cat 
would  be  an  effectual  remedy  against  them. 

Soon  after,  a  merchant  came  to  dinner,  and  it  raining  ex- 
ceedingly, he  staid  all  night;  whose  shoes  Whittington  having 
cleaned,  and  presented  at  his  chamber  door,  he  gave  him  a 
penny.  This  stock  he  improved,  for  going  along  the  street 
of  an  errand,  he  saw  a  woman  with  a  cat  under  her  arm,  and 
desired  to  know  the  price  of  it:  the  w'oman  praised  it  for  a 
good  mouser,  and  told  him,  sixpence;  but  he  declaring  that  a 
penny  was  all  his  stock,  she  let  him  have  it. 

He  took  the  cat  home,  and  kept  her  in  a  box  all  day,  lest 
the  cook  should  kill  her  if  she  came  into  the  kitchen,  and 
at  night  he  set  her  to  work  for  her  living.  Puss  delivered 
him  from  one  plague  ;  but  the  other  remained,  though  not  for 
many  years. 

It  was  the  custom  with  the  worthy  merchant,  Mr.  Hugh 
Fitzwarren,  that  God  might  give  him  a  greater  blessing  for 
his  endeavours,  to  call  all  his  servants  together  when  he  sent 
out  a  ship,  and  cause  every  one  to  venture  something  in  it, 
to  try  their  fortunes. 

Now  all  but  Whittington  appeared,  and  brought  things 
accor'ling  to  their  abilities;  but  his  young  mistress  being  by, 
and  supposing  that  poverty  made  him  decline  coming,  she 
ordered  him  to  be  called,  on  which  he  made  several  excuses 


934  CARIOSITIES    RESPECTING    MAN. 

however,  being  constrained  to  come,  lie  lioped  they  would 
not  jeer  a  poor  sinipleton  for  being  in  expectation  of  turnincr 
merchant,  since  all  that  he  could  lay  claim  to  as  his  own, 
was  but  a  poor  cat,  which  he  had  bought  for  one  penny, 
which  he  had  given  to  him  for  cleaning  shoes,  and  had  much 
befriended  him  in  keeping  the  rats  and  mice  from  him.  Upon 
this,  the  young  lady  proffered  to  lay  something  down  for  him, 
but  her  father  told  her  the  custom  ;  it  must  be  his  own  which 
must  be  ventured  ;  and  the?,  ordered  him  to  bring  his  cat, 
which  he  did,  but  with  great  reluctance,  fancying  nothing 
would  come  of  it;  and  with  tears  delivered  it  to  the  master 
of  the  ship,  which  was  called  the  Unicorn,  and  had  fallen 
down  to  Blackwall,  in  order  to  proceed  on  her  voyage. 

On  their  arrival  in  the  Mole  of  Algiers,  they  heard  that 
the  plague  was  raging  in  the  country,  having  been  but  a  few 
years  before  brought  from  China,  viz.  in  1346,  at  which  period 
it  was  first  noticed  to  rage  in  Africa,  from  whence  it  soon 
proceeded  to  Europe,  overspreading  the  northern  countries. 
This  news  did  not  deter  the  captain  from  sending  to  trade  on 
shore,  where,  at  first,  they  found  but  little  encouragement, 
the  people  of  the  country  appearing  very  shy  to  every  offer. 
The  news  of  the  arrival  of  a  vessel  soon  reached  the  notice  of 
the  Dey,  who  immediately  ordered  the  captain  and  officers  to 
wait  upon  his  highness  witii  presents;  for  then,  as  well  as 
now,  nothing  could  be  done  without  first  bribing  him.  After 
this  ceremony  was  over,  tiade  went  on  pretty  briskly,  at  the 
tionclusion  of  which,  his  Moorish  majesty  gave  a  grand  enter- 
tainment, which,  according  to  custom,  was  served  upon  car- 
pets, interwoven  with  gold,  silver,  and  purple  silk.  This 
least  was  no  sooner  served  up  with  the  various  dishes,  but  the 
scent  brought  together  a  num!)er  of  rats  and  mice,  who  un- 
mercifully fell  on  all  that  came  in  their  way. 

These  audacious  and  destructive  vermin  did  not  shew  any 
symptoms  of  fear  upon  the  approach  of  the  company,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  kept  to  it  as  if  they  only  were  invited.  Tiiis 
made  the  captain  and  his  people  very  much  wonder,  who, 
interrogating  the  Algerines,  were  informed,  a  very  great  price 
would  be  given  by  his  highness,  the  Dey,  for  a  cure,  and  a 
liddance  of  these  vermin,  which  were  grown  so  numerously 
offensive,  that  not  only  his  table,  but  his  private  a|)artments, 
and  bed,  were  so  infested,  that  he  was  forced  to  be  constantly 
watched  for  fear  of  being  devoured. 

This  information  put  the  English  company  immediately  in 
mind  of  poor  Dick  Whittingtun's  cat,  which  had  done  them 
such  notable  service  on  the  passage;  and  wishing  to  serve 
the  youth,  they  thought  this  the  best  time  to  come  forward 
with  the  industrious  animal.  Accortlingly,  she  was  brought 
on  shore  the  next  day,  when  her  presence  suddenly  kept  off 


S«R    RICHAi:i)    WHITTING'ION.  935 

most  of  the  vermin  ;  a  few  only  of  the  boldest  darinf;  to  ven- 
ture forward,  all  of  whom  she  dispatched  with  wcnderfnl 
celerity.  This  pleased  his  Alsj^erine  highness  so  much,  lh:U 
he  immediately  made  very  advantageous  proposals  to  the 
factor  of  the  ship  for  the  possession  of  this  surprising  and 
useful  animal.  At  first  our  people  seemed  very  reluctant  to  part 
with  it;  but  his  liberality  soon  overcame  every  objection; 
and  her  purchase  amounted,  in  various  commodities,  to  seve- 
ral tllou^ands  of  pounds.  During  the  time  the  English  re- 
mained here,  her  industry  in  destroying  those  noxious  vermin 
so  completely  pleased  the  Moorish  chief,  that,  at  our  people's 
departure,   he  again  loaded  them  with  rich  presents. 

The  cook,  who  little  thought  how  advantageous  Whittino-- 
ton's  cat  would  prove,  had  kept  up  such  a  continual  alarm  of 
noise  and  reproach  at  the  ])Oor  youth's  unfortunate  penury, 
that  he  grew  weary  of  enduring  it,  and  not  the  least  expecling 
what  followed,  he  resolved  rather  to  try  his  fortune  again  in 
the  wide  world,  than  lead  any  longer  such  a  disagreeable  life. 
For  this  step  he  might  be  blamed,  as,  had  he  complained  to 
his  master,  who  was  a  kind  gentleman,  the  difference  would 
have  been  set  to  rights,  and  he,  not  like  a  Jonas,  cast  out. 
With  this  resolution,  however,  he  set  out  early  on  AUhallows 
morning,  resolving  to  go  into  the  country,  and  get  into  a  more 
agreeable  service. 

As  he  went  over  Finsbury  Moor,  since  called  Moor-fields, 
his  mind  began  to  fail;  lie  hesitated,  and  halted  several  times: 
he  grew  pensive,  and  his  resolution  left  him.  In  this  solitary 
manner  he  wandered  on  until  he  reached  Holloway,  where  he 
sat  down  upon  a  large  stone,  which  remains  there  to  be  seen 
to  this  day.  Here  he  began  to  ruminate  in  earnest  upon  his 
ill-luck  in  not  pleasing  the  cook  ;  and  in  the  depth  of  his 
meditation,  he  suddenly  heard  Bow  bells  strike  out  for  a  peal. 
This  chanoed  his  attention  ;  for,  as  he  listened,  on  a  sudden, 
he  fancied  they  called  him  back  again  to  his  master.  The 
more  he  hearkened,  the  more  he  became  confirmed  in  this 
notion  of  his  recall,  conceiting  the  bells  expressed  the  I'ol- 
lowing  distich  :  — 

"  RETURN  AGAIN,  WHITTTNGTON, 

"  THRICE  LORD  MAYOR  OF  LONDON." 

This  proved  a  happy  thought  for  him;  and  it  made  so  great 
an  impression  on  his  fancy,  that,  finding  it  early,  and  thinking- 
he  might  yet  get  back  before  the  family  were  stirring,  he 
instantly  turned  upon  his  heel,  and  reaching  home  in  less 
time  than  hu  went  out,  he  got  in  unperceived  to  his  usual 
daily  drudgery. 

Things  were  in  this  situation  when  the  news  arrived  of  the 
success  of  the  voyage  ;  and  that  night  he  was  installed  with 


936  cuKiosniEs  nKsi^tcriNG  man. 

the  apj^ellation  ot'Mr.  by  his  muster,  who  infurmed  him,  that 
li:s  siiiji  had  just  arrived  at  Blackuall,  being  the  richest  ves 
sel  of  her  burden  that  had  ever  floated  iiitc»  an  English  port. 
His  master  concluded  his  discourse  with  a  pious  aduKjurtion 
to  all  his  servants,  after  which  tliey  all  joined  in  a  thanksgiv- 
ing to  the  Aluiighty  for  such  a  prosperous  voyage. 

Tile  cook  was  among  the  first  to  change  her  demeanor  to- 
Avards  Whittington,  calling  him  Sir,  and  inviting  him  to  such 
and  such  relishes  as  the  kitchen  afforded. 

When  the  bill  of  lading  was  presented  to  the  merchant,  the 
principal  part  was  found  to  belong  to  Mr.  Whittington, 
amongst  which  was  a  cabinet  of  rich  jewels,  the  last  present 
of  the  Dey.  This  was  the  first  thing  brought  to  INlr.  Fitz- 
warren's  house,  it  being  deemed  too  valuable  to  remain  on 
board. 

When  the  servants'  "-cods  for  their  ventures  were  all  brousfht 
up  to  be  divided,  Mr.  Whittington's  was  too  bulky  to  be  un- 
packed before  them  ;  but  the  pearls  and  jewels  alone  were 
estimated  at  several  thousand  pounds. 

The  humility  of  Mr.  Whittington's  mind  arising  from  a 
strong  sense  of  his  duty  to  society  in  general,  prevented  his 
temper  from  exhilarating  into  arrogance,  petulance,  or  super- 
ciliousness :  though  suddenly  grown  rich,  and  become  equal 
to  the  first  merchants  in  the  city,  pride  had  no  share  in  the 
change  of  his  circumstances.  On  the  contrary,  at  first,  he 
could  hardly  be  prevailed  upon  to  let  the  scullery  alone  ;  but 
Mr.  Fitzwarren  took  much  pains  with  him,  and  introduced 
liini  to  the  first  characters  in  town,  not  omitting  the  court,  as 
well  as  the  clergy  and  military,  who  at  that  time  were  reckoned 
the  most  agreeable  connections. 

King  Edward  the  Third  beino;  then  at  war  with  the  French, 
and  preparing  for  the  siege  of  Roclielle,  solicited  all  the  pri- 
vileged orders  in  the  kingdom  for  a  subsidy  to  carry  on  his 
expedition.  The  loyalty  of  the  city  of  London  induced  them 
to  offer  a  large  gift  in  their  corporate  capacity.  In  this  scheme 
Mr.  Whittington  joined,  and  paid  in  £10,000,  an  astonishing 
sum  in  those  days  from  an  individual ;  but  the  military  ardour 
of  the  country  has  always  been  remarkable;  hence  it  is  not 
wonderful  that  an  enterprising  and  fortunate  young  man  should 
come  forward  with  so  large  a  sum,  when  it  is  considered  that 
history  has  almost  left  us  in  the  dark  as  to  the  remuneration 
expected.  Be  this  as  it  may,  history  places  it  in  the  46th 
year  of  the  king's  reign,  A.  D..  1372. 

What  contributed  much  at  this  time  in  favour  of  Whitting- 
ton, was  the  absence  of  the  Lombard  merchants,  who  withdrew 
themselves  from  London,  on  account  of  the  oppression  of  the 
king,  which  became  excessive  towards  the  latter  end  of  his 
reign,  fo-  continual  draughts  to  support  his  ambition  in  France. 


SIR   IllCHARD   WlllTTINGTON.  937 

These,  and  the  Jews  abroad,  conducted  at  th;it  time  the 
whole  financial  commerce  of  the  city  of  London;  but  Mr. 
Whittin<;ton,  upon  their  departure,  caine  in  for  a  considerable 
sliare  of  it. 

We  are  now  regularly  come  to  tiie  last  year  of  king  Edward's 
reign,  the  fifty-Sccond,  when  the  Lords  and  Connnons  granted 
the  king  a  poll-tax,  at  four-pence  a  head,  for  every  man  and 
woman  |)assing  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  beggars  excepted. 
The  clergy  at  the  same  time  granted  twelve-pence  for  every 
person  beneficed  ;  and  of  all  other  religious  persons,  four- 
pence  by  the  poll,  the  four  orders  of  Friars  Mendicants  only 
excepted.  Here  it  is  worth  observing,  that  the  king  demand- 
ing of  the  city  of  London  to  advance  him  £4000,  upon  this 
poll,  and  the  Mayor,  Adam  Staple,  proving  backward  in  per- 
forming the  same,  he  was  by  the  king  turned  out  of  that 
office,  and  Sir  Richard  Whittington  put  into  his  place,  to 
finish  the  year;  and  this  is  the  first  mention  of  his  being 
knighted,  and  of  his  great  impoitance  in  the  city  at  that  time, 
being  only  about  ten  years  after  his  arrival  there,  in  circum- 
stances so  widely  different. 

According  to  Stow,  Sir  Richard  Whittington  was  a  great 
dealer  in  wool,  leather,  cloth,  and  pearls,  which  were  univer- 
sally worn  at  that  time  by  the  ladies.  In  1377,  the  first  year 
of  king  Richard  II.  he  was  called  by  summons  to  the  parlia- 
ment that  met  at  London,  which  commenced  at  Michaelmas, 
and  lasted  till  the  feast  of  St.  Andrew,  when  it  was  dissolved 
by  the  mutinous  conduct  of  the  Londoners,  and  adjourned  to 
Northampton  the  following  year,  where  was  passed  the  noted 
poll-tax,  the  collecting  of  which  occasioned  and  created  the 
rebellion  of  Wat  Tyler  and  Jack  Straw. 

In  1395,  the  eighteenth  of  this  king's  reign,  Edmund,  duke 
of  York,  the  king's  uncle,  held  a  parliauient  at  London,  the 
kinji  beino;  absent  in  Ireland;  and  relating  to  the  citizens  the 
creat  streiirhts  the  kin^r  was  reduced  to  in  Ireland,  they 
granted  him  a  tenth  upon  their  personal  estates;  first  pro- 
testing that  they  were  not  in  rigour  of  right  obliged  to  it, 
but  that  they  did  it  out  of  affection.  The  mission  to  this 
parliament,  we  are  particularly  informed  by  Sir  Robert  Cotton, 
from  Leland's  papers,  was  managed  by  the  uprightness  and 
good  judgment  of  Sir  Richard  Whittington. 

Thus  he  grew  in  riches  and  fame  the  most  considerable 
of  the  citizens,  greatly  beloved  by  all,  especially  the  poor, 
several  hundreds  of  whom  he  publicly  or  secretly  assisted  or 
supplied. 

About  this  time  it  was  that  he  married  his  master's  daugh- 
ter. Miss  Fitzwarren  ;  and  at  their  wedding  were  present, 
among  other  noble  characters,  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen 
&,c.  &c. 

GC 


938  CLHIOSniES    RESPECTING    MAN 

.  According  to  the  pietorian  biuiner,  once  existing  in  Guild- 
hall, but  since  destroyed  by  the  tiie  which  consumed  the  city 
archives,  Whittington  served  his  first  mayoralty  in  1397.  He 
was  now  near  forty  years  of  a^e,  of  a  goodly  form,  and  chosen 
into  tiie  office  by  Jiis  fellow  citizens,  whose  approbation  of  his 
conduct,  after  his  having  once  before  filled  the  office,  when 
king  Edward  put  him  in,  is  a  sound  and  substantial  proof  that 
he  was  a  good,  loyal,  and  patriotic  man. 

Sir  Richard's  second  mayoralty  occurred  in  1406,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  IV.  His  third  and  last  service  of  mayor  hap- 
pened in  1419,  in  Henry  the  Fifth's  time,  in  which  situation 
he  behaved  with  his  usual  prudence.  Though  age  had  now 
taken  oft"  much  of  his  activity,  yet  he  was  the  most  vigilant 
Ji^agistrate  of  his  time.  Soon  after  Henry's  conquest  of 
France,  Sir  Richard  entertained  him  and  his  queen  at  Guild- 
hall, in  such  grand  style,  that  he  was  pleased  to  say,  "  Never 
prince  had  such  a  subject;"  and  conferred  upon  some  of  the 
alderuien  the  honour  of  knighthood. 

At  this  entertainment,  the  king  particularly  praised  the  fire, 
which  was  made  of  choice  wood,  mixed  with  mace,  cloves, 
and  all  other  spices;  on  which  Sir  Richard  said,  he  would 
endeavour  to  make  one  still  more  agreeable  to  his  majesty, 
and  immediately  tore,  and  threw  into  the  fire,  the  king's  bond 
for  10,000  marks,  due  to  the  company  of  Mercers  ;  12,500,  to 
the  Chvnnber  of  London;  21,000  to  the  Mercers,  Staplers, 
Goldsmiths,  Haberdashers,  Vintners,  Brewers,  and  Bakers; 
3,000  marks  each.  "  All  these,  (said  Sir  Richard,)  with  divers 
others  sent  for  the  payment  of  your  soldiers  in  France,  1  have 
taken  in  and  discharged,  to  the  amount  of  £60,000  sterling. 
Can  your  majesty  desire  to  see  such  another  sight?"  The 
king  and  nobles  were  struck  dumb  with  surprise  at  his  wealth 
and  liberality. 

Sir  Richard  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  honourable 
retirement  at  home,  in  his  house  in  Grub-street,  beloved  by 
the  rich  and  the  poor.  By  his  wife  he  left  two  sons,  some  of 
whose  posterity  are  still  worthy  citizens.  He  built  many  cha- 
ritable houses,  founded  a  church  in  Vintry  ward,  and  dedicated 
it  to  St.  Michael.  Here  he  built  a  handsome  vault,  for  the 
sepulchre  of  his  father  and  mother-in-law,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  Fitzwarren  family,  and  where  himself  and  wit'e  lay 
afterwards. 

1  his  Richard  Whittington  was  (in  this  church)  three  times 
buried;  first  by  his  executors,  under  a  fair  monument;  then 
in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  the  parson  of  that  church,  thinking 
some  great  riches  (as  he  said)  to  be  buried  with  him,  caused 
liis  monument  to  be  broken,  his  body  to  be  spoiled  of  his 
leaden  sheet,  and  again  the  second  time  to  be  buried;  and  in 
the  reign  of  queen  Mary,  the  parishioners  were  forced  to  take 


SIR    UlCH  A  i:  I)   W  Ml  1   11  NGTON.  939 

Ilim  up  to  wrap  him  in  lead,  as  afore,  to  bury  him  a  tiiird  time, 
and  to  place  hia  monument,  or  the  like,  over  him  aoain  ; 
which  remained,  and  so  he  rested,  till  the  great  fire  of  Lon- 
don violated  his  resting-place  again. 

This  church  of  St.  Michael  Pater-noster  in  the  Vintiy,  the 
Capital  House,  and  site  thereof,  called  Whittinnton  College, 
alias  Whittington,  and  one  garden  belonging  to  the  same,  i)t 
the  yearly  value  of  four  pounds,  six  shillings,  and  eight-pence, 
was  sold  to  Armagill  Waad,  clerk  of  the  council,  in  the  second 
of  Edward  VI.  for  ninety-two  pounds  two  shillings. 

In  1413,  he  founded  an  alms-house  and  college  in  the  Vin- 
try,  which  was  afterwards  su])pressed  by  order  of  council  in 
king  Edward  the  Sixth's  time:  but  his  alms-houses  on  Col- 
lege-hill remain  ;  these  are  under  the  direction  of  the  Mercer's 
company,  who  allow  each  pensioner  Ss.  lOd.  per  week. 

Sir  Richard  built  the  gate  and  prison  of  Newgate  as  it  for- 
merly stood ;  gave  large  sums  to  Bartholomew's  Hospital ; 
founded  a  Library  in  Grey  Friars;  endowed  Christ's  Hospital 
with  a  considerable  sum;  built  Guildhall  chapel,  and  the  east 
end  of  the  Hall. 

Dame  Alice,  his  wife,  died  in  the  63d  year  of  her  age; 
after  which  he  never  re-married,  though  he  outlived  her  near 
twenty  years.  At  last  he  died  like  the  patriarch,  full  of  age 
and  honour,  leaving  a  good  name  to  posterity  ;  and  the  follow- 
ing epitaph  was  cut  on  the  upper  stone  of  his  vault,  and  con- 
tinued perfect  till  destroyed  by  the  fire  of  London  : — 

M.  S. 

Beneath  this  stone  lies  Whittington, 

Sir  Richard  rightly  nani'd  ; 
Wlio  tliree  times  Lord  Mayor  serv'd  in  London, 

In  ^\hich  he  ne'er  was  blam'd. 

He  rose  from  Indigence  to  Wealth, 

By  Industry  and  tliat, 
For  lo  I  he  scorn'd  to  gain  by  stealth, 

What  he  got  by  a  Cat. 

Let  none  who  reads  this  verse  despair 

Of  Providences  ways  : 
Who  trust  in  him,  he'll  make  his  care. 

And  prosper  all  their  days 


940  CUUIOSITIKS    KESPECTING    MAN. 


THE  TRAVELLING    FAQUIRS. 

The  following  curious  circumstance  in  natural  history 
is  related  by  a  gentleman  of  veracity,  learning,  and  abilities, 
who  filled  a  considerable  post  in  the  Company's  Service  in 
India. — 

The  Travelling  Faquirs  in  this  country  are  a  kind  of  su- 
])erstitious  devotees,  who  pretend  to  great  zeal  in  religion,  but 
are,  in  fact,  the  most  vicious  and  profligate  wretches  in  the 
world.  They  wander  about  the  country  here,  as  the  gipsies 
do  with  you;  and  having  some  little  smattering  of  physic, 
music,  or  other  arts,  they  introduce  themselves  by  these 
means  wherever  they  go.  One  of  them  called  a  few  days  ago 
at  my  house,  who  had  a  beautiful  large  snake  in  a  basket, 
which  he  made  rise  up  and  dance  about  to  the  tune  of  a  pipe 
on  which  he  played. 

It  happened  that  my  out-house  and  farm-yard  had  for  some 
time  been  infested  with  snakes,  which  had  killed  me  several 
turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  fowls,  and  even  a  cow  and  a  bullock. 
My  servants  asked  this  man  whether  he  could  pijie  these 
snakes  out  of  their  holes,  and  catch  them?  He  answered  them 
in  the  afhrinative,  and  they  carried  him  instantly  to  the  place 
where  one  of  the  snakes  had  been  seen.  He  began  piping, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  snake  came  dancing  to  him  :  the  fel- 
low caught  him  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  and  brought  him 
to  me.  As  I  was  incredulous,  I  did  not  go  to  see  this  first 
operation;  but  as  he  took  this  beast  so  expeditiously,  and  I 
still  suspected  some  trick,  I  desired  him  to  go  and  catch  an- 
other, and  went  with  him  myself  to  observe  his  motions.  He 
began  by  abusing  the  snake,  and  ordering  him  to  come  out 
of  his  hole  instantly,  and  not  be  angry,  otherwise  he  would 
cut  his  throat  and  suck  his  blood.  I  cannot  swear  that  the 
snake  heard  and  understood  this  elegant  invocation.  He 
then  began  piping  with  all  his  might,  lest  the  snake  should 
be  deaf;  he  had  not  piped  above  five  minutes,  when  an  amaz- 
ing large  cobra  capella  (the  most  venomous  kind  of  serpent) 
popped  his  head  out  of  a  hole  in  the  room.  When  the  man 
saw  his  nose,  he  approached  nearer  to  him,  and  piped  more 
vehemently,  till  the  snake  was  more  than  half  out,  and  ready 
to  make  a  dart  at  him  ;  he  then  piped  only  with  one  hand, 
and  advanced  the  other  under  the  snake  as  it  was  raising 
itself  to  make  the  spring.  When  the  snake  darted  at  his 
body,  he  made  a  snatch  at  his  tail,  which  he  caught  very 
dexterously,  and  held  the  creature  very  fast,  without  the  least 
apprehension  of  being  bit,  until  my  servants  dispatched  it. 
I  had  often  heard  this  story  of  snakes  being  charmed  out  of 
their  holes  by  music;  but  never  believed  it,  till  I  had   this 


INCUnUS,   OR    NIGHTMARE.  941 

ocular  domonsiration  of  the  fact.  In  the  space  of  an  hour 
the  Faquir  cauglit  five  very  venomous  snakes  close  about  my 
house.* 


INCUBUS,  OR  NIGHTMARE. 

This  strange  affection  or  complaint,  which  is  more  gene- 
rally known  by  the  term  Nig/itmare,  than  by  that  of  Incubus, 
has  obtained  a  considerable  degree  of  notice  in  the  world, 
from  the  singular  manner  in  which  it  seizes  its  victims.  The 
term  Incubus  is  derived  from  the  Latin  incubare,  signifying 
to  sit  or  lie  upon,  which  very  forcibly  expresses  the  nature  of 
the  disease.  Hence,  many  have  thought,  and  they  even  con- 
tinue to  think,  that  some  incomprehensible  creature,  being, 
or  agent,  actually  sits  or  lies  upon  them  while  sleepintj;,  from 
which  they  sufter  acute  torment  and  oppression,  bordering  on 
suffocation.  Many  also  have  even  affirmed,  that  while  they 
have  been  lying  perfectly  awake,  they  have  perceived  this 
nightly  tormentor  creeping  slowly  over  their  feet,  and  have 
watched  its  advances  until  it  has  taken  its  seat  on  the  breast, 
and  inflicted  those  severe  sufferinos  which  no  lano;uacre  can 
fully  describe.  But  we  shall  consider  the  nightmare  rather 
as  a  disease,  than  the  creature  of  imao;ination. 

This  disorder  seizes  persons  while  sleeping,  who  imagine 
that  they  feel  an  extraordinary  compressi9n  or  weight  about 
the  breast  and  stomach,  which  they  cannot  by  any  effort 
shake  off.  In  this  agony  they  sigh,  groan,  and  utter  indis- 
tinct sounds  ;  sometimes  they  cry  out,  but  more  frequently 
they  attempt  to  speak,  or  to  move  in  vain.  These  feelings 
give  rise  to  various  frightful  suggestions  of  the  imagination  : 
the  patient  fancies  himself  to  be  struggling  with  strong  men 
or  devils,  or  to  be  in  a  house  on  fire,  or  in  danger  of  being 
drowned  in  the  sea  or  some  river;  and  in  attempting  to  run 
away  iVom  danger,  or  climb  up  a  hill,  he  fancies  he  falls  back 
as  much  after  every  step  as  he  had  advanced  before.  At  length 
the  sensations  of  oppression  become  intolerable,  and  the 
patient  awakes  ;  but  the  terror  excited  by  the  frightful  ideas 
attending  the  nightmare,  leaves  often  a  palpitation  of  the 
heart,  with  great  anxiety  and  languor,  and  sometimes  a  tin- 
gling of  the  ears,  and  a  tremor  over  the  whole  body. 

It  is  altogether  unnecessary  to  attempt  an  enumeration  of 
the  numerous  hypothetical  explanations  which  have  been 
attempted  to  be  given  of  the  phenomenon  of  incubus,  and 
which  have  been  detailed  by  Awen,  Bond,  and  other  writers. 
The  disorder  has  commonly  been  supposed  to  proceed  from  a 

*  That  tliis  method  of  charming^  the  serpentine  race  was  practised  at 
a  very  early  period  of  antiquity,  appears  from  the  ai!u>ion  of  the  holj 
Psalmist,  in  the  4tl»  and  oth  verses  of  tiie  OSlh  Psahn. 


942  INCUBUS,   OR    MGHTMAKE.. 

stagnation  of  the  blood  in  the  sinuses  of  the  brain,  or  .n  the 
vessels  of  the  lungs,  or  from  too  great  a  quantity  of  blood 
being  sent  to  the  head.  The  horizontal  posture,  in  time  of 
sleep,  and  tlie  pressure  of  the  stomach  upon  tlie  aorta,  in  a 
supine  situation,  have  been  thought  sufficient  to  occasion  a 
more  than  usual  distention  of  the  sinuses  and  other  vessels  of 
the  brain  ;  and  the  weight  of  tiie  heart,  pressing  on  the  left 
auricle  and  large  trunks  of  the  pulmonary  veins,  may,  it  is 
supposed,  prevent  the  easy  return  of  the  blood  from  the  lungs, 
and  thus  produce  an  oppression  and  sense  of  weight  and  suf- 
focation in  the  breast.  But  without  entering  into  a  particular 
examination  of  these  opinions,  which  are  far  from  being  satis- 
factory, we  may  observe,  with  Dr.  Whytt,  that,  if  they  were 
true,  somfe  degree  of  the  nightmare  ought  to  happen  to  every 
body  that  lies  upon  his  back,  especially  after  eating  a  full 
meal.  Further,  if  a  horizontal  situation  could  overcharge  the 
brain  with  blood,  so  as  to  occasion  the  incubus,  how  comes 
it  that  people,  who  reu^ain  for  some  time  in  an  inverted 
posture,  do  not  feel  this  disease  bevinnino;  to  attack  them? 
And  why  does  a  slighter  degree  of  the  nightmare  sometimes 
seize  people  who  sleep  in  an  erect  situation  in  a  chair?  a  cir- 
cumstance which  sometimes  occurs,  not  only  after  eating,  but 
when  the  stomach  is  out  of  order,  and  troubled  with  wind. 
As  the  weight  of  the  stomach,  even  when  filled  with  food, 
can  have  scarcely  any  effect  upon  the  motion  of  the  blood  in 
the  aorta,  so  the  pressure  of  the  heart  is  by  much  too  small 
to  be  able  sensibly  to  retard  the  motion  of  that  fluid  in  the 
pulmonary  veins;  otherwise,  people  exhausted  by  tedious 
diseases,  who  generally  lie  on  their  back,  would  be  constantly 
affected  with  the  incubus. 

We  know  that  certain  medicines  or  poisons,  worms,  and 
even  corrupted  bile,  or  other  humours,  by  disagreeably  affect- 
ing the  nerves  of  the  stomach,  produce  an  oppression  about 
the  breast,  wild  imaginations,  frightful  dreams,  raving,  and 
insensibility;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  low  spirits,  melan- 
choly, and  disturbed  sleep,  often  proceed  from  a  disordered 
state  of  the  stomach.  It  seems,  therefore,  more  probable 
that  the  seat  of  nightmare  is  principally  in  that  organ.  It  is 
well  ascertained,  that  some  forms  of  epilepsy,  and  of  hyste- 
rical fits,  originate  from  disorder  in  that  viscus  ;  and  Galen 
considered  the  incubus  as  a  nocturnal  or  slighter  epilepsy. 
People  troubled  with  nervous  and  hypochondriac  affections, 
and  who  have  delicate  or  flatulent  stomachs,  are  more  pecu- 
liarly subject  to  this  disorder  ;  and  it  is  observed,  that  a  heavy 
or  flattdent  supper  greatly  aggravates  the  nightmare,  in  those 
who  are  predis])Osed  to  it.  The  sympathy  of  the  stomach 
with  the  head,  heart,  lungs,  and  diaphragm,  is  so  remarkable, 
that  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in   referring  the  several  symp- 


INCUBUS,  OR   NIGHTMARE.  943 

toms  of  th'i  incubus  to  a  disagreeable  irritation  of  the  nerves 
of  the  stomach. 

The  incubus  is  most  apt  to  seize  persons  when  lying  on  their 
back,  because,  in  this  position,  on  account  of  the  stomach 
and  other  abdominal  viscera  pressing  more  upon  the  dia- 
phragm, we  cannot  inspire  with  the  same  ease  as  when  we  sit 
up  or  lie  on  one  side.  Further,  in  that  situation  of  the  body 
the  food  seems  to  lie  heavier  on  the  stomach,  and  wind  in  it 
does  not  separate  so  readily  by  the  esophagus  and  pylorus,  as 
*n  an  erect  posture,  when  these  orifices  are  higher  than  the 
other  parts  of  the  stomach.  The  nightmare  only  occurs  in 
the  time  of  sleep,  because  the  strange  ideas  excited  in  the 
mind,  in  consequence  of  the  disordered  feelings  of  the  sto- 
mach, are  not  then  corrected  by  the  external  senses,  as  tliey 
are  when  wc  are  awake;  nor  do  we,  by  an  increased  respira- 
tion or  other  motions  of  the  body,  endeavour  to  shake  off  any 
beginning  uneasy  sensation  about  the  stomach  or  breast.  The 
incubus  generally  occurs  in  the  first  sleep,  and  seldom  towards 
morning,  because  at  the  earlier  period  the  stomach  is  more 
loaded  with  food,  and  that  in  a  more  crude  and  indigested 
state  than  in  the  morning.  A  lesser  degree,  amounting  only 
to  frightful  dreams,  is  almost  a  constant  concomitant  of  over- 
loaded stomach  in  some  habits. 

In  fact,  if  the  nightmare  were  ov^ing  to  a  stagnation  of  the 
blood  in  the  lungs  from  the  weight  of  the  heart,  or  in  the 
sinuses  and  other  vessels  of  the  brain,  from  the  horizontal 
posture  of  the  body,  it  would  become  greater  the  longer  it 
continued,  and  would  scarcely  ever  go  off  spontaneously. 
But  we  know  that  this  disease,  after  affecting  people  for  some 
time,  often  gradually  ceases,  and  is  succeeded  by  refreshing 
sleep  :  for  as  soon  as  the  load  of  meat,  or  wind,  or  other 
cause  disagreeably  affecting  the  nerves  of  the  stomach,  is 
removed,  the  oppression  and  weight  on  the  breast,  wild  ima- 
ginations, frightful  dreams,  &,c.  vanish  ;  as  all  these  proceed 
originally  from  the  disorder  of  the  stomach.  It  may  be  re- 
marked, however,  that,  as  neither  flatulency,  i)]ilegm,  nor 
crudities  in  the  stomach,  ever  produce  the  symptoms  of  hypo- 
chondriasis, unless  the  nerves  of  that  organ  be  indisposed  ;  so 
neither  a  horizontal  posture,  sleep,  nor  heavy  suppers,  ever 
produce  the  nightmare,  at  least  in  any  considerable  degree, 
unless  the  person  be  already  predisposed  to  the  complaint, 
from  the  particular  condition  of  the  nerves  of  the  stomach. 

But  although  the  slon)ach  is  the  part  commonly  affected 
primarily  in  the  case  of  incubus;  yet  symptoms  like  those  of 
the  nightmare  may  sometimes  arise  without  -aiy  fault  of  the 
?tomach,  when  the  lung;;,  or  even  the  bra^n,  are  affected. 
Thus  Dr.  Whytt  observes,  that  asthmatic  patients,  whose 
un<is  are  much  obstructed,  are  sometimes  disturbed,  *n  tmie 


J44 


CURIOSITIF.S  RESPKCTING   MAN. 


of  sleep,  with  distressing  dreams,  and  oppressed  with  a  sense 
of  suffocation.  Startingsand  oppressions  about  the  prsecordia, 
with  painful  dreams,  are  indeed  common  occurrences  from 
hydrotliorax,  chronic  coughs,  and  other  pulmonary  obstruc- 
tions ;  but  they  are  not  strictly  analogous  to  the  common 
nightmare.  Dr.  Lower  mentions  a  patient,  who,  though  he 
could  sleep  pretty  easily  with  his  head  inclined  forward  ;  yet, 
in  the  opposite  situation,  he  was  always  soon  awaked  with 
horrid  dreams  and  tremors;  the  cause  of  which  appeared, 
after  his  death,  to  have  been  a  great  quantity  of  water  in  the 
ventricles  of  the  brain.  At  all  events,  a  plethoric  state  of 
habit,  by  rendering  the  circulation  through  the  lungs  less  free, 
may  help  to  produce,  or  at  least  increase,  the  oppression  of 
the  breast  in  the  nightmare. 

The  Cure. — As  incubus,  then,  is  only  a  symptom  of  disor- 
dered or  loaded  stomach,  and  arises  out  of  the  irritation  and 
morbid  feelings  which  are  thus  produced  during  sleep,  the 
relief  of  the  disease,  generally  speaking,  lies  within  a  narrow 
compass.  Temperance  in  eating  and  drinking,  especially  at 
late  hours;  taking,  in  fact,  either  extremely  light  suppers  or 
none  at  all ;  and  when  the  dinner  is  so  late  as  to  be  only  a 
supper  w  ith  another  name,  being  cautious  that  that  also  should 
be  moderate  in  quantity,  and  easily  digestible  and  unstimu- 
lating  in  its  nature;  drinking  thin,  sub-acid  liquors,  where 
these  are  agreeable  to  the  constitution, — these  are  the  princi- 
pal remedies  required.  Brisk  active  exercise,  by  which  the 
digestive  powers  may  be  aided  and  the  stomach  strengthened, 
is  also  advisable.  It  were  useful,  too,  to  sleep  with  high 
pillows,  and  to  lie  on  the  side  as  much  as  possible,  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  back.  If  the  functions  of  the  stomach  are  much 
disordered  with  flatulency,  heartburn,  acidity,  or  oppression, 
with  pain,  or  nausea,  after  taking  food,  the  usual  remedies 
recommended  for  indigestion  must  be  resorted  to.  The 
bowels  should  be  kept  open.  See  Whytt  on  Nervous  Disor- 
ders, chap.  vi.  §  18. 


CELEBUATED  SPEECH   ON   RELIGION. 

The  Editor  of  this  work  well  recollects,  many  years  ago, 
reading  in  a  newspaper  a  most  interesting  speech  on  religion, 
delivered  by  a  French  priest;  it  made  a  great  impression  on 
his  mind  at  the  time,  and  he  frequently  rej^retted  he  had  not 
transcribed  it.  He  made  all  inquiry  possible,  but  could  not 
nieet  with  the  interesting  article  till  seventeen  years  had 
elapsed,  when  it  was  published  by  a  person  who  had  j)reserved 
the  pa|)er  in  question.  It  is  now  presented  to  the  reader  as  a 
curiosity  worthy  of  his  notice. — This  speech  was  delivered  at 


CCM-.BHATF.n  SPEECH   ON    RELIGION.  945 

the  Bar  of  the  French  Convention,  and  is  copied  from  the 
Cambridge  Intelligencer  of  March  24th,  1798. 

A  few  days  after  the  archbishop  of  Paris  and  his  vicars 
had  set  the  example  of  renouncing  their  clerical  character,  a 
rector  from  a  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhone,  followed  by 
some  of  his  parishioners,  with  an  offering  of  gold  and  silver 
saints  and  chalices,  rich  vestments,  &c.  presented  himself  at 
the  bar  of  the  convention.  The  rector,  a  thin  venerable-look- 
ing man,  with  gray  hairs,  was  ordered  to  speak. 

"  I  come  (said  he)  from  the  village   of ,  where  the 

only  good  building  standing  is  a  very  fine  church  :  my  parish- 
ioners beg  you  will  take  it,  to  make  an  hospital  for  the  sick 
and  wounded  of  both  parties,  they  being  both  equally  our 
countrymen.  The  gold  and  silver,  part  of  which  we  have 
brought  to  you,  they  entreat  you  will  devote  to  the  service  of 
the  state,  and  that  you  will  cast  the  bells  into  cannon,  to 
drive  away  its  foreign  invaders.  For  myself,  I  came  with 
great  pleasure  to  resign  my  letters  of  ordination,  of  induction, 
and  every  deed  and  title  by  which  I  have  been  constituted  a 
member  of  your  ecclesiastical  polity.  Here  are  the  papers  ; 
you  may  burn  them,  if  you  please,  in  the  same  fire  with  genealo- 
gical trees  and  patents  of  nobility.  I  desire,  likewise,  that 
you  will  discontinue  my  salary ;  I  am  still  able  to  support 
myself  by  the  labour  of  my  hands,  and  I  beg  you  to  believe, 
that  I  never  felt  sincerer  joy  than  I  now  do  in  making  this 
renunciation.  I  have  longed  to  see  this  day!  I  see  it,  and  am 
glad." 

When  the  old  man  had  thus  far  spoken,  the  applauses  were 
immoderate.  The  rector  did  not  seem  greatly  elated  with 
these  tokens  of  approbation  :  he  retired  back  a  few  steps,  and 
thus  resumed  his  discourse  : — 

"  Before  you  applaud  my  sentiments,  it  is  fit  you  should 
understand  them  ;  perhaps  they  may  not  entirely  coincide  with 
your  own.  I  rejoice  in  this  day,  not  because  1  wish  to  see 
religion  degraded,  but  because  I  wish  to  see  it  exalted  and 
purified.  By  dissolving  its  alliance  with  the  state,  you  have 
given  it  dignity  and  independence.  You  have  done  it  a  piece 
of  service  ;  a  service  which  its  well-wishers  would  perhaps 
never  have  had  courage  to  render  it,  but  which  is  the  only 
thing  wanted  to  make  it  appear  in  its  genuine  beauty  and 
lustre.  Nobody  will  now  say  of  me,  when  I  am  performing 
the  offices  of  religion,  '  It  is  a  trade;  he  is  paid  for  telling  the 
people  such  and  such  things  ;  he  is  hired  to  keep  up  a  useless 
piece  of  mummery.'  They  cannot  say  ih.is,  and  therefore  I 
feel  myself  raised  in  my  own  esteem,  and  shall  speak  to  them 
with  a  confidence  and  a  frankness,  which  before  this  I  never 
durst  venture  to  assume.  We  resign  without  reluctance  our 
gold  and  silver  images,  and  embroidered  vestments,  because 

6D 


946  CEI.EBllATED  SPEECH  ON    RELIGION. 

we  never  have  found  that  looking  upon  gold  and  silver  made 
the  heart  more  pure,  or  the  affections  more  heavenly  ;  we  can 
also  spare  our  churches,  for  the  heart  that  wishes  to  lift  itself  up 
to  God,  will  never  be  at  a  loss  for  a  place  to  do  it  in  :  but  we 
cannot  spare  religion,  because,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  we  never 
had  so  much  occasion  for  it.  I  understand  that  you  accuse 
us  priests  of  having  told  the  people  a  great  many  falsehoods. 
1  suspect  this  may  have  been  the  case,  but  till  this  day  we 
have  never  been  allowed  to  inquire  whether  the  things  which 
we  taught  them  were  true  or  not.  I  cannot  but  hope,  how- 
ever, that  the  errors  we  have  fallen  into  have  not  been  very 
material,  since  the  village  has  in  general  been  sober  and  good ; 
the  peasants  honest,  docile,  and  laborious  ;  the  husbands  love 
their  wives,  and  the  wives  their  husbands  ;  they  are  fortu- 
nately not  too  rich  to  be  compassionate,  and  they  have  con- 
stantly relieved  the  sick  and  fugitives  of  all  parties,  whenever 
it  has  lain  in  their  way.  I  think,  therefore,  what  I  have 
taught  them  cannot  be  so  much  amiss. 

"  You  want  to  extirpate  priests:  but  will  you  hinder  the 
ignorant  from  applying  for  instruction,  the  unhappy  for  com- 
fort and  hope,  the  unlearned  from  looking  up  to  the  learned? 
If  you  do  not,  you  will  have  priests,  by  whatever  name  you 
may  order  them  to  be  called;  but  it  is  certainly  not  necessary 
they  should  wear  a  particular  dress,  or  be  appointed  by  state 
letters  of  ordination.  My  letters  of  ordination  are  my  zeal, 
charity,  and  my  ardent  love  for  the  children  of  the  village: 
if  1  were  more  learned,  I  would  add  knowledge  ;  but,  alas!  we 
all  know  very  little:  to  a  man  every  error  is  pardonable,  but 
want  of  humanity.  We  have  a  public  walk,  w ith  a  spreading 
elm-tree  at  one  end  of  it,  and  a  circle  of  green  around  it,  with 
a  convenient  bench.  Here  I  shall  draw  together  the  children 
that  are  playing  round  me:  I  shall  point  to  the  vines  laden 
with  fruit,  to  the  orchard,  to  the  herds  of  cattle  lowing  round 
us,  to  the  distant  hills  stretching  one  behind  another;  and 
they  will  ask  me,  how  came  all  these  things?  I  shall  tell 
them  all  1  know  ;  what  I  have  heard  from  the  wise  men  who 
have  lived  before  me;  they  will  be  penetrated  with  love  and 
adoration!  They  will  kneel;  1  shall  kneel  with  them;  they 
will  not  be  at  my  feet,  but  all  of  us  at  the  feet  of  that  good 
Being,  whom  we  shall  worship  together,  and  thus  they  will 
receive  within  their  tender  minds  a  religion. 

"The  old  men  will  come  sometimes,  from  having  deposited 
under  the  green  sod  one  of  their  companions,  and  place  them- 
selves by  my  side  :  they  will  look  wistfully  at  the  turf,  and 
anxiously  inquire, — Is  he  gone  for  ever?  Shall  we  soon  be 
like  him?  Will  no  morning  break  over  the  tomb?  When  the 
wicked  cease  from  troublinix,  will  the  fjood  cease  from  doingr 
good?    "NVe  will  talk  of  these  things:  1  will  comfort  them;  I 


\ 


vhsuvius  947 

will  tell  them  of  the  jrooduess  of  Goc  ;  I  will  speak  to  them 
of  a  life  to  come;  1  will  bid  them  hope  for  a  state  of  retri- 
bution. 

"  You  have  changed  our  holidays ;  you  have  an  undoubted 
ric^ht,  as  our  civil  governors,  so  to  do  :  it  is  very  immaterial 
whether  they  are  kept  once  in  seven  days,  or  once  in  ten  ; 
some,  however,  you  will  leave  us,  and  when  they  occur,  I 
shall  tell  those  who  choose  to  hear  me,  of  the  beauty  and 
utility  of  virtue,  and  of  the  dignity  of  right  conduct.  There  is 
a  book  out  of  which  I  have  sometimes  taught  my  people;  it 
savs  we  are  to  love  those  who  do  us  hurt,  and  to  pour  oil  and 
wine  into  the  wounds  of  the  stranger.  In  this  book  we  read 
of  Christ  Jesus  :  some  worship  him  as  a  God  ;  others,  as  1 
am  told,  say  it  is  wrong  to  do  so  ;  some  teach  that  he  existed 
before  the  besinnincr  of  ajjes :  others,  that  he  was  born  of 
Joseph  and  Mary.  I  cannot  tell  whether  these  controversies 
will  ever  be  decitied  :  but,  in  the  mean  time,  I  think  we  can- 
not do  otherwise  than  well  in  imitating  him — for  I  learn  that 
he  loved  the  poor,  and  went  about  doing  good." 


Addenda  to  Vesuvius. — See  page  441. 

A  grand  eruption  of  Vesuvius  took  place  on  Sunday  night, 
Feb.  24,  1822.  It  continued  for  several  days.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  a  private  letter,  dated  Naples,  March  8, 
1822.— 

"  Towards  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  February  the  26th,  as 
appearances  promised  a  good  night's  work,  we  set  off  from 
Naples  to  view  the  operations  nearer;  the  road  to  Resina  was 
covered  with  people  going  and  returning,  as  if  a  fair  had  been 
in  the  vicinity.  When  we  reached  the  spot  where  strangers 
are  on  common  occasions  surrounded  by  guides,  and  asses, 
and  mules,  to  conduct  them  up  to  the  mountain,  we  found 
that  no  animals  were  to  be  procured,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
we  could  get  a  stupid  old  man  for  a  cicerone,  who  rendered 
us  no  other  service  than  carrying  a  torch.  The  ascent  was 
thronged  with  people,  some  pushing  on  eagerly  to  the  object 
of  their  curiosities,  and  others  returning,  and  discussing  what 
they  had  seen.  Far  below  San  Salvator  we  saw  the  stream  of 
fire  rolling  along  a  wide  hollow,  and  approaching  the  path  by 
which  we  were  going  up:  it  was  then,  however,  at  a  consider- 
able distance,  and  its  course  was  very  slow.  On  reaching 
the  hermitage,  we  refreshed  ourselves  as  well  as  the  crowd 
there  assembled  would  permit ;  we  then  continued  our  journey, 
and  approached  the  lava,  which  was  chiefly  formed  by  the 
eruption  of  Januarv,  1821.  We  found  it  about  thirty  feet 
wide;  it  was  not  liquid  lava,  but  consisted  of  ashes,  ignited 


948  VESUVIUS. 

stones,  and  old  masses  of  volcanic  ejections,  swept  awav  bv 
tlie  present  eruption,  and  heated  again.  These  lumps,  rolling 
over  each  other,  produced  a  strange  clinking  noise.  Some  of 
them  were  of  a  very  great  size;  and  the  whole  stream,  though 
descending  a  steep  cone,  moved  but  slowly. 

"  Beyond  this  principal  stream,  midway  up  the  cone,  was  an 
opening,  whence  very  large  stones  and  other  burning  matters 
Avere  continually  thrust  out.  This  mouth  fed  a  scattered 
stream,  beyond  which  was  another  narrow  stream,  proceeding- 
like  the  principal  one  from  the  crater.  They  both  united  with 
the  main  body  in  the  deep  hollow  below,  and  rolled  on  to- 
wards the  road  which  leads  from  Resina  up  to  the  hermitage. 
Themultitudeof  the  spectators  standing  by  the  sides  of  the  burn- 
ing river  being  seized  with  astonishment,  we,  with  a  great  many 
of  the  more  adventurous,  determined  to  ascend  the  cone  ;  we 
therefore  passed  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  great  stream,  and 
began  to  scramble  to  the  deep  loose  cinders  and  ashes  which 
cover  this  part  of  the  mountain,  and  render  it  at  all  times  a 
most  fatiguing  climb.  A  little  path  or  track  formerly  existed, 
in  which  the  guides  laid  masses  of  lava  to  facilitate  the  mount- 
ing, but  it  was  just  in  that  line  that  the  present  eruption 
descended,  and  we  were  in  consequence  obliged  to  go  up 
over  the  sand  and  cinders,  in  which  we  frequently  stuck  up 
to  our  knees,  and,  at  every  three  steps,  lost  one  on  an  average. 
After  a  most  fatiguing  toil  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  we  found 
ourselves,  with  a  few  others,  on  the  edge  of  the  grand  crater: 
hence  the  coup  (Tail  was  terrifically  sublime ;  the  flames  rushed 
out  of  the  mouth,  and  threw  themselves  in  the  air  in  a  broad 
body  to  the  elevation  of  at  least  a  hundred  feet,  whilst  many 
of  the  fiery  stones  flew  up  twice  that  height.  Sometimes  the 
flames  fell  back  into  the  mouth  of  the  crater,  and  then  burst 
out  again,  as  though  impelled  by  a  fresh  impulse,  like  the 
blast  of  a  bellows.  In  their  descent,  some  of  the  stones  and 
lum.ps  of  cinder  returned  into  the  mouth,  but  the  greater  part 
fell  outside  of  the  flames,  like  the  jets  of  a  fountain. 

*'  While  we  were  standing  on  the  exposed  side  of  the  crater, 
very  intent  in  observation,  all  of  a  sudden  the  volcano  gave 
a  tremendous  roar.  It  was  like  the  crash  of  a  long  line  of 
artillery,  and  was  instantly  succeeded  by  such  a  discharge  of 
stones  as  we  had  never  before  seen.  At  the  same  moment, 
the  wind,  which  was  very  high,  gave  an  irregular  gust,  which 
directed  a  great  part  of  the  stones  towards  the  place  where 
we  were  posted.  Hence  our  situation  was  for  a  minute  or 
two  very  perilous  ;  but  there  was  no  shelter  near,  and  we 
stood  still,  looking  at  the  descending  shower  which  fell  around 
us.  We,  however,  happily  sustained  no  other  injury  than  a 
short  alarm,  and  having  some  ashes  dashed  in  our  faces  by 
stones  which  fell  near  us.     Two  or  three  srentlemen  who  vere 


VESUVIUS.  949 

ascending  the  cone  after  us,  were  not  quite  so  iortunatt,  for 
many  of  the  stones  falling  outside  of  the  ridge,  rolled  down 
the  side  with  great  velocity,  loosening  and  carrying  witli  tiieni 
lumps  of  cold  lava,  &c.  some  of  which  struck  thuse  persons 
on  the  legs  with  great  violence,  and  nearly  precipitated  one 
of  them  headlong  to  the  foot  of  the  cone. 

"  After  this,  we  thought  we  had  seen  enough,  and  turned 
to  go  down.  The  descent  is  as  easy  as  the  ascent  is  difficult; 
the  cinders  and  ashes  sliding  away  beneath  the  feet,  nothing 
further  is  necessary  than  to  step  out,  the  quicker  the  better, 
to  keep  one's  equilibrium,  and  to  avoid  the  fixed  or  large 
stones  and  pieces  of  lava.  We  were  not  more  than  ten  minutes 
in  reaching  the  point  whence  it  had  taken  us  an  hour  and  a 
half  to  mount.  In  coming  down,  we  were  struck  with  the 
strange  appearance  of  the  torches  of  companies  ascending 
and  descending;  they  formed  a  pale  wavering  line  from 
Resina  to  the  hermitage  ;  and  thence  to  the  cone,  they  were 
scattered  about  in  thick  and  fantastic  groups.  On  reaching 
the  hermitage,  we  found  it  so  crowded,  that  we  could  not 
enter.  The  large  flat  around  was  covered  like  a  crowded  fair, 
by  people  of  all  nations,  and  of  all  ranks,  from  the  beautiful 
and  accomplished  countess  of  Fiquelmont,  wife  of  the  Aus- 
trian ambassador,  to  the  Austrian  sergeant  and  his  wife,  who 
had  come  to  see  the  blazing  mountain.  Numbers  of  people 
had  come  from  towns  and  villages  below,  with  bread  and  wine, 
and  fruit  and  aqua-vitse,  all  of  which  articles  seemed  in  very 
great  demand.  The  motley  scene  was  illuminated  by  the  bright 
silvery  moon,  and  the  red  towering  flames  at  the  summit  of 
the  volcano.  We  took  some  slight  refreshments,  and  repaired 
homewards  in  the  midst  of  as  merry  groups  as  ever  returned 
from  scenes  of  festivity  and  joy. 

•  "  When  we  got  lower  down,  we  found  that  the  lava  had 
approached  very  near  to  the  road,  and  had  already  seized 
upon  a  fine  vineyard,  which  was  blazing  very  brilliantly. 
After  our  retreat,  we  learned  that  the  lava  traversed  the  road. 
On  Wednesday,  the  27th,  the  eruption  was  in  a  great  measure 
tranquillized ;  still,  however,  crowds  of  people  continued 
going  up  the  mountain  ;  and  an  Austrian  oflScer,  who  had 
come  from  Caspua  to  see  it,  was  unfortunately  killed  on  the 
ridge  of  the  cone,  by  a  large  stone  striking  him  on  the  head. 
On  Thursday  scarcely  any  thing  but  smoke  issued  from  the 
crater,  and  it  has  continued  from  that  time  in  the  same  peace- 
ful state." 


950  ANAGRA  4S. —  MUDERN    DICTIONARY. 


ANAGRAMS. 

In  "The  Book  of  Curiosities,"  even  that  mechanical,  yet 
curiously  fortuitous  species  of  wit,  called  the  Anagram,  must 
not  escape  notice.  It  can  scarcely  be  necessary  to  premise, 
that  anagram,  or  metagram,  is  the  dissolution  of  a  word  into 
its  letters,  as  its  elements;  and  then,  by  a  new  connection  of 
them,  making  some  perfect  sense,  applicable  to  the  person  or 
thing  named.  As  there  are  some  modern  ones  of  this  sort, 
exhibiting  astonishing  coincidences,  we  shall  here  subjoin  a 
selection  of  the  best : — 

Lo  1  DRESS,  Soldiers. — 'Tis  ye  govern,  Sovereignty. — 
Spare  him  not.  Misanthrope. — Great  Helps,  Telegraphs. — 
No  MORE  Stars,  Astronomers. — No  Charm,  Monarch. — 
March  on,  Monarch. — Comical  Trade,  Democratieal. — 
Best  in  Prayer,  Presbyterian. — A  just  Master,  James 
Stuart. — To  love  Ruin,  Revolution. — Oh  poison  Pitt,  7'A' 
Opposition. — Honor  est  a  Nilo,  Horatio  Nelson. — A  Bear 
upon  't,  Buonaparte. 

The  unhappy  Sir  Edmundburie  Godfry,  having  dared,  as  a 
magistrate,  to  take  some  legal  depositions  against  the  Papists, 
was,  by  three  of  those  fellow-subjects.  Green,  Berry,  and 
Hill,  waylaid,  and  shockingly  murdered,  in  1678,  upon  which 
was  then  written, 

I    FIND   MUKDER'd   by   ROGUES 

Sir  Edmundburie  Godfry. 


MODERN    DICTIONARY. 

To  illustrate  life  at  the  present  day,  we  insert  the  follow- 
ing whimsical  Encyclopaedia  of  Manners  at  the  Commence- 
ment of  the  Nineteenth  Century! 

Age...Kn  infirmity  nobody  owns. 

At  Home..  .The  domestic  amusement  of  three  hundred  visi- 
tors in  a  small  room,  to  yawn  at  each  other. 

Bo/e..  .Every  thing  one  dislikes;  it  also  means  any  person 
who  talks  of  religion. 

Bu i/iug..  .Oider\i\g  goods  without  purpose  of  paying. 

Chariot.. .  A  vehicle  for  one's  servants,  the  dickey  being  the 
seat  for  the  ladies,  and  the  coach-box  for  the  gentleman. 

Charity.. .  A  golden  ticket  to  Catalani,  or  any  other  favour- 
ite performer. 

Coachman..  .A  gentleman  or  accomplished  nobleman. 

Common  Sense. ..A  vulgar  quality. 

Coy?s(7'c';/a'..  .Something  to  swear  by. 


RECIPE   FOR  TRUE  FRIENDSHIP.  951 

Doy... Night;  or,  strictly  speaking,  from  ten  in  the  even 
ing  to  six  in  the  morning. 

Debt... A  necessary  evil. 

Decenct/..  .Keep\n^  up  an  appearance. 

Dress. . .  Half  naked. 

D/v/y..  .Doing  as  other  people  do. 

Kco)iomi/. . .  Obsolete. 

Fas/lion..  .The  Je  ue  scat  quoi  of  excellence. 

Fortune..  .The  Summum  Bonum. 

F»7e//f/..  .Meaning  not  known. 

Ilig/i / i/-accomp/ished..  .Jiead]ng  music  at  sight,  painting 
flowers  for  the  borders  of  a  screen,  and  a  talent  for  guessing 
charades. 

7io/«e..  .Every  one's  house  but  your  own. 

//o;/o/a-..  .Standing  fire  well. 

JJospitaliti/. . .  Obsolete. 

Hus/mnd..  .A  person  to  pay  your  debts. 

7.ot'e...The  meaning:  >iot  known,  now  that  the  ossification 
of  the  heart  has  become  a  fashionable  disease ;  but  the  word 
is  still  to  be  found  in  novels  and  romances. 

Matrimony. . .  A  bargain. 

Modest..  .Sheepish. 

il/o/7////o^.  ..From  noon  to  sunset. 

Music. .  Execution. 

Neic. .  Delightful. 

?^onseuse..  .Polite  conversation. 

Not  at  Home.. .  Sitting  in  your  own  drawing-room. 

Fai/..  .Only  applied  to  visits. 

Fieti/. . .  Hypocrisy. 

Prodigality. . .  Generosity. 

Prudence. . .  Parsimony. 

Quiz..  .Any  inoffensive  person,  out  of  your  own  circle. 

J\V//o-/ow..  .Occupying  a  seat  in  some  genteel  chapel. 

Spirit..  .Contempt  of  decorum  and  morality. 

Stijle. . .  Splendid  extravagance. 

Time..  .On\y  regarded  in  music. 

Truth.. .  Meaning  uncertain. 

F/Ve...Any  fault  in  horses,  dogs,  and  servants. 

Wicked.. .  Irresistibly  agreeable. 

World... H\\e  circle  of  fashionable  people  when  in  town. 


RECIPE   FOR    ESTABLISHING   TRUE   FRIENDSHIP. 

In  Pliny's  Natural  History,  we  find  a  curious  recipe  for 
making  the  Roman  Friendship,  a  cordial  that  was  univer- 
sally esteemed  in  those  days,  and  very  few  families  of  any 
credit  were   without   it.     In   the    same  place   (he  says)   they 


952 


RLCIPK   FOR  TRUE  FRIENDSHIP. 


were  indebted  to  the  Greeks  for  tliis  recipe,  who  had  it  in 
the  grciitest  pertection.  The  old  Roman  Friendship  was  a 
composition  of  several  ingredients,  of  which  the  jjrincipal 
were  : 

Union  of  hearts,  (a  fine  flower,  that  grew  in  several  parts 
of  tile  empire,)  sincerity,  frankness,  disinterestedness,  pity, 
and  tenderness,  (of  eacli  an  equal  quantity.)  These  were  all 
mixed  with  two  rich  oils,  which  they  called  perpetual  kind 
wishes,  and  serenity  of  temper;  and  the  whole  was  strongly 
))erfumed  with  the  desire  of  pleasing,  which  gave  it  a  most 
grateful  smell,  and  was  a  sure  restorative  in  all  sorts  of  va- 
pours. This  cordial  was  of  so  durable  a  nature,  that  no  length 
of  time  could  waste  it:  and  what  is  very  remarkable,  (says 
our  author,)  it  increased  in  weight  and  value  the  longer  you 
kept  it. — The  moderns  have  most  grossly  adulterated  this  fine 
cordial;  some  of  the  ingredients  indeed  are  not  to  be  found, 
but  what  they  impose  upon  you  as  friendship,  is  as  follows  : 

Outward  professions,  (a  common  weed  that  grows  every 
where,)  instead  of  the  flower  of  union  ;  the  desire  of  being 
pleased  ;  a  large  quantity  of  self-interest,  conveniency,  and 
reservedness  (many  handfuls;)  a  little  pity  and  tenderness. 
But  some  pretend  to  make  it  up  with  these  two  last,  and  the 
common  oil  of  inconstancy  (which,  like  our  linseed  oil,  is  cold- 
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